JP2009298190A - Warming-up device for electricity accumulation means - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To quickly and accurately control the temperature of an electricity accumulation means provided on a vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: In the hybrid vehicle 10 provided with a battery 500, an ECU 100 executes battery warming-up control. At this time, when an engine cooling water temperature Tw is higher than a battery temperature Tbatt and the battery temperature Tbatt is lower than a determination reference value Tbattth set based on an action appropriate temperature range of the battery 500, a valve element position of a three-way valve 770 of the battery warming-up device 700 is controlled by a first valve element position and the feed of cooling water to a heat-accumulation vessel 730 is started. The heat-accumulation vessel 730 has a structure inflated according to internal pressure, is inflated by increasing an amount of cooling water and imparts heat in a state that the vessel contacts with an opposed battery cell 520. When the battery warming-up is not necessary, the feed of cooling water to the heat-accumulation vessel 730 is stopped, the heat-accumulation vessel 730 is left from the battery cell 520, and the impartment of unnecessary heat is prevented. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2010,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a technical field of a warming-up device for power storage means capable of warming up power storage means such as a battery.

  As this type of device, a device that heats a secondary battery with a refrigerant has been proposed (for example, see Patent Document 1). According to a vehicle power source described in Patent Document 1 (hereinafter referred to as “conventional technology”), a circulation passage for circulating a refrigerant in the vicinity of an engine and in the vicinity of a secondary battery is provided. It is said that the machine time can be shortened. Also, a bypass passage that bypasses the secondary battery is provided, and the refrigerant is guided to this bypass passage as appropriate according to the temperature of the secondary battery. It is also possible to prevent the heat from being heated.

JP 2006-151091 A

  In the conventional technology, the refrigerant is guided to the bypass passage when the secondary battery is not cooled, but even if the supply of the refrigerant is stopped in this way, the positional relationship between the refrigerant circulation passage and the secondary battery changes. There is nothing. For this reason, for example, when the circulation passage and the secondary battery are in physical contact, even if the supply of the refrigerant is stopped, the heating of the battery for a while is continued for a while due to the heat remaining in the circulation passage. This makes it difficult to quickly and precisely control the temperature of the secondary battery. On the other hand, when they are not in physical contact with each other in advance, it is difficult to efficiently warm up the secondary battery, which is the original purpose. That is, the conventional technique has a technical problem that it is difficult to quickly and precisely control the temperature of the power storage means as a concept including the secondary battery or the like.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above-described problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide a warming-up device for power storage means that can quickly and finely control the temperature of the power storage means provided in the vehicle.

  In order to solve the above-described problems, a warming-up device for power storage means according to the present invention is provided in a vehicle having an internal combustion engine and power storage means, and a heat source disposed opposite to the power storage means, the heat source, and the power storage means Switchable between a first contact state where the heat source and the power storage means are in contact with each other and a second contact state where the heat source and the power storage means are separated from each other Means.

  The “power storage means” in the present invention is configured to be capable of accumulating (that is, storing) electric power generated by an appropriate electric power generation means or electric power supplied from an external power source through a predetermined charging path. For various applications (for example, driving of electrical accessories such as air conditioners, lighting devices, power steering, etc., for example, various behavior control devices such as ABS (Antilock Braking System), VSC (Vehicle Stability Control) or PCS (Pre Crush Safety system) For example, driving of a cell motor, or driving of a motor as a power source, etc., and refers to various batteries such as a nickel metal hydride battery and a lithium ion battery. A battery cell alone or a battery pack in which a plurality of battery cells are connected according to the required output may be used. ). For example, the power storage means may be a so-called in-vehicle battery (for example, 12V) that mainly drives the auxiliary equipment of the vehicle, or if the vehicle is a hybrid vehicle, for example, an output of several hundred volts The so-called hybrid battery may be used, and its application range is not limited at all.

  Such power storage means are known to change output characteristics (for example, voltage and current rising characteristics, maximum values, discharge characteristics, etc.) to a greater or lesser extent depending on the temperature. An appropriate operating temperature range determined as a temperature range in which supply is possible can be appropriately determined according to, for example, the physical configuration, mechanical configuration, electrical configuration, or chemical configuration of the power storage means. Therefore, in order to receive at least a practically insufficient power supply from the power storage means, it is desirable that the temperature of the power storage means should be within the appropriate operating temperature range (however, preferably outside this kind of operating optimal temperature range). In some cases, a considerable amount of power can be supplied.) If the temperature of the power storage means is lower than the proper operating temperature range, the temperature is quickly raised to the proper operating temperature range, and the temperature of the power storage means should be within the proper operating temperature range. In that case, it is required to maintain that state. Alternatively, if the temperature of the power storage means is equal to or higher than the operating temperature range, it may be necessary to quickly cool to a temperature corresponding to the operating temperature range.

  The warming-up device for the power storage means according to the present invention includes a heat source disposed so as to face the power storage means. Here, the “heat source” is a supply source of heat to be supplied to the power storage means, and its physical, mechanical, electrical, or chemical configuration is not particularly limited, but is a preferred form. For example, various heat media such as a fluid or a liquid are enclosed in a case (housing or outer material) having at least some considerable thermal conductivity (in other words, at least having no heat insulation), or A configuration in which a heat medium supplied through an appropriate path passes through the case may be adopted. Alternatively, the heat source may be a solid heat source that can generate heat physically, electrically, or chemically.

  Further, in the warm-up device for the power storage means according to the present invention, the physical state capable of switching the contact state between the heat source and the power storage means arranged to face each other between the first contact state and the second contact state. Switching means as a concept encompassing mechanical, mechanical, electrical, magnetic or chemical means is provided. Here, the “first contact state” is one of the contact states between the power storage means and the heat source. The state in which the power storage means and the heat source are in contact with each other is preferable. Refers to the state of contact in part. On the other hand, the “second contact state” is a state in which the power storage means and the heat source are separated from each other, and in a preferred form, the two are opposed to each other with a gap that does not raise the temperature of the power storage means at least due to the heat of the heat source. Refers to the state. The first and second contact states do not have to be unique, and for example, the first contact state may take a plurality of states with different degrees of contact, The contact state may take a plurality of states with different gap thicknesses.

  Here, in view of the fact that the heat source has a finite heat, the power storage means is most efficiently warmed up in the first contact state with the heat source as long as the temperature is lower than that of the heat source. Is promoted. On the other hand, since the power storage means has an appropriate operating temperature range as described above, for example, when the power storage means has entered a temperature region exceeding the optimal operating temperature range in this temperature rising process, or, for example, When it is attempted to maintain the temperature of the power storage means within the proper operating temperature range, it may be necessary to cool the power storage means. In particular, in this type of high-temperature region, compared to the low-temperature region defined by the same concept, in addition to the performance degradation related to power supply, the storage means is more likely to deteriorate due to the thermal load, so cooling must be performed quickly. There is.

  On the other hand, aggressive cooling (that is, cooling in a sense different from the relative cooling brought about by changing the amount of heat supplied from the heat source to the power storage means to a somewhat lower side) is performed in response to such a cooling request. In order to perform this, an appropriate cooling means such as a cooler, a chiller, or a cooling fan is required, which leads to a complicated system configuration or an increase in cost, and easily deteriorates the mountability, reliability, maintainability, or economy. Therefore, when it is intended to realize this kind of cooling under realistic restrictions, the above-described relative cooling that reduces the amount of heat provided from the heat source to the power storage means is necessary.

  In particular, when reducing the amount of heat supplied from the heat source to the power storage means, the amount of heat possessed by the heat source itself may be reduced, for example, by stopping, prohibiting or restricting the supply of the heat medium as described above. However, if the positional relationship between the power storage means and the heat source is unchanged, the heat source will provide heat to the power storage means for a corresponding period until the power storage means cannot be warmed up due to a naturally proceeding temperature drop. Can continue. Therefore, if it is necessary to start cooling quickly, the cooling of the power storage means proceeds only slowly. In this case, even if the warm-up can be suitably performed, there are practical difficulties in controlling the temperature of the power storage means within the temperature range suitable for operation.

  In that respect, according to the warming-up device for the power storage means according to the present invention, the contact state between the heat source and the power storage means is binary and stepwise between the first contact state and the second contact state. Or it is switched continuously. If the physical positional relationship changes in this way, at least air or the like is interposed between the heat source and the power storage unit, and the heat source itself is supplied to the power storage unit whether or not the amount of heat changes. The amount of heat is reduced more quickly than at least when the positional relationship is unchanged. In particular, in the second contact state, if both of them are separated with a gap such that the heat of the heat source does not affect the temperature of the power storage means, the effect becomes more remarkable. At this time, if the heat quantity of the heat source itself is reduced as described above, a greater effect can be obtained.

  Thus, according to the warming-up device for the power storage means according to the present invention, the contact state between the heat source and the power storage means can be switched, so that the power storage means is directly transferred from the heat source in the first contact state. Can be efficiently warmed up, and cooling of the power storage means can be promoted in the second contact state. Therefore, the temperature control of the power storage means can be executed quickly and finely.

  In one aspect of the warming-up device for the power storage means according to the present invention, the heat source includes storage means that can store the cooling water of the internal combustion engine as a heat medium.

  According to this aspect, since the heat source has the storing means that can store the cooling water of the internal combustion engine as a heat medium, for example, composed of metal, resin, ceramic, etc., the cooling water and the power storage means via the storing means The power storage means can be efficiently warmed up by the heat exchange between them.

  Here, “accommodating cooling water” is a concept including storing cooling water and circulating the cooling water. In the latter case, for example, the storage unit is disposed on the cooling water supply path in the cooling system of the internal combustion engine (for example, a cooling water circulation supply system including a water pump, a cooling water pipe, and a radiator). It is possible to warm up easily.

  In this aspect, the housing means may have a variable volume structure in which the volume changes according to the internal pressure, and the switching means may switch the contact state by changing the internal pressure.

  In this case, due to the variable volume structure of the storage means, the volume of the storage means changes according to the internal pressure of the storage means, and the contact between the first contact state and the second contact state with this change in volume. State switching is realized. This change in internal pressure is unambiguous with the amount of cooling water accommodated by the accommodating means in the end, and the switching means is a physical, mechanical, electrical or magnetic that makes the amount of cooling water supplied to the accommodating means variable. What is necessary is just to have a structure. Therefore, in this case, the switching means can be configured relatively simply.

  For example, the switching means can change the supply path for supplying cooling water to the housing means and the supply amount (flow rate) of the cooling water in the supply path in a binary, stepwise or continuous manner. For example, flow rate variable means that can take the form of various valve devices such as a solenoid valve, a butterfly valve, or a three-way valve may be provided. Alternatively, the switching means may further include an electrically driven or mechanically driven pump provided in a cooling device that circulates and supplies cooling water to the internal combustion engine.

  The “variable volume structure” may be any structure as long as the volume is variable according to the internal pressure. However, as a preferred form, the volume can be expanded and contracted according to the internal pressure. As one form, you may have the structure or structure which can expand-contract intentionally by the direction of an electrical storage means.

  In another aspect of the warming-up device for the power storage means according to the present invention, the specifying means for specifying the temperature of the power storage means, and the switching means are controlled so that the contact state changes according to the specified temperature. And a control means.

  According to this aspect, for example, various processing units such as an ECU (Electronic Control Unit), various controllers or various computer systems such as a microcomputer device can take the form, and the temperature of the power storage means is specified by the specifying means. . Here, “specific” according to the present invention refers to a specific target (here, temperature) or a physical quantity, control amount, index value, or the like correlated with the specific target, directly or indirectly via a predetermined detection means. Detecting the corresponding value from a map or the like stored in advance in a suitable storage means based on a physical quantity, control amount or index value correlated with a specific target detected directly or indirectly through the detection means Selection, derivation or estimation from a physical quantity, control quantity or index value or corresponding value, etc., correlated with a specific target of this type, according to a preset algorithm or calculation formula, or detection, selection, derivation or This is a broad concept including simply acquiring various estimated values in the form of, for example, an electric signal.

  Further, according to this aspect, the control means that can take the form of various processing units such as an ECU, various controllers or various computer systems such as a microcomputer device, for example, in a binary manner, according to the specified temperature, The contact state between the power storage means and the heat source is changed by controlling the switching means so that the supply amount of the cooling water changes stepwise or continuously (when the storage means is provided).

  For this reason, for example, the first contact state is obtained when the temperature of the power storage means is lower than the appropriate operating temperature range, and the second contact state is obtained when the temperature is higher than the appropriate operating temperature range. Or, if it is within the proper operating temperature range, it is possible to take measures such as controlling the switching means so as to maintain the state as much as possible by switching the contact state at regular or irregular intervals. The warming-up of the means and the maintenance of the temperature state can be carried out very suitably.

  In another aspect of the warming-up device of the power storage means according to the present invention, the vehicle is a hybrid vehicle including a motor that uses the power storage means as a power source in addition to the internal combustion engine as a power source.

  According to this aspect, the vehicle is configured as a hybrid vehicle that includes at least one electric motor that can take the form of, for example, a motor or a motor generator in addition to the internal combustion engine. This electric motor uses power storage means according to the present invention as a power source, and a high-power hybrid battery is adopted as the power source as compared with a normal vehicle-mounted battery. Such a high-power battery is generally composed of a plurality of battery cells. Compared to a single battery cell, the heat load required for warm-up is higher, and temperature control after warm-up is more delicate. It is easy to become. Further, in this case, the output characteristics (discharge characteristics) of the power storage means will affect the running performance of the vehicle, and the need to maintain the temperature of the power storage means within the appropriate operating temperature range is likely to increase. Therefore, higher practical benefits are enjoyed by the warming-up device of the power storage means according to the present invention.

  Such an operation and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the embodiments described below.

<Embodiment of the Invention>
Various preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  First, with reference to FIG. 1, the structure of the hybrid vehicle 10 which concerns on one Embodiment of this invention is demonstrated. FIG. 1 is a schematic configuration diagram conceptually showing the configuration of the hybrid vehicle 10.

  In FIG. 1, the hybrid vehicle 10 includes a speed reduction mechanism 11 and wheels 12, an ECU 100, an engine 200, a motor generator MG <b> 1 (hereinafter abbreviated as “MG1” as appropriate), and a motor generator MG2 (hereinafter abbreviated as “MG2” as appropriate). ), An example of a “hybrid vehicle” according to the present invention that includes the power split mechanism 300, the PCU 400, the battery 500, the cooling device 600, and the battery warm-up device 700.

  The speed reduction mechanism 11 is a gear mechanism that includes a differential gear (not shown) that is configured to rotate according to the power output from the engine 200 and the motor generator MG2, and the rotational speed of these power sources is set to a predetermined value. It can be decelerated according to the reduction ratio. The output shaft of the speed reduction mechanism 11 is connected to the axle (not shown) of the hybrid vehicle 10, and the power of these power sources is the driving wheel connected to the axle and the axle with the rotational speed reduced. It is comprised so that it may be transmitted to the wheel 12 as.

  The configuration of the speed reduction mechanism 11 is not limited in any way as long as the power supplied from the engine 200 and the motor generator MG2 can be transmitted to the axle while reducing the rotational speed of the shaft body based on the power. It may have a configuration including a differential gear or the like, or may be configured to be able to obtain a plurality of gear ratios as a so-called reduction mechanism including a plurality of clutches and brakes and a planetary gear mechanism. .

  The ECU 100 is an electronic control unit that includes a CPU (Central Processing Unit), a ROM (Read Only Memory), a RAM (Random Access Memory), and the like and is configured to be able to control the entire operation of the hybrid vehicle 10. It is an example of "identification means" and "control means" according to the invention. The ECU 100 is configured to be able to execute battery warm-up control described later according to a control program stored in the ROM.

  The ECU 100 is an integrated electronic control unit configured to function as an example of each of the “specifying unit” and the “control unit” according to the present invention, and all the operations related to these units are executed by the ECU 100. It is comprised so that. However, the physical, mechanical, and electrical configurations of each of the units according to the present invention are not limited to this. For example, each of these units includes a plurality of ECUs, various processing units, various controllers, a microcomputer device, and the like. It may be configured as various computer systems.

  The engine 200 is an in-line four-cylinder gasoline engine that is configured to function as a main power source of the hybrid vehicle 10 and that is an example of the “internal combustion engine” according to the present invention. The engine 200 may have various known aspects, and a detailed configuration thereof is omitted here. Supplementally, the “internal combustion engine” according to the present invention has one or a plurality of cylinders, and is a mixture of fuel such as gasoline, light oil or various alcohols and intake air in the combustion chamber of each cylinder. Includes an engine that can output power as an explosive force generated when a certain air-fuel mixture burns through a mechanical transmission path such as a piston and a connecting rod as power via an output shaft such as a crankshaft. It is a concept, and its configuration and structure are diverse within the scope of the concept.

  The motor generator MG1 is a motor generator that is an example of the “motor” according to the present invention, and is used as a generator for charging the battery 600 or supplying electric power to the motor generator MG2. It is configured to function as an assisting motor.

  The motor generator MG2 is a motor generator that is an example of the “motor” according to the present invention, and is configured to function as a motor that assists the power of the engine 200 or as a generator that charges the battery 500. .

  The motor generator MG1 and the motor generator MG2 are configured as, for example, a synchronous motor generator, and include a rotor having a plurality of permanent magnets on the outer peripheral surface, and a stator wound with a three-phase coil that forms a rotating magnetic field. Prepare. However, other types of motor generators may be used.

  The power split mechanism 300 is a planetary gear mechanism configured to be able to distribute the power of the engine 200 to the MG 1 and the axle. In addition, since the structure of the power split mechanism 300 can take various well-known aspects, a detailed description thereof is omitted here, but in brief, the power split mechanism 300 includes a sun gear provided at the center, A ring gear concentrically provided on the outer periphery of the sun gear, a plurality of pinion gears disposed between the sun gear and the ring gear and revolving while rotating on the outer periphery of the sun gear, and coupled to an end of the crankshaft 205, And a planetary carrier that supports the rotation shaft of each pinion gear.

  This sun gear is coupled to a rotor (not shown) of MG1 via a sun gear shaft, and the ring gear is coupled to a rotor (not shown) of MG2 via a ring gear shaft. The ring gear shaft is connected to the axle, and the power generated by the MG 2 is transmitted to the axle via the ring gear shaft, and the driving force from the wheel 12 similarly transmitted via the axle is the ring gear shaft. Is input to MG2. Under such a configuration, the power generated by the engine 200 is transmitted to the sun gear and the ring gear by the planetary carrier and the pinion gear, and the power of the engine 200 is divided into two systems.

  PCU 400 converts the DC power extracted from battery 500 into AC power and supplies it to motor generator MG1 and motor generator MG2, and also converts AC power generated by motor generator MG1 and motor generator MG2 into DC power. An inverter (not shown) configured to be able to supply the battery 500 is included, and power input / output between the battery 500 and each motor generator, or power input / output between each motor generator (that is, In this case, the power control unit is configured to be capable of controlling the power transmission / reception between the motor generators without using the battery 500. The PCU 400 is electrically connected to the ECU 100, and its operation is controlled by the ECU 100.

  The battery 500 is a rechargeable storage battery configured to be able to function as a power supply source related to the power for powering the motor generator MG1 and the motor generator MG2, and is an example of the “storage means” according to the present invention. is there. The detailed configuration of the battery 500 will be described later.

  The cooling device 600 is configured to be able to cool a portion to be cooled (for example, a cylinder head or a cylinder block) of the engine 200 by circulatingly supplying cooling water (LLC). The detailed configuration of the cooling device 600 will be described later.

  The battery warming-up device 700 is an apparatus that constitutes an example of the “warming-up device for power storage means” according to the present invention, together with the ECU 100, configured to be able to warm up the battery 500 using the above-described cooling water. . The detailed configuration of the battery warm-up device 700 will be described later.

  Here, with reference to FIG. 2, the detailed structure of the battery 500, the cooling device 600, and the battery warming-up apparatus 700 is demonstrated. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram conceptually showing the configuration of the battery 500, the cooling device 600, and the battery warming-up device 700 and the positional relationship between them. In the figure, the same reference numerals are given to the same portions as those in FIG. 1, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

  In FIG. 2, the cooling device 600 includes an electric water pump (hereinafter referred to as “electric W / P” as appropriate) 610, a cooling water circulation path 620, a thermostat 630, a radiator 640, and a water temperature sensor 650.

  The electric W / P 610 is a spiral electric type that is configured such that the electric W / P 610 is capable of sucking cooling water by the rotational force of a motor (not shown) and discharging an amount of cooling water according to the rotational speed of the motor. It is a pump. The cooling device 600 is connected to, for example, the crankshaft of the engine 200 instead of the electric W / P 610 and can be rotated using a part of the rotational driving force of the crankshaft, and the rotation speed related to the rotation Can be controlled in a binary, stepwise or continuous manner, for example, by variably controlling the engagement force in the physical engagement means in a binary, stepwise or continuously manner. A structured mechanical pump may be provided.

  In the electric W / P 610, the motor receives power supply from the battery 500 via the PCU 400 (may be directly supplied from the battery 500), and a control voltage (or current) supplied via a motor drive system (not shown). ) Is controlled to increase or decrease in accordance with the duty ratio. Further, the motor drive system is in a state of being electrically connected to the ECU 100, and the operation state including the above-described duty ratio is controlled by the ECU 100. That is, the operation state of the electric W / P 610 is controlled by the ECU 100.

  The cooling water circulation path 620 includes a water jacket or the like stretched around the cylinder block of the engine 200, and is a tubular member made of, for example, metal or resin that defines a supply path of cooling water discharged by the electric W / P 610. is there. Further, in the cooling device 600, the cooling water circulation path 620 includes a heat radiation pipe 621 that branches to the radiator 640 in the thermostat 630, and a return pipe 622 from the heat radiation pipe 621 to the thermostat 630 via the radiator 640. Consists of including.

  The thermostat 630 is temperature adjusting means provided to stabilize the cooling water temperature Tw that is the temperature of the cooling water. Inside the thermostat 630, there are provided control valves for controlling the communication state between the above-described heat radiation pipe 621 and return pipe 622 communicating with the radiator 640 and the main pipe of the cooling water circulation path 620. The thermostat 630 is configured to be able to adjust the flow rate of the cooling water flowing into the radiator 640 by controlling the open / close state of the control valve. The thermostat 630 is electrically connected to the ECU 100 and its operation is controlled by the ECU 100 to the upper level. At this time, the control valve is set to a fully closed state when the cooling water temperature Tw is lower than a predetermined value (generally 80 to 90 ° C.) (that is, the cooling water does not pass through the radiator 640). When the cooling water temperature is equal to or higher than the predetermined value, the cooling water temperature is controlled so as to be fully opened (that is, all the cooling water passes through the radiator 640). For this reason, the coolant temperature Tw basically does not deviate greatly from the predetermined value, and is generally maintained with the value near the predetermined value as the upper limit.

  The radiator 640 includes a plurality of water pipes that communicate with the heat radiation pipe line 621 and the return pipe line 622, and includes a plurality of corrugated fins on the outer periphery of the water pipe. When the cooling water flows, the cooling water can be cooled by heat exchange with the atmosphere via the fins, that is, by radiating the heat of the cooling water to the outside.

  The water temperature sensor 650 is a sensor that can detect the cooling water temperature Tw, in which a part of the detection terminal is exposed inside the cooling water circulation path 620. The water temperature sensor 650 is electrically connected to the ECU 100, and the detected cooling water temperature Tw is referred to by the ECU 100 at a constant or indefinite period.

  On the other hand, in FIG. 2, the battery 500 includes a battery case 510, a battery cell 520, and a temperature sensor 530.

  The battery case 510 is a metal housing that houses the battery cell 520 and a heat storage container 730 described later.

  The battery cell 520 is a nickel metal hydride type chemical battery in which nickel hydroxide is disposed on the positive electrode and a hydrogen storage alloy is disposed on the negative electrode, and these are infiltrated with an alkaline electrolyte while being insulated by a nonwoven fabric separator. The output of a single battery cell 520 is about 1.2V, and in order to obtain an output (for example, 200 to 300V) that does not cause a shortage as a power source for the motor generators MG1 and MG2, there are several hundred battery cells 520. The battery case 510 is housed in an electrically connected state. Note that only one battery cell is shown.

  The battery cell 520 is accommodated in a form in which a part of the bottom surface is supported by a frame-shaped support portion formed inside the battery case 510. On the other hand, a surface portion of the bottom surface that is not supported by the support portion is exposed in a space opened below the support portion and faces a heat storage container 730 described later.

  Temperature sensor 530 is a sensor that can detect battery temperature Tbatt, which is the temperature of battery 500. The temperature sensor 530 is electrically connected to the ECU 100, and the detected battery temperature Tbatt is referred to by the ECU 100 at a constant or indefinite period. Note that the battery temperature Tbatt may be an average value of the temperatures of at least some of the plurality of battery cells 520 included in the battery 500 (may be all or a plurality selected in advance). It may be a representative value. Alternatively, the temperature of a single battery cell set in advance as a temperature detection target may be used.

  On the other hand, in FIG. 2, the battery warm-up device 700 includes a main pipe 710, an inlet pipe 720, a heat storage container 730, an outlet pipe 740, a backflow prevention valve 750, a bypass pipe 760 and a three-way valve 770.

  The main pipe 710 is a cooling water introduction pipe branched from the upstream side of the thermostat 630 in the cooling water circulation path 620 of the cooling device 600.

  The inlet pipe 720 is a pipe whose both ends communicate with the main pipe 710 and the cooling water inlet of the heat storage container 730, respectively.

  The heat storage container 730 is a container capable of storing cooling water and storing heat therein, and is an example of the “heat source” and “accommodating means” according to the present invention. The heat storage container 730 has a variable volume structure in which the volume is variable according to the internal pressure. More specifically, the heat storage container 730 is composed of a resinous material (for example, heat-resistant reinforced rubber, etc.) that has good heat conduction characteristics and can be expanded and contracted. , The structure expands in response to an increase in the amount of cooling water supplied). At this time, since the lower part of the heat storage container 730 is in contact with the battery case 510 and there is no sufficient expansion wall on the side of the figure, the heat storage container 730 mainly expands upward in the figure. In addition, the heat storage container 730 has a heat storage function, and is configured to be able to store the heat of the cooling water when the cooling water is supplied.

  The outlet pipe 740 is a pipe that communicates with the cooling water discharge port of the heat storage container 730.

  The backflow prevention valve 750 is a valve device installed in the outlet pipe 740. The backflow prevention valve 750 allows the cooling water flowing from the heat storage container 730 to the backflow prevention valve 750 via the outlet pipe 740 to pass substantially non-resistance, and blocks the inflow of cooling water from the reverse direction. have.

  The bypass pipe 760 is a pipe having one end communicating with the main pipe 710 and the inlet pipe 720 and the other end communicating with the downstream side of the check valve 750 of the outlet pipe 740.

  The three-way valve 770 has three valve ports, and each valve port is connected to the main pipe 710, the inlet pipe 720, and the bypass pipe 760, and has a rotatable valve body inside, according to the present invention. This is a valve device as an example of “switching means”. The valve body of the three-way valve 770 is driven by a drive device (not shown) that is electrically connected to the ECU 100, and the main pipe 710 and the inlet pipe 720 are communicated with each other as a rotational position thereof. The first valve body position for blocking communication and the second valve body position for allowing communication between the main pipe 710 and the bypass pipe 760 and blocking communication between the main pipe 710 and the bypass pipe 720 are configured. Has been.

Therefore, when the valve body position of the three-way valve 770 is controlled to the first valve body position, a part of the cooling water is guided from the cooling water circulation path 620 to the main pipe 710, and further, the inlet pipe 720, the heat storage container 730, and Via the outlet pipe 740, the cooling water circulation path 620 joins at the joining position downstream of the branch position to the main pipe 710 and upstream of the thermostat 630. Further, when the valve body position of the three-way valve 770 is controlled to the second valve body position, a part of the cooling water is led from the cooling water circulation path 620 to the bypass pipe 760 via the main pipe 710, and the backflow prevention valve Through the outlet pipe 740 on the downstream side 750, the coolant joins the cooling water circulation path 620 at the joining position. In short, when the second valve element position is selected, the cooling water is not guided to the heat storage container 730 but simply returned to the cooling water circulation path 620 via the bypass pipe 760.
<Operation of Embodiment>
In hybrid vehicle 10, battery 500 serves as a power source for motor generators MG1 and MG2, and also functions as a power source for various auxiliary devices (such as an air conditioner and power steering) or behavior control device (such as an actuator for ABS). To do. At this time, the SOC (state of charge) of the battery 500 is maintained as much as possible within a range defined by a predetermined upper and lower limit value based on an output value of an SOC sensor not shown in FIG. The For this reason, it is unlikely that a situation where power shortage occurs frequently in the hybrid vehicle 10, but overall, the battery 500 has no margin on output, and thus efficient power supply from the battery 500 is required. Therefore, it is desirable that the temperature of the battery 500 is maintained within an appropriate operating temperature range (generally around 80 to 90 ° C.) in which the output characteristics are constantly good. Such a temperature state of the battery 500 is managed by battery warm-up control executed by the ECU 100.

  Here, with reference to FIG. 3, the details of the battery warm-up control executed by the ECU 100 will be described as the operation of the present embodiment. FIG. 3 is a flowchart of battery warm-up control.

  In FIG. 3, ECU 100 determines whether or not cooling water temperature Tw of engine 200 is higher than battery temperature Tbatt (step S101). When the coolant temperature Tw is equal to or lower than the battery temperature Tbatt (step S101: NO), the ECU 100 cannot warm up the battery 500 by supplying heat from the coolant to the battery cells 520 regardless of the battery temperature Tbatt. Then, the driving device of the three-way valve 770 is controlled to control the valve body position of the three-way valve 770 to the above-described second valve body position (step S105). When the valve body position is controlled to the second valve body position, the cooling water is guided to the bypass pipe 760 without being guided to the heat storage container 730 as described above. In addition, the operation state of the battery warm-up device 700 when the cooling water is led to the bypass pipe 760 will be described later.

  On the other hand, when the coolant temperature Tw is higher than the battery temperature Tbatt (step S101: YES), the ECU 100 further determines whether or not the battery temperature Tbatt is less than a predetermined determination reference value Tbatth (step S102). Here, the determination reference value Tbattth is the upper limit value of the above-described operation appropriate temperature range, and is approximately a value of about 90 ° C. When the battery temperature Tbatt is equal to or higher than the determination reference value Tbattth (step S102: NO), the process proceeds to step S105.

  When battery temperature Tbatt is lower than determination reference value Tbatth (step S102: YES), that is, in other words, battery 500 (more specifically, battery cell 520) can be warmed up by heat exchange with cooling water, and battery When 500 requires warm-up, ECU 100 controls the driving device for three-way valve 770 to control the valve body position of three-way valve 770 to the first valve body position (step S103). When the valve body position is controlled to the first valve body position, the cooling water is guided to the heat storage container 730 without being guided to the bypass pipe 760 as described above.

  Further, when the valve body position is controlled to the first valve body position, ECU 100 increases the amount of cooling water supplied to heat storage container 730 by the drive control of electric W / P 610 (step S104). In addition, the operation state of the battery warm-up device 700 when the cooling water is led to the heat storage container 730 will be described later. When step S104 or step S105 is executed, the process returns to step S101, and a series of processes is repeatedly executed.

  Here, with reference to FIG. 4, the operation state of the battery warm-up device 700 in the execution process of the battery warm-up control will be described. FIG. 4 is a schematic view illustrating the state of the heat storage container 730 according to the valve body position of the three-way valve 770. In the figure, the same reference numerals are given to the same portions as those in FIG. 2, and the description thereof will be omitted as appropriate.

  In FIG. 4, FIG. 4A shows a state where the first valve body position is selected as the valve body position of the three-way valve 770. Here, when the first valve body position is selected, the flow of the cooling water is as indicated by the broken line in the figure, and the cooling water is supplied into the heat storage container 730. On the other hand, since the pipe diameter of the outlet pipe 740 is not changed and the pipe line resistance is not changed, if the amount of cooling water is increased by the drive control of the electric W / P 610, the outlet pipe 740 has a gap between the inlet side and the outlet side. The balance of the cooling water changes, and the amount of cooling water in the heat storage container 730 increases. When the amount of cooling water in the heat storage container 730 increases, the internal pressure of the heat storage container 730 increases.

  Here, as described above, the heat storage container 730 mainly expands upward according to its internal pressure, but a part of the bottom surface portion of the battery cell 520 is exposed above, and the heat storage container 730 is The exposed bottom surface portion is contacted (FIG. 4A shows a state in contact with the bottom surface portion). The state in which the upper surface portion of the heat storage container 730 and the bottom surface portion of the battery cell 520 are in contact is an example of the “first contact state” according to the present invention (hereinafter referred to as “first contact state” as appropriate). Use words). At this time, the discharge pressure (cooling water flow rate) of the cooling water by the electric W / P 610 is naturally higher than the internal pressure of the heat storage container 730 by the ECU 100 (otherwise, the cooling water flows backward). The first contact state in which the battery cell 520 is in contact is controlled to a value that can be maintained. That is, in this embodiment, the electric W / P 610 functions as an example of the “switching unit” according to the present invention, together with the three-way valve 770 and the like.

  In the first contact state, heat is supplied from the cooling water stored in the heat storage container 730 to the battery cell 520 via the heat storage container 730, and the temperature rise of the battery cell 520 is promoted. At this time, since there is no gap between the heat storage container 730 and the battery cell 520, heat is supplied from the heat storage container 730 to the battery cell 520 with maximum efficiency. That is, highly efficient battery warm-up is promoted.

  On the other hand, FIG. 4B shows a state where the second valve element position is selected as the valve element position of the three-way valve 770. Here, when the second valve body position is selected, the flow of the cooling water is as shown by the broken line in the figure, and the cooling water is not supplied into the heat storage container 730, so the internal pressure of the heat storage container 730 does not increase. The heat storage container 730 does not expand. Alternatively, as described above, in the first contact state, since the inflow of the cooling water from the upstream side stops, the cooling water in the heat storage container 730 flows in the downstream direction, and the heat storage container 730 is quickly Shrink to. For this reason, the upper surface portion of the heat storage container 730 and the bottom surface portion of the battery cell 520 face each other with a corresponding gap in a default state (that is, an example of the “second contact state” according to the present invention). Maintained. Here, the thickness of this gap is set in advance to such an extent that heat supply from the heat storage container 730 to the battery cell 520 by radiant heat does not occur. For this reason, even if the cooling water temperature Tw becomes excessively high due to the influence of the operating conditions of the engine 200, the battery temperature Tbatt is suitably maintained in the appropriate operating temperature range.

  As described above, according to the battery warming-up device 700 according to the present embodiment, when the battery 500 needs to be warmed up by controlling the valve element position of the three-way valve 770, the internal pressure of the heat storage container 730 is increased. When the heat storage container 730 is expanded, the bottom surface portion of the battery cell 520 and the top surface portion of the heat storage container 730 can be brought into direct contact with each other. For this reason, heat exchange with cooling water having a temperature higher than the battery temperature Tbatt is performed with high efficiency, and battery warm-up is promoted. On the other hand, when the battery 500 does not need to be warmed up, the cooling water is guided to the bypass pipe 760 and the supply of the cooling water to the heat storage container 730 is shut off, so that the heat storage container 730 functions as a heat source. The battery temperature 500 does not increase unnecessarily when the cooling water temperature is excessively high. That is, the temperature of the battery 500 can be controlled quickly and finely.

  The outlet pipe 740 may be provided with a pressure adjusting valve that opens when the upstream pressure becomes equal to or higher than the set pressure. In this case, when the battery warm-up is requested, the set pressure may be increased, the communication between the upstream and downstream of the pressure regulating valve may be temporarily interrupted, and the outflow of the cooling water from the heat storage container 730 may be stopped. . In this case, the heat storage container 730 can be quickly expanded, which is preferable.

  In this embodiment, when it is determined that it is not necessary to warm up the battery 500 (that is, when the battery temperature Tbatt is equal to or higher than the determination reference value Tbatth), the valve body position of the three-way valve 770 is controlled. As a result, the cooling water flow rate in the heat storage container 730 is set to zero, and unnecessary power consumption in the electric W / P 510 is avoided. However, the cooling water flow rate is not necessarily zero, and such binary control is not necessarily performed. There is no need to be made. That is, in such a case, the cooling water may be supplied to the heat storage container 730 to such an extent that the volume of the heat storage container 730 does not expand, and the cooling water flow rate is changed stepwise or continuously according to the battery temperature Tbatt. It may be variable. At this time, the three-way valve 770 may be configured such that the mutual ratio between the cooling water amount of the inlet pipe 720 and the cooling water amount of the bypass pipe 760 can be changed stepwise or continuously. Alternatively, a valve device capable of this kind of stepwise or continuous control may be provided. Further, the function of the three-way valve 770 according to the present embodiment may be replaced by a single on-off valve provided in each of the inlet pipe 720 and the bypass pipe 760.

  In this embodiment, the three-way valve 770 is provided as an example of the “switching unit” according to the present invention. However, by changing the amount of cooling water supplied to the heat storage container 730, the battery 500 can be quickly and finely configured. In view of the fact that temperature control is possible, the bypass pipe 760 does not necessarily have to be installed, and therefore the switching means does not necessarily have to be a three-way valve. That is, in this case, the amount of cooling water in the main pipe 710 can be suppressed to such an extent that does not cause expansion of the heat storage container 730 (when considering the load of the electric W / P, the flow rate is zero as a preferred form. It may also be provided with a flow control valve. Alternatively, when the bypass pipe 760 is not provided, a three-way valve may be disposed at a branch position between the main pipe 710 and the cooling water circulation path 620.

  In the present embodiment, whether or not the battery 500 needs to be warmed up is determined by a single determination reference value Tbatth. In this case, the battery temperature Tbatt is maintained near the determination reference value Tbattth, and the battery temperature When Tbatt continues to increase or decrease across the determination reference value Tbatthth, the valve body position of the three-way valve 770 is frequently switched. Therefore, in order to avoid such control hunting, when the battery temperature Tbatt once exceeds the determination reference value Tbatttth, the battery temperature Tbatt is equal to or less than a second determination reference value less than the determination reference value Tbattt ( Alternatively, the battery cell 520 may be warmed up by the heat storage container 730 until it becomes less. In this case, the battery temperature Tbatt is maintained in a temperature range that is equal to or higher than the second determination reference value and lower than the determination reference value Tbattth (that is, the temperature range can be set to the appropriate operating temperature range described above). Since the operation temperature range of the battery 500 has a range from the beginning, the output characteristics are not affected when such hysteresis characteristics are provided in the temperature control of the battery 500, and the above-described control hunting is prevented. More practical in terms.

  In the present embodiment, the hybrid vehicle 10 is shown as an example of the “vehicle” according to the present invention. However, the “vehicle” according to the present invention does not necessarily need to be a hybrid vehicle. The “power storage means” may be a vehicle-mounted 12V battery, for example, which is different from the battery having a relatively high output as shown in the present embodiment.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be appropriately changed without departing from the spirit or concept of the invention that can be read from the claims and the entire specification. The apparatus is also included in the technical scope of the present invention.

1 is a schematic configuration diagram conceptually illustrating a configuration of a hybrid vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a schematic configuration diagram conceptually showing a configuration of a battery, a cooling device, and a battery warm-up device and a positional relationship between them in the hybrid vehicle of FIG. 1. 2 is a flowchart of battery warm-up control executed by an ECU in the hybrid vehicle of FIG. It is a schematic diagram which illustrates the state of the thermal storage container according to the valve body position of a three-way valve.

Explanation of symbols

  DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 10 ... Hybrid vehicle, 100 ... ECU, 200 ... Engine, 300 ... Power split mechanism, 500 ... Battery, 600 ... Cooling device, 610 ... Electric water pump, 620 ... Cooling water circulation path, 700 ... Battery warm-up device, 710 ... Main Pipe, 720 ... Inlet pipe, 730 ... Thermal storage container, 740 ... Outlet pipe, 750 ... Backflow prevention valve, 760 ... Bypass pipe, 770 ... Three-way valve.

Claims (5)

Provided in a vehicle having an internal combustion engine and power storage means,
A heat source disposed opposite the power storage means;
The contact state between the heat source and the power storage means includes a first contact state in which the heat source and the power storage means are in contact with a second contact state in which the heat source and the power storage means are separated from each other. And a switching means that can be switched between. The warming-up device for a power storage unit according to claim 1, wherein the heat source includes a storage unit capable of storing the cooling water of the internal combustion engine as a heat medium. The accommodating means has a variable volume structure in which the volume changes according to the internal pressure,
The warming-up device for a power storage unit according to claim 2, wherein the switching unit switches the contact state by changing the internal pressure. Specifying means for specifying the temperature of the power storage means;
4. The power storage device according to claim 1, further comprising: a control unit that controls the switching unit so that the contact state is switched according to the specified temperature. 5. Machine equipment. The power storage means according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the vehicle is a hybrid vehicle provided with an electric motor that uses the power storage means as a power source in addition to the internal combustion engine as a power source. Warm-up device.

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