JP2007210401A - Cooling device for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a cooling device for a vehicle capable of efficiently and precisely cooling a heat exchanger for cooling by using an electric fan small in output, even on the vehicle with an engine of large cubic capacity, in stopping/starting the engine in accordance with an engine stopping condition and an engine starting condition. <P>SOLUTION: A cooling controller confirms whether travelling speed exceeds set speed and refrigerant pressure of a condenser exceeds set pressure or not when the engine stopping condition is established and the engine is stopped and carries out cooling driving the electric fan when the travelling speed is lower than the set speed and the refrigerant pressure exceeds the set pressure. Additionally, it cools the condenser by a mechanical fan by demanding starting of the engine (step 116) when the refrigerant pressure exceeds the set pressure in a state of driving the electric fan and cancels the engine starting demand as the refrigerant pressure falls lower than the set pressure (steps 120 to 124). <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2007,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicular cooling device that cools a refrigerant using a cooling heat exchanger such as an engine radiator or a condenser provided in the vehicle.

  Vehicles include, for example, engine heat exchangers for cooling engine coolant, cooling heat exchangers such as condensers that are cooling heat exchangers for vehicle air conditioners (hereinafter referred to as air conditioners) (Hereinafter, referred to as a heat exchanger), air in front of the vehicle is introduced as cooling air, and the introduced cooling air passes through the engine radiator and condenser, so that cooling water and air conditioning refrigerant To be cooled.

  In recent years, vehicles with idling stop control that stops the engine when the vehicle stops for the purpose of improving fuel efficiency, emission, and noise, and hybrid vehicles that can be driven by an electric motor in addition to the engine have become widespread. Yes.

  In these vehicles, the engine drive is stopped when a predetermined engine stop condition is satisfied from the traveling speed, the driving operation state, and the like, and when the return condition is satisfied, control for driving the stopped engine (hereinafter, referred to as the engine stop condition) Eco-run control is performed (for example, refer to Patent Document 1).

  By the way, the cooling air is guided to the engine radiator by a mechanical fan. When the engine is stopped, the driving of the mechanical fan is also stopped, and the cooling capacity of the engine radiator and the condenser is reduced.

  In order to suppress this, if the engine stop is prohibited when the coolant temperature rises as proposed in Patent Document 1, the effect obtained by the eco-run control is reduced.

  A method using an electric fan is conceivable as a method of suppressing a decrease in cooling efficiency of the engine radiator or the like while the engine is stopped while ensuring the effect obtained by the eco-run control, and a proposal for driving the electric fan at an idle stop has been made. (For example, refer to Patent Document 2). In addition, a proposal has been made to drive an electric fan to exhaust hot air in an engine room when the engine is stopped (see, for example, Patent Document 3).

  Furthermore, when the cooling air is guided using only the electric fan, there is a proposal to drive the two electric fans step by step in accordance with the increase in the traveling speed of the vehicle or the increase in the refrigerant pressure of the air conditioner. (For example, refer to Patent Document 4).

  Moreover, although it is not a technique regarding automatic idling stop control, a technique in which a mechanical fan driven by an engine and an electric fan are provided is disclosed (for example, see Patent Document 5).

  In addition, in a vehicle with a relatively small engine displacement (for example, up to about 1500 cc), the cooling load of the engine radiator is also small, so that even if an electric fan with an output of about 200 w to 300 w is used, desired cooling can be performed when automatic idling is stopped. Although an effect can be obtained, for example, when the engine displacement is large as in a large vehicle such as a truck, the cooling load of the engine radiator also increases.

  For this reason, in an automatic idling stop vehicle equipped with a large displacement engine, it is necessary to increase the size of the fan and to increase the output when it is necessary to ensure the cooling performance of the heat exchanger when the engine is stopped only by the electric fan. A fan motor fan (for example, a motor with an output of 3 Kw or the like) is required.

In order to provide such an electric fan, a large space is required and power consumption increases (for example, 3Kw is about 100A at 46v at 46K), and this causes a large load on the battery. There is a problem of end.
JP 2003-201882 A JP 2002-316529 A JP 2003-237384 A JP 2005-30363 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-156383

  The present invention has been made in view of the above facts, and in a vehicle to which automatic idling stop control is applied, when a mechanical heat exchanger and an electric fan are used to cool a cooling heat exchanger with cooling air, a desired An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicular cooling device capable of obtaining a cooling capacity.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention is provided in a vehicle including engine control means for stopping the engine when the engine stop condition is satisfied and restarting the engine when the engine restart condition is satisfied. The cooling air for the vehicle that allows the refrigerant in the cooling heat exchanger to be cooled by passing through the cooling heat exchanger, driven by the driving force of the engine, A first cooling fan that guides the cooling air to the cooling heat exchanger, and a second cooling fan that is driven by an electric motor to guide the cooling air to the cooling heat exchanger, Selection means capable of selecting either the first cooling fan or the second cooling fan based on the engine condition and stop / start of the engine, and the first or second cooling fan by the selection means. Characterized in that it comprises a cooling control means for driving the corresponding cooling fan when the second cooling fan is selected.

  According to the present invention, the first cooling fan that is a mechanical fan driven by an engine and the second cooling fan that is an electric fan driven by an electric motor are provided, and the first or second cooling fan is selected by the selection means. When any one of the fans is selected, the cooling air is guided to the cooling heat exchanger by the selected cooling fan.

  Thereby, for example, even when the engine control means performs idling stop control for stopping the engine when the vehicle is stopped, the cooling to the heat exchanger for cooling is performed without driving the engine. Wind guidance is possible.

  The invention according to claim 2 is characterized in that the selection means selects the first cooling fan when the engine is started.

  According to this invention, when the engine is started, the first cooling fan is selected. As a result, the cooling heat exchanger can be cooled by the first cooling fan using the driving force of the engine.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, whether or not the selection means selects the second cooling fan based on the traveling speed of the vehicle when the engine is stopped based on the engine stop condition. It is characterized by determining.

  According to this invention, when the engine stop condition is satisfied and the engine is stopped, it is determined whether or not the second cooling fan is selected according to the traveling speed of the vehicle.

  In the hybrid vehicle, the engine is stopped by the eco-run control, and the vehicle can be driven by the electric motor. In addition, when the vehicle is in a traveling state, even when the first or second cooling fan is stopped, the cooling air is guided, and the traveling speed of the vehicle is increased, so that the amount of cooling air is increased.

  From here, it is possible to efficiently cool the cooling heat exchanger by selecting the second cooling fan when the running speed of the vehicle is lower than a preset speed.

  The invention according to claim 4 includes detection means for detecting a cooling load of the cooling heat exchanger, and the selection means is the detection means when the engine is stopped based on the engine stop condition. It is determined whether to select the second cooling fan from the detection result.

  According to the present invention, the cooling load of the cooling heat exchanger is detected by the detecting means, and it is determined whether or not to select to drive the second cooling fan based on the detection result. Thereby, it is possible to accurately cool the heat exchanger for cooling using the second cooling fan.

  The invention according to claim 5 is characterized in that the selection means selects the second cooling fan when the cooling load detected by the detection means exceeds a preset value. .

  According to a sixth aspect of the invention, when the second cooling fan is selected, the first load is detected when the cooling load detected by the detection means exceeds a preset value. The cooling fan is selected.

  According to the present invention, when the cooling load detected by the detection means exceeds a preset value, the second cooling fan is selected to be driven, and the second cooling fan is selected. When the cooling load exceeds a preset value, the first cooling fan is selected.

  Thereby, even in a vehicle using a large displacement engine, it is possible to accurately cool an engine radiator that cools engine coolant.

  In addition, when the condenser provided in the vehicle air conditioner is a cooling heat exchanger, it is possible to properly cool the refrigerant for air conditioning using the condenser. Therefore, the cooling capacity of the condenser is reduced by stopping the engine. It can prevent reliably that it falls and the comfort in a vehicle interior is impaired.

  Such detection means applied to the present invention may directly detect the cooling load on the cooling heat exchanger, but the relative value of the cooling capacity of the cooling heat exchanger relative to the cooling load. It is possible to apply a configuration for detecting

  For example, when the cooling heat exchanger is an engine radiator, a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of cooling water (cooling water temperature) cooled by the engine radiator can be used as the detecting means. When the condenser of the air conditioner is used, a pressure sensor that detects the pressure of the refrigerant cooled by the condenser can be used as the detecting means.

  Further, when the coolant temperature detected by the temperature sensor is higher than a preset temperature, and when the refrigerant pressure detected by the pressure sensor is higher than a preset pressure, the engine It can be determined that the cooling load is larger than the cooling capacity of the radiator and the condenser.

  In the invention according to claim 7, the cooling control means is included in the engine control means, and whether or not the first cooling fan is selected is included in the engine stop condition and the engine restart condition. It is characterized by.

  According to the present invention, whether or not the first cooling fan is selected is used as an engine stop condition and an engine restart condition. When the first cooling means is not selected, the engine stop condition can be established. When the first cooling fan is selected, the engine restart condition is satisfied.

  Thereby, appropriate cooling of the heat exchanger for cooling based on an engine stop condition and an engine restart condition is attained.

  An engine control apparatus to which such an invention is applied includes a cooling heat exchanger in which an internal refrigerant is cooled by the passage of cooling air, and the cooling air that is driven by the driving force of the engine. A first cooling fan that conducts air to the heat exchanger; and a second cooling fan that is driven by an electric motor and conducts the cooling air to the cooling heat exchanger. An engine control device that stops the engine when a set engine stop condition is satisfied, and restarts the stopped engine when the engine restart condition is satisfied, the engine stop condition And a selection means capable of selecting one of the first and second cooling fans based on whether or not the engine restart condition is satisfied; and A drive control means for driving the corresponding cooling fan when selecting the second cooling fan may be configured to include.

  As described above, according to the present invention, it is possible to obtain an excellent effect that it is possible to perform appropriate cooling by the cooling heat exchanger while suppressing driving of the engine stopped based on the engine stop condition.

  In particular, in the present invention, the cooling capacity is increased stepwise based on the cooling load on the cooling heat exchanger, so that efficient and accurate cooling of the cooling heat exchanger and engine stop control can be performed.

Hereinafter, an example of an embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.
[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a front portion of a vehicle 10 applied to the first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, the front side in the vehicle front-rear direction is indicated by the arrow F direction, the upper side in the vehicle vertical direction is indicated by the arrow U direction, and the direction orthogonal to each of the arrow F direction and the arrow U direction is the vehicle width direction. I have to.

  An engine 14 is disposed in the engine room 12 at the front portion of the vehicle 10. A cooling device 16 is disposed in the engine room 12 of the vehicle 10 on the vehicle front side of the engine 14.

  The cooling device 16 forms a refrigeration cycle of an air conditioner (air conditioner) (not shown) and an engine radiator 18 in which engine cooling water is circulated with the engine 14 as a cooling heat exchanger. A circulating capacitor 20 is included.

  In the cooling device 16, the engine radiator 18 is disposed on the engine 14 side, and the condenser 20 is disposed adjacent to the front side of the engine radiator 18 in the vehicle.

  The vehicle 10 is provided with a front bumper grill (not shown) at the front end portion, and air from the front side of the vehicle can be guided into the engine room 12 from the front bumper grill. In the cooling device 16, this air is used as cooling air, and the cooling air passes through the condenser 20 and the engine radiator 18, thereby cooling the refrigerant circulating through the refrigeration cycle and the engine cooling water.

  On the other hand, the cooling device 16 is provided with a cooling fan 22 as a first cooling fan on the rear side of the engine radiator 18 (between the engine 14 and the engine radiator 18). The cooling fan 22 is connected to a crankshaft (not shown) of the engine 14 and is rotationally driven by the driving force of the engine 14 (hereinafter referred to as a mechanical fan 22). In the cooling device 16, the mechanical fan 22 is rotationally driven, whereby air on the vehicle front side is guided as cooling air.

  Further, the cooling device 16 is provided with a cooling fan 24 serving as a second cooling fan on the vehicle front side of the condenser 20. The cooling fan 24 is connected to a fan motor 26 as a drive source. When the fan motor 26 is operated, air on the vehicle front side is pushed into the condenser 20 as cooling air (hereinafter referred to as electric drive). Fan 24).

  The cooling device 16 covers the space between the engine radiator 18 and the mechanical fan 22 so that the cooling air that has passed through the engine radiator 18 can be sent to the rear side of the vehicle, and the air in the engine room 12 is connected to the engine radiator 18. A fan shroud 28 is provided to prevent entry between the mechanical fans 22.

  Further, the cooling device 16 covers the space between the condenser 20 and the electric fan 24 so that the air on the vehicle front side can be guided as cooling air, and the air in the engine room 12 is electrically connected to the condenser 20 and the electric motor 24. A fan shroud 30 that prevents entry between the fans 24 is provided.

  The fan shrouds 28 and 30 may adopt a known general configuration in which a mechanical fan 22 or an electric fan 24 is disposed and a ring-shaped opening that allows passage of cooling air is formed.

  As a result, in the cooling device 16, either the mechanical fan 22 or the electric fan 24 is driven or the vehicle 10 travels so that air on the vehicle front side can be guided as cooling air.

  In the cooling device 16, a small electric motor having an output (rated output) of 200 w to 300 w is used as the fan motor 26. Thereby, in the cooling device 16, when the mechanical fan 22 is driven rather than when the electric fan 24 is driven, the amount of air flow of the cooling air is increased, and a large cooling capacity can be obtained. Yes.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the cooling device 16 is provided with a cooling controller 32 as cooling control means. A fan motor 26 is connected to the cooling controller 32, and driving of the electric fan 24 is controlled by the cooling controller 32.

  On the other hand, the vehicle 10 is a so-called hybrid vehicle in which an electric motor (not shown) is provided in addition to the engine 14 as a driving source for traveling. Thereby, in the vehicle 10, the driving of the engine 14 is stopped when the predetermined traveling condition is satisfied and the engine stop condition is satisfied, and the fuel consumption can be improved. Further, in the vehicle 10, when the restart condition of the engine 14 set in advance is satisfied and the engine restart condition is satisfied, the stopped engine 14 is restarted and the driving force of the engine 14 is used. Driving is possible.

  The vehicle 10 is provided with an engine ECU 34 serving as an engine control means for controlling start and stop of an engine 14 (see FIG. 1), and a hybrid ECU (not shown) for controlling the operation of an electric motor for traveling and the like. The vehicle 10 is controlled by the engine ECU 34 and the hybrid ECU during driving.

  At this time, the engine ECU 34 detects the traveling state of the vehicle 10 and the driving operation state by the driver by using various sensors and the like, and stops the engine 14 by satisfying an engine stop condition set in advance. When the engine restart condition is satisfied, the engine 14 is restarted.

  Accordingly, for example, when the engine ECU 34 detects that the traveling speed (vehicle speed) of the vehicle 10 has become “0” by the vehicle speed sensor 36, the engine ECU 34 determines that the vehicle 10 has stopped and stops the engine 14. (Idle stop control) to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.

  Further, the vehicle 10 is provided with a temperature sensor 38 for detecting the coolant temperature of the engine 14, and this temperature sensor 38 is connected to the engine ECU 34. As a result, the engine ECU 34 can detect the coolant temperature of the engine 14.

  Note that a known configuration and control method can be applied to the configuration and control of the engine ECU 34 including such a hybrid ECU, and detailed description thereof is omitted here. In the present embodiment, a so-called hybrid vehicle will be described as an example. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and an engine stop condition and an engine restart condition are set, and the engine 14 is stopped and restarted based on the set condition. The present invention can be applied to a vehicle having an arbitrary configuration such as an idling stop vehicle that starts.

  On the other hand, the vehicle 10 is provided with an air conditioner ECU 40 that controls the operation of the air conditioner. The air conditioner ECU 40 controls the temperature and air volume of the conditioned air blown into the vehicle interior so that the vehicle interior becomes the set temperature based on the set temperature, the amount of solar radiation, the room temperature, the outside air temperature, and the like. At this time, the air conditioner ECU 40 sends the refrigerant to the condenser 20 while being compressed by a compressor (not shown), and the refrigerant is compressed by the condenser 20 and liquefied. At this time, heat is exchanged with the cooling air passing through the condenser 20.

  Such an air conditioner is provided with a pressure sensor 42, and this pressure sensor 42 is connected to the air conditioner ECU 40. Thereby, in the air conditioner ECU 40, it is possible to confirm whether or not the desired cooling capacity is obtained by the condenser 20 cooling the refrigerant with a predetermined cooling capacity. In addition, a conventionally well-known structure can apply to the basic structure of such an air conditioner and air conditioner ECU40, and detailed description is abbreviate | omitted here.

  By the way, the cooling controller 32 is connected to the engine ECU 34 and the air conditioner ECU 40, so that the engine ECU 34 stops whether the engine 14 is stopped, that is, the engine stop condition is satisfied. It is possible to detect whether the engine 14 is restarted because the restart condition of the engine 14 is satisfied.

  On the other hand, the cooling controller 32 controls the cooling capacity of the engine radiator 18 and the condenser 20 when the engine 14 is stopped.

  At this time, the cooling controller 32 reads the traveling speed of the vehicle 10 detected by the engine ECU 34 with the vehicle speed sensor 36 and also reads the refrigerant pressure detected by the air conditioner ECU 40 with the pressure sensor 42.

  The cooling device 16 allows the air on the front side of the vehicle to pass through the fan shroud 30 and be guided as cooling air even when the mechanical fan 22 and the electric fan 24 are stopped because the vehicle 10 is running. Thus, as the traveling speed of the vehicle 10 increases, the amount of cooling air that is introduced also increases.

  Here, in the cooling controller 32, when the traveling speed of the vehicle 10 acquired via the engine ECU 34 exceeds a preset speed (set speed, for example, about 20 km / h to 30 km / h), the mechanical fan It is determined that the engine radiator 18 and the condenser 20 have obtained a predetermined cooling capacity without having to drive the motor 22 and the electric fan 24.

  The set speed may be set based on the cooling capacity of the engine radiator 18 and the condenser 20 with respect to the traveling speed, the cooling load on the engine radiator 18 and the condenser 20, and the like.

  On the other hand, when the traveling speed of the vehicle 10 does not reach the set speed, the cooling capacity of the condenser 20 is insufficient when the engine radiator 18 and the condenser 20, particularly the air conditioner is operated to air-condition the passenger compartment. there is a possibility.

  From here, the cooling controller 32 reads the refrigerant pressure detected by the pressure sensor 42 from the air conditioner ECU 40, and determines from this refrigerant pressure whether the cooling load on the capacitor 20 exceeds the cooling capacity of the capacitor 20. .

  That is, in the air conditioner, the cooling load (heat load) increases with respect to the cooling capacity of the condenser 20. From here, in the cooling controller 32, when the refrigerant pressure exceeds a preset pressure (set value), the cooling load becomes larger than the cooling capacity of the condenser 20, and the cooling capacity of the condenser 20 is increased. It is determined that the need has arisen.

  When the cooling controller 32 determines that it is necessary to increase the cooling capacity from the refrigerant pressure of the condenser 20, the cooling capacity is increased by operating the electric fan 24, and the electric fan 24 is operated. When the cooling capacity needs to be increased, the mechanical fan 22 is selected instead of the electric fan 24, the electric fan 24 is stopped, and the engine ECU 34 is requested to start the engine 14.

  Thus, the mechanical fan 22 is driven by starting the engine 14 in which the engine ECU 34 is stopped, and the cooling capacity of the condenser 20 and the engine radiator 18 is increased.

  The operation of the first embodiment will be described below.

  In the vehicle 10 provided with the cooling device 16, an engine stop condition and an engine restart condition are set in advance in the engine ECU 34. In the engine ECU 34, the engine stop condition is established from the vehicle running state or the driving operation state. As a result, the engine 14 is stopped. Further, the engine ECU 34 restarts the engine 14 when the engine restart condition is satisfied while the engine 14 is stopped, and travels using the driving force of the engine 14 (eco-run control).

  By the way, in the vehicle 10, when the engine 14 is driven, the mechanical fan 22 is driven by the driving force of the engine 14, and the engine radiator 18 cools the engine coolant and the condenser 20 cools the air conditioner refrigerant. However, when the engine 14 stops, the driving of the mechanical fan 22 stops and the cooling efficiency decreases.

  Thus, for example, if air conditioning of the vehicle interior using an air conditioner is performed, the vehicle interior cannot be maintained in a desired air conditioning state, and the passenger may be uncomfortable.

  From here, in the cooling device 16, when the engine 14 is stopped, the condenser 20 can be efficiently and accurately cooled.

  FIG. 3 shows an outline of the processing executed at this time. This flowchart is executed when the engine stop condition is satisfied and the engine ECU 34 stops the engine 14 based on the engine stop condition, and the engine restart condition is satisfied and the engine restart condition is satisfied. Is terminated by restarting the engine 14 based on the above. That is, the cooling controller 32 performs the cooling process when the engine 14 is stopped based on the engine stop condition and the engine restart condition.

  In the cooling controller 32, when the engine 14 is stopped based on the engine stop condition, the travel speed of the vehicle 10 detected by the engine ECU 34 by the vehicle speed sensor 36 in the first step 100 (hereinafter referred to as travel speed v). In the next step 102, it is confirmed whether or not the running speed v has reached a preset set speed (hereinafter referred to as set speed vs).

  Here, when the traveling speed v has not reached the set speed vs (v <vs), a negative determination is made at step 102 and the routine proceeds to step 104. In step 104, the refrigerant pressure P of the capacitor 20 detected by the air conditioner ECU 40 by the pressure sensor 42 is read. In the next step 106, the pressure set in advance by the refrigerant pressure P (hereinafter referred to as a set pressure Ps) is set. Check if it has exceeded.

  Here, in the cooling device 16, when the engine 14 is stopped and the traveling speed v of the vehicle 10 does not reach the set speed vs, there is a possibility that the cooling capacity of the engine radiator 18 and the condenser 20, particularly the condenser 20, is insufficient. There is.

  Further, in the air conditioner, when the cooling capacity of the condenser 20 is lower than the heat load that is the cooling load, the refrigerant pressure P increases, and when the set pressure Ps is exceeded (P> Ps), the desired cooling capacity cannot be obtained.

  From here, the cooling controller 32 starts cooling the condenser 20 and the engine radiator 18 by making a negative determination in step 102 and step 106.

  Note that when the traveling speed v exceeds the set speed vs (affirmative determination in step 102) or the refrigerant pressure P has not reached the set pressure Ps (positive determination in step 106), a predetermined cooling capacity is secured. If it is determined that the electric fan 24 is being driven, it is checked whether the electric fan 24 is being driven, that is, whether the fan motor 26 is operating. Thereby, when the fan motor 26 is operated and the electric fan 24 is driven, an affirmative determination is made in step 108 and the process proceeds to step 110. After the fan motor 26 is stopped, the process returns to step 100.

  On the other hand, when the refrigerant pressure P of the capacitor 20 exceeds the set pressure Ps (P ≧ Ps), an affirmative determination is made at step 106 and the routine proceeds to step 112. In this step 112, first, the electric fan 24 is driven, and it is confirmed whether or not the cooling air is guided using the electric fan 24.

  Here, when the electric fan 24 is not driven, a negative determination is made at step 112 and the routine proceeds to step 114 where the fan motor 26 is started to guide the cooling air using the electric fan 24. .

  As a result, the air on the vehicle front side is guided as cooling air by the electric fan 24 and is pushed toward the condenser 20 to increase the cooling capacity of the condenser 20 and the engine radiator 18.

  On the other hand, when the electric fan 24 is being driven and the refrigerant pressure P of the capacitor 20 exceeds the set pressure Ps, an affirmative determination is made at step 112 and the routine proceeds to step 116.

  In step 116, a drive request for the engine 14 is output to the engine ECU 34. At the same time, in step 118, the driving of the electric fan 24 is stopped (stop of the fan motor 26).

  The engine ECU 34 drives the engine 14 by receiving an engine start request from the cooling controller 32 when the engine stop condition is satisfied.

  As a result, the mechanical fan 22 is driven, and a large amount of cooling air sucked by the mechanical fan 22 passes through the condenser 20 and the engine radiator 18 so that the cooling capacity of the condenser 20 is increased and the refrigerant pressure P is reduced. .

  On the other hand, when the cooling controller 32 makes an engine start request and stops the electric fan 24, the process proceeds to step 120, where the refrigerant pressure P detected by the air conditioner ECU 40 is read. It is confirmed whether or not the pressure is lower than the set pressure Ps.

  As a result, when the refrigerant pressure P falls below the set pressure Ps, an affirmative determination is made in step 122 and the routine proceeds to step 124 to cancel the engine start request to the engine ECU 34.

  The engine ECU 34 stops the driving of the engine 14 when the engine start request is canceled and the engine stop condition is satisfied. At this time, if the engine restart condition is satisfied, the engine ECU 34 continuously drives the engine 14 regardless of whether or not the engine start request is canceled.

  In this way, by controlling the cooling capacity of the condenser 20, the air-conditioning state in which the passengers in the vehicle cabin do not feel uncomfortable is maintained.

  Further, when the cooling capacity required by the engine radiator 18 and the condenser 20 can be provided by the air blowing capacity of the electric fan 24, it is not necessary to drive the engine 14 unnecessarily, thereby suppressing a decrease in fuel consumption. Can do.

  Therefore, accurate cooling using the capacitor 20 can be efficiently performed while performing eco-run control of the engine 14. At this time, even if the displacement of the engine 14 is large and the cooling load of the engine radiator 18 is large, the engine radiator 18 can be appropriately cooled.

In the present embodiment described above, the drive / drive of the mechanical fan 22 and the electric fan 24 depends on whether or not the traveling vehicle speed v exceeds the set speed vs and whether or not the refrigerant pressure P exceeds the set pressure Ps. Although the stop is performed, the set speed vs and the set pressure Ps may have a difference (hysteresis) between the set value for starting the driving of the mechanical fan 22 or the electric fan 24 and the set value for stopping the driving. .
[Second Embodiment]
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. The basic configuration of the second embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment described above, and the same reference numerals are used for the same components as those of the first embodiment in the second embodiment. Will be omitted.

  In the first embodiment described above, it is determined whether or not the engine radiator 18 and the condenser 20 have a predetermined cooling capacity from the traveling vehicle speed v, and there is a possibility that the predetermined cooling capacity cannot be obtained. In the second embodiment, whether or not the cooling capacity corresponding to the cooling load of the condenser 20 is obtained from the refrigerant pressure P of the condenser 20 is determined in the second embodiment. In each case, it is confirmed whether or not the cooling capacity corresponding to the cooling load is obtained.

  At this time, in the cooling controller 32, the engine ECU 34 reads the cooling water temperature Wt of the engine 14 detected by the temperature sensor 38, and the cooling water temperature Wt is set to a preset value (hereinafter referred to as a set temperature Wts). The engine radiator 18 determines whether or not the cooling capacity corresponding to the heat load is obtained.

  FIG. 4 shows an outline of the cooling control according to the second embodiment.

  This flowchart is executed when the engine stop condition is satisfied and the engine ECU 34 stops the engine 14, and ends when the engine restart condition is satisfied and the engine 14 is restarted.

  In this flowchart, when the engine 14 is stopped due to the establishment of the engine stop condition, the cooling water temperature Wt detected by the engine ECU 34 is read in the first step 130. In step 132, the cooling water temperature Wt exceeds the set temperature Wts. Check if it is.

  In step 104, the refrigerant pressure P is read from the air conditioner ECU 40, and in step 106, it is confirmed whether or not the refrigerant pressure exceeds the set pressure Ps.

  Thereby, the refrigerant pressure P exceeds the set pressure Ps (P ≧ Ps) and an affirmative determination is made in step 106, or the cooling water temperature Wt exceeds the set temperature Wts (Wt ≧ Wts) and an affirmative determination is made in step 132. Thus, the process proceeds to step 112 to start the cooling control.

  Here, when the electric fan 24 is driven, the cooling load of the engine radiator 18 exceeds the cooling capacity of the engine radiator 18 or the cooling load of the condenser 20 exceeds the cooling capacity of the condenser 20. In step 112, an affirmative determination is made, a request for starting the engine 14 is made (step 116), and the electric fan 24 is stopped (step 118).

  Thereafter, in step 134, the coolant temperature Wt of the engine 14 is read, and in the next step 136, it is confirmed whether or not the coolant temperature Wt is lower than the set temperature Wts. In step 120, the refrigerant pressure P is read. In the next step 122, it is confirmed whether the refrigerant pressure P is lower than the set pressure Ps.

  Here, the engine 14 is started based on the start request of the engine 14, the cooling of the engine radiator 18 and the condenser 20 by the mechanical fan 22 is started, and the cooling water temperature Wt is lower than the set temperature Wts (Wt <Wts). When the refrigerant pressure P falls below the set pressure Ps (P <Ps) and an affirmative determination is made in step 136 and step 122, the routine proceeds to step 124, where the engine 14 start request is canceled and the mechanical fan 22 is used. End the cooling that was done.

As described above, the mechanical fan 22 and the electric fan are confirmed while confirming whether or not the cooling capacity corresponding to the cooling load is obtained for each of the engine radiator 18 and the condenser 20 provided as the cooling heat exchanger. By controlling the drive of 24, it is possible to ensure the air conditioning capability (cooling capability) of the air conditioner and prevent the engine 14 from overheating.
[Third Embodiment]
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. The basic configuration of the third embodiment is the same as that of the first and second embodiments, and is the same as that of the first and second embodiments in the third embodiment. The same reference numerals are given to the components, and the description thereof is omitted.

  FIG. 5 shows an outline of a main part of a vehicle 10A according to the third embodiment. This vehicle 10 </ b> A is a hybrid vehicle that can travel using an electric motor (both not shown) in addition to the engine 14.

  A cooling device 50 is disposed in the engine room 12 of the vehicle 10A. The cooling device 50 includes a radiator (hereinafter referred to as an HV radiator 52) used for cooling an inverter device that generates electric power for driving an electric motor from electric power stored in a battery, in addition to the engine radiator 18 and the condenser 20A as a heat exchanger for cooling. Is provided).

  In the cooling device 50, the engine radiator 18 is arranged on the vehicle rear side, and the condenser 20A and the HV radiator 52 are arranged in the vehicle width direction on the vehicle front side. Thereby, the cooling air is guided to each of the condenser 20 and the HV radiator 52, and the cooling air that has passed through the condenser 20A and the HV radiator 52 passes through the engine radiator 18.

  In the cooling device 50, the condenser 20A and the HV radiator 52 are arranged on the front side of the vehicle, and the engine radiator 18 is arranged on the rear side of the vehicle. However, the arrangement of the heat exchanger for cooling is not limited to this. For example, the capacitor 20A may be arranged on the front side of the vehicle, and the engine radiator 18 and the HV radiator 52 may be arranged side by side in the vehicle width direction on the vehicle rear side of the capacitor 20A, and the HV radiator 52 may be arranged from the front side of the vehicle. Arbitrary arrangements in consideration of the size of each cooling heat exchanger and the like can be applied, such as arranging the condenser 20A and the engine radiator 18 in order.

  In the cooling device 50, the fan shroud 28 is connected to the rear side of the vehicle and the mechanical fan 22 is arranged, and the fan shroud 30 is connected to the front side of the vehicle and the electric fan 24 is arranged.

  Thereby, in the cooling device 50, when the vehicle 10A is traveling, when the mechanical fan 22 is driven, and when the electric fan 24 is driven, the cooling air guided from the front side of the vehicle is supplied to the condenser 20A, the HV radiator 52, and the engine radiator 18. To pass through each of the.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the vehicle 10 </ b> A is provided with a hybrid ECU 54 that controls driving of an electric motor for travel (not shown) and accumulation of electric power used for driving the electric motor.

  An engine ECU 34, an air conditioner ECU 40, and a hybrid ECU 54 are connected to the cooling controller 32A of the cooling device 50. The hybrid ECU 54 is connected to a temperature sensor 56 for detecting the temperature of the cooling water for cooling the inverter device, and the cooling controller 32A reads the cooling water temperature detected by the hybrid ECU 54 with the temperature sensor 56. ing.

  In the cooling device 50 configured as described above, the driving of the mechanical fan 22 and the electric fan 24 is controlled based on the cooling loads and cooling capacities of the engine radiator 18, the condenser 20 </ b> A, and the HV radiator 52. .

  FIG. 7 shows an outline of the cooling process at this time. This flowchart is executed when the engine stop condition is satisfied and the engine ECU 34 stops the engine 14, and ends when the engine restart condition is satisfied and the engine 14 is restarted.

  In the cooling controller 32A, when the engine stop condition is satisfied and the driving of the engine 14 is stopped, first, the cooling water temperature Wt of the engine 14 is read from the engine ECU 34 (step 130), and the cooling water temperature Wt exceeds the set temperature Wts. (Step 132).

  Further, in step 140, the cooling water temperature WIt of the inverter device is read from the hybrid ECU 54, and in the next step 142, the read cooling water temperature WIt exceeds a preset temperature (hereinafter referred to as a set temperature WIts). Check if it is.

  Further, the cooling controller 32A reads the refrigerant pressure P from the air conditioner ECU 40 (step 106), and confirms whether or not the refrigerant pressure P exceeds the set pressure Ps.

  Here, if any of the engine radiator 18, the condenser 20 </ b> A, or the HV radiator 52 increases the cooling load with respect to the cooling capacity, an affirmative determination is made in any of steps 108, 132, and 142 and the process proceeds to step 112. .

  For example, if the cooling load increases with respect to the cooling capacity of the HV radiator 52 and the cooling water temperature WIt exceeds the set temperature WIts (WIt ≧ WIts), an affirmative determination is made in step 142 and the routine proceeds to step 112.

  In this step 112, it is confirmed whether or not the electric fan 24 is driven, that is, whether or not cooling using the electric fan 24 is performed. If the electric fan 24 is stopped, a negative determination is made in step 112. In step 114, first, cooling using the electric fan 24 is performed.

  Thereby, the cooling air is pushed into each of the condenser 20A and the HV radiator 52 by the electric fan 24, and the cooling air and the cooling water are cooled by the cooling air.

  On the other hand, when the cooling capacity is low with respect to the cooling load in spite of performing the cooling using the electric fan 24, by making an affirmative determination in step 112 and proceeding to step 116, The engine ECU 34 is requested to start the engine 14 and the electric fan 24 is stopped (step 118).

  Thereby, cooling of the engine radiator 18, the condenser 20A, and the HV radiator 52 using the mechanical fan 22 is started.

  On the other hand, when the engine 14 is requested to start, in step 134, the cooling water temperature Wt of the engine 14 is read to check whether the cooling water temperature Wt is lower than the set temperature Wts (step 136).

  In step 144, the cooling water temperature WIt of the inverter device is read from the hybrid ECU 54, and in the next step 146, it is confirmed whether or not the cooling water temperature WIt is lower than the set temperature WIts.

  Further, when the refrigerant pressure P is read (step 120), the cooling controller 32A checks whether or not the refrigerant pressure P is lower than the set pressure Ps (step 122).

  When the mechanical fan 22 is driven, the cooling water temperatures Wt and WIt become lower than the set temperatures Wts and WIts (Wt <Wts, WIt <WIts), and the refrigerant pressure P is higher than the set pressure Ps. Is also lower (P <Ps), an affirmative determination is made at each of steps 136, 146, and 122, and the routine proceeds to step 124.

  Thereby, the cooling controller 32A cancels the engine start request to the engine ECU 34, and the engine ECU 34 cancels the engine 14 based on the engine stop condition and the engine restart condition by releasing the engine start request. Start.

  Thus, even in the cooling device 50, even when the displacement of the engine 14 is large and the cooling load of the engine radiator 18 is large, the driving of the engine 14 is suppressed without using the fan motor 26 having a large output. The engine radiator 18, the condenser 20A, and the HV radiator 54 can be used for proper cooling.

  On the other hand, in the present embodiment described above, the mechanical fan 22 is provided on the vehicle rear side of the cooling heat exchanger and the electric fan 24 driven by the fan motor 26 is provided on the vehicle front side. The invention is not limited to this.

  For example, as shown in FIG. 8, an air conditioner provided in a hybrid vehicle may be provided with a compressor motor 62 as a drive source for the compressor 60 in addition to the engine 14.

  When such a compressor motor 62 is provided, an electromagnetic clutch 64 is provided between the compressor 60 and the compressor motor 62, and the driving force of the compressor motor 62 is transmitted between the compressor 60 and the electric fan 24 via the electromagnetic clutch 64. Be able to communicate to each.

  The cooling controller 32 controls the on / off of the electromagnetic clutch 64 instead of driving / stopping the fan motor 26. Thereby, the fan motor 26 can be omitted.

  Further, when the electromagnetic clutch is provided, for example, an electromagnetic clutch may be provided on a cooling fan (for example, the mechanical fan 22) disposed on the vehicle rear side, and the drive source of the cooling fan may be switched by the electromagnetic clutch. That is, the electromagnetic clutch is arranged so that the cooling fan is driven by either the engine or the fan motor.

  Accordingly, since one cooling fan can be driven by either the engine or the fan motor, for example, the cooling fan and the fan shroud (for example, the electric fan 24 and the fan shroud 30) arranged on the vehicle front side of the cooling heat exchanger. ) Can be omitted.

  When a cooling fan or fan shroud is provided on the front side of the vehicle, the cooling air guiding efficiency may be reduced. However, when the cooling fan is driven by the driving force of a different drive source, Since the cooling fan and the fan shroud can be omitted, the air guide efficiency of the cooling air can be improved, and the cooling efficiency when using the cooling air can be improved.

  In the present embodiment described above, the cooling controllers 32 and 32A are provided separately from the engine ECU 34 which is the engine control means. However, the functions of the cooling controllers 32 and 32A are combined with the engine ECU 34, and an engine start request is issued. The presence or absence may be included in the engine stop condition and the engine restart condition.

  That is, the engine ECU 34 determines the cooling load of the engine radiator 18, determines the cooling load for the capacitor 202 from the refrigerant pressure read from the air conditioner ECU 40, controls the driving of the electric fan 24 based on the determination result, and The engine stop condition can be satisfied in the state where the start request is released, and the engine restart condition may be satisfied when the engine start request is made.

  At this time, the cooling load on the capacitor 20 is determined by the air conditioner ECU 40, and when the air conditioner ECU 40 requests an increase in the cooling capacity of the capacitor 20, the engine ECU 34 drives the electric fan 24 and also drives the electric fan 24. When the air conditioner ECU 40 requests that the cooling capacity be increased, the engine restart condition may be determined to be satisfied and the engine 14 may be restarted.

  Further, the present embodiment described above does not limit the configuration of the present invention. For example, in the present embodiment, the cooling of the engine radiator 14, the condenser 20, the engine radiator 18, the condenser 20A, and the HV radiator 52 has been described as an example. The combination of the exchanger and the cooling heat exchanger is not limited to this, and can be applied to any cooling heat exchanger and any cooling heat exchanger provided in the vehicle.

It is the schematic of the principal part of the vehicle which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the principal part containing the cooling device which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the outline of the cooling process which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the outline of the cooling process which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is the schematic of the principal part of the vehicle which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the principal part containing the cooling device which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the outline of the cooling process which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the principal part containing the cooling device which shows another example to which this invention is applied.

Explanation of symbols

10, 10A Vehicle 14 Engine 16, 50 Cooling device 18 Engine radiator (cooling heat exchanger)
20, 20A condenser (cooling heat exchanger)
22 Mechanical fan (cooling fan, first cooling fan)
24 Electric fan (cooling fan, second cooling fan)
26 Fan motor 28, 30 Fan shroud 32 Cooling controller (selection means, cooling control means)
34 Engine ECU (Engine control means)
36 Speed sensor (detection means)
38 Temperature sensor (detection means)
40 Air conditioner ECU
42 Pressure sensor (detection means)
52 HV radiator (cooling heat exchanger)
54 Hybrid ECU
56 Temperature sensor (detection means)

Claims (7)

The engine is stopped when the engine stop condition is satisfied, and is provided in a vehicle including engine control means for restarting the engine when the engine restart condition is satisfied. A vehicular cooling device capable of cooling the refrigerant in the cooling heat exchanger by passing through the vehicle,
A first cooling fan driven by the driving force of the engine to guide the cooling air to the cooling heat exchanger;
A second cooling fan driven by an electric motor to guide the cooling air to the cooling heat exchanger;
Selection means capable of selecting either the first cooling fan or the second cooling fan based on a preset condition and stop / start of the engine;
Cooling control means for driving the corresponding cooling fan when the first or second cooling fan is selected by the selection means;
The vehicle cooling device characterized by including.   The vehicular cooling device according to claim 1, wherein the selection means selects the first cooling fan when the engine is started.   When the engine is stopped based on the engine stop condition, the selection unit determines whether to select the second cooling fan based on a traveling speed of the vehicle. The vehicle cooling device according to claim 1 or 2. Detecting means for detecting a cooling load of the cooling heat exchanger;
The said selection means determines whether the said 2nd cooling fan is selected from the detection result of the said detection means, when the said engine is stopped based on the said engine stop conditions. The vehicle cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 3.   5. The vehicle-use vehicle according to claim 4, wherein the selection unit selects the second cooling fan when the cooling load detected by the detection unit exceeds a preset value. 6. Cooling system.   When the second cooling fan is selected, the first cooling fan is selected when the cooling load detected by the detection unit exceeds a preset value. The vehicle cooling device according to claim 5.   The cooling control means is included in the engine control means, and whether or not the first cooling fan is selected is included in the engine stop condition and the engine restart condition. The vehicle cooling device according to claim 6.

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