JP2011031842A - Vehicular grille device, vehicular cooling device, vehicular air conditioner and vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To restrain an increase in consumption power, when cooling capacity of a condenser is reduced by closing a grille opening part. <P>SOLUTION: A determination is made that the read-in outside air temperature is a temperature range divided by the temperature T1 and T2 by reading in the outside air temperature having influence on cooling capacity of an air conditioner when the air conditioner is turned on (Step 100, and 110-114). Next, whether or not a read-in vehicle speed becomes an operation vehicle speed Va1-Va3 or more set high when the outside air temperature becomes high to a determined temperature area by reading in a vehicle speed V (Step 116-122, 128 and 130). At this time, when the vehicle speed does not reach the operation vehicle speed, the grille opening part is opened (Step 124), and when the vehicle speed is the operation vehicle speed or more, the grille opening part is closed (Step 126). Thus, when closing the grille opening part, even if the cooling capacity to the condenser is reduced, an increase in the consumption power is restrained. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle grill device that introduces air for cooling a heat exchanger such as a condenser of a vehicle air conditioner from a grill opening provided at the front end of the vehicle, and heat generated by the air introduced from the grill opening. The present invention relates to a vehicular cooling device that cools an exchanger, a vehicular air conditioner in which a condenser is cooled by air introduced from a grill opening, and a vehicle.

  In a vehicle, air is introduced into the condenser of a radiator or air conditioner provided in the engine compartment through a grill from the front of the vehicle by running the vehicle or operating a cooling fan, and the introduced air cools and air-conditions the engine coolant. Cooling of the refrigerant is performed.

  Patent Document 1 proposes that the shutter of the grill is opened by the wind pressure received when the vehicle starts running, air is introduced from the grill, and the shutter is closed by reverse rotation driving of the cooling fan. As a result, an increase in the traveling speed (vehicle speed) of the vehicle increases the amount of air introduced into the radiator, thereby preventing overcooling.

  Also, when running at low speeds or when the vehicle is stopped, if there is a part of the radiator that is not covered by the fan shroud, the air in the engine compartment will circulate in front of the radiator from this part, reducing the cooling capacity of the radiator. End up.

  From here, for example, in patent document 2, the 1st shutter facing the area | region covered with the fan shroud of a radiator and the 2nd shutter facing the area | region which is not covered with a fan shroud are provided, and it is 2nd when a vehicle stops. By closing the shutter, it is proposed to prevent the air in the engine compartment from getting around to the vehicle front side of the radiator.

  By the way, in a vehicle, the air resistance during traveling is reduced by closing the grill or at least reducing the opening area, thereby improving fuel efficiency and saving power. However, when the grill is closed, heat exchange such as radiators is performed. The cooling capacity of the vessel will be reduced.

  From here, in patent document 3, when a part of grill is closed by the 1st air flow control member which closes a part of grill opening, and a 1st air flow control member, it introduce | transduces from the remaining opening range. And a second air flow control member for guiding the air to the area of the heat exchanger facing the closed grill.

  On the other hand, closing a part of the grill restricts the amount of air introduced by running the vehicle, resulting in a reduction in the cooling capacity of the condenser and the like. In the air conditioner, when the cooling capacity of the condenser decreases, the cooling capacity of the passenger compartment decreases. The decrease in the cooling capacity of the condenser due to the reduction in the amount of air introduced can be compensated by increasing the number of rotations of the cooling fan. In the air conditioner, the number of rotations of the compressor can be increased or the capacity of the variable capacity can be increased. Since the cooling capacity can be increased by increasing the refrigerant pressure, for example, by increasing the cooling pressure, the cooling capacity will decrease even if the cooling capacity of the condenser decreases by controlling the refrigerant pressure of the compressor. Can be suppressed.

  However, increasing the rotation speed of the cooling fan or increasing the refrigerant discharge pressure of the compressor leads to an increase in power consumption, an increase in engine driving load, and the like, resulting in an increase in power consumption.

JP 2008-106727 A JP 2000-130167 A JP 2007-320527 A

  The present invention has been made in view of the above facts, and provides a vehicle grill device, a vehicle cooling device, a vehicle air conditioner, and a vehicle that suppress an increase in power consumption when opening and closing the grill opening. Objective.

  A vehicle grill device that achieves the above object opens and closes a grill opening formed at a front end of the vehicle, and introduces air that cools a refrigerant passing through a heat exchanger while the grill opening is open. Further, the opening / closing means for reducing the air resistance of the vehicle with the grill opening closed, and the amount of air introduced into the heat exchanger with the grill opening closed are reduced. Based on the increase in the power consumption and the decrease in the power consumption according to the vehicle speed due to the reduction in the air resistance when the grill opening is closed, the power consumption increases when the grill opening is closed. Setting means for setting an operating vehicle speed within an allowable range; and an opening / closing control means for controlling the opening / closing of the grill opening by the opening / closing means based on the operating vehicle speed and the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting means.

  According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided the vehicular grill device according to the first aspect, wherein the heat exchanger is a condenser provided in a refrigeration cycle of the vehicular air conditioner, and the setting means closes the grill opening. The operating vehicle speed is set based on the increase amount of the power consumption of the vehicle air conditioner in the above state and the decrease amount of the power consumption according to the vehicle speed due to the reduction of the air resistance.

  According to the present invention, the air resistance is reduced by closing the grill opening of the traveling vehicle, and the power consumption is reduced according to the vehicle speed. Further, when the grill opening is closed, for example, in a heat exchanger such as a condenser of a vehicle air conditioner, the cooling capacity is reduced, and the power consumption is increased so as to compensate for the decrease in the cooling capacity.

  Here, an increase in power consumption based on a reduction amount of power consumption according to the vehicle speed due to a reduction in air resistance and an increase amount of power consumption due to a decrease in the cooling capacity of the heat exchanger is set in a predetermined allowable range. The operating vehicle speed when opening and closing the grill opening is set so as to be within the range.

  By opening and closing the grill opening based on this operating vehicle speed, it is possible to suppress power consumption from increasing and fuel consumption from deteriorating.

  According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicular grill device according to the second aspect, further comprising an outside air temperature detecting means for detecting an outside air temperature, wherein the setting means performs the operation when the outside air temperature is high than when the outside air temperature is low. Set the vehicle speed higher.

  According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect of the present invention, in the third aspect, a vehicle speed that is the operating vehicle speed is set in advance according to an outside air temperature, and the setting unit is configured to detect the vehicle temperature from the preset vehicle speed by the outside air temperature detecting unit. The operating vehicle speed is selected based on the detected outside air temperature, and the invention according to claim 5 is the invention according to claim 4, wherein the outside air temperature is divided into a plurality of temperature ranges, and the vehicle speed used as the operating vehicle speed is It is set for each divided temperature range.

  According to this invention, when the outside air temperature is low, the cooling capacity required for the vehicle air conditioner also decreases, and the cooling capacity required for the condenser also decreases. Further, the amount of reduction in power consumption by closing the grill opening varies depending on the vehicle speed.

  From this point, the power consumption of the vehicle can be reduced by increasing the operating vehicle speed for closing the grill opening as the outside air temperature increases.

  At this time, by setting the vehicle speed for closing the grill opening in advance according to the outside air temperature, it is easy to set the vehicle speed for closing the grill opening from the outside air temperature and the vehicle speed. The part can be opened and closed. According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, by dividing the outside air temperature into a plurality of temperature ranges and setting an operation vehicle speed for closing the grill opening in advance for each temperature range, a smooth grill opening Can be opened and closed.

  According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the second aspect of the present invention, the setting means includes first power calculation means for calculating power of the vehicle air conditioner when the grill opening is opened, and the grill opening. A second power calculation means for calculating the power of the vehicle air conditioner when the section is closed, and the grill opening obtained from the calculation results of the first and second power calculation means being closed Vehicle speed setting means for setting the vehicle speed, which is the amount of decrease in the power consumption obtained by closing the grill opening, as the operating vehicle speed.

  According to the present invention, the power of the vehicle air conditioner when the grill opening is closed and when the grill opening is opened is calculated, and the grill opening is closed to cool the condenser based on the calculation result. The operating vehicle speed for closing the grille opening is set so that the increase in the power consumption of the vehicle air conditioner due to the reduced capacity is offset by the decrease in the power consumption due to the reduction in air resistance.

  As a result, the grill opening can be opened and closed at an appropriate vehicle speed according to the operating state of the vehicle air conditioner, and power consumption can be reliably suppressed.

  According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, there is provided a vehicle grill device according to any one of the second to sixth aspects, wherein the cooling fan that raises the wind speed of air introduced into the condenser according to the number of rotations and the condenser are required. The cooling fan is set to increase in rotational speed as the cooling capacity is increased, and when the grille opening is closed, the rotational speed of the cooling fan is equal to or higher than a predetermined rotational speed. Drive setting means for setting the cooling fan, and cooling fan control means for rotationally driving the cooling fan at the rotation speed set by the drive setting means.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the vehicle grill device according to the seventh aspect, wherein the drive setting means increases the rotational speed of the cooling fan as the cooling capacity required for the vehicle air conditioner increases. The drive voltage is set, and when the grille opening is closed, the drive voltage is set so that the rotation speed of the cooling fan is equal to or higher than a preset rotation speed, and the cooling fan control means is The cooling fan is rotationally driven with the set driving voltage.

  According to the present invention, when the grill opening is closed in a state where the cooling capacity required for the condenser is low, the rotational speed of the cooling fan is set to be equal to or higher than the preset rotational speed.

  Thereby, when the cooling capacity requested | required of a condenser is comparatively low, the fall of the cooling capacity of a condenser by closing a grille opening part can be suppressed, and reduction of the power consumption of a vehicle can be aimed at. At this time, as long as the fan motor of the cooling fan rotates at a rotation speed corresponding to the drive voltage, it may be anything that controls the drive voltage.

  The vehicle cooling device of the present invention is a vehicle cooling device provided in a vehicle including the vehicle grill device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the vehicle cooling device according to the number of revolutions. A cooling fan that increases the wind speed of the air introduced into the heat exchanger, and the number of rotations of the cooling fan is set to increase as the cooling capacity required for the heat exchanger increases, and the grill opening Drive setting means for setting the rotation speed of the cooling fan to be equal to or higher than a preset rotation speed when the is closed, and the cooling fan is rotated at the rotation speed set by the drive setting means. It only has to include a cooling fan control means for driving.

  In such a vehicular cooling device, the drive setting means sets the drive voltage so that the number of rotations of the cooling fan increases as the cooling capacity required for the heat exchanger increases, and the grill opening A drive voltage is set so that the number of rotations of the cooling fan is equal to or higher than a preset number of rotations when the section is closed, and the cooling fan control means sets the cooling fan at the set driving voltage. May be rotationally driven.

  A vehicle air conditioner is provided in a vehicle including the vehicle grill device according to any one of claims 2 to 6 and air-conditions the interior of the vehicle. In response, a cooling fan that increases the wind speed of the air introduced into the condenser, and the rotation speed of the cooling fan is set to increase as the cooling capacity required for the condenser increases, and the grill opening Drive setting means for setting the rotation speed of the cooling fan to be equal to or higher than a preset rotation speed when the section is closed, and the cooling fan at the rotation speed set by the drive setting means. It only has to include a cooling fan control means for rotationally driving.

  In the vehicle air conditioner, the drive setting means sets the drive voltage so that the number of rotations of the cooling fan increases as the cooling capacity required for the condenser increases, and the grill opening When closed, the drive voltage is set so that the rotation speed of the cooling fan is equal to or higher than a preset rotation speed, and the cooling fan control means rotates the cooling fan with the set drive voltage. Any device that can be driven is acceptable.

  Further, the vehicle to which the present invention is applied includes a vehicle air conditioner that air-conditions the interior of the vehicle, a grill opening formed at the front end of the vehicle, and the vehicle opening with the grill opening open. In the state where air for cooling the refrigerant passing through the condenser of the air conditioner for air is introduced and the grill opening is closed, the opening and closing means for reducing the air resistance of the vehicle, and the grill opening are closed Increase in consumption power due to reduction in the amount of air introduced into the condenser, and reduction in consumption power according to vehicle speed due to reduction in the air resistance when the grill opening is closed On the basis of the operating vehicle speed and the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting means, the setting means for setting the operating vehicle speed within which the increase in power consumption when the grille opening is closed is within an allowable range, By means The opening / closing control means for controlling the opening / closing of the grill opening, the cooling fan for increasing the wind speed of the air introduced into the condenser according to the rotational speed, and the cooling capacity required for the condenser increases as the cooling capacity increases. Drive setting means for setting the rotation speed of the cooling fan to increase and setting the rotation speed of the cooling fan to be equal to or higher than a predetermined rotation speed when the grill opening is closed; Cooling fan control means for rotationally driving the cooling fan at the rotational speed set by the drive setting means.

  As described above, according to the first and second aspects of the present invention, the increase in power consumption caused by closing the grill opening and lowering the cooling capacity, and the decrease in power consumption due to the reduction in air resistance. Based on this, the vehicle speed for opening and closing the grill opening is set so as to suppress the increase in power consumption of the entire vehicle, so closing the grill opening increases power consumption and deteriorates fuel consumption. It is possible to obtain an effect of preventing this.

  According to the invention of claim 3, claim 4 and claim 5, since the vehicle speed for closing the grill opening is set based on the outside air temperature affecting the cooling capacity, the power consumption can be accurately reduced by simple control. Is planned.

  According to the sixth aspect of the invention, the vehicle speed at which the grill opening is closed is set so that the amount of increase in power consumption due to the closing of the grill opening and the amount of decrease are offset. Accordingly, an increase in power consumption is suppressed.

  According to the inventions of claims 7 to 13, when the grill opening is closed in a state where the cooling capacity required for the heat exchanger such as a condenser is low, the rotation speed of the cooling fan is set in advance. Since it is more than the made rotation speed, the fall of the cooling capacity of a heat exchanger is suppressed.

It is a schematic block diagram of the vehicle front part which concerns on this Embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram which shows an example of an air conditioner. It is a block diagram of the control part which concerns on 1st Embodiment. (A) And (B) is a diagram which shows the change of the capacitor | condenser air volume with respect to the drive voltage and vehicle speed of a cooling fan, (A) shows grill opening part opening, (B) has shown grill opening part closing. . (A) And (B) is a diagram which shows the change of the power consumption of a cooling fan with respect to the driving voltage and vehicle speed of a cooling fan, (A) shows a grille opening part opening, (B) is a grille opening part closing. Is shown. (A) And (B) is a diagram which shows the change of the front temperature of a capacitor | condenser with respect to the drive voltage and vehicle speed of a cooling fan, (A) shows grill opening part opening, (B) shows grill opening part closing. Show. It is a graph which shows the refrigerant pressure with respect to the drive voltage and vehicle speed of a cooling fan. It is a table | surface which shows the improvement effect of the power consumption of the air conditioner with respect to vehicle speed and opening / closing of a grill opening, and power consumption, (A) shows the case where an air conditioner is stopped, (B)-(E) drive an air conditioner Shows the case. It is a diagram which shows the change of the power consumption of the air conditioner with respect to the drive voltage and vehicle speed of a cooling fan. (A) is a diagram showing an example of vehicle speed determination based on the vehicle speed and changes in vehicle speed, and (B) is a diagram showing an example of setting of the driving voltage of the cooling fan based on the vehicle speed, vehicle speed determination, and refrigerant pressure. . It is a flowchart which shows an example of the grill opening-and-closing control which concerns on 1st Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the control part which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the setting of the drive voltage of the cooling fan which concerns on 2nd Embodiment. It is a block diagram of the control part which concerns on 3rd Embodiment. It is a diagram which shows the motive power change of the compressor accompanying the raise of refrigerant | coolant pressure PH. It is a flowchart which shows an example of the grill opening-and-closing control which concerns on 3rd Embodiment.

Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.
[First Embodiment]
FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration of a front portion of a vehicle 10 according to the present embodiment. FIG. 2 shows a schematic configuration of an air conditioner 12 provided in the vehicle 10 as a vehicle air conditioner that air-conditions the vehicle interior. In FIG. 1, the front side in the vehicle front-rear direction is indicated by an arrow Fr, and the upper side in the vehicle vertical direction is indicated by an arrow Up.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the air conditioner 12 has a refrigeration cycle having a general configuration including a compressor (compressor 14), a condenser (condenser 16), an expansion valve (expansion valve 18), and a radiator (evaporator 20). Is formed.

  In this refrigeration cycle, the refrigerant that has been compressed by the rotational drive of the compressor 14 to a high temperature and high pressure is sent to the condenser 16. In the condenser 16, the refrigerant is cooled and liquefied by performing heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air introduced into the condenser 16. This refrigerant is rapidly decompressed by the expansion valve 18 and sent to the evaporator 20, where it is vaporized.

  Thereby, in the air conditioner 12, heat exchange is performed between the refrigerant passing through the evaporator 20 and the air, and the air passing through the evaporator 20 is cooled and dehumidified. In the air conditioner 12, conditioned air for air-conditioning the vehicle interior is generated by the air that has passed through the evaporator 20.

  The air conditioner 12 includes an air conditioner unit 22, and an evaporator 20 is disposed in the air conditioner unit 22. Further, the air conditioner unit 22 is formed with an inside air introduction port 24A and an outside air introduction port 24B as air introduction ports 24, and a switching door 26 that selectively opens and closes the inside air introduction port 24A and the outside air introduction port 24B, and A blower fan 28 is provided. Thereby, in the air conditioner 12, the inside air or the outside air is introduced and sent to the evaporator 20 by the operation of the blower fan 28.

  The air conditioner unit 22 is provided with a plurality of air outlets 30 on the other end side and a mode switching door 32 that selectively opens and closes the air outlet 30. In the air conditioner unit 22, a heater core 34 serving as a heating unit and an air mix door 36 that controls the amount of air introduced into the heater core 34 are disposed.

  In the air conditioner 12, the air passing through the heater core 34 is heated by the heater core 34 according to the opening degree of the air mix door 36. In the air conditioner 12, the air heated by the heater core 34 and the air having the temperature that has passed through the evaporator 20 are mixed by bypassing the heater core 34, and the vehicle passes through the outlet 30 selected according to the outlet mode. It is blown into the room.

  In the present embodiment, a conventional vehicle or a hybrid vehicle equipped with an engine as a driving source for traveling is applied as the vehicle 10, and a heater core 34 that uses engine cooling water of the engine is provided. In addition, an electric heater such as a PCT heater may be provided. When the present invention is applied to an electric vehicle or the like as the vehicle 10, heating means such as an electric heater may be used in place of the heater core 34.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the air conditioner 12 includes an air conditioner ECU 40. The air conditioner ECU 40 includes a microcomputer having a general configuration in which a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like are connected by a bus, various input / output interfaces, a drive circuit, and the like (all not shown).

  In the air conditioner 12, as an example, the compressor 14 is driven by the driving force of the engine, and the air conditioner ECU 40 interrupts the driving force of the engine to the compressor 14 by the electromagnetic clutch 42. Further, the air conditioner ECU 40 controls the refrigerant discharge pressure of the compressor 14 so as to obtain a desired cooling capacity. The compressor 14 may be driven by a compressor motor, and at this time, the air conditioner ECU 40 only needs to control the rotation speed of the compressor motor according to the required cooling capacity.

  A blower motor 44 that drives the blower fan 28 is connected to the air conditioner ECU 40, and actuators 46A, 46B, and 46C that drive the switching door 26, the mode switching door 32, and the air mix door 36 are connected. The air conditioner ECU 40 controls the rotational speed (blower air volume) of the blower fan 28 by controlling the drive voltage of the blower motor 44, and operates the actuators 46A to 46C to open and close the switching door 26, the mode switching door 32, and the air. The opening degree of the mix door 36 is controlled.

  On the other hand, the air conditioner ECU 40 includes a room temperature sensor 48 that detects the temperature (room temperature) in the vehicle interior, an outside air temperature sensor 50 that detects the temperature outside the vehicle (outside air temperature), a solar radiation sensor 52 that detects the amount of solar radiation, and the water temperature of the engine cooling water. A water temperature sensor 54 that detects the temperature of the air, an evaporator post-temperature sensor 56 that detects the temperature of the air that has passed through the evaporator 20, and the like are connected. The air conditioner ECU 40 is connected to a pressure sensor 58A that detects a high-pressure side refrigerant pressure in the refrigeration cycle and a pressure sensor 58 that detects a low-pressure side refrigerant pressure.

  When an operating condition such as a set temperature is set by operating a switch on an operation panel (not shown) and the start of the air conditioning operation is instructed, the air conditioner ECU 40 detects an environmental condition such as a room temperature and an outside temperature, and the detected environmental condition and the operation Air conditioning operation is performed based on the conditions.

  For example, the air conditioner ECU 40 calculates a target blowing temperature of the conditioned air for setting the passenger compartment to a set temperature, and air-conditions the passenger compartment based on the calculated target blowing temperature, setting of operating conditions, and the like. At this time, the air conditioner ECU 40 controls the refrigerant pressure detected by the pressure sensors 58A and 58B so as to obtain a predetermined cooling capacity. Here, the pressure sensor 58A that detects the refrigerant pressure on the high pressure side may be any sensor that detects the pressure between the discharge side of the compressor 14 and the condenser 16, and the pressure sensor 58B that detects the refrigerant pressure on the low pressure side. Is sufficient to detect the pressure between the inlet side of the compressor 14 and the evaporator 20. As the basic configuration of the air conditioner 12 and the air conditioning operation control of the air conditioner 12, a known general configuration can be applied.

  Incidentally, as shown in FIG. 1, in the vehicle 10, the condenser 16 of the air conditioner 12 is disposed in the front engine compartment 60. Further, the vehicle 10 is formed with grill openings 62 and 64 at the front end. The grill openings 62 and 64 have a grill opening 62 on the upper side of the front bumper 66 and a grill opening 64 on the lower side.

  A plurality of rectifying fins 68 are provided in the grill opening 62. The grill opening 64 is provided with rectifying fins 70. Thus, a front grill 72 is formed in the vehicle 10 so that air on the vehicle front side is introduced into the engine compartment 60 from the grill openings 62 and 64.

  On the other hand, the vehicle 10 is provided with a grill device 74 serving as a vehicle grill device and a cooling device 76 serving as a vehicle cooling device. As an example, the cooling device 76 uses the condenser 16 of the air conditioner 12 as a heat exchanger to be cooled, and controls the cooling capacity of the refrigerant in the condenser 16 by controlling the amount of air introduced into the condenser 16.

  The entire surface of the capacitor 16 on the rear side of the vehicle is covered with a fan shroud 78. A cooling fan 80 is attached to the fan shroud 78. In the cooling device 76, the introduction of air into the condenser 16 is promoted by rotationally driving the cooling fan 80. Further, since the amount of air introduced into the condenser 16 changes according to the rotational speed of the cooling fan 80, the cooling device 76 controls the amount of air introduced into the condenser 16 according to the rotational speed of the cooling fan 80.

  The fan shroud 78 and the cooling fan 80 may be provided not on the vehicle rear side of the condenser 16 but on the vehicle front side. The number of cooling fans 80 may be arbitrary, but in the present embodiment, as an example, two cooling fans 80A and 80B are arranged in the vehicle width direction (the front and back direction in FIG. 1).

  In the front grill 72, the rectifying fins 68 provided in the grill opening 62 are rotatable about a shaft 82 along the vehicle width direction (the front and back direction in FIG. 1), for example. The rectifying fins 68 provided in the grill opening 62 are connected by a link mechanism (not shown), and each rectifying fin 68 is rotated about the shaft 82 as a rotation center.

  In the grill device 74, the grill opening 62 of the grill openings 62, 64 is opened and closed by controlling the rotation of the rectifying fins 68. When the grill opening 62 is opened, as shown by the solid line in FIG. 1, the rectifying fins 68 are in a horizontal state, and the opening area viewed from the front side of the vehicle is maximized. Further, the grill opening 62 is closed in a state where the grill opening 62 is closed by the rectifying fins 68 as shown by a two-dot chain line in FIG. In the present embodiment, the grill opening 62 is opened and closed. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the grill opening 64 may be opened and closed, and the grill openings 62 and 64 are opened and closed. Also good.

  In the vehicle 10, the grill opening portion 62 is closed by the grill device 74, thereby preventing air from being introduced into the engine compartment 60 from the grill opening portion 62 during traveling. Thus, in the vehicle 10, the air resistance during traveling is reduced when the grill opening 62 is closed rather than the grill opening 62 being opened.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the grill device 74 is provided with an actuator 84 that rotates the rectifying fins 68, and the cooling device 76 is provided with a fan motor 86 that drives the cooling fan 80. As described above, in this embodiment, the two cooling fans 80A and 80B are provided, and the cooling device 76 includes the fan motor 86A that drives the cooling fan 80 and the fan motor 86B that drives the cooling fan 80B. It has. In the following description, the cooling fan 80 and the fan motor 86 will be described unless otherwise distinguished.

  The vehicle 10 is provided with a controller 88 as control means for controlling the grill device 74 and the cooling device 76. The controller 88 has a general configuration including a microcomputer having a general configuration in which a CPU, a ROM, a RAM, and the like are connected by a bus, various input / output interfaces, and a drive circuit.

  The controller 88 is connected to an actuator 84 of the grill device 74 and fan motors 86A and 86B of the cooling device 76. The controller 88 controls the opening and closing of the grill opening 62 by controlling the operation of the actuator 84, and promotes the introduction of air into the condenser 16 by controlling the drive of the fan motor 86.

  The controller 88 is connected to a vehicle speed sensor 90 that detects the traveling speed (vehicle speed) of the vehicle 10 and an outside air temperature sensor 92 that detects outside air temperature. The controller 88 is connected to an air conditioner ECU 40. Note that the air temperature ECU 40 may acquire the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor 50 without providing the outside air temperature sensor 92.

  Here, simulation results of opening / closing of the grill opening 62, operation of the cooling fan 80, and change in power consumption of the air conditioner 12 associated therewith in a preset model of the vehicle 10 are shown below. In the following simulation, the rated output of the fan motor 86 (86A, 86B) is 100w.

  4A and 4B show the wind speed (hereinafter referred to as capacitor wind speed Wv (hereinafter referred to as “capacitor wind speed Wv”) as the amount of air introduced into the condenser 16 according to the vehicle speed V, the rotational speed of the cooling fan 80 and the opening and closing of the grill opening 62. m / sec)). Note that the rotation speed of the fan motor 86 of the cooling fan 80 (hereinafter collectively referred to as the cooling fan 80) is changed by the drive voltage Dv, and the drive voltage Dv is changed to the rotation speed of the cooling fan 80. Applicable. At this time, the drive voltage Dv is set to 6 levels of 0, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12 (v), and the vehicle speed V is set to 3 levels of 0, 40, 60 (km / h).

  FIG. 4A shows the driving voltage Dv and the condenser wind speed Wv with respect to the vehicle speed V when the grill opening 62 is opened, and FIG. 4B shows the grill opening 62 closed. The capacitor wind speed Wv with respect to the driving voltage Dv and the vehicle speed V is shown.

  As shown in FIG. 4A, when the grille opening 62 is opened and the vehicle 10 is stopped (vehicle speed V = 0 km / h), the condenser wind speed Wv increases as the drive voltage Dv increases. To increase.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, while the vehicle 10 is traveling, the capacitor wind speed Wv is high even if the drive voltage Dv is low, but the drive voltage Dv is high. However, the increase in the condenser wind speed Wv is small. Further, the condenser wind speed Wv during traveling of the vehicle 10 is slightly higher when the grill opening 62 is opened than when the grill opening 62 is closed. That is, when the drive voltage Dv of the grill opening 62 cooling fan 80 is the same, closing the grill opening 62 reduces the condenser wind speed Wv.

  5A and 5B show changes in the power consumption Wf (w) of the cooling fan 80 with respect to the driving voltage Dv of the cooling fan 80 and the vehicle speed V. FIG. 5A shows a case where the grill opening 62 is opened, and FIG. 5B shows a case where the grill opening 62 is closed.

  As shown in FIGS. 5A and 5B, the power consumption Wf of the cooling fan 80 increases as the drive voltage Dv increases, regardless of whether the grill opening 62 is open or closed. The difference in the change in the vehicle speed V and the difference between when the grill opening 62 is opened and when it is closed are small.

  6A and 6B show changes in the temperature of the air in front of the capacitor 16 (referred to as the front air temperature Tf) with respect to the drive voltage Dv and the vehicle speed V. FIG. The forward air temperature Tf is a measured value in an environment where the outside air temperature Ta = 40 ° C. and solar radiation.

  As shown in FIG. 6A, when the vehicle 10 is stopped (vehicle speed V = 0 km / h), if the cooling fan 80 is stopped, the front air temperature Tf becomes extremely high (Tf> 60 ° C). However, when the cooling fan 80 is driven, the front air temperature Tf decreases as the drive voltage Dv increases.

  In contrast, as shown in FIGS. 6A and 6B, when the vehicle 10 is traveling, the front air temperature Tf is lower during traveling of the vehicle than during stopping. At this time, if the vehicle speed V is the same, the front air temperature Tf is lower when the grill opening 62 is opened than when the grill opening 62 is closed. Regardless of whether the grill opening 62 is opened or closed, the front air temperature Tf is lower when the vehicle speed V is higher than when the vehicle speed V is low. In either case, as the drive voltage Dv increases. The front air temperature Tf increases.

  On the other hand, FIG. 7 shows the refrigerant pressure P of the compressor 14 according to the drive voltage Dv and the vehicle speed V, and FIG. 8 shows the calculation result of the consumed power Wc of the compressor 14 according to the drive voltage Dv and the vehicle speed V. It is shown. The consumed power Wc is the power required for driving the compressor 14. The refrigerant pressure P includes a low-pressure side refrigerant pressure (hereinafter referred to as a refrigerant pressure PL) on the inlet side of the compressor 14 and a high-pressure side refrigerant pressure (hereinafter referred to as a refrigerant pressure PH) on the outlet side of the compressor 14. The refrigerant pressure PH is the refrigerant pressure P on the inlet side of the capacitor 16.

  FIG. 7 shows refrigerant pressures PH and PL when the cooling capacity of the air conditioner 12 is set to the maximum (Max Cool). The rotation speed of the compressor 14 is a vehicle speed V = 0 (km / h) and the engine speed is 800 rpm. When V = 40 (km / h) and 60 (km / h), the engine speed is 1200 rpm, and the rotation of the engine is transmitted at a transmission ratio of 1.22.

  As shown in FIG. 7, when the drive voltage Dv and the vehicle speed V are low, the refrigerant pressure PH becomes high. Further, as the drive voltage Dv or the vehicle speed V increases, the refrigerant pressure PH decreases.

  Here, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, when the drive voltage Dv or the vehicle speed V is high, the compressor wind speed Wv is also high, and thus the cooling capacity of the condenser 16 is also high. It is judged.

  At this time, as shown in FIG. 7, the refrigerant pressure PL and the refrigerant pressure PH of the compressor 14, particularly the refrigerant pressure PH, are lowered. In general, in the refrigeration cycle, when the refrigerant pressure P (refrigerant pressure PH) of the condenser 16 increases, the efficiency decreases, and when the refrigerant pressure P (refrigerant pressure PH) of the compressor 14 decreases, the compressor 14 is driven. The power consumption Wp required for is lower than when the refrigerant pressure PH is high.

  On the other hand, as shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, when the drive voltage Dv and the vehicle speed V are low, the compressor wind speed Wv is low and the cooling capacity of the condenser 16 is also low. To be judged. At this time, in the air conditioner 12, the refrigerant pressure P (refrigerant pressure PH) of the compressor 14 increases.

  As shown in FIG. 7, the refrigerant pressure P of the compressor 14 changes little at the same vehicle speed V, but the refrigerant pressure PH increases as the cooling capacity of the condenser 16 decreases.

  Here, FIG. 9 shows the power consumption Wa required by the air conditioner 12 according to the drive voltage Dv and the vehicle speed V. The power consumption Wa is assumed to be the sum of the power consumption Wp by the compressor 14 and the power consumption based on the power consumption Wf by the cooling fan 80. In FIG. 9, “grill opening” indicates a case where the grill opening 62 is opened, and “grill closing” indicates a case where the grill opening 62 is closed.

  When the condenser wind speed Wv that is an index of the amount of air introduced into the condenser 16 is low (see FIGS. 4A and 4B), the power consumption Wa is high, and when the condenser wind speed Wv is high, The power consumption Wa is reduced.

  On the other hand, when the fuel consumption per unit time is defined as the fuel consumption M (ml / sec), the fuel consumption M changes in the vehicle 10 according to the opening / closing of the grill opening 62 and the vehicle speed V. Further, when the air conditioner 12 is operated, the fuel consumption M is changed by the power consumption Wa of the air conditioner 12. At this time, the power consumption Wa in the air conditioner 12 becomes the power consumption Wa corresponding to the cooling capacity required for the air conditioner 12, and the cooling capacity required for the air conditioner 12 varies depending on environmental conditions such as the outside temperature Ta. .

  8A to 8E show fuel consumption M during steady running according to opening / closing of grill opening 62, ON / OFF of air conditioner 12 (operation / stop), outside air temperature Ta and vehicle speed V. The simulation results are shown. 8A shows a case where the air conditioner 12 is turned off, and FIGS. 8B to 8E show a case where the air conditioner 12 is turned on.

  FIG. 8B shows a case where the outside air temperature Ta = 35 ° C. and the air conditioner 12 is operating at the maximum capacity (Max Cool). The power consumption of the air conditioner 12 at this time is 2 Kw, and the air conditioner 12 associated therewith. The fuel consumption at is 0.23 (ml / sec). In FIG. 8C, the outside air temperature Ta = 30 ° C., the air conditioner 12 operates at a cooling capacity of 50% when the cooling capacity is 100% (Max Cool), and the power consumption at that time Is 0.95 kw, the fuel consumption is 0.109 (ml / sec), and in FIG. 8D, the outside air temperature Ta is 20 ° C. and the cooling capacity is 40%. 68 kw, fuel consumption is 0.078 (ml / sec), and in FIG. 8 (E), the outside air temperature operates at Ta = 10 ° C., the cooling capacity is 30%, the power consumption at that time is 0.48 kw, fuel The consumption is 0.055 (ml / sec).

  As shown in FIGS. 8B to 8E, the fuel consumption amount M increases as the vehicle speed V increases. Further, the fuel consumption M is increased by closing the grill opening 62 compared to when the grill opening 62 is opened. Further, when the outside air temperature Ta is high and the cooling capacity required for the air conditioner 12 is large, the effect of reducing the fuel consumption M by closing the grill opening 62 cannot be obtained unless the vehicle speed V is high.

  On the other hand, when the outside air temperature Ta is low and the cooling capacity required for the air conditioner 12 is small, the fuel consumption M can be reduced even when the vehicle speed V is low, as compared with the case where the outside air temperature Ta is high and the cooling capacity is large. Is obtained.

  Thus, the cooling capacity of the condenser 16 changes according to the outside air temperature Ta, the vehicle speed V, the drive voltage Dv (the number of rotations of the cooling fan 80), and the open / close state of the grill opening 62. In the air conditioner 12, the required cooling capacity changes according to the outside temperature Ta, and when the outside temperature Ta is high, a large cooling capacity is required.

  From here, the controller 88 controls the opening and closing of the grill opening 62 of the grill device 74B according to the outside air temperature Ta, the vehicle speed V, and the operating state of the air conditioner 12, and the operation of the cooling fan 80, that is, the operation of the fan motor 86. To control.

  Here, the operation control of the grill device 74 and the cooling device 76 by the controller 88 will be described.

  In the air conditioner 12, it is necessary to perform dehumidification to reduce the humidity in the passenger compartment even in an environment where the outside air temperature Ta is low and cooling operation is not required. In particular, when the outside air temperature Ta is low and the window glass is closed, the humidity in the passenger compartment tends to increase due to exhaled air generated by the occupant. At this time, dehumidification of the air in the passenger compartment is required. For this reason, in the air conditioner 12, for example, when the air temperature operation is instructed when the outside air temperature Ta is 0 ° C. or higher (Ta ≧ 0 ° C.), the compressor 14 is driven.

  At this time, the controller 88 determines the vehicle speed V and operates the cooling fan 80 based on the determination result. FIG. 10A shows an example of determination of the vehicle speed V at this time. The controller 88 determines that the vehicle speed V is determined as the vehicle speed Hi when the vehicle speed V exceeds the reference vehicle speed Vs, and is determined as the vehicle speed Lo when the vehicle speed V is lower than the vehicle speed Vs. At this time, hysteresis is given to the vehicle speed Vs, the vehicle speed V is determined to be the vehicle speed Hi by increasing from the vehicle stop state to the vehicle speed Vs1 (for example, Vs1 = 20 km / h), and the vehicle speed Hi is determined. When the vehicle speed V decreases to a vehicle speed Vs2 (Vs2 <Vs1, for example, Vs2 = 15 km / h), the vehicle speed Lo is determined.

  Further, the controller 88 sets the drive voltage Dv of the cooling fan 80 based on the determination result of the vehicle speed V and the refrigerant pressure PH on the inlet side of the capacitor 16. At this time, the controller 88 sets the refrigerant pressure P (refrigerant pressure PH) as a plurality of transition points, and changes the drive voltage Dv at the transition points.

  An example is shown in FIG. Here, as an example, when the refrigerant pressure P is between 0.5 (MPa) and 3.0 (MPa), six inflection points (P1 <P2) from the refrigerant pressure P1 to P6 with respect to the refrigerant pressure P. <P3 <P4 <P5 <P6) is set. When the refrigerant pressure P reaches the inflection point, the controller 88 switches the drive voltage Dv based on the determination of the vehicle speed V and the change in the vehicle speed V at that time.

  The determination of the vehicle speed V is the vehicle speed Lo, and when the vehicle speed V is increasing, Lo-UP, the determination of the vehicle speed V is the vehicle speed Lo, and when the vehicle speed V is further decreasing, Lo-DOWN, the vehicle speed The determination of V is the vehicle speed Hi, the driving voltage Dv is Hi-UP when the vehicle speed V is rising, the determination of the vehicle speed V is the vehicle speed Hi, and the driving speed Dv is Hi-DOWN when the vehicle speed V is further decreasing. Is set.

  At this time, the drive voltage Dv is not limited to a range of 4v to 12v, but a voltage up to a terminal voltage (for example, 13.5v) of a battery (not shown) of the vehicle 10 is applied as necessary.

  As shown in FIGS. 4A and 4B, when the grill opening 62 is closed, the condenser wind speed Wv is lower in the region where the drive voltage Dv is lower than when the grill opening 62 is opened. Becomes lower. From here, if the grill opening 62 is closed, the controller 88 sets a preset setting voltage DL (for example, DL = 8v) to the lowest voltage of the drive voltage Dv.

  The controller 88 sets the drive voltage Dv based on the determination state of the vehicle speed V, the change in the vehicle speed V, and the refrigerant pressure PH. At this time, when the grill opening 62 is closed and the refrigerant pressure PH is equal to or lower than the refrigerant pressure P3 as shown in FIG. 10B, the set voltage DL is set as the drive voltage Dv (Dv = DL). As a result, the drive voltage Dv is set to be equal to or higher than the set voltage DL.

  On the other hand, when the air conditioner 12 is stopped, the controller 88 opens the grille when the vehicle speed V is equal to or higher than a preset vehicle speed (operating vehicle speed Va, for example, Va = 40 km / h) (V ≧ Va). The actuator 84 is operated so that the part 62 is closed. Further, the controller 88 operates the actuator 84 so that the grill opening 62 is opened when the vehicle speed V becomes lower than the operating vehicle speed Va (V <Va) with the grill opening 62 closed.

  Here, as described above, in the air conditioner 12, the required cooling capacity changes according to the outside temperature Ta, and when the outside temperature Ta is high, a large cooling capacity is required. A cooling capacity corresponding to the cooling capacity is required. Further, when the outside air temperature Ta is low, the cooling capacity of the condenser 16 is high, and when the vehicle speed V is high, the cooling capacity of the condenser 16 is also high.

  From here, in the controller 88, when the air conditioner 12 is operated, the outside air temperature Ta is divided into a plurality of regions, and the vehicle speed V at which the effect of reducing the power consumption is obtained is set as the operating vehicle speed in each region. .

  Here, in this embodiment, as an example, the temperature region is T1 or less (0 ° C. or more, T1 or less, 0 ≦ Ta ≦ T1, for example, T1 = 15 ° C.), and exceeds T1 and T2 or less (T1 <Ta ≦ T2, for example, T2 = 30 ° C.), and divided into three regions that exceed T2 (T2 <Ta), and operating vehicle speeds Va1, Va2, Va3 (Va1 <Va2 <Va3, For example, Va1 = 40 km / h, Va2 = 70 km / h, Va3 = 100 km / h) are set.

  The operating vehicle speeds Va1 to Va3 are set to the lower vehicle speed V at which the effect of improving the fuel consumption M is obtained by closing the grill opening 62 when the outside air temperature Ta is in each temperature region. That is, when the air conditioner 12 is turned on, if the vehicle speed V does not reach the operating vehicle speed Va corresponding to the outside air temperature Ta, even if the grill opening 62 is closed, no fuel consumption effect is obtained. Since the grill opening 62 is closed, the power consumption of the air conditioner 12 is increased, resulting in a vehicle speed V at which the effect of closing the grill opening 62 cannot be obtained. Here, the operating vehicle speeds Va1 to Va3 are set to vehicle speeds at which consumption power does not increase at least. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and may be set to a vehicle speed that is within a preset allowable range. .

  Here, with reference to FIG. 11, the opening / closing control of the grill opening 62 according to the first embodiment and the cooling control accompanying the opening / closing control will be described.

  The flowchart of FIG. 11 is started when an ignition switch (not shown) of the vehicle 10 is turned on and the vehicle 10 is ready to run, and the ignition switch is turned off and the running of the vehicle 10 is ended.

  In this flowchart, in the first step 100, it is confirmed whether or not the air conditioner 12 is operated (ON). Here, when the air conditioner 12 is not performing the air conditioning operation using the refrigeration cycle (when turned off), a negative determination is made in step 100 and the process proceeds to step 102. In addition, when the air conditioner 12 performs only the heating operation, the condenser 16 does not need to be cooled, and thus is considered to be off.

  In step 102, the vehicle speed V detected by the vehicle speed sensor 90 is read, and in the next step 104, it is confirmed whether or not the vehicle speed V is equal to or higher than a set reading Va set only for the purpose of reducing air resistance.

  Here, if the vehicle speed V is less than the operating vehicle speed Va (V <Va), a negative determination is made in step 104, the process proceeds to step 106, and the grill opening 62 is opened. That is, if the grill opening 62 is closed, the actuator 84 is operated to open the grill opening 62. If the grill opening 62 is opened, the open state is continued. Further, in this step 106, since the operation of the cooling fan 80 is unnecessary, the fan motor 86 is stopped.

  When the vehicle speed V is equal to or higher than the operating vehicle speed Va (V ≧ Va), an affirmative determination is made at step 104 and the routine proceeds to step 108. In this step 108, the grill opening 62 is closed. That is, when the grill opening 62 is opened, the actuator 84 is operated to close the grill opening 62, and when the grill opening 62 is closed, the closed state of the grill opening 62 is continued. To do. Also in this step 108, since the operation of the cooling fan 80 is unnecessary, the fan motor 86 is stopped.

  Thereby, in the vehicle 10, the air resistance is reduced and the increase in the fuel consumption M is suppressed.

  On the other hand, when the air conditioner 12 is operated (ON), an affirmative determination is made in step 100 and the process proceeds to step 110. In this step 110, the outside air temperature Ta detected by the outside air temperature sensor 92 is read.

  Thereafter, in step 112, it is confirmed whether or not the outside air temperature Ta exceeds the set temperature T2, and in step 114, it is confirmed whether or not the outside air temperature Ta exceeds the set temperature T1.

  In the controller 88, the area of the outside air temperature Ta is divided into three divided areas of a low temperature area, an intermediate area and a high temperature area at the set temperatures T1 and T2, and the operating vehicle speed Va (Va1 to Va3) is divided for each of the divided areas. Is set. In steps 112 and 114, it is confirmed to which of the divided areas the outside air temperature Ta belongs.

  When the outside air temperature Ta exceeds the set temperature Ta2 (Ta> T2), that is, an affirmative determination is made in step 112, and the process proceeds to step 116. If the outside air temperature Ta exceeds the set temperature T1 and is equal to or lower than the set temperature T2 (T1 <Ta ≦ T2), an affirmative determination is made in step 114, and the process proceeds to step 118.

  In the air conditioner 12, the compressor 14 is driven when the outside air temperature Ta is 0 ° C. or higher. From here, if the outside air temperature Ta is equal to or lower than the set temperature T1, the outside air temperature Ta is 0 ≦ Ta ≦ T1, so a negative determination is made at step 114 and the routine proceeds to step 120.

  In step 116 where the outside air temperature Ta is shifted to the high temperature region, the vehicle speed V detected by the vehicle speed sensor 90 is read. In step 122, the vehicle speed V is set to the operating vehicle speed Va3 set for this temperature region. Check if this is the case. At this time, if the vehicle speed V is equal to or higher than the operating vehicle speed Va3 (V ≧ Va3), an affirmative determination is made in step 122, and the routine proceeds to step 124. If the vehicle speed V has not reached the operating vehicle speed Va3 (V <Va3), a negative determination is made at step 122 and the routine proceeds to step 126.

  In step 118 in which the outside air temperature Ta is shifted to the intermediate region, the vehicle speed V detected by the vehicle speed sensor 90 is read. In step 128, the vehicle speed V is the operating vehicle speed Va2 set for this temperature region. Check if this is the case. At this time, if the vehicle speed V is equal to or higher than the operating vehicle speed Va2 (V ≧ Va2), an affirmative determination is made in step 128 and the process proceeds to step 124. A negative determination is made at 128 and the routine proceeds to step 126.

  In step 120 where the outside air temperature Ta is shifted to the low temperature region, the vehicle speed V detected by the vehicle speed sensor 90 is read. In step 130, the vehicle speed V is set to the operating vehicle speed Va1 set for this temperature region. Check if this is the case. At this time, if the vehicle speed V is equal to or higher than the operating vehicle speed Va1 (V ≧ Va1), an affirmative determination is made in step 130 and the process proceeds to step 124. If the vehicle speed V has not reached the operating vehicle speed Va1 (V <Va1), step 130 is performed. A negative determination is made at step 126, and the routine proceeds to step 126.

  Here, in step 126 where the outside air temperature Ta does not reach the operating vehicle speed Va (Va1, Va2, Va3) set for the temperature range, the grill opening 62 is opened and the cooling is performed. The fan 80 is driven.

  At this time, the controller 88 determines the driving voltage Dv based on the vehicle speed determination in FIG. 10A, the refrigerant pressure P (refrigerant pressure PH) detected by the air conditioner 12, and the refrigerant pressure PH shown in FIG. And the fan motor 86 is driven with the set drive voltage Dv.

  On the other hand, in step 124 where the outside air temperature Ta becomes higher than the operating vehicle speed Va (Va1, Va2, Va3) set for the temperature range, the grill opening 62 is closed and the cooling fan is closed. 80 is driven.

  In the vehicle 10, by closing the grill opening 62, air resistance during traveling is reduced and fuel efficiency is improved. In the vehicle 10, when the cooling fan 80 is driven, the grill opening 62 is closed, so that a reduction in the amount of air introduced into the capacitor 16 is suppressed.

  The controller 88 sets the drive voltage Dv based on the refrigerant pressure P (refrigerant pressure PH) detected by the air conditioner 12 and the refrigerant pressure shown in FIG. 10 (B) as a result of the vehicle speed determination in FIG. The fan motor 86 is driven with the set drive voltage Dv.

  As shown in FIG. 10B, normally, if the refrigerant pressure PH is low, the controller 88 reduces the drive voltage Dv to suppress power consumption when driving the cooling fan 80, and supercooling occurs. To prevent. However, when the grill opening 62 is closed, the cooling capacity of the condenser 16 is reduced.

  Here, the controller 88 is set with a set voltage DL that is a lower limit of the drive voltage Dv of the cooling fan 80. When the grille opening 62 is closed when the refrigerant pressure PH is low and the drive voltage Dv is lower than the set voltage DL, the controller 88 sets the drive voltage Dv to the set voltage DL and turns the cooling fan 80 on. To drive.

  As a result, the cooling fan 80 is driven at a higher rotational speed than when the grill opening 62 is opened, so that the condenser wind speed Wf due to the grill opening 62 being closed, that is, the air to the condenser 16. The decrease in the amount of introduced can be suppressed. Accordingly, the amount of air introduced into the condenser 16 is reduced, so that the cooling capacity of the air conditioner 12 is reduced, and the load required for driving the compressor 14 is suppressed to increase in order to suppress the reduction of the cooling capacity. be able to.

  In this manner, the grill device 74 sets the operating vehicle speed Va when the grill opening 62 is opened and closed based on the outside air temperature Ta that affects the cooling capacity of the condenser 16 when the air conditioner 12 is in the air conditioning operation. ing. Therefore, in the vehicle 10, it can be suppressed that the cooling capacity of the capacitor 16 is reduced and the power consumption is increased due to the grill opening 62 being closed.

  Here, the temperature range of the outside air temperature Ta at which the air conditioner 12 drives the compressor 14 is set to three regions, but is not limited thereto, and is divided into a plurality of temperature regions, such as at least divided into two, What is necessary is just to set the operating vehicle speed Va as a threshold value for switching opening and closing of the grill opening 62 in each temperature region.

  In the cooling device 76, when the grill opening 62 is closed, the drive voltage Dv of the cooling fan 80 is set to be equal to or higher than the set voltage DL. It is possible to suppress an increase in power consumption.

Therefore, in the vehicle 10, when the grill device 74 is used to open and close the grill opening 62 to improve fuel efficiency, deterioration in fuel efficiency due to a decrease in the cooling capacity of the condenser 16 serving as a heat exchanger is suppressed.
[Second Embodiment]
The second embodiment will be described below. Note that in the second embodiment, the same components as those in the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals as those in the first embodiment, and description thereof is omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 12, a fan motor 86 (fan motors 86A, 86B) is connected to the air conditioner ECU 40A of the air conditioner 12, thereby forming a cooling device 76A. Further, an actuator 84, a vehicle speed sensor 90, and an outside air temperature sensor 92 are connected to the controller 88A applied to the second embodiment, thereby forming a grill device 74A.

  When the air conditioner 12 is turned on, the controller 88A of the grill device 74A sets the operating vehicle speed Va (the operating vehicle speed Va1 to Va3) based on the outside air temperature Ta, the vehicle speed V detected by the vehicle speed sensor 90, and the operating vehicle speed. Based on Va, the grill opening 62 is opened and closed. That is, with respect to the flowchart of FIG. 11, the actuator 84 is operated in steps 124 and 126 except for the control of the cooling fan 80.

  Further, the air conditioner ECU 40A controls the operation of the cooling fan 80 according to the opening / closing of the grill opening 62 while performing the air conditioning operation. At this time, the vehicle speed V is read from the controller 88A into the air conditioner ECU 40A, and the air conditioner ECU 40A controls the cooling fan 80 based on the vehicle speed V and the operating state.

  FIG. 13 shows an example of the operation control of the cooling fan 80 at this time. This flowchart is executed in parallel with the opening / closing control of the grill opening 62 when the air conditioning operation of the air conditioner 12 is being performed, and in the first step 150, the vehicle speed V detected by the vehicle speed sensor 90 is read. The vehicle speed V is not read from the controller 88A, but a separate vehicle speed sensor may be provided, or may be acquired from an engine ECU that controls the operation of the engine.

  In the next step 152, vehicle speed determination based on FIG. 10A is performed from the vehicle speed V and the change in the vehicle speed V. In step 154, the refrigerant pressure PH detected by the pressure sensor 58A is read. In step 156, the driving voltage Dv is set from the vehicle speed determination and the refrigerant pressure PH using the map of FIG.

  Thereafter, in step 158, it is determined whether or not the grill opening 62 is opened in the grill device 74A. At this time, if the grill opening 62 is open, an affirmative determination is made in step 158 and the routine proceeds to step 160 where the cooling fan 80 is driven with the set drive voltage Dv.

  On the other hand, if the grill opening 62 is closed, a negative determination is made at step 158 and the routine proceeds to step 162. In this step 162, it is confirmed whether or not the drive voltage Dv is lower than a preset set voltage DL. At this time, if the drive voltage Dv is equal to or higher than the set voltage DL (Dv ≧ DL), a negative determination is made in step 162 and the cooling fan 80 is driven with the drive voltage Dv set in step 160.

  If the set drive voltage Dv is lower than the preset set voltage DL (Dv <DL), an affirmative determination is made at step 162 and the routine proceeds to step 164. In step 164, the set voltage DL is set to the drive voltage Dv. Thereafter, the process proceeds to step 160, and the cooling fan 80 is driven with the set drive voltage Dv (set voltage DL).

  Thus, the condenser 16 of the air conditioner 12 prevents the desired cooling capacity from being obtained by closing the grill opening 62 when the required cooling capacity is low.

  Here, the drive voltage Dv is set based on the vehicle speed V and the refrigerant pressure PH, and the drive voltage Dv is adjusted when the grill opening 62 is closed. What is necessary is just to drive the cooling fan 80 by the drive voltage Dv more than the setting voltage DL when the grill opening 62 is closed.

In the first embodiment, the driving of the cooling fan 80 is controlled by the controller 88, and in the second embodiment, the driving of the cooling fan 80 is controlled by the air conditioner ECU 40A. A controller (fan control means) for 76 (76A) may be provided, and the cooling fan 80 may be rotationally driven in accordance with the operating states of the air conditioner 12 and the grill device 74.
[Third Embodiment]
The third embodiment will be described below. The basic configuration of the third embodiment is the same as that of the first embodiment described above, and the same components as those of the first embodiment are denoted by the same reference numerals and the description thereof is omitted. Omitted.

  As shown in FIG. 14, in the third embodiment, a controller 170 used instead of the controller 88 is shown. The controller 170 is connected to an air conditioner ECU 40. In addition, an actuator 84 is connected to the controller 170, and fan motors 86 (86A, 86B) are connected to form a grill device 74B and a cooling device 76B.

  The controller 170 is provided with a power calculation unit 172. The power calculation unit 172 acquires the refrigerant pressure PH and the refrigerant pressure PL from the air conditioner ECU 40.

  The controller 170 is connected to an engine ECU 174 that controls driving of the engine (not shown). In the present embodiment, the compressor 14 is driven by the engine, and the rotational speed N of the compressor 14 is obtained from the engine rotational speed and the transmission ratio. The controller 170 calculates the rotational speed N of the compressor 14 by acquiring the rotational speed of the engine from the engine ECU 174.

  The power calculation unit 172 calculates the power L required for driving the compressor 14 from the refrigerant pressure PH, the refrigerant pressure PL, and the rotation speed N of the compressor 14. This power L is the power consumption required for driving the compressor 14, and in the present embodiment, this power consumption is regarded as substantial power consumption of the air conditioner 12. Further, when the compressor 14 is driven by the compressor motor, it is only necessary to acquire the rotation speed of the compressor motor or the rotation speed N of the compressor 14 from the air conditioner ECU 40.

  The controller 170 includes a predicted power calculation unit 176, an operation vehicle speed calculation unit 178, and an operation control unit 180. The predicted power calculation unit 176 operates the actuator 84 to calculate the power (consumption power) Lc of the air conditioner 12 when the grill opening 62 is closed, and the operating vehicle speed calculation unit 168 closes the grill opening 62. The operating vehicle speed Va for opening and closing the grill opening 62 is set from the reduction amount of power consumption obtained by reducing the air resistance of the vehicle 10 and the increase amount of power consumption of the air conditioner 12.

  The operation control unit 180 opens and closes the grill opening 62 (control of the actuator 84) based on the vehicle speed V detected by the vehicle speed sensor 90 and the operation vehicle speed Va set by the operation vehicle speed calculation unit 168. Further, the operation control unit 180 drives the cooling fan 80 based on the operating state of the air conditioner 12. Note that the control of the cooling fan 80 by the operation control unit 160 has the same configuration as that of the first embodiment (FIG. 10A and FIG. 10B). The opening and closing of the grill opening 62 is mainly controlled, and the cooling fan 80 may be controlled by the air conditioner ECU 40 (air conditioner ECU 40A) as shown in the second embodiment.

FIG. 15 shows an outline of a Mollier diagram applied to the refrigeration cycle. In the refrigeration cycle, the compressor 14 is driven to rotate, whereby the refrigerant pressure P changes from the refrigerant pressure PL to the refrigerant pressure PH. The enthalpy i at this time changes from the enthalpy ia to the enthalpy ib, and this enthalpy difference Δi (Δi = ib−ia) becomes the work amount of the compressor 14, and the power L for driving the compressor 14 is obtained. The power L at this time is
L = (ib−ia) · Gr
It becomes. Gr is a refrigerant circulation amount, and the refrigerant circulation amount Gr is obtained from the compressor suction volume Vc (m ³ / h) and the suction gas specific volume vs (m ³ / kg).

Gr = Vc / vs (kg / h)
The compressor suction volume Vc is as follows from the compressor cylinder volume V1 (ml), the compressor rotation speed N (rpm), and the volume efficiency ηv.

Vc = (V1 × N × 60) · × 10 ⁻⁶ × ηv
By converting the power L determined in this way into a shaft horsepower, the power consumption Wp required to drive the compressor 14 can be obtained. Further, the power consumption Wa of the air conditioner 12 is obtained from the power consumption Wp.

  By closing the grill opening 62, the amount of air introduced into the capacitor 16 is reduced, and the air-side heat dissipation capability of the capacitor 16 is reduced. In general, in the refrigeration cycle, the air-side heat dissipation capability of the condenser 16 is reduced, so that the refrigerant pressure PH increases so as to be balanced with the refrigerant-side heat dissipation capability.

  As a result, as indicated by a one-dot chain line in FIG. 15, when the refrigerant pressure PH1 is increased, the enthalpy ic becomes the enthalpy ic1. Thereby, the enthalpy ib increases to the enthalpy ib1, and the work amount of the compressor 14 increases to the enthalpy difference Δi1. The resulting enthalpy difference (ib1-ib) of the compressor 14 corresponds to the increase in power consumption of the compressor 14 when the grill opening 62 is closed.

  Further, when the grill opening 62 is closed, the grill opening 62 is opened, so that the amount of air introduced into the condenser 16 is increased, and accordingly, the refrigerant pressure on the inlet side of the condenser 16 is increased. The refrigerant pressure PH, which is P, is reduced, and the power of the compressor 14 is also reduced (not shown).

  The prediction calculation unit 176 calculates the power of the compressor 14 by switching the opening and closing of the grill opening 62 as the predicted power Lc. Thereby, increase / decrease in the power of the compressor 14 according to opening / closing of the grill opening 62 is obtained. The increase / decrease amount of the power consumption Wa of the air conditioner 12 corresponds to the increase / decrease amount (Lc−L) of the power of the compressor 14.

  On the other hand, in the vehicle 10, the air resistance (drag coefficient) is changed by opening and closing the grill opening 62. Further, the air resistance of the vehicle 10 increases in proportion to the square of the vehicle speed V, and the power consumption of the vehicle 10 also changes according to the air resistance.

  From here, the operating vehicle speed calculation unit 178 sets the operating vehicle speed Va, which is the vehicle speed V at which the power consumption is reduced when the grill opening 62 is closed, rather than when the grill opening 62 is opened. In the following, it is assumed that the operating vehicle speed Va is set to a vehicle speed V in which the amount of increase in power consumption is offset by the amount of decrease in power consumption due to air resistance and vehicle speed when the grill opening 62 is closed. However, at least a vehicle speed V in which the amount of increase in power consumption when the grille opening 62 is closed falls within a preset allowable range (allowable amount) may be applied. The operating vehicle speed calculation unit 178 stores a reduction amount of power consumption for each vehicle speed V corresponding to the opening / closing of the grill opening 62 as a map, and this map and the air conditioner 12 corresponding to the opening / closing of the grill opening 62 are stored. The operating vehicle speed Va may be set based on the increase / decrease amount of the power consumption Wa.

  The operation control unit 180 opens and closes the grill opening 62 by operating the actuator 84 based on the vehicle speed V detected by the vehicle speed sensor 90 and the operation vehicle speed Va set by the operation vehicle speed calculation unit 178.

  FIG. 16 shows opening / closing control of the grill opening 62 according to the third embodiment and cooling control accompanying the opening / closing control. Here, for the steps that perform the same processing as in the first embodiment, the step numbers are shown in parentheses.

  In this flowchart, it is confirmed whether or not the air conditioner 12 is turned on in the first step 200. If the air conditioner 12 is turned off at this time, a negative determination is made in step 200 and the process proceeds to step 202. In this step 202, the operating vehicle speed Va is set to a preset speed (for example, 40 km / h).

  In the next step 204, the vehicle speed V detected by the vehicle speed sensor 90 is read. In step 206, it is confirmed whether or not the vehicle speed V is equal to or higher than the operating vehicle speed Va.

  At this time, if the vehicle speed V has not reached the operating vehicle speed Va (V <Va), a negative determination is made in step 206 and the routine proceeds to step 208, where the grill opening 62 is opened. If the vehicle speed V is equal to or higher than the operating vehicle speed Va (V ≧ Va), an affirmative determination is made at step 206 and the routine proceeds to step 210, where the grill opening 62 is closed. Note that in steps 208 and 210, the cooling of the condenser 16 is unnecessary, and therefore the driving of the cooling fan 80 for the purpose of cooling the condenser 16 only is stopped.

  On the other hand, if the air conditioner 12 is turned on, an affirmative determination is made at step 200 and the routine proceeds to step 212. In step 212, the refrigerant pressure PH and PL of the air conditioner 12 and the rotation speed N of the compressor 14 are acquired or calculated, and the power L of the compressor 14 provided in the air conditioner 12 is calculated.

  In step 214, the predicted power Lc when the grill opening 62 is opened or closed is calculated. That is, if the grill opening 62 is opened, the predicted power Lc when the grill opening 62 is closed is calculated. If the grill opening 62 is closed, the grill opening 62 is opened. The predicted power Lc is calculated.

  Here, the power L and the predicted power Lc are calculated separately. However, the present invention is not limited to this. For example, whether or not the grill opening 62 is opened, the refrigerant pressure PH, PL, and the engine speed N Therefore, the power when the grill opening 62 is closed and the power when the grill opening 62 is opened may be calculated.

  Thereafter, in step 216, the operating vehicle speed Va is set so that when the grill opening 62 is closed, an effect of reducing power consumption is obtained. That is, the power consumption is suppressed by closing the grill opening 62 and reducing the air resistance. In particular, since air resistance is proportional to the square of the vehicle speed V, closing the grill opening 62 provides a greater effect of suppressing power consumption as the vehicle speed V increases. However, if the cooling capacity of the condenser 16 is reduced by closing the grill opening 62, the power consumption of the air conditioner 12 increases.

  From this, in step 216, the difference between the power consumption for driving the vehicle by the grill opening 62 and the power consumption Wa by opening / closing the grill opening 62 is calculated, and the power consumption is reduced by closing the grill opening 62. A vehicle speed V that can cancel the difference is calculated, and the vehicle speed V obtained by the calculation is set as the operating vehicle speed Va. The power consumption of the vehicle 10 with respect to the air resistance may be stored in advance as a map, and the vehicle speed V corresponding to the difference in the power consumption Wa is preset for each power consumption on the map. It is possible to apply a configuration etc.

  When the operating vehicle speed Va is set in this manner, in step 218, the vehicle speed V detected by the vehicle speed sensor 90 is read, and in the next step 220, it is confirmed whether or not the vehicle speed V is equal to or higher than the operating vehicle speed Va. At this time, if the vehicle speed V does not reach the set vehicle speed Va (V <Va), a negative determination is made at step 220 and the routine proceeds to step 222 where the grill opening 62 is opened and the grill opening 62 is opened. The cooling fan 80 corresponding to is driven.

  On the other hand, when the vehicle speed V is equal to or higher than the operating vehicle speed Va (V ≧ Va), an affirmative determination is made at step 220 and the routine proceeds to step 224. In step 224, the grill opening 62 is closed, and the cooling fan 80 corresponding to the state where the grill opening 62 is closed is driven.

  By opening and closing the grill opening 62 in this manner, it is possible to prevent the power consumption from increasing due to the grill opening 62 being closed while the vehicle speed V is low. In addition, it is possible to prevent a situation in which the effect of reducing the power consumption cannot be obtained because the grill opening 62 is not closed in spite of reaching the vehicle speed V that reduces the power consumption.

  In the above description, the cooling fan 80 (fan motor 86) that is driven at a rotational speed corresponding to the drive voltage Dv has been described. However, a duty-controlled voltage may be applied to the drive voltage Dv. . Further, the cooling fan 80 may be one that controls the frequency of power supplied with a constant driving voltage.

  Moreover, in this Embodiment demonstrated above, although the heat exchanger used as the cooling object of the cooling device 76 was demonstrated as the capacitor | condenser 16, the heat exchanger used as the cooling object by this invention is not restricted to this, Cooling of an engine An engine radiator in which the liquid is circulated may be applied. In addition, the heat exchanger to be cooled includes an electric motor that is a driving source for traveling, a storage battery that supplies driving electric power to the electric motor, an inverter device, and the like. A circulated radiator may be applied, and a plurality of heat exchangers that cool different refrigerants may be cooled.

  In any case, the vehicle speed V that can cancel the difference in power consumption according to the opening / closing of the grill opening 62 by closing the grill opening 62 is set as the set vehicle speed Va, and based on the set vehicle speed Va. The opening / closing control of the grill opening 62 may be performed.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the description has been made so that the grill opening 62 is opened and closed while the grill opening 64 is opened. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and each grill opening 62 and 64 is opened and closed. It may be a thing. At this time, for example, the grill opening 62 may be closed first, and then the grill opening 64 may be closed according to the vehicle speed or the like.

  Furthermore, the present invention is applicable not only to a vehicle that travels by the driving force of the engine, but also to a vehicle having an arbitrary configuration such as a hybrid vehicle that has an electric mode in addition to the engine, and an electric vehicle that travels by driving an electric motor. Can do.

10 vehicle 12 air conditioner (vehicle air conditioner)
14 Compressor 16 Condenser (condenser, heat exchanger)
40 Air conditioner ECU
40A air conditioner ECU (drive setting means, cooling fan control means)
58A, 58B Pressure sensor 62 Grill opening 68 Rectifier fin (opening / closing means)
74, 74A, 74B Grill device 76, 76A, 76B Cooling device 80 Cooling fan 84 Actuator (opening / closing means)
88, 170 controller (setting means, opening / closing control means, drive setting means, cooling fan control means)
88A controller (setting means, opening / closing control means)
90 Vehicle speed sensor (vehicle speed detection means)
92 Outside air temperature sensor (outside air temperature detecting means)
172 Power calculation unit (first and second power calculation means)
176 Predictive power calculation unit (first and second power calculation means)
178 Operating vehicle speed calculation unit (vehicle speed setting means)

Claims (13)

Opening and closing the grill opening formed at the front end of the vehicle, with the grill opening open, introducing air for cooling the refrigerant passing through the heat exchanger, and closing the grill opening Opening and closing means for reducing the air resistance of the vehicle;
Due to an increase in power consumption due to a reduction in the amount of air introduced into the heat exchanger with the grill opening closed, and a reduction in the air resistance with the grill opening closed. Setting means for setting an operating vehicle speed at which an increase in power consumption when the grille opening is closed is within an allowable range based on a decrease in power consumption according to the vehicle speed;
Open / close control means for controlling the opening / closing of the grill opening by the open / close means based on the operating vehicle speed and the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting means;
A vehicle grill apparatus including the above. The heat exchanger is a condenser provided in a refrigeration cycle of a vehicle air conditioner;
The setting means is based on the amount of increase in power consumption of the vehicle air conditioner in a state where the grill opening is closed and the amount of decrease in power consumption according to the vehicle speed due to the reduction in air resistance. Set
The vehicular grill device according to claim 1. Including outside air temperature detecting means for detecting outside air temperature,
The setting means sets the operating vehicle speed higher when the outside air temperature is higher than when the outside air temperature is low;
The vehicle grill device according to claim 2. A vehicle speed as the operating vehicle speed is set in advance according to an outside air temperature, and the setting unit selects the operating vehicle speed from the preset vehicle speed based on the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detecting unit. To
The vehicle grill device according to claim 3.   The vehicular grill device according to claim 4, wherein the outside air temperature is divided into a plurality of temperature ranges, and a vehicle speed set as the operating vehicle speed is set for each of the divided temperature ranges. The setting means includes
First power calculation means for calculating the power of the vehicle air conditioner when the grill opening is opened;
Second power calculation means for calculating the power of the vehicle air conditioner when the grill opening is closed;
A vehicle speed at which the consumed power when the grill opening is obtained from the calculation results of the first and second power calculating means is a reduction amount of the consumed power obtained by closing the grill opening. Vehicle speed setting means for setting the operating vehicle speed;
The vehicle grill device according to claim 2, comprising: A cooling fan that increases the wind speed of air introduced into the condenser according to the number of rotations;
The cooling fan rotation speed is set to increase as the cooling capacity required for the condenser increases, and the cooling fan rotation speed is preset when the grill opening is closed. Drive setting means for setting the rotational speed to be equal to or higher than
Cooling fan control means for rotationally driving the cooling fan at the rotational speed set by the drive setting means;
The vehicle grill device according to any one of claims 2 to 6, comprising: When the drive setting means sets the drive voltage so that the number of rotations of the cooling fan increases as the cooling capacity required for the vehicle air conditioner increases, and the grill opening is closed , Setting the driving voltage so that the number of rotations of the cooling fan is equal to or higher than a predetermined number of rotations,
The cooling fan control means rotationally drives the cooling fan with the set drive voltage;
The vehicle grill device according to claim 7. A vehicle cooling device provided in a vehicle comprising the vehicle grill device according to any one of claims 1 to 6,
A cooling fan that increases the wind speed of the air introduced into the heat exchanger according to the number of rotations;
The cooling fan speed is set to increase as the cooling capacity required for the heat exchanger increases, and the cooling fan speed is preset when the grill opening is closed. Drive setting means for setting so as to be equal to or higher than the set number of rotations,
Cooling fan control means for rotationally driving the cooling fan at the rotational speed set by the drive setting means;
A vehicle cooling device including: When the drive setting means sets the drive voltage so that the number of rotations of the cooling fan increases as the cooling capacity required for the heat exchanger increases, and when the grill opening is closed, Set the drive voltage so that the rotation speed of the cooling fan is equal to or higher than a preset rotation speed,
The cooling fan control means rotationally drives the cooling fan with the set drive voltage;
The vehicle cooling device according to claim 9. A vehicle air conditioner that is provided in a vehicle including the vehicle grill device according to any one of claims 2 to 6 and that air-conditions a vehicle interior,
A cooling fan that increases the wind speed of air introduced into the condenser according to the number of rotations;
The cooling fan rotation speed is set to increase as the cooling capacity required for the condenser increases, and the cooling fan rotation speed is preset when the grill opening is closed. Drive setting means for setting the rotational speed to be equal to or higher than
Cooling fan control means for rotationally driving the cooling fan at the rotational speed set by the drive setting means;
A vehicle air conditioner including: The drive setting means sets the drive voltage so that the number of rotations of the cooling fan increases as the cooling capacity required for the condenser increases, and when the grill opening is closed, Set the drive voltage so that the rotation speed of the cooling fan is equal to or higher than the preset rotation speed,
The cooling fan control means rotationally drives the cooling fan with the set drive voltage;
The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 11. A vehicle air conditioner that air-conditions the vehicle interior;
The grill opening formed at the front end of the vehicle is opened and closed, and air that cools the refrigerant passing through the condenser of the vehicle air conditioner is introduced with the grill opening open, and the grill opening Opening and closing means for reducing the air resistance of the vehicle in a state where the part is closed,
Due to an increase in power consumption due to a decrease in the amount of air introduced into the condenser with the grill opening closed, and a reduction in the air resistance with the grill opening closed. Setting means for setting an operating vehicle speed at which an increase in power consumption when the grille opening is closed is within an allowable range based on a decrease in power consumption according to the vehicle speed;
Open / close control means for controlling the opening / closing of the grill opening by the open / close means based on the operating vehicle speed and the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting means;
A cooling fan that increases the wind speed of air introduced into the condenser according to the number of rotations;
The cooling fan rotation speed is set to increase as the cooling capacity required for the condenser increases, and the cooling fan rotation speed is preset when the grill opening is closed. Drive setting means for setting the rotational speed to be equal to or higher than
Cooling fan control means for rotationally driving the cooling fan at the rotational speed set by the drive setting means;
Including vehicles.

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