JP2006021571A - Air-conditioner for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air-conditioner for a vehicle capable of accumulating cold in a cold accumulator efficiently and making effective use of the cold accumulated in the cold accumulator. <P>SOLUTION: The air-conditioner 10 for the vehicle is structured so that refrigerant is circulated by a compressor 12 driven by an engine 26 through a refrigerant circulating path 20 leading from the compressor 12 to a condenser 14, an expansion valve 16, the cold accumulator 330, and an evaporator 18, whereby coldness accumulation in the refrigerating cycle and the coldness accumulator 30 is performed. The refrigerant circulating path 20 is configured so that the cold accumulator 30 is bypassed by a bypass passage 42, and when a solenoid valve 46 for bypassing is released during the compressor 12 being in operation, the circulating route of the refrigerant is changed over from the path 20 to a bypass circulation path 44 including the bypass passage 42 to cause the refrigerant flow to the accumulator 30, i.e. the cold accumulation, to stop. When the compressor 12 is stopped and a liquid pump 38 is actuated, the refrigerant circulates between the cold accumulator 30 and the evaporator 18 which are in communication through an auxiliary circulation path 35 including a refrigerant returning passage 34. At this time, the solenoid valve 40 closes the outside of the auxiliary circulation path in the refrigerant circulating path 20, and all refrigerant circulates through the auxiliary circulation path 35. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner applied to a vehicle such as an automobile.

  2. Description of the Related Art As an air conditioner for a vehicle such as an automobile, one having a regenerator that stores cold heat by heat exchange between a refrigerant that performs a refrigeration cycle and a cold storage agent is known (see, for example, Patent Documents 1 to 3).

  Moreover, as vehicles such as automobiles, so-called eco-run vehicles that have a function of automatically stopping the engine when the vehicle stops, for example, waiting for a signal, and that improve fuel efficiency and reduce the amount of exhaust gas have been put into practical use. A technique is known in which a regenerator is provided in an air conditioner of such an eco-run vehicle, and the cooling operation of the air conditioner while the engine is stopped (during the eco-run period) is maintained (see, for example, Patent Document 4). .

  This Patent Document 4 discloses a refrigerant circulation path in which refrigerant circulates through a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, a regenerator, and an evaporator in this order by the operation of a compressor driven by an engine, and evaporation in the refrigerant circulation path. An air conditioner having a refrigerant return channel that communicates between the outlet side of the cooler and the inlet side of the regenerator, and circulates the refrigerant between the regenerator and the evaporator (sub-circulation path) by the operation of the electric pump is described. Has been. In this air conditioner, while the vehicle is running, the compressor is activated and the refrigerant circulates in the refrigerant circulation path to cool the refrigeration cycle, and the electric pump is activated during the eco-run period when the compressor stops. Then, the refrigerant circulates through the sub-circulation path, so that the cooling is maintained by the cold heat of the regenerator.

In this air conditioner, since the regenerator is connected in series to the evaporator on the refrigerant circuit, the refrigerator always passes the entire flow rate of the refrigerant without performing a special operation for switching the refrigerant flow. It is said that the maximum cooling capacity can be demonstrated. Further, in this air conditioner, the expansion valve is a temperature type expansion valve in which the temperature sensing mechanism of the outlet refrigerant of the evaporator is integrated, and the flow rate of the refrigerant passing through the evaporator is adjusted by this expansion valve. Yes.
JP 2000-62450 A JP-A-6-211036 JP 2002-337538 A JP 2003-285634 A

  However, in the conventional air conditioner as described above, since the regenerator and the evaporator are connected in series, in other words, since the refrigerant always passes through the regenerator, the cold energy of the refrigerant is taken away by the regenerator. This reduces the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle. For this reason, the conventional air conditioner has a higher power consumption during normal operation than an air conditioner that does not include a regenerator, which causes a deterioration in the practical fuel consumption of the vehicle. On the other hand, after sufficient cold heat is stored in the regenerator, it is not necessary to pass the refrigerant further through the regenerator, but the conventional air conditioner cannot stop the refrigerant inflow to the regenerator. As a result, the power consumption of the compressor (engine) increases.

  Moreover, in the said conventional air conditioner, since it is the structure which adjusts flow volume with an expansion valve, when a compressor is stopped and an electric pump is operated, a part of refrigerant | coolant is changed from the exit side of an evaporator to the compressor side. There is a problem that it cannot be completely prevented from flowing. That is, in the conventional air conditioner, it is not possible to create a state where all the refrigerant circulates in the sub-circulation path, and the efficiency of the cycle when the compressor is stopped decreases.

  In view of the above facts, an object of the present invention is to obtain a vehicle air conditioner that can efficiently store cold energy in a regenerator and that can effectively use the cold energy stored in the regenerator. .

  To achieve the above object, a vehicle air conditioner according to a first aspect of the present invention includes a compressor, a condenser, a decompression unit, an evaporator, and a regenerator that are operated by a compressor driven by a vehicle engine. A refrigerant circulation path for circulating the refrigerant to cool the refrigeration cycle and storing the refrigerant in the regenerator, a refrigerant return channel and a liquid feeding device with both ends communicating with the refrigerant circulation channel, and the operation of the liquid feeding device Are provided in a sub-circulation path for circulating the refrigerant between the regenerator and the evaporator, and a portion of the refrigerant circulation path that does not constitute the sub-circulation path, and the compressor is stopped and the liquid feeding device An on-off valve that closes the refrigerant circulation path and a bypass flow path that communicates with the refrigerant circulation path so as to bypass the regenerator, and the compressor and the condensation are activated by the operation of the compressor. Container, said decompression means, front A bypass circuit for circulating a refrigerant in the evaporator to perform a refrigeration cycle, and a state in which the refrigerant circulates in the refrigerant circuit and a state in which the refrigerant circulates in the bypass circuit during operation of the compressor are selected. And a flow path switching device that automatically switches.

  In the vehicle air conditioner according to the first aspect, when the compressor is operating, the refrigerant circulates in the order of the compressor, the condenser, the pressure reducing means, and the evaporator to perform the refrigeration cycle. At this time, if the flow path switching device switches the refrigerant circulation path to the refrigerant circulation path, the refrigerant passes through the regenerator and exchanges heat with the regenerator, and cold energy is stored in the regenerator. The regenerator disposed on the refrigerant circulation path is provided in series with the evaporator, but may be provided on the upstream side or the downstream side of the evaporator. On the other hand, if the flow path switching device switches the refrigerant circulation path to the bypass circulation path, the refrigerant passes through the bypass flow path in parallel with the regenerator and does not exchange heat with the regenerator, so that a simple refrigeration cycle To do. Since the regenerator is arranged (connected) in series with the evaporator and the bypass channel does not bypass the evaporator, all the refrigerant passes through the evaporator regardless of the switching state by the channel switching device.

  Further, in this vehicle air conditioner, when the liquid feeding device is operating, the refrigerant flows through the auxiliary circuit in the order of the evaporator and the regenerator, and the vapor phase refrigerant at the outlet of the evaporator exchanges heat with the regenerator. A cycle is performed in which it is condensed (by the cold energy stored in the regenerator) and introduced again into the evaporator. Thereby, even if the compressor, that is, the engine of the vehicle is stopped, the cooling is maintained. At this time, the on-off valve is closed to prevent the refrigerant from flowing into the compressor from the sub circulation path.

  Here, in this vehicle air conditioner, since the flow path switching device switches the refrigerant circulation path to the refrigerant circulation path or the bypass circulation path as described above, an appropriate time is maintained while maintaining the refrigeration cycle while the vehicle is operating with the compressor. In addition, it is possible to perform cold storage in the regenerator, and when not performing cold storage, it is possible to obtain the same efficiency as an air conditioner that does not include the regenerator. Moreover, in this vehicle air conditioner, when the compressor is stopped and the liquid feeding device is operating, the on-off valve is closed to prevent the refrigerant from flowing into the compressor from the sub circulation path. For this reason, the efficiency of the cooling maintenance cycle using the cool heat of the regenerator does not decrease as in the case where all the refrigerant circulates in the auxiliary circulation path and a part of the refrigerant flows to the compressor side. In particular, if the on-off valve is disposed outside the sub-circulation path in the refrigerant circuit and upstream of the compressor, this on-off valve directly prevents the refrigerant from flowing into the compressor.

  Thus, in the vehicle air conditioner according to the first aspect, the cold energy can be efficiently stored in the regenerator.

  In order to achieve the above object, a vehicle air conditioner according to a second aspect of the present invention provides a refrigerant to the compressor, the condenser, the pressure reducing means, and the evaporator by the operation of the compressor driven by the engine of the vehicle. A refrigerating circuit for circulating and performing a refrigeration cycle, a regenerator provided in series between the decompression means and the evaporator in the refrigerating circuit, and a built-in regenerator to exchange heat with the refrigerant, A sub-circulation path that circulates the refrigerant between the evaporator and the regenerator, including a refrigerant return channel and a liquid feeding device that communicate the downstream of the evaporator and the upstream of the regenerator in the refrigerant circuit; An opening / closing valve provided in a portion of the refrigerant circuit that does not constitute the sub circuit, and closing the refrigerant circuit while the compressor is stopped and the liquid feeding device is operating; Downstream of the pressure reducing means A bypass channel that bypasses the regenerator and communicates with the upstream side of the evaporator, a state in which refrigerant flows through the bypass channel, and a state in which refrigerant does not flow through the bypass channel can be selectively switched A flow path switching device.

  In the vehicle air conditioner according to the second aspect of the invention, when the compressor is operating, the refrigerant circulates in the order of the compressor, the condenser, the pressure reducing means, and the evaporator to perform the refrigeration cycle. At this time, if the flow path switching device is switched to a state where the refrigerant does not flow through the bypass flow path, the refrigerant passes through the regenerator and exchanges heat with the regenerator, and cold energy is stored in the regenerator. Since the regenerator is connected in series to the refrigerant inlet side of the evaporator, the regenerator is effectively cooled by the low-pressure liquid refrigerant downstream of the decompression means. On the other hand, when the channel opening / closing means is switched to a state in which the refrigerant flows through the bypass channel, the refrigerant mainly passes through the bypass channel and performs a simple refrigeration cycle without exchanging heat with the regenerator. Since the regenerator is arranged (connected) in series upstream of the evaporator and the bypass channel does not bypass the evaporator, all the refrigerant passes through the evaporator regardless of the open / closed state of the channel switching device.

  Further, in this vehicle air conditioner, when the liquid feeding device is operating, the refrigerant flows through the auxiliary circuit in the order of the evaporator and the regenerator, and the vapor phase refrigerant at the outlet of the evaporator exchanges heat with the regenerator. A cycle is performed in which it is condensed (by the cold energy stored in the regenerator) and introduced again into the evaporator. Thereby, even if the compressor, that is, the engine of the vehicle is stopped, the cooling is maintained. At this time, the on-off valve is closed to prevent the refrigerant from flowing into the compressor from the sub circulation path.

  Here, in this vehicle air conditioner, as described above, the flow path switching device selectively switches between the state in which the refrigerant flows through the bypass flow path and the state in which the refrigerant does not flow. While maintaining, cold storage to the regenerator can be performed at an appropriate time, and when the cold storage is not performed, it is possible to obtain the same efficiency as an air conditioner that does not include the regenerator. Moreover, in this vehicle air conditioner, when the compressor is stopped and the liquid feeding device is operating, the on-off valve is closed to prevent the refrigerant from flowing into the compressor from the sub circulation path. For this reason, the efficiency of the cooling maintenance cycle using the cool heat of the regenerator does not decrease as in the case where all the refrigerant circulates in the auxiliary circulation path and a part of the refrigerant flows to the compressor side. In particular, if the on-off valve is disposed outside the sub-circulation path in the refrigerant circuit and upstream of the compressor, this on-off valve directly prevents the refrigerant from flowing into the compressor.

  Thus, in the vehicle air conditioner according to claim 2, cold energy can be efficiently stored in the regenerator.

  A vehicle air conditioner according to a third aspect of the present invention is the vehicle air conditioner according to the first or second aspect of the present invention, wherein the flow path switching device is provided on the bypass flow path and is controlled by a control device. It is a solenoid valve that is controlled to open and close.

  In the vehicle air conditioner according to claim 3, the solenoid valve is controlled by the control device, so that the refrigerant flow path, that is, whether or not the cold storage is performed while the vehicle is running is automatically switched according to various control parameters. Can do.

  A vehicle air conditioner according to a fourth aspect of the present invention is the vehicle air conditioner according to the third aspect, wherein the control device opens and closes the electromagnetic valve in accordance with the amount of cold stored in the regenerator.

  In the vehicle air conditioner according to claim 4, the state of the refrigerant passing through the regenerator and the state of bypassing the regenerator are selectively selected by the control means opening and closing the electromagnetic valve according to the amount of regenerator in the regenerator. Can be switched to. Thereby, for example, when the amount of cold storage to the regenerator is small, the solenoid valve is closed so that the refrigerant passes through the regenerator side, and when the regenerator has a sufficient amount of cold storage, the solenoid valve Can be opened so that the refrigerant bypasses the regenerator. That is, it is determined whether or not to store cold in the regenerator according to the amount of cool storage, and cold energy can be efficiently stored in the regenerator. The control means may specifically detect the amount corresponding to the cold storage amount from various information, for example, and for example whether the physical quantity related to the cold storage amount is larger or smaller than the value corresponding to the predetermined cold storage amount May be detected.

  The vehicle air conditioner according to a fifth aspect of the present invention is the vehicle air conditioner according to the fourth aspect of the present invention, wherein the control device generates at least a signal corresponding to the temperature of the cold storage agent and a refrigerant temperature at an inlet / outlet of the cold storage device. When the cold storage amount calculated based on the corresponding signal and the signal corresponding to the refrigerant flow rate is smaller than the required cold storage amount calculated based on the cooling load at that time, the solenoid valve is closed and the cold storage amount is necessary. When the amount is greater than the amount of cold storage, the solenoid valve is opened.

  In the vehicle air conditioner according to claim 5, the control means calculates the amount of cold stored in the regenerator from the regenerator temperature, each refrigerant temperature at the inlet / outlet of the regenerator, and the flow rate of the refrigerant, and calculates the cooling calculated based on the cooling load. Compare with the necessary heat storage required to maintain. The control device closes the flow path switching device (solenoid valve) if the amount of cold stored in the regenerator falls below the necessary amount of cold storage, and opens the solenoid valve if the amount of cold storage is greater than the necessary amount of cold storage. Thus, it is possible to reliably prevent the refrigerant from flowing more than necessary through the regenerator while ensuring the amount of regenerator necessary for maintaining cooling, and to enable optimal control.

  A vehicle air conditioner according to a sixth aspect of the present invention is the vehicle air conditioner according to any one of the third to fifth aspects, wherein the control device is information corresponding to that the vehicle is decelerating. Is closed, the solenoid valve is closed.

  In the vehicle air conditioner according to claim 6, when the control device detects (determines) that the vehicle is decelerating based on the input signal, or a signal directly corresponding to the vehicle being in the decelerating state is a control device. The control device closes the solenoid valve to positively allow the refrigerant to pass through the regenerator. While the vehicle is decelerating, the fuel supply to the engine is cut and the fuel is not consumed, so that cold storage to the regenerator can be performed without deteriorating fuel consumption.

  A vehicle air conditioner according to a seventh aspect of the present invention is the vehicle air conditioner according to any one of the fourth to sixth aspects, wherein the control device is configured to operate the electromagnetic valve when a rapid cooling operation is required. Is released.

  In the vehicle air conditioner according to claim 7, for example, immediately after the engine is started at a high outdoor temperature in summer, the control device determines that a rapid cooling (cool down) operation for rapidly cooling the vehicle interior is necessary, or When a signal requesting a rapid cooling operation is input to the control device, the control device opens the electromagnetic valve and performs a refrigeration cycle that does not involve cold storage in the regenerator. Thereby, during the rapid cooling, the cold energy of the refrigerant is prevented from being taken away by the regenerator, and the rapid cooling performance is not impaired by providing the cool storage agent.

  The vehicle air conditioner according to an eighth aspect of the present invention is the vehicle air conditioner according to the first or second aspect, wherein the flow path switching device is a mechanical valve.

  In the vehicle air conditioner according to the eighth aspect, since the flow path switching device is a mechanical valve, the structure is simple. Moreover, since it is not necessary to control by a control apparatus, an external control apparatus can be made unnecessary and a structure can be simplified.

  A vehicle air conditioner according to a ninth aspect of the present invention is the vehicle air conditioner according to the eighth aspect, wherein the mechanical valve opens the bypass flow path by a temperature change of the cold storage agent and the bypass flow path. And a valve body that moves between a closed position and a closed position.

  In the vehicle air conditioner according to claim 9, the valve body of the mechanical valve is autonomously displaced between the open position and the closed position according to the temperature of the regenerator, so that the refrigerant passes through the regenerator. The state of bypassing the regenerator is selectively switched. In other words, the mechanical valve can automatically switch between a state in which the refrigerant passes through the regenerator and a state in which the regenerator is bypassed without performing control.

  As described above, the vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention has an excellent effect of being able to efficiently store cold energy in the regenerator and effectively using the cold energy stored in the regenerator.

(First embodiment)
A vehicle air conditioner 10 according to a first embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 5. FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a schematic overall configuration of a vehicle air conditioner 10 applied to an automobile. As shown in this figure, a vehicular air conditioner 10 includes a compressor 12 as a compressor, a condenser 14 as a condenser, an expansion valve 16 as a decompression means, and an evaporator 18 as an evaporator. Communicating at 20, the refrigerant is circulated to perform a refrigeration cycle.

  The compressor 12 is coupled to an automobile engine 26 via an electromagnetic clutch 22 and a drive belt 24. As a result, the compressor 12 operates when the engine 26 is rotating and the electromagnetic clutch 22 is in the engaged state. The compressor 12 compresses a low-pressure gas-phase refrigerant into a high-temperature and high-pressure superheated gas-phase refrigerant. The electromagnetic clutch 22 is controlled to be intermittently controlled by an air conditioner ECU 50 described later, thereby adjusting the refrigerant circulation amount (flow rate), that is, the cooling capacity by the compressor 12. Instead of the compressor 12 in which the electromagnetic clutch 22 is intermittently controlled, a variable displacement compressor 12 may be employed.

  The condenser 14 is a heat exchanger between the refrigerant and the outside air disposed downstream of the compressor 12, and cools and condenses the superheated gas-phase refrigerant discharged from the compressor 12 to form a liquid-phase refrigerant. . The liquid-phase refrigerant that has flowed out of the condenser 14 is decompressed by the expansion valve 16 to be in a low-pressure liquid phase (or a gas-liquid two-layer state).

  The evaporator 18 is disposed on the refrigeration cycle (refrigerant circulation path 20) downstream of the expansion valve 16 and is disposed in an air conditioning case (not shown) in the automobile, and performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and air blower air. It is a vessel. The evaporator 18 is configured to cool the air blower air by evaporating the low-pressure liquid-phase refrigerant into a low-pressure gas-phase refrigerant.

  The vehicle air conditioner 10 includes a regenerator 30 disposed between the expansion valve 16 and the evaporator 18 on the refrigerant circulation path 20. That is, the regenerator 30 has the refrigerant outlet side of the expansion valve 16 positioned upstream as a refrigerant inlet and the refrigerant inlet side of the evaporator 18 positioned downstream as a refrigerant outlet. Connected in series. Since the regenerator 30 is connected in series with the evaporator 18 in this way, a part of the refrigerant does not bypass the evaporator 18 as in the case where they are arranged in parallel, and all the refrigerant bypasses the evaporator 18. It is configured to pass through. Further, a check valve 32 is disposed between the outlet of the regenerator 30 and the inlet of the evaporator 18 in the refrigerant circulation path so as to be forward in the refrigerant flow direction.

  The regenerator 30 is configured such that a large number of built-in regenerators 30 </ b> A are cooled by a low-pressure liquid-phase refrigerant passing between them and change phase from a liquid phase to a solid phase to store cold (store cold). ing. In addition, the regenerator 30 cools and condenses the low-pressure gas-phase refrigerant passing between the regenerators 30 </ b> A in the solid phase. At this time, the regenerator 30A changes from a solid phase to a liquid phase. The flow of the refrigerant at this time will be described later. In addition, what is solidified at higher temperature than the refrigerant | coolant temperature (for example, 3-4 degreeC) of the low pressure liquid phase which flows in from the expansion valve 16 is employ | adopted for the cool storage agent 30A.

  In addition, the vehicle air conditioner 10 branches from a branch portion 20A between the evaporator 18 outlet and the compressor 12 inlet in the refrigerant circulation path 20, and at a junction 20B between the expansion valve 16 outlet and the regenerator 30 inlet. A refrigerant return flow path 34 that merges is provided. That is, the refrigerant return flow path 34 forms an annular sub-circulation path 35 (see FIG. 2C) with a portion from the downstream of the merging portion 20B to the upstream of the branching portion 20A in the refrigerant circulation path 20, and the refrigerant ( The low-pressure gas-phase refrigerant at the outlet of the evaporator 18 is returned from the branching portion 20A to the merging portion 20B and can be circulated between the evaporator 18 and the regenerator 30. A check valve 36 is disposed in the refrigerant return channel 34 so as to be forward in the refrigerant return direction.

  Further, the vehicle air conditioner 10 includes a liquid pump 38 as a liquid feeding device. The liquid pump 38 is arranged in parallel with the check valve 32 and is arranged so as not to cause a flow resistance of the refrigerant when not in operation. The liquid pump 38 sucks the low-pressure liquid phase refrigerant at the outlet of the regenerator 30 and discharges it to the evaporator 18 side so that the refrigerant is circulated between the sub-circulation path 35, that is, between the evaporator 18 and the regenerator 30. It has become. The liquid pump 38 is an electromagnetic pump that is an electric pump, and is configured to be controlled by an air conditioner ECU 50 described later.

  The check valve 32 closes and urges the valve body by the downstream pressure higher than the upstream pressure in the operating state of the liquid pump 38, and the refrigerant discharged from the liquid pump 38 flows back toward the regenerator 30. To prevent it from happening. In addition, when the liquid pump 38 is not in operation, the check valve 36 closes and urges the valve body by the pressure on the merging portion 20B higher than the pressure on the branching portion 20A, and the refrigerant flows back through the refrigerant return passage 34. To prevent this.

  The vehicle air conditioner 10 also includes an electromagnetic valve 40 as a valve disposed between the branch portion 20A in the refrigerant circuit 20 and the inlet of the compressor 12 (outside of the sub circuit 35). The electromagnetic valve 40 is an open / close valve that selectively switches between a state in which the refrigerant circulation path 20 is opened and a state in which it is closed (blocked) based on a signal from the air conditioner ECU 50.

  Further, the vehicle air conditioner 10 branches off from a branch portion 20C (shown as the same point as the junction portion 20B in FIG. 1) between the expansion valve 16 outlet and the regenerator 30 inlet in the refrigerant circulation path 20, and a check. A bypass passage 42 that joins the junction 20D between the outlets of the valve 32 and the liquid pump 38 (the outlet of the regenerator 30) and the inlet of the evaporator 18 is provided. That is, the bypass channel 42 can form a bypass circuit 44 (see FIG. 2B) that bypasses the regenerator 30 (liquid pump 38) in the refrigerant circuit 20. Thereby, in the state where all the refrigerant circulates in the bypass circulation path 44, the refrigerant is configured to be maintained without passing through the regenerator 30.

  The bypass passage 42 is provided with a bypass electromagnetic valve 46 as a passage switching device. The bypass solenoid valve 46 is an open / close valve that selectively switches between a state in which the bypass flow path 42 is opened and a state in which it is closed (blocked) based on a signal from the air conditioner ECU 50. The flow resistance (pressure loss) accompanying the passage of the refrigerant when the bypass solenoid valve 46 is opened is significantly smaller than the flow resistance when the refrigerant of the same flow rate passes through the regenerator 30, and when the bypass solenoid valve 46 is opened, The refrigerant passes through almost all the bypass passages 42 (almost does not pass through the regenerator 30).

  As described above, the vehicle air conditioner 10 is configured to be able to selectively switch a plurality of operation states including the operation states shown in FIGS. 2 (A) to 2 (C). In the state shown in FIG. 2A, the compressor 12 is operated, the liquid pump 38 is stopped, the bypass solenoid valve 46 is closed, the refrigerant is circulated through the refrigerant circulation path 20, and the regenerator is operated. 2 (B), the compressor 12 is activated, the liquid pump 38 is stopped, the bypass solenoid valve 46 is opened, and the refrigerant is mainly used as a bypass circuit. 2 (C), the compressor 12 is stopped and the liquid pump 38 is operated, and the bypass solenoid valve 46 is closed and the refrigerant is sub-charged. This is an operation state in which the low-pressure gas-phase refrigerant at the outlet of the evaporator 18 is condensed by the cold heat accumulated in the regenerator 30 through the circulation path 35 and the cooling is maintained.

  And the vehicle air conditioner 10 is provided with the cold storage amount estimation apparatus 48 and air-conditioner ECU50 as a control apparatus in this invention. The cold storage amount estimation device 48 is a device that estimates the cold storage amount Q of the regenerator 30 based on various types of information to be described later. In the first embodiment, as shown in FIG. The air conditioner ECU 50 is configured integrally (integrated with the air conditioner ECU 50).

  As shown in FIG. 3, temperature sensors 52 and 54 are respectively provided at the refrigerant inlet and outlet of the regenerator 30, and these temperature sensors 52 and 54 are electrically connected to the air conditioner ECU 50, respectively. The temperature sensor 52 outputs a signal corresponding to the temperature of the refrigerant before flowing into the regenerator 30, that is, a signal corresponding to the inlet refrigerant temperature Tin, to the air conditioner ECU 50, and the temperature sensor 54 passes through the regenerator 30. A signal corresponding to the temperature of the refrigerant, that is, the outlet refrigerant temperature Tout is output to the air conditioner ECU 50. The regenerator 30 is provided with a temperature sensor 56 for detecting the temperature of the regenerator 30A, and the temperature sensor 56 is electrically connected to the air conditioner ECU 50. The temperature sensor 56 outputs a signal corresponding to the regenerator temperature Tp to the air conditioner ECU 50.

  Further, various types of vehicle information are input to the air conditioner ECU 50 from a sensor (not shown), another control device (ECU), or the like. In the first embodiment, at least the outside air temperature, the vehicle interior temperature, the air conditioner set temperature (cooling target temperature), the solar radiation amount, the vehicle speed, and the engine speed are input to the air conditioner ECU 50 as the vehicle information. The air conditioner ECU 50 can calculate the flow rate V of the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circulation path 20 from the rotation speed Nc of the compressor 12 obtained based on the engine speed and the intermittent state of the electromagnetic clutch 22 and the discharge capacity of the compressor 12. Has been.

  The air conditioner ECU 50 is electrically connected to an engine ECU (not shown) that controls the engine 26. The engine ECU stops the operation of the engine 26 and starts an eco-run when a predetermined eco-run condition is satisfied, for example, when the vehicle is stopped such as waiting for a signal, and when a predetermined eco-run end condition is separately established. The engine 26 is restarted. Then, the engine ECU is configured to output an engine stop signal as vehicle information to the air conditioner ECU 50 at the start of the eco-run and output an engine start signal as the vehicle information at the end of the eco-run. The air conditioner ECU 50 to which the engine stop signal is input operates the liquid pump 38 and closes the electromagnetic valve 40, and the air conditioner ECU 50 to which the engine start signal is input from this state stops the liquid pump 38 and switches the electromagnetic valve 40 on. It is configured to open.

The air conditioner ECU 50 estimates the cooling load at that time based on the outside temperature, the cabin temperature, the air conditioner set temperature by the user, and the amount of solar radiation, among the vehicle information, while the vehicle is running. Based on the cooling load, the necessary cold storage amount Q _TH necessary for maintaining the cooling at that time is calculated. Regarding the method for calculating the required cold storage amount Q _{TH of} this cooling load estimation method, various conventionally known methods can be used, and therefore the description thereof is omitted. The air conditioner ECU 50 calculates a cold storage amount Q to the regenerator 30 during operation of the automobile, and when the cold storage amount Q is smaller than the necessary cold storage amount _QTH , the bypass electromagnetic valve is calculated as described later. 46 is closed, and when the cold storage amount Q is equal to or greater than the necessary cold storage amount _QTH , the bypass solenoid valve 46 is opened.

Here, a method of calculating the cold storage amount Q by the air conditioner ECU 50 (cold storage amount estimation device 48) will be described. FIG. 4 shows a diagram representing the relationship between the temperature Tp of the cold storage agent 30A and the cold storage amount Q. The temperature T ₀ shown in this figure is the melting point (freezing point) of the cold storage agent 30A. From this diagram, assuming that only the latent heat of solidification is stored, the cold storage agent 30A has a characteristic that the cold storage amount at the time of starting solidification is 0, and the cold storage amount when completely solidified is Q1. This cold storage amount Q1 is set as an assumed maximum required cold storage amount Q _TH (determined as the capacity of the cold storage device 30 based on the amount of the cold storage material 30A).

The air conditioner ECU50 uses coolant gradually lowered temperature Tp of the refrigerant 13A 30A by circulating a coolant circulation path 20, when the temperature Tp reaches the melting point T _0, sets the cold storage amount Q to Q = 0. Thereafter, the air conditioner ECU 50 calculates the refrigerant heat absorption (radiation) amount Qr from the refrigerant flow rate V calculated based on the inlet refrigerant temperature Tin, the outlet refrigerant temperature Tout, the engine speed, and the like input from the temperature sensors 52 and 54. . If the specific heat of the refrigerant is Cr, the endothermic amount Qr can be calculated as Qr = ∫Cr × V × (Tout−Tin) dt. This time integration is performed during a period in which the refrigerant circulates in the refrigerant circuit 20 after the temperature Tp reaches the melting point T ₀ . Therefore, the cold storage amount Q immediately after the bypass solenoid valve 46 is opened and the cold storage in the regenerator 30 is completed substantially coincides with the refrigerant heat absorption amount Qr.

  On the other hand, when the refrigerant circulates in the bypass circulation path 44 and does not pass through the regenerator 30, the cold energy of the regenerator 30A flows out due to natural heat dissipation, and the cold storage amount Q decreases. This natural heat release amount Qn is the total heat transfer coefficient determined from the container that stores the regenerator 30A, the refrigerant stagnating in the regenerator 30, the outer structure of the regenerator 30 itself, the ambient temperature of the regenerator 30, and the like. The air conditioner ECU 50 can be estimated from the elapsed time from the end of the cold storage, and the heat transfer coefficient and the relationship between the heat transfer coefficient, the ambient temperature, and the elapsed time are stored in advance.

  The air conditioner ECU 50 sets the cold storage amount Q as Q = Qr during the cold storage period in which the refrigerant circulates through the refrigerant circuit 20, and Q = Qr-Qn during the cold storage stop period in which the refrigerant circulates through the bypass circuit 44. calculate.

In the case where insufficient to cold storage amount Q need cold storage amount Q _TH in moving automobiles circulation path of the refrigerant is switched from the bypass circulation path 44 to the coolant circulation path 20, remaining cold storage amount Q (= QR- Qr may be obtained by adding the subsequent heat absorption amount of the refrigerant to Qn). In this case, when the temperature Tp of the refrigerant 13A 30A is above the melting point T ₀ is, by calculating the refrigerant heat absorption amount Qr after the temperature Tp reaches the melting point T ₀ is reset to the cold storage amount Q = 0, It is possible to prevent an error from occurring. In the calculation of the heat absorption amount Qr of the refrigerant, when the temperature Tp falls below the melting point T ₀ , it is always reset to Qr = Q1, or when the difference between Qr and Q1 is larger than a predetermined value, Qr = Q1 You may make it reset to.

  Next, the operation of the first embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. 5 showing the operation of the air conditioner ECU 50.

In the vehicle air conditioner 10 having the above-described configuration, the electromagnetic clutch 22 is coupled and the compressor 12 is operated by the power of the engine 26 while the automobile is running, so that the electromagnetic valve 40 is opened and the liquid pump 38 is stopped. ing. At this time, in step S10, the air conditioner ECU 50 estimates the cooling load from the air temperature outside the vehicle interior, the air conditioner set temperature, the amount of solar radiation, and the like, and it is necessary to maintain the cooling when the compressor 12 stops at the cooling load. Calculate the amount of cold storage Q _TH . Next, the process proceeds to step S12, and the cold storage amount Q is calculated as described above.

When the cold storage amount Q is calculated, the process proceeds to step S14, and it is determined whether or not the cold storage amount Q is less than the required cold storage amount _QTH (Q < _QTH ). When the cold storage amount Q is determined to be less than the necessary cold storage amount Q _TH, the process proceeds to step S16, closing the bypass solenoid valve 46. Then, the refrigerant circulates through the refrigerant circulation path 20 as shown in FIG. 2A, and cold storage to the regenerator 30 is performed while performing a refrigeration cycle.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S14 that the cold storage amount Q is not less than the required cold storage amount _QTH, that is, if it is determined that the cold storage amount Q is greater than or equal to the required cold storage amount _QTH (Q ≧ _QTH ), In step S18, the bypass solenoid valve 46 is opened. Then, the refrigerant circulates in the bypass circulation path 44 as shown in FIG. 2 (B), and performs the refrigeration cycle without performing cold storage in the regenerator 30.

The air conditioner ECU 50 repeats the above flow at all times or every time a predetermined time elapses while the automobile is running. As a result, the regenerator 30 stores cold energy that is substantially equal to or greater than the necessary cold storage amount _QTH .

  In the vehicle air conditioner 10, when the vehicle reaches an eco-run state and an engine stop signal is input from the engine ECU to the air conditioner ECU 50, the air conditioner ECU 50 operates the liquid pump 38 and closes the electromagnetic valve 40. Then, as shown in FIG. 2 (C), the refrigerant circulates in the sub-circulation path 35, and the cycle of repeating the evaporation of the refrigerant by the evaporator 18 and the condensation of the refrigerant by the regenerator 30 is performed, thereby stopping the engine 26. Cooling inside is maintained.

  Here, in the vehicle air conditioner 10, since the bypass flow path 42 and the bypass electromagnetic valve 46 are provided, the circulation path in which the refrigerant performs the refrigeration cycle is selectively switched between the refrigerant circulation path 20 and the bypass circulation path 44. be able to. Thereby, when it is determined that the regenerator 30 has a sufficient amount of cold storage, the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle is improved by selecting the bypass circulation path 44 and performing a normal refrigeration cycle without cold storage. The efficiency of the refrigeration cycle of the cooler system not equipped with the regenerator 30 could be improved to the same extent. In addition, since almost no refrigerant flows into the regenerator 30 when the bypass solenoid valve 46 is opened, in other words, almost all of the refrigerant circulates in the bypass circulation path 44, so that the regenerator 30 is provided. The efficiency of the refrigeration cycle is not deteriorated.

  Thus, in the vehicle air conditioner 10 according to the first embodiment, cold energy can be efficiently stored in the regenerator 30.

  Further, since the regenerator 30 is connected in series to the evaporator 18 on the refrigerant circulation path 20, all the refrigerant passes through the evaporator 18 even during the cold storage in the regenerator 30, and the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle is reduced due to the shortage of the circulating refrigerant. Decrease is suppressed. In particular, since the regenerator 30 is connected in series to the refrigerant inlet side of the evaporator 18, the regenerator 30A is effectively cooled by the low-pressure liquid-phase refrigerant downstream of the expansion valve 16.

Further, in the vehicle air conditioner 10, when the regenerator 30 has a sufficient regenerative amount Q with respect to the required regenerative amount Q _TH based on the cooling load, the bypass circulation path 44 is selected to improve the refrigeration cycle efficiency. Since the refrigerant circulation path 20 is selected when the cold storage amount Q is insufficient with _respect to the required cold storage amount _QTH , in other words, storing cold heat in the regenerator 30 has priority over improving the efficiency of the refrigeration cycle. Basically, the regenerator 30 always has a sufficient cool storage amount Q. For this reason, when the cool energy of the regenerator 30 is required next (during eco-run), the cold storage amount Q is insufficient and the comfort is hindered, or the eco-run is stopped and the engine is started to maintain the comfort. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the total efficiency as a car from being deteriorated.

In particular, the cold storage amount Q is specifically calculated based on the inlet refrigerant temperature Tin, the outlet refrigerant temperature Tout, the cold storage agent temperature Tp, and the refrigerant flow rate V for estimating the cold storage amount. Compared with the required cool storage amount Q _TH calculated according to the change in the amount, it is determined whether or not the cool storage 30 needs to be stored. Therefore, while securing the cool storage amount necessary for maintaining the cooling, the cool storage device 30 is more than necessary. Optimal control without flowing refrigerant is realized. That is, it becomes possible to store heat more effectively.

  Further, since an electromagnetic valve 40 for preventing refrigerant from flowing into the stopped compressor 12 is provided in a portion of the refrigerant circuit 20 that does not constitute the sub circuit 35, when the compressor 12 is stopped, the evaporator 18 and the regenerator 30 are provided. All the refrigerant circulates between the two, and the efficiency of the cooling cycle using the cold heat of the regenerator 30 is good (the efficiency does not decrease). In particular, since the solenoid valve 40 is provided between the branch portion 20A and the compressor 12 inlet, the solenoid valve 40 prevents the refrigerant from flowing into the stopped compressor 12 directly and reliably. Thus, in the vehicle air conditioner 10, not only the cold energy is efficiently stored in the regenerator 30, but also the cold energy stored in the regenerator 30 can be used effectively.

(Other embodiments)
Next, another embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Note that parts and portions that are basically the same as those in the first embodiment or the previous configuration are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment or the previous configuration, and description thereof is omitted.

(Second Embodiment)
FIG. 6 is a block diagram showing a vehicle air conditioner 60 according to the second embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the vehicle air conditioner 60 has a refrigeration cycle, cold storage to the regenerator 30, cooling from the regenerator 30, and switching of various refrigerant circulation paths. Although it is the same as that of the air conditioner 10, it differs from the vehicle air conditioner 10 by providing air conditioner ECU62 instead of air conditioner ECU50.

  The air conditioner ECU 62 is a simplified method of determining whether or not the amount of cold stored in the regenerator 30 is sufficient, and the regenerator temperature Tp of the temperature sensor 56 is input. Then, from the relationship shown in FIG. 4 between the temperature Tp of the regenerator 30A and the regenerator amount Q, the air conditioner ECU 62 is sufficient if the regenerator 30 is greater than the regenerator amount Q1 if the temperature Tp is lower than the melting point T0 of the regenerator 30A. It has come to be judged that it has a large amount of cold storage. The air conditioner ECU 62 has a simple configuration that does not estimate the cooling load or calculate the required amount of cold storage based on the cooling load.

  The operation of the second embodiment will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

In the vehicle air conditioner 60 having the above-described configuration, the electromagnetic clutch 22 is coupled and the compressor 12 is operated by the power of the engine 26 while the automobile is running, so that the electromagnetic valve 40 is opened and the liquid pump 38 is stopped. ing. At this time, in step S20, the air conditioner ECU 62 determines whether or not the temperature Tp of the cold storage agent 30A is equal to or higher than the melting point T ₀ of the cold storage agent 30A (Tp ≧ T ₀ ). When the temperature Tp of the refrigerant 13A 30A is determined to be the melting point T ₀ or more cold accumulation agents 30A, the process proceeds to step S22, closing the bypass solenoid valve 46. Then, the refrigerant circulates through the refrigerant circulation path 20 as shown in FIG. 2A, and cold storage to the regenerator 30 is performed while performing a refrigeration cycle.

On the other hand, when the temperature Tp of the refrigerant 13A 30A is determined not to be at the melting point T ₀ or more cold accumulation agent 30A at step S20, i.e., the temperature Tp of the refrigerant 13A 30A is less than the melting point T ₀ of the cold accumulation agents 30A cold storage amount Is determined to be Q1 or more, the process proceeds to step S24, and the bypass solenoid valve 46 is opened. Then, the refrigerant circulates in the bypass circulation path 44 as shown in FIG. 2 (B), and performs the refrigeration cycle without performing cold storage in the regenerator 30.

The air conditioner ECU 62 repeats the above flow at all times or every time a predetermined time elapses while the automobile is running. Thus, the regenerator 30 is in a state of having a cold storage amount equal to or higher than the cold storage amount Q1 shown in FIG. 4 when the temperature Tp of the cold storage agent 30A falls below the melting point T _{0 due} to heat exchange with the refrigerant. The other effects of the vehicle air conditioner 60 (mainly cooling maintenance during the eco-run) are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

  The vehicular air conditioner 60 according to the second embodiment is basically the same as the vehicular air conditioner 10 according to the first embodiment except for the effect obtained by specifically estimating the cold storage amount Q. An effect can be obtained. Further, in the vehicle air conditioner 60, based on only the detection result of the temperature sensor 56 that detects the temperature Tp of the cool storage agent 30A, the bypass electromagnetic valve 46 is opened or closed, that is, the refrigerant circulation path 20 and the bypass circulation path 44 are switched. Therefore, the configuration of the air conditioner ECU 62 can be simplified, and the number of sensors, that is, the number of parts can be reduced.

(Third embodiment)
FIG. 8 is a block diagram showing a vehicle air conditioner 70 according to the third embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the vehicle air conditioner 60 has a refrigeration cycle, a cold storage to the regenerator 30, a cooling from the regenerator 30, and a configuration of a mechanical part for switching various refrigerant circulation paths. Although it is exactly the same as the air conditioners 10 and 60, it differs from the vehicle air conditioners 10 and 60 in that an air conditioner ECU 72 is provided instead of the air conditioner ECU 50.

  The air conditioner ECU 72 controls the opening / closing of the bypass solenoid valve 46, that is, switching between the refrigerant circulation path 20 and the bypass circulation path 44, based on the vehicle information, without receiving a signal corresponding to the temperature of the regenerator 30 or the like. ing. Specifically, a signal corresponding to the vehicle speed, whether or not the brake pedal is depressed, and the amount of depression is input to the air conditioner ECU 72, and it is determined whether or not the vehicle is decelerating. It has become. The air conditioner ECU 72 is configured to close the bypass solenoid valve 46 during deceleration of the vehicle while the vehicle is running, and to open the bypass solenoid valve 46 when the vehicle is not decelerating.

  The operation of the third embodiment will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  In the vehicle air conditioner 70 configured as described above, the electromagnetic clutch 22 is coupled and the compressor 12 is operated by the power of the engine 26 while the automobile is running, and the electromagnetic valve 40 is opened and the liquid pump 38 is stopped. ing. At this time, the air conditioner ECU 72 determines whether or not the automobile is decelerating in step S30. If it is determined that the vehicle is decelerating, the process proceeds to step S32, and the bypass solenoid valve 46 is closed. Then, the refrigerant circulates through the refrigerant circulation path 20 as shown in FIG. 2A, and cold storage to the regenerator 30 is performed while performing a refrigeration cycle.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S30 that the vehicle is not decelerating, that is, if it is determined that the vehicle is in steady running or in acceleration, the process proceeds to step S34, and the bypass solenoid valve 46 is opened. Then, the refrigerant circulates in the bypass circulation path 44 as shown in FIG. 2 (B), and performs the refrigeration cycle without performing cold storage in the regenerator 30.

  The air conditioner ECU 72 always repeats the above flow while the vehicle is running. Thereby, the regenerator 30 is regenerated by heat exchange between the refrigerant and the regenerator 30A every time the automobile decelerates. The other action of the vehicle air conditioner 70 (mainly cooling maintenance during the eco-run) is the same as that of the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

  The vehicle air conditioner 70 according to the third embodiment also basically has the effect of opening and closing the bypass solenoid valve based on the cold storage amount Q, and basically the vehicle air conditioner according to the first embodiment. 10 can be obtained.

  In the vehicle air conditioner 70, regardless of the amount of cold stored in the regenerator 30, during deceleration of the automobile, the bypass solenoid valve is closed as shown in FIG. Although switching so as to circulate, since the fuel supply to the engine 26 is cut during deceleration, the compressor 12 can be operated and the cold storage 30 can be stored without adversely affecting the fuel consumption. That is, cold storage can be performed by regenerating braking force. In this way, cold storage is actively performed at the time of deceleration, and cold storage is not performed at the time of acceleration for supplying fuel to the engine or during steady running, so that deterioration of practical fuel consumption can be prevented while adopting a configuration including the cool storage unit 30. it can.

  In addition, although the example which performs cold storage only at the time of deceleration was shown in this 3rd Embodiment, this invention is not limited to this, For example, cold storage amount is sufficient like 1st or 2nd embodiment. If the amount of cold storage is insufficient, the bypass electromagnetic valve 46 may be closed even during steady running so that the cold storage 30 can be stored. Conversely, when the amount of cold storage is insufficient and the automobile is decelerating, the bypass electromagnetic valve 46 may be closed to cool the cold storage 30.

(Fourth embodiment)
Since the vehicle air conditioner 80 according to the fourth embodiment is configured similarly to the vehicle air conditioner 70 according to the third embodiment, the parts different from the vehicle air conditioner 70 are shown in parentheses in FIG. It shall be represented by a reference sign. As shown in FIG. 8, the vehicle air conditioner 80 is different from the vehicle air conditioner 70 in that an air conditioner ECU 82 is provided instead of the air conditioner ECU 72.

  The air conditioner ECU 82 determines whether or not rapid cooling (cool down) is necessary from the temperature in the passenger compartment, etc., and when rapid cooling, that is, a large cooling load is necessary, opens the bypass solenoid valve 46 and requests rapid cooling. When the state is resolved, the bypass solenoid valve 46 is closed.

  The operation of the fourth embodiment will be described below with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG.

  In the vehicle air conditioner 80 having the above-described configuration, the electromagnetic clutch 22 is coupled and the compressor 12 is operated by the power of the engine 26 while the automobile is running, so that the electromagnetic valve 40 is opened and the liquid pump 38 is stopped. ing. At this time, the air conditioner ECU 82 determines whether or not rapid cooling is necessary in step S40. For example, when it is determined that rapid cooling is necessary, such as when the difference between the passenger compartment temperature and the air conditioner set temperature is extremely large, the process proceeds to step S42, and the bypass solenoid valve 46 is opened. Then, the refrigerant circulates in the bypass circulation path 44 as shown in FIG. 2 (B), and performs the refrigeration cycle without performing cold storage in the regenerator 30.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S40 that the rapid cooling request is not required, the process proceeds to step S44, and the bypass solenoid valve 46 is closed. Then, the refrigerant circulates through the refrigerant circulation path 20 as shown in FIG. 2A, and cold storage to the regenerator 30 is performed while performing a refrigeration cycle.

  The air conditioner ECU 82 repeats the above flow at all times or every time a predetermined time elapses while the automobile is running. Thereby, the cool storage 30 will be stored cold by heat exchange with a refrigerant | coolant, if the state which requires rapid cooling is canceled and the vehicle air conditioner 80 transfers to the state which does not require big cooling capacity. The other actions of the vehicle air conditioner 80 (mainly cooling maintenance during the eco-run) are the same as those in the first embodiment, and a description thereof will be omitted.

  Also by the vehicle air conditioner 80 according to the fourth embodiment, the vehicle air conditioner according to the first embodiment basically except for the effect of opening and closing the bypass solenoid valve based on the cold storage amount Q. 10 can be obtained.

  The vehicle air conditioner 80 opens the bypass solenoid valve and switches the refrigerant to circulate through the bypass circulation path 44 when rapid cooling is required regardless of the amount of cold storage. When the low-pressure liquid-phase refrigerant flows into the evaporator 18 and evaporates, a large cooling capacity can be obtained. That is, since the rapid cooling request is given priority over the cold storage in the regenerator 30, the vehicle interior can be quickly cooled to a comfortable temperature without using a part of the cooling capacity for cold storage during the rapid cooling. Thereby, the rapid cooling performance equivalent to the cooler system which does not include the regenerator 30 can be obtained.

(Fifth embodiment)
FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a vehicle air conditioner 90 according to the fifth embodiment of the present invention. As shown in this figure, the vehicle air conditioner 90 differs from the above embodiments in that it includes a bypass mechanical valve 92 instead of the bypass solenoid valve 46. The bypass mechanical valve 92 autonomously opens and closes the bypass flow path 42 in accordance with the amount of cold stored in the regenerator 30. This will be specifically described below.

  As shown in FIG. 12, the bypass mechanical valve 92 has a valve body 92A for opening and closing the bypass flow path 42, and a feeling that one end side is inserted in the cold storage agent 30A or between the cold storage materials 30A and the other end side is expanded in diameter. The temperature tube 92B is configured to include a temperature tube 92B and a diaphragm 92C having a valve body 92A fixed on the surface opposite to the temperature tube 92B. A gas is sealed in a temperature-sensitive tube 92B sealed with a diaphragm 92C in an airtight state.

  The valve body 92A of the bypass mechanical valve 92 has a closed position in which the bypass flow path 42 is completely closed and an open position in which the bypass flow path 42 is completely opened due to a volume change of the gas in the temperature sensing tube 92B. It can be selectively configured. The diaphragm 92C is configured to bias the valve body 92A toward the open position by the spring force. Therefore, in the bypass mechanical valve 92, the bypass flow path 42 depends on the magnitude of the force Fs for moving the valve body 92A to the closed position side by the gas pressure and the spring force Fo for biasing the valve body 92A to the open position side. It is set as the structure which switches to a closed state and open state of selection.

  In the bypass mechanical valve 92, the spring constant of the diaphragm 92C is set so that Fs <Fo when the temperature of the regenerator 30A is lower than the melting point. Thereby, when the temperature of the cool storage agent 30 </ b> A becomes lower than the melting point of the cool storage agent 30 </ b> A, the bypass flow path 42 is opened, and the refrigerant flow into the cool storage device 30 is prevented.

  The vehicle air conditioner 90 includes an air conditioner ECU 94 instead of the air conditioner ECU 50. The air conditioner ECU 94 includes a cooler system that does not include the regenerator 30 except for control related to air conditioning maintenance during an eco-run, such as operating the liquid pump 38 when the engine stop signal is input from the engine ECU and closing the electromagnetic valve 40. The same normal air conditioner control is performed.

  In the fifth embodiment, the bypass mechanical valve 92 is configured to enclose the gas in the temperature sensing tube 92B closed by the diaphragm 92C. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Instead of the method, it is also possible to use a lever mechanism that amplifies the linear expansion of the shape memory alloy or member in order to generate the driving force or restoring force of the valve element 92A due to temperature change. The bypass mechanical valve 92 may be configured to take an intermediate position between the closed position and the open position in a predetermined case.

  Next, the operation of the fifth embodiment will be described.

In the vehicle air conditioner 90 having the above-described configuration, the electromagnetic clutch 22 is coupled and the compressor 12 is operated by the power of the engine 26 while the automobile is running, and the electromagnetic valve 40 is opened and the liquid pump 38 is stopped. ing. At this time, if the temperature of the regenerator 30A is equal to or higher than the melting point of the regenerator 30A, the force Fs based on the gas pressure in the temperature sensing tube 92B of the bypass mechanical valve 92 exceeds the spring force Fo of the diaphragm 92C, and the bypass flow The path 42 is closed. For this reason,
The refrigerant circulates in the refrigerant circuit 20 as shown in FIG. 2A, and cold storage to the regenerator 30 is performed while performing a refrigeration cycle.

  With this cold storage, the temperature of the cold storage agent 30A gradually decreases, the saturation pressure of the gas sealed in the temperature sensing tube 92B decreases, and the force Fs that presses the valve body 92A toward the closing position is reduced. When the temperature of the cold storage agent 30A becomes lower than the melting point of the cold storage agent 30A, the force Fs falls below the spring force Fo of the diaphragm 92C, and the valve body 92A moves to the open position. That is, the bypass channel 42 is opened. Then, the refrigerant circulates in the bypass circulation path 44 as shown in FIG. 2 (B), and performs the refrigeration cycle without performing cold storage in the regenerator 30.

  The other effects of the vehicle air conditioner 60 (mainly cooling maintenance during the eco-run) are the same as those in the first embodiment, and the description thereof is omitted.

  The vehicular air conditioner 90 according to the fifth embodiment also basically excludes the effect of electrically opening and closing the bypass flow path 42 by controlling the bypass solenoid valve 46 based on various control parameters. The same effects as those of the vehicle air conditioner 10 according to the first embodiment can be obtained. Further, in the vehicle air conditioner 90, the bypass mechanical valve 92 autonomously opens and closes the bypass flow path 42 in accordance with the temperature of the cold storage agent 30A (whether the cold storage amount is equal to or higher than a predetermined value). There are few and reliability is high. Further, the air conditioner ECU 94 does not require the opening / closing control of the bypass passage 42, and the configuration is simplified.

  The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the gist of the present invention. For example, the features of the above embodiments can be combined as appropriate. It is also possible to omit a part of the operation, and it is also possible to adopt another control together with or instead of these. Therefore, for example, the air conditioner ECUs 50 and 62 may open the bypass electromagnetic valve 46 during the rapid cooling even when the amount of cold storage is insufficient, and the automobile regardless of the cold storage amount Q or the cold storage agent temperature Tp. The bypass solenoid valve 46 may be closed during the deceleration. In addition, the switching control of the refrigerant circuit 20, the bypass circuit 44, and the sub circuit 35 in the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, when the traveling load during acceleration or climbing of the automobile is large. When the bypass circuit 44 or the sub circuit 35 is selected, or when the engine speed is low such as in a traffic jam and the cooling load is large (rapid cooling or the like), the liquid pump 38 is operated together with the compressor 12 to operate the refrigerant. It is also possible to secure the circulation amount (the amount of refrigerant passing through the evaporator 18).

  In each of the above embodiments, the bypass solenoid valve 46 or the bypass mechanical valve 92 provided on the bypass flow path 42 is configured to switch between the refrigerant circulation path 20 and the bypass circulation path 44. For example, the refrigerant circulation path 20 and the bypass circulation path 44 may be switched by a three-way valve or a plurality of valves provided in the junction 20D.

  Furthermore, in each said embodiment, it was set as the structure which has arrange | positioned the cool accumulator 30 in series upstream of the evaporator 18, However, This invention is not limited to this, For example, in the vehicle air conditioner which performs an accumulator type refrigeration cycle, A regenerator 30 may be provided downstream of the evaporator 18 (between the compressor 12 inlet). In this configuration, a fixed throttle can be used instead of the expansion valve 16.

  Furthermore, in each of the above-described embodiments, the electromagnetic valve 40 is provided upstream of the compressor 12, which is a portion that does not constitute the auxiliary circulation path 35 in the refrigerant circulation path 20, but the present invention is not limited to this, for example, The electromagnetic valve 40 may not be provided, and the electromagnetic valve 40 may be provided downstream of the compressor 12.

1 is a block diagram showing a schematic overall configuration of a vehicle air conditioner according to a first embodiment of the present invention. It is a figure which shows the operation state of the vehicle air conditioner which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention, Comprising: (A) is a block diagram of the execution state of a refrigerating cycle and cold storage, (B) is the cooling maintenance state by a cool storage. FIG. 2C is a block diagram showing a state in which the refrigerant flow rate is secured by the operation of the liquid pump. It is a schematic diagram which shows the input / output signal of air-conditioner ECU which comprises the vehicle air conditioner which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a diagram which shows the characteristic of the cool storage material which comprises the vehicle air conditioner which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows control of the air-conditioner ECU which comprises the vehicle air conditioner which concerns on the 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the schematic whole structure of the vehicle air conditioner which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows control of the air-conditioner ECU which comprises the vehicle air conditioner which concerns on the 2nd Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the schematic whole structure of the vehicle air conditioner which concerns on the 3rd or 4th embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows control of the air-conditioner ECU which comprises the vehicle air conditioner which concerns on the 3rd Embodiment of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows control of the air-conditioner ECU which comprises the vehicle air conditioner which concerns on the 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a block diagram which shows the schematic whole structure of the vehicle air conditioner which concerns on the 5th Embodiment of this invention. It is a schematic diagram which shows the structure of the mechanical valve for bypass which comprises the vehicle air conditioner which concerns on the 5th Embodiment of this invention.

Explanation of symbols

10 Vehicle air conditioners 12 Compressors
14 Condenser
16 Expansion valve (pressure reduction means)
18 Evaporator
20 Refrigerant circulation path 26 Engine 30 Regenerator 30A Cold storage agent 34 Refrigerant return flow path 35 Sub-circulation path 38 Liquid pump (liquid feeding device)
40 Solenoid valve (open / close valve)
42 Bypass flow path 44 Bypass circulation path 46 Bypass solenoid valve (flow path switching device, solenoid valve)
50 Air conditioner ECU (control device)
60/70/80/90 Vehicle air conditioner 62/72/82 Air conditioner ECU (control device)
92 Mechanical valve for bypass (flow path switching device, mechanical valve)

Claims (9)

Refrigerant circulation for refrigerating cycle and regenerator storage by circulating refrigerant through compressor, condenser, decompression means, evaporator and regenerator by operation of compressor driven by vehicle engine Road,
A sub-circulation path that includes a refrigerant return channel and a liquid feeding device, both ends of which communicated with the refrigerant circulation channel, and circulates the refrigerant between the regenerator and the evaporator by the operation of the liquid feeding device;
An opening / closing valve that is provided in a portion of the refrigerant circuit that does not constitute the sub circuit, and that closes the refrigerant circuit while the compressor is stopped and the liquid feeding device is operating;
A bypass passage communicating with the refrigerant circulation path so as to bypass the regenerator, and refrigeration is performed by circulating the refrigerant through the compressor, the condenser, the pressure reducing means, and the evaporator by the operation of the compressor. A bypass circuit for carrying out the cycle;
A flow path switching device that selectively switches between a state in which the refrigerant circulates in the refrigerant circuit and a state in which the refrigerant circulates in the bypass circuit during operation of the compressor;
A vehicle air conditioner comprising A refrigerant circulation path for performing a refrigeration cycle by circulating refrigerant through the compressor, condenser, decompression means, and evaporator by the operation of a compressor driven by a vehicle engine;
A regenerator that is provided in series between the decompression means and the evaporator in the refrigerant circulation path, and in which a built-in regenerator exchanges heat with the refrigerant;
A sub-circulation path that circulates the refrigerant between the evaporator and the regenerator, including a refrigerant return flow path and a liquid feeding device that communicate the downstream of the evaporator and the upstream of the regenerator in the refrigerant circulation path; ,
An opening / closing valve that is provided in a portion of the refrigerant circuit that does not constitute the sub circuit, and that closes the refrigerant circuit while the compressor is stopped and the liquid feeding device is operating;
A bypass passage that communicates the downstream of the decompression means and the upstream of the evaporator in the refrigerant circulation path, bypassing the regenerator, and
A flow path switching device capable of selectively switching between a state in which refrigerant flows through the bypass flow path and a state in which refrigerant does not flow through the bypass flow path;
A vehicle air conditioner comprising   The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the flow path switching device is an electromagnetic valve provided on the bypass flow path and controlled to be opened and closed by a control device.   The said control apparatus is a vehicle air conditioner of Claim 3 which opens and closes the said solenoid valve according to the cool storage amount to the said cool storage.   The control device has a cooling amount calculated based on at least a signal corresponding to the temperature of the regenerator, a signal corresponding to the refrigerant temperature at the inlet / outlet of the regenerator, and a signal corresponding to the refrigerant flow rate. 5. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the electromagnetic valve is closed when it is smaller than the required cold storage amount calculated based on a load, and the electromagnetic valve is opened when the cold storage amount is equal to or greater than the required cold storage amount.   The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 3 to 5, wherein the control device closes the electromagnetic valve when information corresponding to the vehicle being decelerated is input.   The said control apparatus is a vehicle air conditioner in any one of Claim 3 thru | or 6 which opens the said solenoid valve when rapid cooling operation is required.   The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the flow path switching device is a mechanical valve.   The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 8, wherein the mechanical valve includes a valve body that moves between a position at which the bypass flow path is opened and a position at which the bypass flow path is closed according to a temperature change of the regenerator.

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