JP2002119070A - Cooling device for inverter for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cooling device for inverter for vehicle that is manufactured at low cost and constituted in compact form and allows the enhancement of cooling efficiency. SOLUTION: The cooling device 1 for inverter for vehicle is for cooling the inverter 2 of a motor as a driving source of a vehicle. The cooling device is provided with a heat sink 3 placed in contact with the inverter 2, and the heat sink 3 has other parts 4, 6, and 7 directly installed thereto which parts comprise a coolant path in which coolant W for cooling the heat sink 3 is circulated.

Description

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a cooling device for an inverter for a vehicle, which cools an inverter of a motor which is a driving source of an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, as this type of cooling device, for example, a cooling device described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-259721 is known. This cooling device is of a water-cooled type, and has a radiator, a pump, and the like, which are connected to each other by piping, and also has a coolant passage on the outer periphery, and a heat sink with an inverter attached thereto. They are connected via pipes, and the coolant circulates through these pipes. Then, with the operation of the motor, the pump is operated to circulate the coolant, thereby cooling the motor, the inverter, and the like.

[0003] In addition to the above-mentioned cooling apparatus, an air-cooled type is also known. This air-cooling type cooling device is configured by attaching an air duct having a fan to a heat sink to which an inverter is attached. By operating the fan with the operation of the motor and introducing the air taken in from the outside through the air duct into the heat sink, the inverter and the like are cooled.

[0004]

In the above-described water-cooled cooling device, many components of the cooling device must be connected by piping, and the connection requires a lot of man-hours, resulting in cost reduction. Inviting up. In addition, since there are many connection points by piping, there is a possibility that coolant leaks from the connection points. In particular, in the case of a hybrid vehicle, since the pipes need to be piped through gaps between the engine, the engine drive auxiliary equipment, the air cleaner, and the like, the coolant passage becomes long and complicated, and hinders miniaturization. For this reason, the pressure of the cooling liquid in the cooling device is reduced, and as a result, the cooling efficiency and the circulation efficiency of the cooling liquid are also reduced.

[0005] On the other hand, in the air-cooled cooling device as described above, although the number of components is smaller than that of a water-cooled cooling device, the cooling efficiency is low, and in order to obtain a sufficient cooling effect, the cooling device is required. However, the size becomes large as a whole. In addition, since outside air is introduced into the heat sink, dust and dirt easily accumulate in the heat sink, which lowers the cooling efficiency.

The present invention has been made to solve the above problems, can be manufactured at low cost, and
An object of the present invention is to provide a cooling device for a vehicle inverter that can be configured compactly and that can improve cooling efficiency.

[0007]

A cooling device for a vehicle inverter according to the present invention is a cooling device for a vehicle inverter for cooling an inverter 2 of a motor which is a driving source of the vehicle, the cooling device 1 being in contact with the inverter. The heat sink 3 is provided, and another component constituting a coolant passage for circulating a coolant W for cooling the heat sink is directly attached to the heat sink.

According to this structure, the other component constituting the coolant passage for circulating the coolant for cooling the heat sink is directly attached to the heat sink disposed in contact with the inverter. Unlike this, there is no need to connect the heat sink and other components with piping. As a result, the number of parts and the number of assembling steps can be reduced as compared with the case of connecting by piping, the cooling device can be manufactured at low cost, and the cooling device can be made compact, and the occurrence of coolant leakage is reduced. Can be. Also,
Since the coolant passage is simpler and shorter, a decrease in the pressure of the coolant can be suppressed as compared with the related art, whereby the cooling efficiency of the cooling device can be improved.

In this case, it is preferable that the other parts include at least one of the header tank 4, the expansion tank, the radiator 7, and the coolant pump 6.

According to this structure, at least one of the header tank, the expansion tank, the radiator, and the coolant pump is directly attached to the heat sink as another component, so that the effect of the first aspect can be obtained. . In addition, the more these other components are attached to the heat sink, the more the connection between the heat sink and the other components by piping or the like can be reduced or completely eliminated, and the operational effect of claim 1 can be better obtained. Can be.

In this case, the other parts include a radiator 7
It is preferable that a fan support member (fan shroud 10) for supporting a fan 9 for cooling the radiator 7 is further directly attached to the heat sink 3.

According to this structure, the radiator is directly attached to the heat sink, and the fan for cooling the radiator by blowing air is attached to the fan support member directly attached to the heat sink, so that the heat sink, the radiator and the fan are attached. It can be made compact as a single unit, and can be easily handled, that is, transported and mounted on an automobile. Further, if the fan is surrounded by a fan shroud as a fan support member, it is possible to reduce the leakage of the wind by the fan and to send the wind to the radiator efficiently. As a result, the cooling efficiency of the cooling liquid in the radiator can be increased.

[0013]

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a cooling device for a vehicle inverter according to a preferred embodiment of the present invention. Each of the cooling devices of the embodiments described below cools an inverter that performs DC / AC conversion of a motor that is a drive source of an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle by a water-cooling method.

FIG. 1 schematically shows a part of a cooling device for a vehicle inverter according to a first embodiment of the present invention.
It is a heat sink and header tank integrated type. As shown in FIG. 1, the cooling device 1 includes a heat sink 3 arranged in contact with the inverter 2 and a header tank 4 directly attached to the heat sink 3.

The heat sink 3 is made of, for example, a metal such as aluminum or copper, and has a cooling liquid W such as cooling water inside.
Is formed so that it can flow in and out. That is, the heat sink 3 is provided with an inflow port 3a and an outflow port (not shown in FIG. 1), and through these, the coolant W
Flows into and out of the heat sink 3.

On the other hand, the header tank 4 is arranged at a position higher than the heat sink 3, and the cooling liquid W pumped by a cooling liquid pump described later is used by utilizing a head difference.
The heat is supplied to the heat sink 3. The header tank 4 is also provided with an inflow port (not shown) for the coolant W and an outflow port 4a. The header tank 4 is directly attached to the heat sink 3 with the outlet 4a and the inlet 3a of the heat sink 3 aligned. Specifically, the header tank 4 is attached to the side wall of the heat sink 3 by brazing, welding, or the like. Thereby, the header tank 4
, The coolant W flows directly to the heat sink 3.

Although not shown, the heat sink 3
Further, other components of the cooling device 1, for example, a coolant pump or a radiator for circulating the coolant W are connected to the header tank 4 via a pipe or the like. A circulating coolant passage is provided. The header tank 4 is provided with a filler cap 4c at an inlet 4b for the coolant W,
The cooling liquid W is injected through the injection port 4b, and the air of the cooling liquid W in the cooling device 1 is evacuated by the filler cap 4c and the like, and the pressure of the cooling liquid W is adjusted. .

The inverter 2 is mounted on the heat sink 3 of the cooling device 1 thus configured.
Then, during the operation of the motor, the coolant W circulates in the coolant passage and flows into and out of the heat sink 3, so that the inverter 2 that generates heat by switching is cooled through the heat sink 3. Note that a cover 5 is provided above the heat sink 3, and the cover 5 protects the inverter 2.

Although not shown, an expansion tank having a water / water separation function is attached to the heat sink 3 together with or instead of the header tank 4, and furthermore, both functions of the header tank 4 and the expansion tank are provided. May be attached to the heat sink 3.

FIG. 2 schematically shows a part of a cooling device for a vehicle inverter according to a second embodiment of the present invention.
It is a heat sink and coolant pump integrated type. Components having the same functions as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals, and detailed description thereof will be omitted. The same applies to the following description of each embodiment.

As shown in FIG. 1, the cooling device 1 has a heat sink 3 and a cooling liquid pump 6 which is directly attached to the heat sink 3 and circulates a cooling liquid W. A through hole 3c is formed in a side wall of the heat sink 3, and a coolant pump 6 is externally attached to the through hole 3c. The coolant pump 6 includes an impeller 6a
And an impeller housing 6b formed directly on the side wall of the heat sink 3 and accommodating the impeller 6a, a drive motor 6c for rotating the impeller 6a, and the like.
The coolant pump 6 is attached to the heat sink 3 via the impeller housing 6b with the impeller 6a facing the inside of the heat sink 3. In this embodiment, similarly to the first embodiment, other components of the cooling device 1 are connected to the heat sink 3 and the coolant pump 6 via piping.
A coolant passage is configured.

In the cooling device 1 thus configured, the coolant W is circulated in the coolant passage by the operation of the coolant pump 6 during the operation of the motor, so that the inlet 3a and the outlet 3
When the coolant W flows into and out of the heat sink 3 via the line b, the inverter 2 is cooled through the heat sink 3.

FIG. 3 schematically shows a part of a vehicle inverter cooling device according to a third embodiment of the present invention.
It is a heat sink and radiator integrated type.
As shown in FIG.
And a radiator 7 directly attached to the heat sink 3. The radiator 7 has a large number of fins 8 on its surface, and has an inlet 7a for letting the coolant W flow therein and an outlet 7b for letting the coolant W flow out from the inside thereof. The inflow port 7a and the outflow port 7b of the heat sink 3
And, it is attached to the heat sink 3 in a state where it is aligned with the inflow port 3a. In this case, as in the first embodiment, the radiator 7 is attached to the side wall of the heat sink 3 by brazing, welding, or the like.

In this cooling device 1, as shown in FIG. 4, a fan shroud 10 which blows air to the radiator 7 and cools the radiator 7 and surrounds the fan 9 is directly attached to the heat sink 3. May be attached. In this case, the heat sink 3, the radiator 7, and the fan 9 can be integrally formed in a compact size, and the handling, that is, the transportation and the attachment to the automobile can be easily performed. In addition, the fan shroud 10 can reduce wind leakage from the fan 9,
The wind can be sent to the radiator 7 efficiently. As a result, the cooling efficiency of the cooling liquid W in the radiator 7 can be increased.

FIG. 5 schematically shows a cooling device for a vehicle inverter according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, in which the cooling devices of the above embodiments are combined into one, that is,
The heat sink 3, the header tank 4, the coolant pump 6, and the radiator 7 are integrated. As shown in the figure, a header tank 4, a coolant pump 6 and a radiator 7 are attached to a heat sink 3 of the cooling device 1 by brazing, welding, or the like. Then, the coolant W in the heat sink 3 flows to the header tank 4 and the radiator 7 in order by the coolant pump 6,
Circulates back to the heat sink 3. This cooling device 1
Thus, the coolant passage is configured without using any piping or the like.

Further, as shown in FIG. 6, the cooling device 1 as described above may be connected to a motor 11 which is a driving source of an automobile. The motor 11 has a passage 12 for flowing the coolant W on an outer peripheral wall thereof, and a pipe 1 is connected to an inlet 12 a and an outlet 12 b of the passage 12.
The cooling device 1 is connected via 3 and 13. Specifically, the outflow port 3 b of the heat sink 3 and the inflow port 4 d of the header tank 4 are respectively connected to the inflow port 12 of the passage 12.
a and the outlet 12b via pipes 13 and 13. Thus, during operation of the motor 11, the cooling device 1 also cools the motor 11 in addition to the inverter 2.

FIG. 7 shows a part of the cooling device 1, specifically, for example, a heat sink 3 formed in a case shape.
The radiator 7 and the fan 9 are assembled together, and the inverter 2 and the high-voltage parts 14 that generate heat during operation of the motor are assembled on the heat sink 3 in the case, and these cooling parts and electric parts are packaged. Things. Such packaging makes them compact, and these parts usually require less maintenance, so they can be placed in dead spaces, such as under the floor of cars, in engine rooms and motor rooms. Thus, the space can be more effectively used as compared with the conventional vehicle which is arranged in the vehicle.

As described in detail above, according to each of the above-described embodiments, the heat sink 3 arranged in contact with the inverter 2 has the other components constituting the coolant passage, namely, the header tank 4 and the coolant. Since at least one of the pump 6 and the radiator 7 is directly attached, there is no need to connect the heat sink 3 and the other components 4, 6, 7 with piping unlike the related art. As a result, the number of parts and the number of assembling steps can be reduced as compared with the case of connecting with piping, and the cooling device 1 can be manufactured at low cost, and can be made compact, and the occurrence of coolant leakage is reduced. be able to. In particular, as in the fourth embodiment shown in FIGS. 5 and 6, the more the other components such as the header tank 4, the coolant pump 6 and the radiator 7 are attached to the heat sink 3, the more the heat sink 3 and other components are connected. The connection by the piping between them can be reduced or completely eliminated, and the number of parts and the number of assembly steps can be further reduced. In addition, since the coolant passage in which the coolant W circulates is simple and short, a decrease in the pressure of the coolant W can be suppressed as compared with the related art, whereby the cooling efficiency of the cooling device 1 can be improved. it can.

The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, but can be implemented in various modes. For example, if the components constitute the coolant passage, the components described above, that is, the header tank 4 and the coolant pump 6
A component other than the radiator 7 may be directly attached to the heat sink 3 or directly to the header tank 4 or the like. The attachment of the component to the heat sink 3 is not limited to the above-described brazing or welding, and may be performed by, for example, inserting a packing and using a bolt. Furthermore, the detailed configuration of the cooling device 1 shown in the embodiment is merely an example, and can be appropriately changed within the scope of the present invention.

[0030]

As described in detail above, the cooling device for a vehicle inverter according to the present invention has the advantages that it can be manufactured at a low cost, can be configured compactly, and can improve the cooling efficiency. .

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a side sectional view schematically showing a part of a cooling device for a vehicle inverter according to a first embodiment of the present invention, showing a state in which a header tank is directly attached to a heat sink.

FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a part of a cooling device for a vehicle inverter according to a second embodiment of the present invention;
FIG. 3 is a side sectional view showing a state in which a coolant pump is directly attached to a heat sink, and FIG.

FIG. 3 is a side sectional view schematically showing a part of a cooling device for a vehicle inverter according to a third embodiment of the present invention, showing a state where a radiator is directly attached to a heat sink.

FIG. 4 is a side sectional view showing a state in which a fan shroud supporting a fan is attached to a heat sink of FIG. 3;

FIG. 5 is a cross-sectional view schematically showing a cooling device for a vehicle inverter according to a fourth embodiment of the present invention, in which a header tank, a coolant pump, and a radiator are directly attached to a heat sink.

6 is a cross-sectional view showing a state in which a motor that is a driving source of a vehicle is connected to the cooling device of FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view showing a state in which an inverter and high-voltage components are housed in a part of a cooling device formed in a case shape.

[Explanation of symbols]

 DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Cooling device 2 Inverter 3 Heat sink 4 Header tank 6 Coolant pump 7 Radiator 9 Fan 10 Fan shroud (fan support member) 11 Motor W Coolant

 ──────────────────────────────────────────────────続 き Continuing on the front page (72) Inventor Takeshi Kato 1-4-1 Chuo, Wako-shi, Saitama Pref. Inside Honda R & D Co., Ltd. (72) Keisuke Urushihara 1-4-1 Chuo, Wako-shi, Saitama F-term in Honda R & D Co., Ltd. (reference) 5H007 BB06 HA06 5H115 PG04 PI29 PU08 PU26 PV09 UI30

Claims (3)

[Claims] 1. A cooling device for a vehicle inverter that cools an inverter of a motor that is a driving source of a vehicle, comprising: a heat sink disposed in contact with the inverter; A cooling device for an inverter for a vehicle, wherein another component constituting a coolant passage for circulating a coolant for cooling the vehicle is directly mounted. 2. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the other components include at least one of a header tank, an expansion tank, a radiator, and a coolant pump. 3. The radiator is included in the another component, and a fan support member that supports a fan for cooling the radiator is further directly attached to the heat sink. The cooling device for a vehicle inverter according to claim 2, wherein