JP2006248431A - Onboard battery apparatus, and method for controlling its temperature - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To improve the efficiency for utilizing a space inside a car, and further to perform the efficient temperature control. <P>SOLUTION: A battery 11 is attached to a partition member 104 provided on a vehicle 100 having an engine room 101 for receiving an engine and a cabin 102 for receiving crew members. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2006,JPO&NCIPI

Description

  The present invention relates to an in-vehicle battery device mounted on a vehicle having an engine room for accommodating an engine and a passenger compartment for accommodating an occupant. More specifically, the present invention improves the utilization efficiency of the vehicle interior space and increases the temperature efficiently. The present invention relates to an in-vehicle battery device capable of performing control. The present invention also relates to a temperature control method for controlling the temperature of an in-vehicle battery device mounted on a vehicle having an engine room that houses an engine and a passenger compartment that houses a passenger.

  In recent years, reducing the exhaust gas of automobiles and reducing the burden on the natural environment has been regarded as important, and for the purpose of reducing exhaust gas, it is driven by an internal combustion engine (engine) that operates with fossil fuel such as gasoline and electricity. A hybrid vehicle having a power source combined with an electric motor is developed.

  A hybrid vehicle includes a generator driven by an engine and a battery that stores electric power generated by the generator, and travels by driving a motor with electric power supplied from the battery. In recent years, various hybrid vehicles having different power source configurations have been proposed. A hybrid vehicle in which the driving power for driving is exclusively output by the motor, and the output distribution of the engine and the motor are made variable to obtain driving power for driving. A hybrid vehicle of the type has been proposed.

  By the way, the battery has a feature that the storage capacity and the output characteristics change depending on the temperature. For this reason, when a battery is mounted as a power source in a hybrid vehicle, it is important to keep the battery temperature within a predetermined temperature range.

  However, when a conventional vehicle driven by a gasoline engine is changed to a hybrid vehicle as a base vehicle, the battery and related electrical components are mounted in a state of being housed in a battery box. At this time, since the battery is relatively heavy, it is often mounted with a structure in which the battery is supported by the vehicle body by directly attaching the battery box to the vehicle body. In such an attachment structure, the battery is easily affected by the outside air temperature, and it is difficult to keep the battery temperature within a predetermined temperature range.

Therefore, in Patent Document 1, it is proposed to provide a cooling air passage between the electric parts of the battery and the rear floor of the vehicle body in order to adjust the temperature of the battery.
JP2003-1000027

  By the way, in the structure disclosed by patent document 1, since the battery is mounted in the site | part which presses down the passenger compartment space which is a passenger | crew space of a vehicle similarly to the conventional hybrid vehicle, a passenger compartment is expanded and a vehicle is expanded. It is difficult to improve the habitability. Further, since the outer size of the battery is increased by providing the cooling air passage, there is a problem that it becomes more difficult to enlarge the passenger compartment.

  Therefore, the present invention is proposed in view of the above-described conventional situation, and provides an in-vehicle battery device capable of improving the utilization efficiency of the vehicle interior space and performing efficient temperature control. Objective.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention provides an in-vehicle battery device mounted on a vehicle having an engine room that houses an engine and a passenger compartment that houses an occupant, and a sound that enters the passenger compartment from the engine room; It is a vehicle-mounted battery device provided with the battery attached to the interruption | blocking member which interrupts | blocks at least one among heat.

  According to the present invention, since the battery is attached to the blocking member that blocks sound and heat entering the vehicle compartment from the engine room, the vehicle compartment is stored when the battery is stored, for example, in the trunk room at the rear of the vehicle. It is not necessary to arrange a battery in a part that greatly affects the space, and the use efficiency of the vehicle interior space can be improved. Further, since the battery is attached to a part close to the engine room, the battery temperature can be controlled using an air conditioner attached to the part close to the engine room.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Below, the vehicle-mounted battery apparatus 10 comprised by applying this invention is demonstrated, referring drawings.

  The in-vehicle battery device 10 is mounted on a vehicle 100 as shown in FIG. The vehicle 100 is configured as a hybrid vehicle having a power source that combines an internal combustion engine (engine) that operates with fossil fuel such as gasoline and an electric motor (motor) that is driven by electricity.

  As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 100 includes an engine room 101 that houses an engine in the front, and a vehicle room 102 that houses a crew member behind the engine room 101. The vehicle 100 also includes a partition wall 103 that partitions the engine room 101 and the vehicle compartment 102, and a blocking member 104 that is disposed along the partition wall 103 behind the partition wall 103. The blocking member 104 has a function of blocking sound and heat entering the vehicle compartment 102 from the engine room 101. In addition, an air conditioner 105 that controls the temperature of the passenger compartment 102 is attached to the blocking member 104.

  In the present embodiment, the engine room 101 is provided in front of the vehicle 100, but the engine room 101 may be provided in the rear of the vehicle 100, for example. When the engine room 101 is provided at the rear of the vehicle 100, a vehicle compartment 102 is provided in front of the engine room 101, and a blocking member 104 is provided in front of a partition wall 103 that separates the engine room 101 and the vehicle compartment 102. The Rukoto.

  The partition wall 103 is also referred to as a dash panel, and the blocking member 104 is also referred to as a dash insulator.

  As shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the in-vehicle battery device 10 includes a battery 11 attached to the inside of the blocking member 104. In the present embodiment, the battery 11 includes a plurality of battery cells 11a electrically connected thereto, but may be configured by a single battery cell. However, by electrically connecting a plurality of battery cells 11a, battery characteristics can be improved and higher output can be achieved.

  Since the battery 11 is mounted on the blocking member 104, the in-vehicle battery device 10 has a large influence on the vehicle compartment space when the battery 11 is stored, such as a trunk room provided at the rear of the vehicle 100, for example. Therefore, it is not necessary to arrange the battery 11 in the vehicle, and the use efficiency of the vehicle interior space can be improved. Further, since the battery 11 is attached to a part close to the engine room 101, the temperature control of the battery 11 can be performed using the air conditioner 105 that is also attached to a part close to the engine room 101. Details of the temperature control will be described later.

  In the in-vehicle battery device 10, the attachment site and the attachment mode of the battery 11 with respect to the blocking member 104 are not particularly limited, and may be appropriately selected according to the design convenience.

  However, as shown in FIG. 1, the battery 11 is preferably disposed inside the blocking member 104. Thereby, the access by a passenger | crew becomes difficult and the possibility that a passenger | crew touches accidentally etc. can be reduced.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the battery 11 is preferably disposed at a position close to the vehicle compartment 102 inside the blocking member 104. That is, the battery 11 has a thickness T11 from the main surface of the blocking member 104 on the engine room 101 side to the battery 11 that is larger than a thickness T12 from the main surface of the blocking member 104 on the vehicle compartment 102 side to the battery 11. It is desirable to arrange. Thereby, the influence by the heat etc. which are generated by the engine housed in the engine room 101 can be reduced, and the heat generated by the battery 11 can be used for heating the vehicle compartment 102.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the battery 11 desirably has a flat plate shape and is disposed so that the main surface thereof is parallel to the main surface of the blocking member 104. Thereby, thickness T1 of the interruption | blocking member 104 by which the battery 11 was arrange | positioned inside can be suppressed, and the compartment 102 can be expanded and the comfortability can be improved. When the battery 11 is configured by a plurality of battery cells 11a as in the present embodiment, the outer shape of each battery cell 11a is a flat plate shape, and the main surface of the battery cell 11a is relative to the main surface of the blocking member 104. What is necessary is just to arrange | position so that it may become parallel.

  Further, even if the battery 11 is disposed inside the shut-off member 104 in order to exhibit the function of shutting off the sound and heat that the battery 11 itself enters from the engine room 101 into the vehicle compartment 102, A sufficient sound insulation and heat insulation effect can be obtained by forming the blocking member 104 with a thickness equivalent to that of the case where it is provided outside.

  In the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, a plurality of battery cells 11 a are arranged in a state where a part of each of them is overlapped. Thereby, many battery cells 11a can be arrange | positioned in the internal space of the interruption | blocking member 104, ie, the limited space, and the high output of the battery 11 can be achieved. However, the specific arrangement of the battery cells 11a is arbitrary. For example, the battery cells 11a may be arranged in a state where the battery cells 11a do not overlap. By disposing the battery cells 11a without overlapping, the heat dissipation efficiency of the battery 11 can be improved.

  It is desirable that the battery cell 11a is not disposed in a portion (a portion indicated by a region A in FIG. 3) that may be touched by a passenger's body (for example, a passenger's foot). Thereby, it is possible to prevent the heat generated by the battery 11 from being directly transmitted to the occupant's body.

  Here, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, the in-vehicle battery device 10 includes an air duct 12 connected to the air conditioner 105, a valve 13 that opens and closes communication between the air conditioner 105 and the air duct 12, and a battery 11. The battery temperature sensor 14 (not shown in FIGS. 1 and 2) for detecting the temperature of the air conditioner 105 is provided, and cold air or hot air is supplied from the air conditioner 105 via the air duct 12, The battery 11 is configured to be cooled or heated. In FIG. 2, a vehicle interior air duct 106 for supplying cold air or hot air from the air conditioner 105 to the vehicle interior 102 is also illustrated.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the air conditioner 105 includes an on / off operation of temperature control in the passenger compartment 102 and a switch 200 for inputting setting of target temperature and air volume, and a vehicle that detects the temperature in the passenger compartment 102. An indoor temperature sensor 201, cold air or an air conditioning unit 202 that supplies hot air, and a control unit 203 that controls each unit are provided.

  When the switch 200 is turned on and temperature control in the passenger compartment 102 is started, the control unit 203 detects the temperature in the passenger compartment 102 by the passenger compartment temperature sensor 201, and the detected temperature is currently set. By controlling the air conditioning unit 202 according to the result of comparison with the target temperature, the air is blown into the passenger compartment 102 at a predetermined temperature and air volume.

  Further, the battery temperature sensor 14 is connected to the control unit 203. The control unit 203 controls the temperature of the battery 11 by controlling the opening and closing of the valve 13 according to the temperature of the battery 11 detected by the battery temperature sensor 14.

  Here, the temperature control process of the battery 11 in the present embodiment will be described with reference to the flowcharts shown in FIGS. 6 and 7.

  When the temperature control process is started (step S10), the control unit 203 detects the on / off state of the switch 200 and determines whether the air conditioning control of the passenger compartment 10 is off (step S11). In the following, the air conditioning control of the passenger compartment 10 is simply referred to as “vehicle compartment air conditioning” and indicated as “A / C” in the figure.

  If the passenger compartment air conditioning is off as a result of the determination in step S10, the control unit 203 determines whether or not the temperature of the battery 11 detected by the battery temperature sensor 13 exceeds a preset upper limit value t ( Step S12). In the following, the temperature of the battery 11 is simply referred to as “battery temperature” and is indicated as “Batt temperature” in the drawing.

  If the result of determination in step S11 is that the battery temperature exceeds the upper limit t, it is necessary to cool the battery 11 in order to prevent damage, so the valve 13 is opened and the air duct 12 is connected from the air conditioning unit 202. Then, cold air is supplied to the battery 11 (step S13). If the battery temperature is equal to or lower than the upper limit value t, the temperature control process is terminated (step S27).

  In addition, when supplying cool air to the battery 11 in step S13, since passenger compartment air conditioning is not turned on, it is desirable to achieve noise reduction by minimizing the amount of air flow.

  After step S13, the control unit 203 determines whether or not the battery temperature has become lower than the upper limit value t (step S14). If the battery temperature is lower than the upper limit value t, the valve 13 is closed and the battery 11 is closed. Is stopped (step S26), and the temperature control process is terminated (step S27). If the result of determination in step S <b> 14 is that the battery temperature is not less than the upper limit t, the process returns to step S <b> 13.

  On the other hand, if the result of determination in step S11 is that the battery temperature is not more than the upper limit value t, the control unit 203 determines whether or not the passenger compartment air conditioning is set to cooling (step S15). When the passenger compartment air conditioning is set to cooling, the control unit 203 determines whether or not the battery temperature exceeds the upper limit value t (step S16). If the battery temperature is less than the upper limit value t, the temperature control process is terminated (step S27). If the battery temperature exceeds the upper limit value t, the valve 13 is opened and air is blown from the air conditioning unit 202. Cold air is supplied to the battery 11 through the duct 12 (step S17).

  In step S17, since cold air is supplied to both the vehicle compartment 102 and the battery 11, the control unit 203 supplies the cold air to the battery 11 so that the temperature and the amount of the cold air supplied to the vehicle compartment 102 are reduced. The cooling capacity and supply air volume of the air conditioning unit 202 are controlled so as not to decrease.

  After step S17, the control unit 203 determines whether or not the battery temperature has become lower than the upper limit value t (step S18). If the battery temperature is lower than the upper limit value t, the control unit 203 closes the valve 13 and closes the battery 11. Is stopped (step S26), and the temperature control process is terminated (step S27). If the result of determination in step S <b> 18 is that the battery temperature is not less than the upper limit value t, the process returns to step S <b> 17.

  As a result of the determination in step S15, when it is determined that the passenger compartment air conditioning is not set to cooling, the control unit 203 determines whether or not the battery temperature exceeds the upper limit value t (step S19). When the battery temperature exceeds the upper limit t, the valve 13 is opened, and cool air is supplied from the air conditioning unit 202 to the battery 11 through the air duct 12 (step S20).

  After step S20, the control unit 203 determines whether or not the battery temperature has become lower than the upper limit value t (step S21). If the battery temperature is lower than the upper limit value t, the valve 13 is closed and the battery 11 is closed. Is stopped (step S26), and the temperature control process is terminated (step S27). If the result of determination in step S <b> 21 is that the battery temperature is not less than the upper limit t, the process returns to step S <b> 20.

  After step S19, the control unit 203 determines whether or not the battery temperature is less than a preset lower limit value n (step S22). The lower limit value n is a lower limit value of a temperature range in which the battery 11 can exhibit sufficient output characteristics.

  If the result of determination in step S22 is that the battery temperature is not less than the lower limit n, the valve 13 is opened, and the air conditioning unit 202 blows air to the battery 11 (step S23), and the process returns to step S22. Thereby, the heat generated by the battery 11 can be used for heating the passenger compartment 102. When the current temperature in the passenger compartment 102 exceeds the target temperature set by the switch 200, it is desirable not to blow in step S23 in order to prevent the temperature in the passenger compartment 102 from rising.

  If the result of determination in step S22 is that the battery temperature is lower than the lower limit n, the valve 13 is opened and hot air is supplied from the air conditioning unit 202 to the battery 11 via the air duct 12 (step S24). Thereby, the temperature of the battery 11 can be raised and sufficient output from the battery 11 can be ensured.

  Next, the control unit 203 determines whether or not the battery temperature exceeds the lower limit value n (step S25), and if not, returns the process to step S24. If the result of determination in step S25 is that the battery temperature has exceeded the lower limit n, the valve 13 is closed to stop blowing air to the battery 11 (step S26), and the temperature control process is terminated (step S27). .

  In the above description, the temperature control process is terminated in step S27. However, the process is returned to step S10 without ending the temperature control process, and the series of temperature control processes described above are continued. Also good. In addition, the control unit 203 performs the temperature control process for the passenger compartment 102 independently or in cooperation with the above-described series of temperature control processes for the battery 11.

  As described in detail above based on the embodiment, according to the invention according to claim 1, in the in-vehicle battery device mounted on the vehicle having the engine room that houses the engine and the passenger compartment that houses the occupant, An in-vehicle battery device comprising a battery attached to a blocking member that blocks at least one of sound and heat entering the vehicle compartment from the engine room can be realized.

  According to the in-vehicle battery device configured as described above, since the battery is attached to the blocking member that blocks the sound and heat entering the vehicle compartment from the engine room, the battery such as a trunk room at the rear of the vehicle is used. When the battery is stored, it is not necessary to arrange a battery in a part that greatly affects the vehicle compartment space, and the use efficiency of the vehicle interior space can be improved. Further, since the battery is attached to a part close to the engine room, the battery temperature can be controlled using an air conditioner attached to the part close to the engine room. Thereby, it is possible to improve the utilization efficiency of the vehicle interior space and perform efficient temperature control.

  The invention according to claim 2 is the in-vehicle battery device according to claim 1, further comprising the blocking member. Thereby, the interruption | blocking member and a battery can be integrally formed.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided the in-vehicle battery device according to the second aspect, wherein the blocking member is disposed along a partition wall that partitions the engine room and the vehicle compartment. It is. Thereby, a vehicle interior space can be expanded to the maximum and a passenger | crew's comfortability can be improved.

  The invention according to claim 4 is the in-vehicle battery device according to claim 1, wherein the battery is disposed inside the blocking member. Thereby, the access by a passenger | crew becomes difficult and the possibility that a passenger | crew touches accidentally etc. can be reduced.

  The invention according to claim 5 is the in-vehicle battery device according to claim 4, wherein the battery is disposed at a position closer to the vehicle compartment inside the blocking member. . Thereby, the influence by the heat etc. which are generated by the engine accommodated in the engine room can be reduced, and the heat generated by the battery can be used for heating the passenger compartment.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the in-vehicle battery device according to the first aspect, the battery has an outer shape in a flat plate shape, and the main surface is arranged to be parallel to the main surface of the blocking member. It is the vehicle-mounted battery apparatus characterized by the above. Thereby, the thickness of the interruption | blocking member by which the battery was arrange | positioned inside can be suppressed, and a passenger compartment can be expanded and a living property can be improved.

  The invention according to claim 7 is the in-vehicle battery device according to claim 1, wherein the battery has a plurality of battery cells. Thereby, the battery characteristic of a battery can be improved and high output can be achieved.

  The invention according to claim 8 is the in-vehicle battery device according to claim 7, wherein each of the battery cells has an outer shape in a flat plate shape, and a main surface is parallel to a main surface of the blocking member. It is arrange | positioned like this, It is the vehicle-mounted battery apparatus characterized by the above-mentioned. Thereby, the thickness of the interruption | blocking member by which the battery was arrange | positioned inside can be suppressed, and a passenger compartment can be expanded and a living property can be improved.

  The invention according to claim 9 is the in-vehicle battery device according to claim 1, further comprising a blower duct connected to an air conditioner mounted on the vehicle. Thereby, a battery and a ventilation duct can be formed integrally.

  The invention according to claim 10 is the in-vehicle battery device according to claim 9, wherein the battery is cooled by cold air supplied from the air conditioner through the air duct. Accordingly, it is possible to efficiently cool the battery and prevent deterioration of output characteristics due to heat generation, and it becomes unnecessary to provide a cooling mechanism dedicated to the battery independently.

  The invention according to claim 11 is the in-vehicle battery device according to claim 9, wherein the battery is heated by warm air supplied from the air conditioner through the air duct. Accordingly, it is possible to efficiently heat the battery and prevent deterioration of output characteristics due to a temperature drop, and it becomes unnecessary to provide a heating mechanism dedicated to the battery independently.

  The invention according to claim 12 is the in-vehicle battery device according to claim 9, further comprising a temperature sensor connected to the air conditioner to detect the temperature of the battery. Thereby, a battery and a temperature sensor can be integrally formed.

  According to a thirteenth aspect of the present invention, in the temperature control method for controlling the temperature of the in-vehicle battery device mounted on a vehicle having an engine room for accommodating an engine and a passenger compartment for accommodating an occupant, the in-vehicle battery device A temperature control method for cooling the vehicle battery device by controlling an air conditioner that adjusts the temperature in the vehicle interior when the temperature exceeds a preset upper limit value. it can.

  According to the temperature control method configured as described above, the temperature control of the battery can be performed using the air conditioner that adjusts the temperature in the passenger compartment. Thereby, it is possible to improve the utilization efficiency of the vehicle interior space and perform efficient temperature control.

  According to a fourteenth aspect of the present invention, in the temperature control method according to the thirteenth aspect, when the temperature is within a range between a preset lower limit value and the upper limit value, the air conditioner is controlled to perform the on-vehicle operation. A temperature control method characterized by exhausting heat generated by a battery device. Thereby, the temperature rise of a vehicle-mounted battery apparatus can be prevented beforehand.

  The invention according to claim 15 is the temperature control method according to claim 14, wherein the heat generated by the in-vehicle battery device is exhausted into the vehicle interior. Thereby, the passenger compartment can be heated using the heat generated by the in-vehicle battery device.

  According to a sixteenth aspect of the present invention, in the temperature control method according to the thirteenth aspect, when the temperature becomes less than a preset lower limit value, the air conditioner is controlled to heat the on-vehicle battery device. Is a temperature control method characterized by Thereby, it is possible to prevent deterioration of output characteristics due to a decrease in the temperature of the in-vehicle battery device.

It is the schematic which shows the example of application of the vehicle-mounted battery apparatus shown as embodiment of this invention. It is the top view which looked at the same apparatus from the vehicle rear side. It is the schematic which shows an example of the attachment state with respect to the interruption | blocking member of the battery in the apparatus. It is the schematic which shows the example of arrangement | positioning of the battery cell in the same apparatus. It is a functional block diagram which shows the structural example of the air conditioning apparatus which operate | moves in cooperation with the apparatus. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the temperature control process of the battery in the apparatus.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Vehicle-mounted battery apparatus 11 ... Battery 11a ... Battery cell 12 ... Air duct 13 ... Valve 14 ... Battery temperature sensor 100 ... Vehicle 101 ... Engine room 102 ... Car compartment 103 ... Bulkhead 104 ... Shut-off member 105 ... Air conditioner 106 ... Car compartment Air duct 200 for use 200 ... Switch 201 ... Temperature sensor for vehicle interior 202 ... Air conditioning unit 203 ... Control unit

Claims (16)

In an in-vehicle battery device mounted on a vehicle having an engine room for accommodating an engine and a passenger compartment for accommodating an occupant,
A vehicle-mounted battery device comprising: a battery attached to a blocking member that blocks at least one of sound and heat entering the vehicle compartment from the engine room. The in-vehicle battery device according to claim 1, further comprising the blocking member. The in-vehicle battery device according to claim 2, wherein the blocking member is disposed along a partition wall that partitions the engine room and the vehicle compartment. The in-vehicle battery device according to claim 1, wherein the battery is disposed inside the blocking member. The in-vehicle battery device according to claim 4, wherein the battery is disposed at a position closer to the passenger compartment inside the blocking member. The in-vehicle battery device according to claim 1, wherein the battery has an outer shape in a flat plate shape and is disposed so that a main surface thereof is parallel to a main surface of the blocking member. The in-vehicle battery device according to claim 1, wherein the battery includes a plurality of battery cells. Each of the battery cells has a flat plate-like outer shape, and is disposed so that a main surface thereof is parallel to a main surface of the blocking member. Battery device. The in-vehicle battery device according to claim 1, further comprising a blower duct connected to an air conditioner mounted on the vehicle. The on-vehicle battery device according to claim 9, wherein the battery is cooled by cold air supplied from the air conditioner through the air duct. The on-vehicle battery device according to claim 9, wherein the battery is heated by warm air supplied from the air conditioner through the air duct. The in-vehicle battery device according to claim 9, further comprising a temperature sensor connected to the air conditioner and detecting a temperature of the battery. In a temperature control method for controlling the temperature of an in-vehicle battery device mounted on a vehicle having an engine room that houses an engine and a passenger compartment that houses an occupant,
Detecting the temperature of the in-vehicle battery device;
When the said temperature exceeds the preset upper limit, the said vehicle-mounted battery apparatus is cooled by controlling the air conditioner which adjusts the temperature in the said vehicle interior. The heat generated by the in-vehicle battery device is exhausted by controlling the air conditioner when the temperature is within a range between a preset lower limit value and the upper limit value. Temperature control method. The temperature control method according to claim 14, wherein heat generated by the in-vehicle battery device is exhausted into the vehicle interior. The temperature control method according to claim 13, wherein when the temperature becomes less than a preset lower limit value, the air conditioner is controlled to heat the on-vehicle battery device.

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