WO2021210323A1 - Cooling system - Google Patents

Abstract

A first cooled part (310) and a second cooled part (320) serving as targets to be cooled are respectively installed in a vehicle (MV). A cooling system (10) for the vehicle comprises a first heat exchange part (210) and a second heat exchange part (220) that lower the temperature of a heating medium by exchanging heat with air, and is configured such that the first cooled part is supplied with a heating medium that has passed through both the first heat exchange part and the second heat exchange part, and the second cooled part is supplied with a heating medium that has passed through the first heat exchange part but not through the second heat exchange part.

Description

Cooling system Cross-reference of related applications

This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2020-072841 filed on April 15, 2020 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-025940 filed on February 22, 2021. , Claiming the benefit of that priority, the entire contents of that patent application are incorporated herein by reference.

This disclosure relates to a cooling system.

For example, the vehicle is equipped with a cooling system for cooling each part of the vehicle. For example, in the case of a vehicle having an internal combustion engine equipped with a turbocharger, the internal combustion engine, supercharged air, and the like are cooled by the cooling system. Further, in the case of an electric vehicle having a rotary electric machine, the rotary electric machine, an inverter, or the like is cooled by a cooling system. The cooling system cools a cooling target such as an internal combustion engine by circulating a heat medium such as cooling water in the vehicle. The heat medium that has taken heat from the object to be cooled and has become hot is lowered in temperature by heat exchange with air when passing through the radiator, and then is used again for cooling the object to be cooled.

Generally, in a cooling system, the path through which the heat medium circulates is a high temperature path for cooling a relatively high temperature cooling object such as an internal combustion engine and a low temperature path for cooling a relatively low temperature cooling object such as an inverter. It is often configured by dividing it into usage routes.

Patent Document 1 below describes a cooling system having a configuration in which each of an intercooler and a condenser for air conditioning is cooled by a heat medium circulating in a low temperature path. As described above, in the low temperature path, a plurality of cooling targets are arranged along the path, and these are generally cooled by a common heat medium.

U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/02575742

In the cooling system described in Patent Document 1, the middle of the flow path of the heat medium constituting the low temperature path is branched into two, an intercooler is arranged in one flow path, and the other flow path A capacitor is placed. That is, the two devices to be cooled are arranged so as to be parallel to each other in the flow path of the heat medium. In such a configuration, the temperature of the heat medium flowing into one cooling target and the temperature of the heat medium flowing into the other cooling target are the same temperature.

However, the optimum temperature range of the equipment to be cooled generally differs for each equipment. For example, in a vehicle, supercharged air can be cooled by an intercooler to lower the temperature, so that the output performance of the internal combustion engine can be improved, while the inverter cannot operate normally if the temperature is lowered too much. In this example, when setting the temperature of the heat medium reaching each device (that is, the common temperature), it is necessary to set the temperature within the range in which the inverter can operate normally. In this case, although there is room for further lowering the temperature of the intercooler to improve its performance, it is necessary to supply the intercooler with a heat medium having a temperature suitable for the inverter. Therefore, it is difficult to cool each part of the vehicle with the optimum efficiency.

As described above, in the conventional cooling system, there is room for further improvement in supplying a heat medium having a temperature suitable for each of the cooling targets.

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a cooling system capable of supplying a heat medium having a temperature suitable for each of the objects to be cooled.

One aspect of the cooling system according to the present disclosure is a cooling system for vehicles. A vehicle provided with a cooling system is equipped with a first cooled portion and a second cooled portion to be cooled, respectively. This cooling system includes a first heat exchange unit and a second heat exchange unit that lower the temperature of the heat medium by heat exchange with air, and the first heat exchange unit includes a first heat exchange unit and a second heat exchange unit. The heat medium that has passed through both the heat exchange sections is supplied, and the heat medium that has passed through the first heat exchange section and has not passed through the second heat exchange section is supplied to the second cooled section. There is.

Another aspect of the cooling system according to the present disclosure is a cooling system for a fuel cell device. The fuel cell device provided with the cooling system is equipped with a first cooled portion and a second cooled portion to be cooled, respectively. This cooling system includes a first heat exchange unit and a second heat exchange unit that lower the temperature of the heat medium by heat exchange with air, and the first heat exchange unit includes a first heat exchange unit and a second heat exchange unit. The heat medium that has passed through both the heat exchange sections is supplied, and the heat medium that has passed through the first heat exchange section and has not passed through the second heat exchange section is supplied to the second cooled section. There is.

In any of the above configurations, the heat medium supplied to the first heat exchange section is cooled when passing through the first heat exchange section to lower the temperature, and then cooled again when passing through the second heat exchange section. After the temperature is further lowered, the first portion to be cooled is reached. On the other hand, the heat medium supplied to the second heat exchange section is cooled when passing through the first heat exchange section to lower the temperature, and then reaches the second cooled section without passing through the second heat exchange section. do. Therefore, the temperature of the heat medium supplied to the first part to be cooled is lower than the temperature of the heat medium supplied to the second part to be cooled.

According to the cooling system having the above configuration, it is possible to make the temperature of the heat medium that reaches different for each part to be cooled that is the object of cooling. Therefore, for example, a device that should be operated at a low temperature as much as possible, such as an intercooler for a vehicle, is arranged as a first cooled portion, and a device that should be operated at a medium temperature, such as an inverter for a vehicle, is second. If it is arranged as a part to be cooled, a heat medium having a suitable temperature can be supplied to each device to be cooled.

According to the present disclosure, a cooling system capable of supplying a heat medium having a temperature suitable for each of the objects to be cooled is provided.

FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a cooling system according to the first embodiment and a vehicle equipped with the cooling system. FIG. 2 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a cooling system according to the first embodiment. FIG. 3 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a heat exchanger included in the cooling system according to the second embodiment. FIG. 4 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a heat exchanger included in the cooling system according to the modified example of the second embodiment. FIG. 5 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the cooling system according to the third embodiment. FIG. 6 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the cooling system according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 7 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the cooling system according to the fifth embodiment. FIG. 8 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of an intercooler included in the cooling system according to the sixth embodiment. FIG. 9 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a cooling system according to a comparative example and a vehicle equipped with the cooling system. FIG. 10 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the cooling system according to the seventh embodiment. FIG. 11 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the cooling system according to the eighth embodiment. FIG. 12 is a diagram schematically showing the configuration of the cooling system according to the ninth embodiment. FIG. 13 is a diagram schematically showing a configuration of a cooling system according to a comparative example.

Hereinafter, the present embodiment will be described with reference to the attached drawings. In order to facilitate understanding of the description, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals as much as possible in each drawing, and duplicate description is omitted.

The first embodiment will be described. The cooling system 10 according to the present embodiment is mounted on the vehicle MV and is configured as a system for cooling each part of the vehicle MV. FIG. 1 schematically shows the configuration of the vehicle MV and the cooling system 10.

First, the configuration of the vehicle MV will be described with reference to FIG. The vehicle MV is configured as a hybrid vehicle equipped with both an internal combustion engine EG and a rotary electric machine MG. In FIG. 1, the internal configuration of the vehicle MV is schematically shown when viewed from above. The lower side in the figure is the front side of the vehicle, and the upper side is the rear side of the vehicle. In the following, words such as "right" and "left" will be used based on the directions shown in FIG.

The internal combustion engine EG is a device that generates a driving force for running a vehicle MV by burning fuel internally. The vehicle MV is equipped with a turbocharger (not shown) or the like for sending supercharged air to the internal combustion engine EG. The internal combustion engine EG and the system for operating the internal combustion engine EG are schematically shown as an engine system EGS in FIG. The engine system EGS includes an internal combustion engine EG, a turbocharger, and an intercooler 310. The intercooler 310 is a device for pre-cooling the high-temperature air supplied to the internal combustion engine EG by the cooling water circulating in the cooling system 10 described later. That is, the intercooler 310 is one of the cooling targets of the cooling system 10.

The rotary electric machine MG is a so-called motor generator, which is a device that generates a driving force for traveling of a vehicle MV by the electric power supplied from a battery. The rotary electric machine MG and the system for operating the rotary electric machine MG are schematically shown as an EV system EVS in FIG. The EV system EVS includes an inverter 320 in addition to a rotary electric machine MG and a battery. The inverter 320 is a device for converting the electric power from the battery into electric power and supplying the electric power to the rotary electric machine MG.

Both the rotary electric machine MG and the inverter 320 raise the temperature during operation. Therefore, the rotary electric machine MG and the inverter 320, together with the above-mentioned intercooler 310, are the cooling targets of the cooling system 10. The EV system EVS, together with the engine system EGS described above, is arranged so as to line up along the width direction of the vehicle MV.

Subsequently, the configuration of the cooling system 10 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. Note that FIG. 2 shows a further schematic diagram of the configuration shown in FIG. 1 by extracting only the path through which the cooling water circulates in the cooling system 10.

The cooling system 10 includes a pipe 100, a water pump 250, a low temperature sub-radiator 210, and a low temperature main radiator 220.

The pipe 100 is a pipe for circulating cooling water which is a heat medium. The pipe 100 is routed inside the vehicle MV so that the cooling water passes through each device to be cooled by the cooling system 10. In the present embodiment, as described above, each of the intercooler 310 and the inverter 320 is a cooling target of the cooling system 10, and is cooled by the supplied cooling water. The intercooler 310 corresponds to the "first cooled portion" in the present embodiment. The inverter 320 corresponds to the "second cooled unit" in the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, since the rotary electric machine MG is also cooled together with the inverter 320 as described above, both the rotary electric machine MG and the inverter 320 may be understood as the “second cooled portion”.

The heat medium that circulates through the pipe 100 may be cooling water as in the present embodiment, but may be a fluid other than the cooling water.

The water pump 250 is a pump for sending out cooling water so that the cooling water circulates along the pipe 100. The water pump 250 is arranged at a position in front of the tire house on the front right side portion of the vehicle MV. As a result, the water pump 250 is arranged at a position closer to the right end portion inside the vehicle MV.

The position where the water pump 250 is arranged may be a position different from the above as long as the cooling water can be sent out and circulated. For example, the water pump 250 may be arranged at a position in the pipe 100 between the low temperature main radiator 220 and the intercooler 310. Further, the number of water pumps 250 provided in the cooling system 10 may be two or more.

The low temperature sub-radiator 210 is a heat exchanger for cooling the cooling water circulating in the cooling system 10 by heat exchange with air to lower the temperature. The low temperature sub-radiator 210 is arranged in the pipe 100 at a position downstream of the water pump 250 along the direction in which the cooling water flows. The low temperature sub-radiator 210 corresponds to the "first heat exchange unit" in the present embodiment.

The low temperature main radiator 220 is a heat exchanger for cooling the cooling water circulating in the cooling system 10 by heat exchange with air to lower the temperature, similar to the above low temperature sub radiator 210. The low temperature main radiator 220 is arranged in the pipe 100 at a position further downstream than the low temperature sub radiator 210 along the direction in which the cooling water flows. The low temperature main radiator 220 corresponds to the "second heat exchange unit" in the present embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, a condenser 230 and a high temperature radiator 510 are arranged at positions near the low temperature main radiator 220, respectively. These are arranged so as to be arranged in three along the direction in which the air taken in from the front side of the vehicle MV flows.

The condenser 230 is a part of an air conditioner (not shown) provided in the vehicle MV, and is a heat exchanger for condensing the refrigerant by heat exchange with air.

The high temperature radiator 510 is a heat exchanger for cooling the cooling water that has passed through the internal combustion engine EG and having reached a high temperature by heat exchange with air to lower the temperature. In FIG. 1, the illustration of the path through which the cooling water circulates between the high temperature radiator 510 and the internal combustion engine EG is omitted. The path corresponds to a "high temperature circuit" for cooling a relatively high temperature device such as an internal combustion engine EG. The path through which the cooling water circulates through the low-temperature main radiator 220 and the like corresponds to a "low-temperature circuit" for cooling relatively low-temperature equipment.

At a position between the low temperature sub-radiator 210 and the low temperature main radiator 220, the pipe 100 is branched into two, a pipe 101 and a pipe 102. The low temperature main radiator 220 described above is arranged at a position in the middle of one of the pipes 101. The intercooler 310, which is the first cooling portion, is arranged at a position of the pipe 101 on the downstream side of the low temperature main radiator 220 along the direction in which the cooling water flows.

The inverter 320, which is the second cooled portion, is arranged at a position in the middle of the other pipe 102. Both the downstream end of the pipe 101 and the downstream end of the pipe 102 are connected to the pipe 100 toward the water pump 250.

With the above configuration, the cooling water sent out from the water pump 250 first lowers its temperature when passing through the low temperature sub-radiator 210. After that, a part of the cooling water reaches the inverter 320 through the pipe 102 and is used for cooling the inverter 320. The remaining cooling water reaches the low temperature main radiator 220 through the pipe 101, and further lowers the temperature when passing through the low temperature main radiator 220. After that, the cooling water reaches the intercooler 310 and is used for cooling the intercooler 310.

As is well known, the intercooler 310 is for cooling the high temperature air supplied to the internal combustion engine EG and increasing its density. Therefore, the lower the temperature of the cooling water supplied to the intercooler 310, the more preferable it is.

In the cooling system 10 according to the present embodiment, the cooling water that has passed through both the low temperature sub-radiator 210 (first heat exchange section) and the low temperature main radiator 220 (second heat exchange section) and has become sufficiently low temperature is the first. 1 It is configured to be supplied to the intercooler 310 which is a cooled portion. As a result, the supercharging air in the intercooler 310 can be sufficiently cooled.

As described above, the inverter 320 raises its temperature during operation, and is therefore cooled by the cooling water passing through the pipe 102. However, if the inverter 320 is cooled too much, the internal power card or the like may not operate normally. Therefore, the lower the temperature of the inverter 320, the more preferable it is, and it is preferable to keep the temperature within a certain optimum temperature range. The same applies to the rotary electric machine MG. If the rotary electric machine MG is cooled too much, the viscosity of the oil inside the rotary electric machine MG becomes high, which may hinder the operation of the rotary electric machine MG. Therefore, the lower the temperature of the rotary electric machine MG, the more preferable it is, and it is preferable to keep the temperature within the same optimum temperature range as described above.

In the cooling system 10 according to the present embodiment, the cooling water that has passed through the low temperature sub-radiator 210 (first heat exchange section) and has not passed through the low temperature main radiator 220 (second heat exchange section) is transferred to the second cooled section. It is configured to be supplied to the inverter 320. Therefore, the temperature of the cooling water supplied to the inverter 320 is higher than the temperature of the cooling water supplied to the intercooler 310. As a result, the temperature of the inverter 320 can be kept within the above-mentioned optimum temperature range.

A branching tool 110 is arranged in a portion of the pipe 100 that branches into the pipe 101 and the pipe 102 on the downstream side of the low temperature sub-radiator 210. Inside the branching tool 110, a valve body (not shown) for adjusting the ratio of the cooling water flowing out to the pipe 101 and the cooling water flowing out to the pipe 102 is arranged. By adjusting the opening degree of the valve body in advance, the flow rate of the cooling water supplied to the inverter 320 can be adjusted, and the temperature of the inverter 320 can be kept within the above-mentioned appropriate temperature range.

In order to explain the advantages of the configuration of the present embodiment, the configuration of the cooling system 10A according to the comparative example will be described with reference to FIG. In this comparative example, the position where the water pump 250 is arranged and the configuration of the pipe 100 are different from those of the first embodiment of FIG.

In this comparative example, the water pump 250 is arranged at a position near the tire house on the front left side portion of the vehicle MV. As a result, the water pump 250 is arranged at a position closer to the left end portion inside the vehicle MV. At a position downstream of the water pump 250 along the direction in which the cooling water flows, the pipe 100 is branched into two, a pipe 101 and a pipe 102. An intercooler 310 is arranged at a position in the middle of one of the pipes 101. An inverter 320 is arranged at a position in the middle of the other pipe 102. Both the downstream end of the pipe 101 and the downstream end of the pipe 102 are connected to the pipe 100 toward the low temperature sub-radiator 210. The cooling water discharged from the low temperature sub-radiator 210 returns to the water pump 250.

In such a configuration, the intercooler 310 and the inverter 320 are arranged so as to be parallel to each other in the cooling water flow path. Therefore, the temperature of the cooling water flowing into the intercooler 310 and the temperature of the cooling water flowing into the inverter 320 become the same temperature.

However, the optimum temperature range of the equipment mounted on the vehicle MV is generally different for each equipment. As described above, the intercooler 310 can exhibit its performance as it is cooled and the temperature is lowered, while the inverter 320 cannot operate normally if the temperature is lowered too much. In the configuration of the comparative example, when setting the temperature of the cooling water reaching each device (that is, a common temperature), it is necessary to set the temperature within the range in which the inverter 320 can operate normally. In this case, although there is room for further lowering the temperature of the intercooler 310 to improve its performance, cooling water having a temperature suitable for the inverter 320 must be supplied to the intercooler 310. Therefore, it becomes difficult to cool each part of the vehicle MV with the optimum efficiency.

On the other hand, in the cooling system 10 according to the present embodiment, as described above, the temperature of the cooling water supplied to the intercooler 310 which is the first cooled portion and the temperature of the cooling water supplied to the inverter 320 which is the second cooled portion are supplied. The temperature of the cooling water can be different from each other. By supplying cooling water at an appropriate temperature for each device to be cooled, it is possible to improve the overall cooling efficiency as compared with the comparative example.

Further, in the configuration of the comparative example as shown in FIG. 9, the portion of the pipe 100 from the water pump 250 to the inverter 320 tends to be long along the width direction of the vehicle MV. In particular, in a configuration in which the EV system EVS and the engine system EGS are arranged so as to be arranged along the width direction of the vehicle MV, if the configuration according to the comparative example is adopted, the above portion of the pipe 100 tends to be long. There is.

On the other hand, in the configuration of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 1, the portion of the pipe 100 from the water pump 250 to the inverter 320 is shorter than the configuration of FIG. Therefore, for example, in a configuration in which both a high temperature circuit and a low temperature circuit are provided and a complicated pipe 100 is required, by adopting the configuration of the present embodiment, the length of the pipe 100 can be partially reduced. It can be shortened. As a result, the water flow resistance is reduced, so that the operating load of the water pump 250 can be reduced. Further, as the pipe 100 becomes shorter, the total amount of cooling water circulating in the cooling system 10 decreases, so that it becomes easy to lower the temperature of the cooling water by each radiator.

In the present embodiment, the intercooler 310 for lowering the temperature of the air supplied to the internal combustion engine EG serves as the first cooled unit, and the inverter 320 for supplying electric power to the rotary electric machine MG serves as the second cooled unit. ing. However, as the first cooled portion and the second cooled portion, devices different from the examples of the present embodiment can be adopted, respectively. For example, the battery that supplies electric power to the rotary electric machine MG may be configured to be the second cooled unit. Further, a combination of a plurality of devices may be configured as a first cooled portion or a second cooled portion.

In particular, in a configuration in which a device placed under the floor such as a battery serves as a cooled portion, the routing of piping for circulating cooling water tends to be complicated. Therefore, it is highly effective to adopt the same configuration as that of the present embodiment and suppress the pipe length.

In the present embodiment, the vehicle MV on which the cooling system 10 is mounted is configured as a hybrid vehicle including both the internal combustion engine EG and the rotary electric machine MG. Instead of such an embodiment, for example, the cooling system 10 may be mounted on a conventional vehicle that travels with the driving force of only the internal combustion engine EG. Further, the cooling system 10 may be mounted on an electric vehicle that travels with the driving force of only the rotary electric machine MG.

The second embodiment will be described. In the following, the points different from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the points common to the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate. The present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the low temperature sub-radiator 210 and the low temperature main radiator 220.

The cooling system 10 according to the present embodiment includes the heat exchanger 200 shown in FIG. 3 in place of the low temperature sub-radiator 210 and the low temperature main radiator 220 in the first embodiment. In the present embodiment, the heat exchanger 200 of FIG. 3 is arranged at the position where the low temperature main radiator 220 is arranged in FIG. 1 in the vehicle MV.

The heat exchanger 200 includes tanks 201 and 202, and tubes and corrugated fins (not shown). In the heat exchanger 200, all of these components are integrated by brazing.

Both tanks 201 and 202 are containers for temporarily storing cooling water, which is a heat medium. These are formed as elongated containers having a substantially cylindrical shape, and are arranged in a state in which the longitudinal direction thereof is along the vertical direction. The tanks 201 and 202 are arranged at positions separated from each other along the horizontal direction.

The tank 201 and the tank 202 are connected by a plurality of tubes. Each tube is laminated so as to be lined up in the vertical direction with its longitudinal direction along the horizontal direction. The internal space of the tank 201 and the internal space of the tank 202 are connected by respective tubes. In addition, corrugated fins are arranged between the tubes. That is, between the tank 201 and the tank 202, a plurality of tubes and corrugated fins are laminated and arranged so as to be alternately arranged in the vertical direction.

When the cooling water flows through the flow path formed inside each tube, it is cooled by heat exchange with the air passing outside. The portion where a plurality of tubes and corrugated fins are laminated and arranged corresponds to a "heat exchange core portion" in which heat exchange is performed between the cooling water and air. The portion of the heat exchange core portion above the separator 203, which will be described later, is also referred to as “heat exchange core portion 204” below. Further, the portion of the heat exchange core portion below the separator 203 is also referred to as "heat exchange core portion 205" below.

The tank 202 is provided with an inlet portion 206 and an outlet portion 207. The inlet 206 is provided on the upper side of the tank 202. The outlet portion 207 is provided in the lower portion of the tank 202. A separator 203 is provided in the inside of the tank 202 at a position below the inlet 206 and above the outlet 207. The internal space of the tank 202 is divided into upper and lower parts by a separator 203.

The tank 201 is provided with an outlet portion 208. The outlet portion 208 is provided in the upper portion of the tank 201.

Although not shown, in the cooling system 10 of the present embodiment, the pipe 100 extending from the water pump 250 is connected to the inlet 206 of the heat exchanger 200. Further, a pipe extending to the intercooler 310 is connected to the outlet portion 207 of the heat exchanger 200. Further, a pipe extending to the inverter 320 is connected to the outlet portion 208 of the heat exchanger 200. In the cooling system 10 of the present embodiment, the branching tool 110 of the first embodiment is not provided.

In the present embodiment, the cooling water sent out from the water pump 250 is first supplied from the inlet 206 to the inside of the tank 202. As shown by the arrow AR1 in FIG. 3, the cooling water flows into the portion of the tank 201 above the separator 203 through the respective tubes arranged in the heat exchange core portion 204.

When the cooling water passes through the heat exchange core portion 204 as described above, it is cooled by heat exchange with air and its temperature is lowered. A part of the cooling water that has flowed into the tank 201 from the heat exchange core portion 204 is discharged from the outlet portion 208 and supplied to the inverter 320.

The rest of the cooling water that has flowed into the tank 201 flows downward inside the tank 201 and flows into a portion below the separator 203, as shown by the arrow AR2 in FIG. After that, as shown by the arrow AR3 in FIG. 3, the cooling water flows into the portion of the tank 202 below the separator 203 through the respective tubes arranged in the heat exchange core portion 205.

When the cooling water passes through the heat exchange core portion 205 as described above, it is cooled again by heat exchange with air, and its temperature is further lowered. The cooling water that has flowed into the tank 202 from the heat exchange core portion 205 is discharged from the outlet portion 207 and is supplied to the intercooler 310.

As described above, in the cooling system 10 according to the present embodiment, the cooling water that has passed through both the heat exchange core portion 204 and the heat exchange core portion 205 and has become sufficiently low in temperature is discharged from the outlet portion 207 and is first covered. It is supplied to the intercooler 310 which is a cooling unit. Further, the cooling water that has passed through the heat exchange core portion 204 and has not passed through the heat exchange core portion 205 is discharged from the outlet portion 208 and supplied to the inverter 320.

Since the heat exchange core unit 204 functions in the same manner as the low temperature subradiator 210 of the first embodiment, it corresponds to the "first heat exchange unit" of the present embodiment. Further, since the heat exchange core unit 205 functions in the same manner as the low temperature main radiator 220 of the first embodiment, it corresponds to the “second heat exchange unit” of the present embodiment. In the present embodiment, the heat exchange core unit 204, which is the first heat exchange unit, and the heat exchange core unit 205, which is the second heat exchange unit, are configured as a heat exchanger 200 integrated with each other. Even in such an embodiment, the same effect as that described in the first embodiment is obtained.

As described above, the "first heat exchange unit" and the "second heat exchange unit" are respectively configured as separate heat exchangers as in the first embodiment, and are located at positions separated from each other in the cooling system 10. However, as in the present embodiment, both may be configured as a heat exchanger 200 that is integrated with each other.

Further, in addition to the first heat exchange section and the second heat exchange section, an additional heat exchanger may be separately provided in the cooling system 10. For example, in the configuration of the present embodiment, a sub-radiator may be separately provided at a position in the middle of the pipe connecting the water pump 250 and the inlet portion 206. In such a configuration, the cooling water sent out from the water pump 250 is first lowered in temperature when passing through the sub-radiator, and then supplied from the inlet 206 to the heat exchanger 200. It becomes. With such a configuration, the load on the heat exchanger 200 can be reduced.

Further, in the configuration of the present embodiment, the tank 201 of the heat exchanger 200 exhibits the same function as the branching tool 110 in the first embodiment. As a result, it is possible to reduce the number of branching tools 110 and reduce the cost of parts.

The configuration in which the first heat exchange unit and the second heat exchange unit are "integrated with each other" is a heat exchanger of the first heat exchange unit and the second heat exchange unit as in the present embodiment. It is not limited to the configuration in which the whole is inseparable by brazing. For example, the low temperature sub-radiator 210, which is the first heat exchange section, and the low temperature main radiator 220, which is the second heat exchange core section, are fixed to each other by fastening bolts or the like, and are integrated by this. There may be.

A modified example of the second embodiment will be described. As shown in FIG. 4, in this modified example, the separator 203A is provided at a position at the same height as the separator 203 inside the tank 201. The internal space of the tank 201 is divided into upper and lower parts by a separator 203A.

Further, the tank 201 is provided with an outlet portion 209. The outlet portion 209 is provided as an outlet for cooling water from the tank 201, similarly to the outlet portion 208. The outlet portion 209 is provided at a position on the tank 201 below the separator 203A.

Both the pipe 103 extending from the outlet portion 208 and the pipe 104 extending from the outlet portion 209 are connected to the branching tool 110A configured in the same manner as the branching tool 110. The branching tool 110A and the inverter 320 (not shown) are connected by a pipe 105.

In the modified example of such a configuration, all of the cooling water that has passed through the heat exchange core portion 204 is temporarily discharged from the outlet portion 208. After that, a part of the cooling water goes from the branching tool 110A to the inverter 320 through the pipe 105. The remaining cooling water is supplied from the branching tool 110A to the heat exchange core portion 205 through the pipe 104. After that, the cooling water is discharged from the outlet portion 207 and heads for the intercooler 310.

As described above, in the configuration in which the first heat exchange unit and the second heat exchange unit are integrated with each other as the heat exchanger 200, the tank 201 does not exhibit the same function as the branching tool 110 in the first embodiment. It can also be configured.

The third embodiment will be described. In the following, the points different from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the points common to the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

FIG. 5 schematically shows a path through which cooling water circulates in the cooling system 10 according to the present embodiment by the same method as in FIG. As shown in the figure, in the cooling system 10 according to the present embodiment, in the portion of the pipe 100 that branches to the pipe 101 and the pipe 102 on the downstream side of the low temperature sub-radiator 210, the branching tool 110 is replaced. The flow rate adjusting valve 410 is arranged. The flow rate adjusting valve 410 changes the ratio of the cooling water distributed to the pipe 101 and the pipe 102 by adjusting the opening degree thereof in response to a signal from the outside.

The opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve 410 is adjusted by the control device 400. The control device 400 is a computer system having a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like, and is a device that controls the entire cooling system 10.

A temperature sensor 420 is provided at a position of the pipe 100 between the low temperature sub-radiator 210 and the flow rate adjusting valve 410. The temperature sensor 420 is a sensor for measuring the temperature of the cooling water at the position. A signal indicating the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 420 is input to the control device 400.

When the cooling water is circulating in the cooling system 10, the control device 400 performs a process of adjusting the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve 410 based on the temperature of the cooling water measured by the temperature sensor 420. Specifically, the control device 400 adjusts the opening degree of the flow rate adjusting valve 410 so that the higher the temperature of the cooling water, the larger the flow rate of the cooling water flowing into the intercooler 310 via the low temperature main radiator 220. adjust.

When the temperature of the intercooler 310 rises for some reason and the temperature measured by the temperature sensor 420 rises accordingly, the process of increasing the flow rate of the cooling water flowing into the intercooler 310 is performed as described above. This makes it possible to keep the temperature of the intercooler 310 at an appropriate temperature.

The position where the temperature sensor 420 is provided may be a position different from the above as long as the temperature of the cooling water in the intercooler 310 can be measured directly or indirectly. For example, the temperature sensor 420 may be provided at a position in the pipe 100 near the intercooler 310. Further, the position where the flow rate adjusting valve 410 is provided may be a position different from the above as long as the flow rate of the cooling water flowing into the intercooler 310 can be adjusted. For example, the flow rate adjusting valve 410 may be provided at a position in the pipe 100 where the cooling water passing through the intercooler 310 and the cooling water passing through the inverter 320 merge with each other.

The fourth embodiment will be described. In the following, the points different from the above-mentioned third embodiment (FIG. 5) will be mainly described, and the points common to the fourth embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

FIG. 6 schematically shows a path through which cooling water circulates in the cooling system 10 according to the present embodiment by the same method as in FIGS. 2 and 5. As shown in the figure, in the cooling system 10 according to the present embodiment, in the portion of the pipe 100 that branches into the pipe 101 and the pipe 102 on the downstream side of the low temperature sub-radiator 210, as in the first embodiment. The branching tool 110 and the flow rate adjusting valve 410 as in the third embodiment are not arranged.

In the present embodiment, the electromagnetic on-off valve 411 is provided at a position of the pipe 100 between the above-mentioned branch portion and the inverter 320. The electromagnetic on-off valve 411 is an on-off valve capable of switching its opening and closing in response to an external signal. The opening / closing operation of the electromagnetic on-off valve 411 is controlled by the control device 400.

When the cooling water circulates in the cooling system 10, the control device 400 controls the operation of the electromagnetic on-off valve 411 based on the temperature of the cooling water measured by the temperature sensor 420. Specifically, the control device 400 performs a process of closing the electromagnetic on-off valve 411 when the temperature of the cooling water exceeds a predetermined temperature. Further, the control device 400 performs a process of opening the electromagnetic on-off valve 411 when the temperature of the cooling water becomes equal to or lower than the above-mentioned predetermined temperature. Even with such control, it is possible to keep the temperature of the intercooler 310 at an appropriate temperature as in the third embodiment described above. Also in this embodiment, the position of the electromagnetic on-off valve 411 and the position of the temperature sensor 420 can be changed as appropriate.

The fifth embodiment will be described. In the following, the points different from the first embodiment will be mainly described, and the points common to the first embodiment will be omitted as appropriate. The present embodiment is different from the first embodiment in the configuration of the portion of the exhaust pipe extending from the internal combustion engine EG where the intercooler 310 is provided.

FIG. 7 schematically shows a path through which cooling water circulates in the cooling system 10 according to the present embodiment by the same method as in FIG. In the present embodiment, the configuration of the path through which the cooling water sent from the water pump 250 circulates, that is, the path corresponding to the low temperature circuit in the cooling system 10, is the same as the configuration shown in FIG. This low temperature circuit is also referred to as "low temperature circuit 11" below.

The cooling system according to the present embodiment is configured by adding a high temperature circuit 12 as shown in FIG. 7 to the low temperature circuit 11. The high temperature circuit 12 circulates cooling water so as to cool the internal combustion engine EG, and includes a pipe 500, a water pump 520, and a high temperature radiator 510.

The pipe 500 is a pipe for circulating cooling water, which is a heat medium, like the pipe 100 of the low temperature circuit 11. The pipe 500 is routed inside the vehicle MV so that the cooling water passes through the internal combustion engine EG which is the object of cooling in the high temperature circuit 12.

The water pump 520 is a pump for sending out cooling water so that the cooling water circulates along the pipe 500.

The high temperature radiator 510 is a heat exchanger for cooling the cooling water that has passed through the internal combustion engine EG and having reached a high temperature by heat exchange with air to lower the temperature. Similar to the first embodiment (FIG. 1), the high temperature radiator 510 is arranged at a position close to the low temperature main radiator 220.

When the cooling water is being pumped out by the water pump 520, the high temperature radiator 510 is supplied with the cooling water that has reached a high temperature through the internal combustion engine EG. The cooling water lowers its temperature as it passes through the high temperature radiator 510, and then is used again for cooling the internal combustion engine EG.

In FIG. 7, an intake pipe IP for supplying air to the internal combustion engine EG and an exhaust pipe EP for discharging exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine EG are shown. The intercooler 310, which is a part of the low temperature circuit 11, is provided at a position in the middle of the intake pipe IP. Inside the intake pipe IP, an intake flow path for supplying air to the internal combustion engine EG is formed.

The intercooler 530 is provided in the intake pipe IP at a position on the upstream side of the intercooler 310 along the air flow direction, that is, the intake flow direction, that is, on the upstream side of the first cooled portion. ing. Like the intercooler 310, the intercooler 530 is a heat exchanger for lowering the temperature of the supplied air in advance by heat exchange with the cooling water.

The pipe 500 is provided with a bypass pipe 501 so as to bypass the internal combustion engine EG. One end of the bypass pipe 501 is connected to a position of the pipe 500 between the high temperature radiator 510 and the internal combustion engine EG. The other end of the bypass pipe 501 is connected to a position of the pipe 500 between the internal combustion engine EG and the water pump 520. The bypass pipe 501 is configured to pass through the intercooler 530 described above. Therefore, a part of the cooling water after passing through the high temperature radiator 510 is supplied to the internal combustion engine EG, and the other part is supplied to the intercooler 530 via the bypass pipe 501. In the intercooler 530, heat exchange is performed between the air passing through the intake pipe IP and the cooling water passing through the bypass pipe 501.

The air passing through the intake pipe IP and heading for the internal combustion engine EG is first cooled by cooling water in the intercooler 530 on the upstream side to lower the temperature. After that, it is cooled again by the cooling water in the intercooler 310 on the downstream side, and the temperature is further lowered. According to such a configuration, the amount of heat to be taken from the air in the intercooler 310 is reduced. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the heat load in the low temperature circuit 11 and lower the temperature of the cooling water circulating in the low temperature circuit 11.

When the temperature of the cooling water circulating in the low temperature circuit 11 decreases, the viscosity of the cooling water increases, and the water flow resistance when circulating the cooling water increases. However, according to the configuration of the present embodiment, as described above, the length of the pipe can be shortened and the water flow resistance can be made smaller than before, so that the increase in the viscosity of the cooling water becomes a problem. There is no.

As described above, in the cooling system according to the present embodiment, the position is in the middle of the flow path for supplying air to the internal combustion engine EG (that is, the intake pipe IP), and the direction in which the supplied air flows (that is, intake air). An intercooler 530 that lowers the temperature of the supplied air by heat exchange with the cooling water is arranged at a position upstream of the intercooler 310 (that is, the first cooled portion) along the flow direction). .. The intercooler 530 is a cooling target of the high temperature circuit 12 included in the cooling system 10, and corresponds to the "third cooled portion" in the present embodiment. Even in such a configuration, the same effect as that described in the first embodiment is obtained.

In this embodiment as well, as in the second embodiment (FIG. 3), the first heat exchange unit and the second heat exchange unit are combined to form a heat exchanger 200 that is “integrated with each other”. It is possible to adopt.

The sixth embodiment will be described. In the following, the points different from the above-mentioned fifth embodiment (FIG. 7) will be mainly described, and the points common to the fifth embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

Also in the present embodiment, the intercooler 310 and the intercooler 530 are provided in the intake pipe IP as in the fifth embodiment. However, in the present embodiment, the intercooler 310 and the intercooler 530 are not configured as separate heat exchangers, but both are configured as an integral heat exchanger. That is, the intercooler 310 and the intercooler 530 are integrated, and these are configured to function as one "intercooler". The intercooler integrated in this way is also referred to as "intercooler 600" below.

As shown in FIG. 8, the intercooler 600 includes a case 601 and tanks 602 and 603.

Case 601 is a substantially rectangular container made of metal. Case 601 is a portion in which heat exchange between the air supplied to the internal combustion engine EG and the cooling water takes place, as will be described later. The direction in which air flows inside the case 601 is from the lower side to the upper side in FIG.

The tank 602 is a cylindrical member connected to the downstream portion of the case 601 along the direction of air flow. The tank 602 is formed in a tapered shape so that the internal flow path becomes narrower toward the downstream side along the flow direction of the supercharged air. The downstream portion of the intake pipe IP is connected to the end of the tank 602 on the side opposite to the case 601.

The tank 603 is a cylindrical member connected to the upstream portion of the case 601 along the direction of air flow. The tank 603 is formed in a tapered shape so that the internal flow path becomes narrower toward the upstream side along the flow direction of the supercharged air. The upstream portion of the intake pipe IP is connected to the end of the tank 603 opposite to the case 601.

Inside the case 601, a plurality of plate members (not shown) are arranged so as to be arranged along the depth direction of the paper surface of FIG. Between the plate members adjacent to each other, the cooling water flow path through which the cooling water flows and the air flow path through which the air flows are formed so as to be alternately arranged along the depth direction of the paper surface of FIG. Inside the case 601 heat exchange is performed between the cooling water flowing through the cooling water flow path and the air flowing through the air flow path.

First, the flow of air passing through the intake pipe IP will be described. After flowing into the case 601 through the tank 603, the air is distributed and supplied to each of the plurality of air flow paths formed as described above. After that, the air discharged from each of the air flow paths rejoins in the tank 602 and is supplied to the internal combustion engine EG through the intake pipe IP.

Next, the flow of the cooling water in the case 601 will be described. The case 601 is provided with a first water inlet portion 311 and a first water outlet portion 313, a second water inlet portion 531 and a second water outlet portion 533.

The cooling water flow path formed between the plate members is formed so as to be divided into upper and lower parts in FIG. 8 with the dotted line DL shown in FIG. 8 sandwiched between them. In the part of the intercooler 600 on the tank 602 side of the dotted line DL, the cooling water supplied from the first water inlet portion 311 passes through each cooling water flow path in a U-turn path as shown by an arrow. , It is discharged to the outside from the first water outlet portion 313.

In each plate member, a through hole 312 is formed so that the cooling water flowing in from the first water inlet portion 311 flows toward the back side of the paper surface. The cooling water flows through the through hole 312 toward the back side of the paper surface and is distributed to each cooling water flow path formed between the plate members.

Similarly, through holes 314 are formed in each plate member so that the cooling water after passing through the cooling water flow path flows toward the first water outlet portion 313 on the front side of the paper surface. The cooling water flows through the through hole 314 toward the front side of the paper surface, and then is discharged to the outside from the first water outlet portion 313.

Cooling water after passing through the low temperature main radiator 220 is supplied to the first water inlet portion 311. Also. The cooling water discharged from the first water outlet portion 313 flows toward the water pump 250. Therefore, the portion of the case 601 on the tank 602 side of the dotted line DL is a portion that functions as the intercooler 310 in the fifth embodiment (FIG. 7). This part corresponds to the "first part to be cooled" in the present embodiment.

In the part of the intercooler 600 on the tank 603 side of the dotted line DL, after the cooling water supplied from the second water inlet portion 531 passes through the respective cooling water flow paths in a linear path as shown by the arrow. , It is discharged to the outside from the second water outlet portion 533.

A through hole 532 is formed in each plate member so that the cooling water flowing in from the second water inlet portion 531 flows toward the back side of the paper surface. The cooling water flows through the through hole 532 toward the back side of the paper surface and is distributed to each cooling water flow path formed between the plate members.

Similarly, through holes 534 are formed in each plate member so that the cooling water after passing through the cooling water flow path flows toward the second water outlet portion 533 on the front side of the paper surface. The cooling water flows through the through hole 534 toward the front side of the paper surface, and then is discharged to the outside from the second water outlet portion 533.

Cooling water that has flowed into the bypass pipe 501 through the high temperature radiator 510 and the water pump 520 is supplied to the second water inlet portion 531. Also. The cooling water discharged from the second water outlet portion 533 passes through the bypass pipe 501, joins the pipe 500, and then flows toward the high temperature radiator 510. Therefore, the portion of the case 601 on the tank 603 side of the dotted line DL is a portion that functions as the intercooler 530 in the fifth embodiment (FIG. 7). This part corresponds to the "third cooled part" in the present embodiment.

As described above, in the present embodiment, the first cooled portion that functions as the intercooler 310 and the third cooled portion that functions as the intercooler 530 are configured as an intercooler 600 that is integrated with each other. Even in such an embodiment, the same effect as that described in the fifth embodiment is obtained.

The seventh embodiment will be described. The cooling system 20 according to the present embodiment is mounted on the fuel cell device FCS and is configured as a system for cooling each part of the fuel cell device FCS. FIG. 10 schematically shows the configuration of the fuel cell device FCS and the cooling system 20.

The fuel cell device FCS is mounted on a vehicle, for example, and is used as a device for generating electric power required for traveling of the vehicle. Further, the fuel cell device FCS may be installed in a general house, for example, and may be used as a device for generating electric power consumed in the house.

The fuel cell device FCS has a cell stack CS, a supply pipe IP1, and an exhaust pipe EP1.

Cell stack CS generates electric power by reacting fuel such as hydrogen with air. The cell stack CS is provided with a plurality of cells (not shown) for causing the above reaction. As such a cell, various types of cells such as SOFC and PEFC can be used.

In the cell stack CS, heat is generated with power generation, so the temperature of the cell stack CS rises. Therefore, a part of the cooling water circulating in the cooling system 20 described later is supplied to the cell stack CS. As a result, the cell stack CS is cooled, and its temperature is maintained at a temperature suitable for power generation. As described above, the cell stack CS is one of the cooling targets of the cooling system 20.

Supply pipe IP1 is a pipe for supplying air to the cell stack CS. The air is used as a so-called oxidant gas and is used for power generation in the cell stack CS. A supercharger (not shown) is provided on the upstream side of the supply pipe IP1. Air compressed by a supercharger and heated to a high temperature is supplied to the supply pipe IP1.

An intercooler 731 is provided at a position in the middle of the supply pipe IP1. The intercooler 731 is a device for cooling the high-temperature air flowing through the supply pipe IP1 by the cooling water circulating in the cooling system 20 described later. That is, the intercooler 731 is a device for lowering the temperature of the air supplied to the cell stack CS in advance before reaching the cell stack CS. As described above, the intercooler 731 is one of the cooling targets of the cooling system 20.

The exhaust pipe EP1 is a pipe for guiding the exhaust gas generated by the reaction in the cell stack CS to the outside and discharging it.

The configuration of the cooling system 20 according to the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. 10. The cooling system 20 includes a pipe 700, a water pump 750, a high temperature main radiator 710, and a high temperature sub radiator 720.

The pipe 700 is a pipe for circulating cooling water which is a heat medium. The pipe 700 is routed in the fuel cell device FCS so that the cooling water passes through each device to be cooled by the cooling system 20. In the present embodiment, as described above, each of the cell stack CS and the intercooler 731 is a cooling target of the cooling system 20, and is cooled by the supplied cooling water. The intercooler 731 corresponds to the "first cooled portion" in the present embodiment. The cell stack CS corresponds to the "second cooled unit" in the present embodiment.

The heat medium that circulates through the pipe 700 may be cooling water as in the present embodiment, but may be a fluid other than the cooling water.

The water pump 750 is a pump for sending out cooling water so that the cooling water circulates along the pipe 700. The number of water pumps 750 provided in the cooling system 20 may be two or more.

The high temperature main radiator 710 is a heat exchanger for cooling the cooling water circulating in the cooling system 20 by heat exchange with air to lower the temperature. The high temperature main radiator 710 is arranged in the pipe 700 at a position downstream of the water pump 750 along the direction in which the cooling water flows. The high temperature main radiator 710 corresponds to the "first heat exchange unit" in the present embodiment.

The high temperature sub-radiator 720 is a heat exchanger for cooling the cooling water circulating in the cooling system 20 by heat exchange with air to lower the temperature, similarly to the high temperature main radiator 710. The high temperature sub-radiator 720 is arranged in the pipe 700 at a position further downstream than the high temperature main radiator 710 along the direction in which the cooling water flows. The high temperature sub-radiator 720 corresponds to the "second heat exchange unit" in the present embodiment.

The path through which the cooling water circulates along the pipe 700 corresponds to a "high temperature circuit" for cooling a relatively high temperature device such as a cell stack CS. The fuel cell device FCS is also provided with a "low temperature circuit" for cooling equipment at a relatively low temperature, but the illustration is omitted in FIG. Examples of the "relatively low temperature device" include an inverter that converts electric power generated in the cell stack CS.

At a position between the high temperature main radiator 710 and the high temperature sub radiator 720, the pipe 700 is branched into two, a pipe 701 and a pipe 702. The high temperature sub-radiator 720 described above is arranged at a position in the middle of one of the pipes 701. The intercooler 731, which is the first cooled portion, is arranged at a position on the pipe 701 that is downstream of the high temperature sub-radiator 720 along the direction in which the cooling water flows.

A cell stack CS, which is a second cooled portion, is arranged at a position in the middle of the other pipe 702. Both the downstream end of the pipe 701 and the downstream end of the pipe 702 are connected to the pipe 700 toward the water pump 750.

With the above configuration, the cooling water sent out from the water pump 750 first lowers its temperature when passing through the high temperature main radiator 710. After that, a part of the cooling water reaches the cell stack CS through the pipe 702 and is used for cooling the cell stack CS. The remaining cooling water reaches the high temperature sub-radiator 720 through the pipe 701 and further lowers the temperature when passing through the high temperature sub radiator 720. After that, the cooling water reaches the intercooler 731 and is used for cooling the intercooler 731.

As is well known, the intercooler 731 is for cooling the high temperature air supplied to the cell stack CS and increasing its density. The temperature of the intercooler 731 is preferably lower than the temperature of the cell stack CS during power generation.

In the cooling system 20 according to the present embodiment, the cooling water that has passed through both the high temperature main radiator 710 (first heat exchange section) and the high temperature sub radiator 720 (second heat exchange section) and has become cold is first covered. It is configured to be supplied to the intercooler 731 which is a cooling unit. As a result, the supercharging air in the intercooler 731 can be sufficiently cooled.

As described above, the cell stack CS generates heat during power generation and raises its temperature, so that it is cooled by the cooling water passing through the pipe 702. However, if the cell stack CS is cooled too much, the power generation performance of the cell stack CS may deteriorate or a part of the cell may be damaged. Therefore, the lower the temperature of the cell stack CS, the more preferable it is, and it is preferable to keep the temperature within a certain optimum temperature range. It is for this reason that the cell stack CS is cooled by the high temperature circuit instead of the low temperature circuit.

In the cooling system 20 according to the present embodiment, the cooling water that has passed through the high temperature main radiator 710 (first heat exchange section) and has not passed through the high temperature sub radiator 720 (second heat exchange section) is transferred to the second cooled section. It is configured to be supplied to the cell stack CS which is. Therefore, the temperature of the cooling water supplied to the cell stack CS is higher than the temperature of the cooling water supplied to the intercooler 731. As a result, the temperature of the cell stack CS can be kept within the above-mentioned optimum temperature range.

In order to explain the advantages of the configuration of the present embodiment, the configuration of the cooling system 20A according to the comparative example will be described with reference to FIG. The cooling system 20A includes a low temperature circuit 21 and a high temperature circuit 22, both of which are shown in FIG.

The low temperature circuit 21 is a circuit for cooling a relatively low temperature device in the fuel cell device FCS. The low temperature circuit 21 includes a pipe 100, a water pump 250, and a low temperature radiator 210A.

The pipe 100 is a pipe for circulating cooling water which is a heat medium. The pipe 100 is routed in the fuel cell device FCS so that the cooling water passes through each device to be cooled by the cooling system 20. In FIG. 13, an inverter 810 is shown as the cooling device. The inverter 810 is a power converter that converts the electric power generated in the cell stack CS. The water pump 250 is a pump for sending out the cooling water so that the cooling water circulates along the pipe 100. The low temperature radiator 210A is a heat exchanger for cooling the cooling water circulating in the low temperature circuit 21 of the cooling system 20A by heat exchange with air to lower the temperature.

The high temperature circuit 22 is a circuit for cooling the cell stack CS and the intercooler 731, similar to the high temperature circuit of the present embodiment shown in FIG. As is clear from comparing FIGS. 10 and 13, this comparative example differs from the seventh embodiment in the configuration of the pipe 700.

In the present embodiment, all of the cooling water that has passed through the high temperature main radiator 710 is configured to pass through the high temperature sub radiator 720 on the downstream side.

At a position downstream of the high temperature sub-radiator 720 along the direction in which the cooling water flows, the pipe 700 is branched into two pipes 701 and 702. An intercooler 731 is arranged at a position in the middle of one of the pipes 701. A cell stack CS is arranged at a position in the middle of the other pipe 702. Both the downstream end of the pipe 701 and the downstream end of the pipe 702 are connected to the pipe 700 toward the water pump 750.

In the comparative example of such a configuration, the intercooler 731 and the cell stack CS are arranged so as to be parallel to each other in the flow path of the cooling water. Therefore, the temperature of the cooling water flowing into the intercooler 731 and the temperature of the cooling water flowing into the cell stack CS become the same temperature.

However, the optimum temperature range of the equipment mounted on the fuel cell device FCS is generally different for each equipment. As described above, the temperature of the intercooler 731 is preferably lower than the temperature of the cell stack CS during power generation. Therefore, in the configuration of the comparative example, it is difficult to cool each part of the fuel cell device FCS with the optimum efficiency.

On the other hand, in the configuration of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 10, as described above, the temperature of the cooling water supplied to the cell stack CS is made higher than the temperature of the cooling water supplied to the intercooler 731. be able to. That is, each part of the fuel cell device FCS can be cooled with the optimum efficiency.

Further, in the configuration of the comparative example shown in FIG. 13, the flow rate of the cooling water becomes large in the relatively small high temperature sub-radiator 720. For this reason, there is also a problem that the robustness regarding the strength of the high temperature sub-radiator 720 is lowered, and the water flow resistance becomes too large.

On the other hand, in the configuration of the present embodiment shown in FIG. 10, not all but only a part of the cooling water that has passed through the high temperature main radiator 710 passes through the high temperature sub radiator 720. Since the flow rate of the cooling water passing through the high temperature sub-radiator 720 is suppressed, robustness in terms of strength can be ensured, and water flow resistance can also be reduced.

The eighth embodiment will be described. In the following, the points different from the above-mentioned seventh embodiment will be mainly described, and the points common to the seventh embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

FIG. 11 schematically shows the configuration of the fuel cell device FCS and the cooling system 20 according to the present embodiment. As shown in the figure, an intercooler 732 is provided at a position on the supply pipe IP1 of the present embodiment on the downstream side of the intercooler 731 along the direction of air flow. Similar to the intercooler 731, the intercooler 732 is a heat exchanger for lowering the temperature of the supplied air in advance by heat exchange with the cooling water.

In the present embodiment, the intercooler 732 is arranged instead of the intercooler 731 at a position downstream of the high temperature sub-radiator 720 in the pipe 701.

The pipe 702 of the present embodiment is branched into two, a pipe 703 and a pipe 704, in the middle. The cell stack CS of the present embodiment is arranged at a position in the middle of the pipe 703. The intercooler 731 of the present embodiment is arranged at a position in the middle of the pipe 704. Both the downstream end of the pipe 701 and the downstream end of the pipe 704 are connected to the pipe 705. Both the downstream end of the pipe 705 and the downstream end of the pipe 703 are connected to the pipe 700 toward the water pump 750.

With the above configuration, the cooling water sent out from the water pump 750 first lowers its temperature when passing through the high temperature main radiator 710. After that, a part of the cooling water reaches each of the cell stack CS and the intercooler 731 after passing through the pipe 702, and is used for cooling each part. The remaining cooling water reaches the high temperature sub-radiator 720 through the pipe 701 and further lowers the temperature when passing through the high temperature sub radiator 720. After that, the cooling water reaches the intercooler 732 and is used for cooling the intercooler 732. As described above, the temperature of the cooling water passing through the intercooler 731 is higher than the temperature of the cooling water passing through the intercooler 732.

The air passing through the supply pipe IP1 and heading for the fuel cell device FCS is first cooled by high-temperature cooling water in the upstream intercooler 731 to lower the temperature. After that, it is cooled again by the low-temperature cooling water in the intercooler 732 on the downstream side, and the temperature is further lowered. According to such a configuration, the air can be cooled stepwise by the intercoolers 731 and 732 according to the temperature of the air passing through the supply pipe IP1. As a result, the air supercharged to the cell stack CS can be efficiently cooled.

The intercooler 732 corresponds to the "first cooled portion" in the present embodiment. The cell stack CS and the intercooler 731 correspond to the "second cooled portion" in the present embodiment. Also in the present embodiment having the above configuration, the same effect as that described in the seventh embodiment is obtained.

The ninth embodiment will be described. Hereinafter, the points different from the eighth embodiment will be mainly described, and the points common to the seventh embodiment will be omitted as appropriate.

FIG. 12 schematically shows the configuration of the fuel cell device FCS and the cooling system 20 according to the present embodiment. In FIG. 12, both the low temperature circuit 21 and the high temperature circuit 22 included in the cooling system 20 are shown in the same manner as in FIG. 13 showing the configuration of the comparative example.

The low temperature circuit 21 includes a pipe 100, a water pump 250, a low temperature main radiator 211, and a low temperature sub radiator 221.

The pipe 100 is a pipe for circulating cooling water which is a heat medium. The pipe 100 is routed in the fuel cell device FCS so that the cooling water passes through each device to be cooled by the cooling system 20. In FIG. 12, an inverter 810 is shown as the cooling device. The inverter 810 is a power converter that converts the electric power generated in the cell stack CS. The water pump 250 is a pump for sending out the cooling water so that the cooling water circulates along the pipe 100.

The low temperature main radiator 211 is a heat exchanger for cooling the cooling water circulating in the low temperature circuit 21 of the cooling system 20 by heat exchange with air to lower the temperature. The low temperature main radiator 211 corresponds to the "first heat exchange unit" in the present embodiment.

The low-temperature sub-radiator 221 is a heat exchanger for cooling the cooling water circulating in the cooling system 20 by heat exchange with air to lower the temperature, similarly to the above-mentioned low-temperature main radiator 211. The low temperature sub-radiator 221 is arranged in the pipe 100 at a position further downstream than the low temperature main radiator 211 along the direction in which the cooling water flows. The low temperature sub-radiator 221 corresponds to the "second heat exchange unit" in the present embodiment.

At a position between the low temperature main radiator 211 and the low temperature sub radiator 221 the pipe 100 is branched into two, a pipe 101 and a pipe 102. The low temperature sub-radiator 221 described above is arranged at a position in the middle of one of the pipes 101. An inverter 810, which is a cooling target, is arranged at a position of the pipe 101 on the downstream side of the low temperature sub-radiator 221 along the direction in which the cooling water flows.

An intercooler 732 is arranged at a position in the middle of the other pipe 102. Both the downstream end of the pipe 101 and the downstream end of the pipe 102 are connected to the pipe 100 toward the water pump 250.

The high temperature circuit 22 of the present embodiment is not provided with two heat exchangers (main radiator 710 for high temperature and sub radiator 720 for high temperature) as in the eighth embodiment, but is used for a single high temperature. Only the radiator 711 is provided. The high temperature radiator 711 is a heat exchanger for cooling the cooling water circulating in the cooling system 20 by heat exchange with air to lower the temperature, similarly to the high temperature main radiator 710 in the eighth embodiment. ..

At a position downstream of the high temperature radiator 711 along the direction in which the cooling water flows, the pipe 700 is branched into two pipes 701 and 702. An intercooler 731 is arranged at a position in the middle of one of the pipes 701. A cell stack CS is arranged at a position in the middle of the other pipe 702. Both the downstream end of the pipe 701 and the downstream end of the pipe 702 are connected to the pipe 700 toward the water pump 750.

With the above configuration, the cooling water sent out from the water pump 250 first lowers its temperature when passing through the low temperature main radiator 211. After that, a part of the cooling water reaches the intercooler 732 after passing through the pipe 102 and is used for cooling the intercooler 732. The remaining cooling water reaches the low temperature sub-radiator 221 through the pipe 101, and further lowers the temperature when passing through the low temperature sub-radiator 221. After that, the cooling water reaches the inverter 810 and is used for cooling the inverter 810. As described above, the temperature of the cooling water passing through the inverter 810 is lower than the temperature of the cooling water passing through the intercooler 732.

The temperature suitable for the operation of the inverter 810 is lower than the proper temperature of the intercooler 732. Therefore, according to the present embodiment, each of the inverter 810 and the intercooler 732 can be individually cooled by cooling water having an appropriate temperature.

The inverter 810 corresponds to the "first cooled unit" in the present embodiment. The intercooler 732 corresponds to the "second cooled portion" in the present embodiment. Also in the present embodiment having the above configuration, the same effect as that described in the eighth embodiment is obtained.

The present embodiment has been described above with reference to specific examples. However, the present disclosure is not limited to these specific examples. Those skilled in the art with appropriate design changes to these specific examples are also included in the scope of the present disclosure as long as they have the features of the present disclosure. Each element included in each of the above-mentioned specific examples, its arrangement, conditions, shape, etc. is not limited to the illustrated one, and can be changed as appropriate. The combinations of the elements included in each of the above-mentioned specific examples can be appropriately changed as long as there is no technical contradiction.

Claims (9)

A cooling system (10) for a vehicle (MV)
The vehicle is equipped with a first cooled unit (310) and a second cooled unit (320), which are to be cooled, respectively.
It is provided with a first heat exchange unit (210) and a second heat exchange unit (220) that lower the temperature of the heat medium by heat exchange with air.
A heat medium that has passed through both the first heat exchange section and the second heat exchange section is supplied to the first heat exchange section.
A cooling system configured to supply a heat medium that has passed through the first heat exchange section and has not passed through the second heat exchange section to the second heat exchange section. The vehicle has an internal combustion engine (EG) for generating a driving force for traveling.
The cooling system according to claim 1, wherein the first cooling unit is an intercooler for lowering the temperature of the air supplied to the internal combustion engine. At a position in the middle of the intake flow path for supplying air to the internal combustion engine, which is on the upstream side of the first cooled portion along the intake flow direction,
The cooling system according to claim 2, wherein a third cooled portion (530) is arranged to lower the temperature of the supercharged air in advance by exchanging heat with a heat medium. The cooling system according to claim 3, wherein the first cooled portion and the third cooled portion are configured as the intercooler (600) integrated with each other. The vehicle has a rotary electric machine (MG) for generating a driving force for traveling.
The cooling system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the second cooled unit is an inverter for supplying electric power to the rotary electric machine. The cooling system according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the first heat exchange unit and the second heat exchange unit are configured as a heat exchanger (200) integrated with each other. A cooling system (20) for a fuel cell device (FCS).
The fuel cell device is equipped with a first cooled unit (731) and a second cooled unit (CS), which are objects to be cooled, respectively.
It is provided with a first heat exchange section (710) and a second heat exchange section (720) that lower the temperature of the heat medium by heat exchange with air.
A heat medium that has passed through both the first heat exchange section and the second heat exchange section is supplied to the first heat exchange section.
A cooling system configured to supply a heat medium that has passed through the first heat exchange section and has not passed through the second heat exchange section to the second heat exchange section. The fuel cell device includes a cell stack (CS) and an intercooler (731) for lowering the temperature of the air supplied to the cell stack.
The cooling system according to claim 7, wherein the first unit to be cooled is the intercooler, and the second unit to be cooled is the cell stack. The fuel cell device includes a cell stack, an intercooler (732) for lowering the temperature of the air supplied to the cell stack, and an inverter (810) for converting the electric power generated in the cell stack. And
The cooling system according to claim 7, wherein the first unit to be cooled is the inverter, and the second unit to be cooled is the intercooler.

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