JP2011063168A - Cooling device for hybrid vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To achieve a structure lowering the height of an engine hood and facilitating the discharge of the air intruded into a cooling water passage in a cooling device for a hybrid vehicle. <P>SOLUTION: In the front of an engine compartment covered with the engine hood, a radiator is disposed, at rear of which a generator and a driving motor are disposed. In the space above the driving motor and the generator, an inverter driving the driving motor is arranged. The cooling water passage, where cooling water circulates, connects the radiator, inverter, driving motor, and generator. A pressure cap opening a valve at a predetermined pressure, and a reserve tank connected to the pressure cap through an overflow pipe are provided in the cooling water passage. The inverter is mounted on a vehicle body in the state of tilted forward along the engine hood. An inlet of the cooling water is provided in the front of the inverter and an outlet of the cooling water is provided in the rear of the inverter. The pressure cap is arranged at the outlet of the cooling water. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hybrid vehicle cooling apparatus, and more particularly, to a hybrid vehicle cooling apparatus having a two-system power of an engine and a drive motor and employing a water cooling system for circulating cooling water for cooling in a hybrid vehicle. is there.

  In a vehicle such as a hybrid vehicle (also referred to as “HEV”), in addition to the engine and the fuel tank, a generator, a drive motor, an inverter, a battery (“battery pack” or “battery”) It is also called “.”.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2006-219020

By the way, in a hybrid vehicle having two systems of power, that is, a conventional engine and a drive motor, in the case of a water cooling system in which cooling water is circulated for cooling, the management temperature required for each of the two systems is different. Therefore, two independent cooling water paths are necessary.
As a result, separate cooling water reserve tanks are provided in the two cooling water paths, respectively, which increases the number of parts and increases the number of inspection points.

Moreover, the thing disclosed by patent document 1 mentioned above has the inverter arrange | positioned by the vehicle horizontal in an engine room.
As a result, there are the following disadvantages.
(1) There is a possibility that a sufficient space between the front portion of the inverter and the engine hood cannot be secured.
In other words, when the inverter is disposed horizontally in the engine room covered with the engine hood that is inclined forward, if the inverter is disposed horizontally, the front portion of the inverter is close to the engine hood side, and the front portion of the inverter This is because a sufficient space between the engine hood and the engine hood cannot be secured.
(2) The height of the front part of the vehicle may increase.
In other words, in order to ensure a constant space between the front portion of the inverter and the engine hood, it is necessary to move the engine hood upward, thereby increasing the height of the front portion of the vehicle. is there.
(3) Air mixed in the cooling water inside the inverter may be stored.
That is, because the inverter is arranged at a position higher than each motor, air mixed in the cooling water may be stored in the cooling water passage inside the inverter.
Moreover, in the conventional structure, since the pressure cap is not fixed to the rear part of the inverter, there is no effect of actively discharging the air stored in the cooling water passage inside the inverter to the reserve tank as in the present invention. is there.

  An object of the present invention is to reduce the height of the engine hood in the hybrid vehicle cooling system and to make it easy to discharge air mixed in the cooling water passage.

  Therefore, in order to eliminate the inconvenience described above, the present invention has a radiator disposed in the front part of the engine room covered with the engine hood, and a generator driven by the engine and a drive motor for driving the vehicle are disposed behind the radiator. An inverter that drives the drive motor is disposed in a space above the drive motor and the generator, and cooling in which cooling water is circulated through the radiator, the inverter, the drive motor, and the generator. In a hybrid vehicle cooling apparatus provided with a pressure cap that is connected by a water passage and opens to the cooling water passage at a predetermined pressure, and a reserve tank that is connected to the pressure cap via an overflow pipe, the inverter is If it is attached to the vehicle body with the engine hood tilted forward, and a cooling water inlet is provided at the front of the inverter To the cooling water outlet provided in the rear part of the inverter, characterized by disposing the pressure cap on the cooling water outlet.

As described above in detail, according to the present invention, the radiator is disposed at the front of the engine room covered with the engine hood, and the generator driven by the engine and the drive motor for driving the vehicle are disposed behind the radiator. An inverter that drives the drive motor is disposed in a space above the drive motor and the generator, and the radiator, the inverter, the drive motor, and the generator are connected by a cooling water passage through which cooling water is circulated. In a hybrid vehicle cooling system provided with a pressure cap that opens to a water passage at a predetermined pressure, and a reserve tank connected to the pressure cap via an overflow pipe, the inverter is tilted forward along the engine hood And install a cooling water inlet at the front of the inverter and a cooling water outlet at the rear of the inverter. Disposing a pressure cap to the cooling water outlet.
Therefore, by arranging the inverter on the vehicle body in a state where the inverter is tilted forward along the engine hood tilted forward, the inverter can be disposed on the lower side of the engine hood without moving the engine hood upward. It is possible to suppress an increase in the position of the engine hood.
In addition, the inverter is not directly affected by vibrations from the engine (drive motor or generator) when the inverter is attached to the vehicle body, as compared to a state where the inverter is fixed to the upper part of the engine or drive motor (and generator). This eliminates the need for extra space for the amplitude of the inverter. Therefore, it is not necessary to move the engine hood upward for the excess space.
On the other hand, when the inverter is tilted forward, the cooling water passage inside the inverter can be provided in a substantially linear shape obliquely upward from the cooling water inlet to the cooling water outlet. Air mixed in the cooling water gathers and tends to accumulate.
Therefore, in the present invention, a cooling water outlet is provided at the rear of the inverter, and a pressure cap is disposed at the cooling water outlet to discharge air.

FIG. 1 is a left side view of an engine room of a vehicle. (Example) FIG. 2 is a schematic perspective view of an engine, a generator, a drive motor, an inverter, and a radiator disposed in the engine room, as viewed from the upper left front of the vehicle. (Example) FIG. 3 is a plan view of the engine room of the vehicle. (Example) FIG. 4 is a front view of the engine room of the vehicle. (Example) FIG. 5 is a diagram showing a cooling water path of the hybrid vehicle cooling device. (Example)

  Embodiments of the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the drawings.

1 to 5 show an embodiment of the present invention.
1-4, 1 is a hybrid vehicle (also referred to as “vehicle”), 2 is a vehicle body, and 3 is an engine room.
As shown in FIGS. 1, 3, and 4, the engine room 3 of the hybrid vehicle 1 is disposed on the left and right sides of the vehicle body 2 and extends on the left and right sides of the left and right side members 4 and 5 that extend in the vehicle front-rear direction. The front wheels 6 and 7 and the dash panel 8 are partitioned, and the upper portion is covered with an engine hood 9.

A radiator 10 is disposed at the front of the engine room 3 covered with the engine hood 9, and a generator 12 driven by the engine 11 and a drive motor 13 for driving the hybrid vehicle 1 as a vehicle are disposed behind the radiator 10. And an inverter 14 for driving the drive motor 13 is disposed in a space above the drive motor 13 and the generator 12.
At this time, the radiator 10 includes an engine radiator (also referred to as “radiator (for engine)”) 15 and an inverter radiator (also referred to as “radiator (for inverter and motor)”) 16. 2 and 3, the engine radiator 15 is arranged on the left side of the vehicle in the front of the engine room 3, while the inverter radiator 16 is similarly arranged on the right side of the vehicle in the front of the engine room 3. .
Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, a generator 12 driven by the engine 11 and a drive motor 13 for driving the hybrid vehicle 1 are sequentially arranged behind the engine radiator 15, and the inverter radiator 16. As shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, the engine 11 is disposed behind the engine 11.
At this time, the engine 11 is fixed to the right side member 5 by an engine bracket 17, while the generator 12 is fixed to the left side member 4 by a generator bracket 18.
The inverter 14 is disposed in the space above the generator 12 and the drive motor 13 as shown in FIGS.
Further, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, a catalyst 19 for purifying exhaust gas is disposed on the front side of the engine 11 and on the rear side of the inverter radiator 16, and on the front side of the generator 12 and the engine. A reserve tank 20 is disposed behind the radiator 15 as shown in FIGS. 1 to 4, and an inverter is disposed on the left side of the generator 12 in the vehicle width direction and on the right side of the left front wheel 6 in the vehicle width direction. A water pump 21 is disposed.

Further, the engine radiator 15, the inverter radiator 16, the inverter 14, the drive motor 13, and the generator 12, which are the radiator 10, are connected by a cooling water passage 22 through which cooling water is circulated. A pressure cap 23 that opens to the water passage 22 at a predetermined pressure, and the reserve tank 20 that is connected to the pressure cap 23 via an overflow pipe 24 are provided.
At this time, the inverter 14 is attached to the vehicle body 2 in a state of being tilted forward along the engine hood 9, and a cooling water inlet 25 is provided at a front portion of the inverter 14 and a cooling water outlet is provided at a rear portion of the inverter 14. 26 is provided, and the pressure cap 23 is disposed at the cooling water outlet 26.
More specifically, the cooling water passage 22 includes an engine cooling water passage A for cooling the engine 11 and an inverter cooling water passage B for cooling the inverter 14 as shown in FIG. ing.
The overflow pipe 24 includes an engine overflow pipe 24A and an inverter overflow pipe 24B as shown in FIG.

As shown in FIG. 5, the engine cooling water passage A passes the engine first cooling water passage A <b> 1 through which the cooling water from the engine 11 flows to the engine radiator 15 and the cooling water from the engine radiator 15. It consists of an engine second cooling water passage A2 that returns to the engine 11.
In this engine coolant passage A, the engine water pump 27 is disposed in the engine 11 as shown in FIG.
Thereby, the cooling water from the engine 11 flows to the engine radiator 15 through the first cooling water passage A1 for the engine as shown in FIG. 5, and the cooling water from the engine radiator 15 is the The circulation of returning to the engine 11 through the engine water pump 27 is repeated by the two coolant passages A2.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the pressure cap 23 includes an engine pressure cap 23A and an inverter pressure cap 23B.
At this time, the engine radiator 15 having the engine pressure cap 23 </ b> A disposed thereon is provided with the engine overflow pipe 24 </ b> A that connects the engine radiator 15 and the reserve tank 20.

In addition, the inverter cooling water passage B includes an inverter first cooling water passage B1 for flowing cooling water from the cooling water outlet 26 of the inverter 14 to the driving motor 13 and the driving motor 13 as shown in FIG. From the inverter second cooling water passage B2 for flowing the cooling water of the generator 12 to the generator 12, the inverter third cooling water passage B3 for flowing the cooling water from the generator 12 to the inverter radiator 16, and the inverter radiator 16 The fourth cooling water passage B4 for returning the cooling water to the water pump 21, the fifth cooling water passage B5 for inverter for pumping the cooling water from the water pump 21 to the cooling water inlet 25 of the inverter 14, The inverter 14 includes an inverter sixth cooling water passage B <b> 6 that connects the cooling water inlet 25 and the cooling water outlet 26.
Thereby, the cooling water from the cooling water outlet 26 of the inverter 14 flows to the driving motor 13 through the first cooling water passage B1 for inverter as shown in FIG. 5, and the cooling water from the driving motor 13 is The inverter second cooling water passage B2 flows to the generator 12, and the cooling water from the generator 12 flows to the inverter radiator 16 through the inverter third cooling water passage B3, and the inverter radiator 16 The cooling water flows to the water pump 21 through the fourth inverter cooling water passage B4, and the cooling water from the water pump 21 flows to the cooling water inlet 25 of the inverter 14 through the fifth inverter cooling water passage B5. The cooling water that has reached the cooling water inlet 25 of the inverter 14 Repeated circulation of flows in the cooling water outlet 26 by the sixth coolant passage B6 for over data.
At this time, the inverter 14 is provided with the inverter overflow pipe 24 </ b> B that connects the inverter 14 and the reserve tank 20.
In other words, in the embodiment of the present invention, as shown by a broken line in FIG. 5, the second reserve tank that has been used conventionally is abolished and integrated into one reserve tank 20 to increase the number of parts and check points. The inconvenience of increase is eliminated.

When the inverter 14 is attached to the vehicle body 2 with the engine hood 9 tilted forward as shown in FIG. 1, the cooling water inlet 25 is provided at the front portion of the inverter 14. The cooling water outlet 26 is provided at the rear part of the inverter 14, and the inverter pressure cap 23 </ b> B is disposed at the cooling water outlet 26.
As a result, the inverter 14 is disposed forwardly along the engine hood 9 tilted forward in the vehicle body 2 without moving the engine hood 9 upward as shown in FIG. The inverter 14 can be disposed below the engine hood 9, and an increase in the position where the engine hood 9 is disposed can be suppressed.
Further, in comparison with the state in which the inverter 14 is fixed to the upper part of the engine 11 and the drive motor 13 (and the generator 12), the engine 11 (the drive motor 13 and the generator in the state where the inverter 14 is attached to the vehicle body 2). Since it is not directly affected by the vibration from 12), it is not necessary to consider an extra space for the amplitude of the inverter 14. Therefore, it is not necessary to move the engine hood 9 upward for the excess space.
On the other hand, when the inverter 14 is tilted forward, the inverter sixth cooling water passage B6 inside the inverter 14 is substantially linearly inclined upward from the cooling water inlet 25 to the cooling water outlet 26 as shown in FIG. Therefore, the air mixed in the cooling water is easily collected and collected at the rear portion of the inverter 14 and the cooling water outlet 26.
Accordingly, in the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3, the cooling water outlet 26 is provided at the rear portion of the inverter 14, and an inverter pressure cap 23 </ b> B is disposed at the cooling water outlet 26 to efficiently discharge air. is doing.

Further, as shown in FIG. 1, the inverter pressure cap 23B is disposed at the highest position in the vertical direction in the inverter sixth cooling water passage B6 of the inverter cooling water passage B.
Thereby, the air mixed in the cooling water gathers toward the inverter pressure cap 23B which is the highest position in the vertical direction in the sixth cooling water passage B6 for the inverter, as shown in FIG.
Accordingly, the air stored in the inverter sixth cooling water passage B6 can be efficiently discharged to the reserve tank 20 by the single inverter pressure cap 23B.
Therefore, not only the sixth inverter cooling water passage B6 that communicates the inside of the inverter 14 but also the air inside the cooling water passage B for all inverters can be efficiently discharged to the reserve tank 20.

  The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various application modifications can be made.

For example, in the embodiment of the present invention, the overflow pipe is constituted by two systems of the engine overflow pipe and the inverter overflow pipe. Branching using parts, one branch pipe is used as an engine overflow pipe, and the other branch pipe is used as an inverter overflow pipe, so that the connection part of the reserve tank is integrated into one. It is also possible.
In other words, since the overflow pipes are gathered into one in the peripheral part of the reserve tank, it becomes possible to secure a space in the peripheral part of the reserve tank, and the workability of installing and removing the overflow pipe is improved. Can contribute.
Further, if the reserve tank is provided with a special configuration, even if the cooling water for the two systems of the engine cooling water and the inverter cooling water are different, a single reserve tank can be used. This is possible, and there is no possibility of causing the disadvantage of an increase in the number of parts and an increase in inspection points due to the two conventional reserve tanks.

1 Hybrid vehicle (also called “vehicle”)
2 Vehicle Body 3 Engine Room 4 Left Side Member 5 Right Side Member 8 Dash Panel 9 Engine Hood 10 Radiator 11 Engine 12 Generator 13 Drive Motor 14 Inverter 15 Engine Radiator 16 Inverter Radiator 20 Reserve Tank 21 Inverter Water Pump 22 Cooling Water Passage 23 Pressure cap 23A Pressure cap for engine 23B Pressure cap for inverter 24 Overflow piping 24A Overflow piping for engine 24B Overflow piping for inverter 25 Cooling water inlet 26 Cooling water outlet A Cooling water passage for engine A1 First cooling water passage for engine A2 Second cooling water passage for engine B Cooling water passage for inverter B1 First cooling water passage for inverter B2 Second cooling water passage for inverter B3 Third cooling water passage for inverter B4 Fourth cooling water passage for inverter B5 Fifth cooling water passage for inverter B6 Sixth cooling water passage for inverter

Claims (2)

  A radiator is arranged in the front part of the engine room covered with the engine hood, and a generator driven by the engine and a drive motor for driving the vehicle are arranged behind the radiator, and above the drive motor and the generator. An inverter for driving the drive motor is disposed in the space, and the radiator, the inverter, the drive motor, and the generator are connected by a cooling water passage through which cooling water is circulated, and the cooling water passage is set at a predetermined pressure. In a hybrid vehicle cooling device provided with a pressure cap that opens and a reserve tank connected to the pressure cap via an overflow pipe, the inverter is attached to the vehicle body in a state of being tilted forward along the engine hood. A cooling water inlet is provided at the front of the inverter, and a cooling water outlet is provided at the rear of the inverter. Hybrid vehicle cooling apparatus characterized by disposing the pressure cap to the cooling water outlet.   The cooling device for a hybrid vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the pressure cap is disposed at a highest position in the vertical direction in the cooling water passage.

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