JP2011163180A - On-vehicle power generation device - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an on-vehicle power generation device which facilitates adjustment of a cruising distance as necessary without involving a capacity increase in a mounted battery. <P>SOLUTION: The on-vehicle power generation device integrally includes an internal combustion engine 20, an electric generator 21 driven by the internal combustion engine 20, an exhaust emission control device 22 controlling the emissions of exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine 20, a cooling means 30 cooling at least the internal combustion engine 20, and a base member 40a to which at least one of them is mounted. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to an in-vehicle power generation device including a generator driven by an internal combustion engine.

  In response to growing environmental problems in recent years, development of vehicles capable of reducing fuel consumption and exhaust gas emissions is progressing. Examples of such vehicles include hybrid vehicles that use both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor as drive sources, and electric vehicles that use only an electric motor as a drive source. These are known with various improvements. ing.

  An example of a hybrid vehicle is disclosed in Patent Document 1. This hybrid vehicle includes a motor-driven cooling water circulation pump, and is configured to circulate cooling water without driving the internal combustion engine. As a result, an area where the internal combustion engine can be stopped can be expanded, and fuel consumption can be improved.

  An example of the electric vehicle is disclosed in Patent Document 2. This electric vehicle has a small engine for driving an air conditioner, and is configured so that a battery is not consumed for air conditioning. Thus, by performing air conditioning with a small engine that is cheaper than a battery, it is possible to extend the travelable distance while reducing the cost of the drive system of the electric vehicle.

JP 2006-169981 A JP 2010-12970 A

  However, as a general property of a hybrid vehicle, when an internal combustion engine is used as a drive source for the vehicle, an internal combustion engine having a certain amount of displacement is required, and thus there is a limit to suppression of exhaust gas. This is also true for the hybrid vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1. In this respect, the electric vehicle is preferable from the viewpoint of exhaust gas suppression because an internal combustion engine for driving the vehicle is unnecessary. Even if an internal combustion engine for driving an air conditioner is mounted as in the electric vehicle of Patent Document 2, the displacement is smaller than that for driving a vehicle.

  However, an electric vehicle needs to be equipped with a battery instead of an internal combustion engine. Since the battery occupies a considerable portion of the entire electric vehicle in terms of price and weight, its mountable capacity is limited. As a result, an electric vehicle generally has a cruising distance shorter than that of a hybrid vehicle, and there is a problem of reducing the price and weight while extending the cruising distance. Since the small engine mounted on the electric vehicle described in Patent Document 2 is for driving the air conditioner and not for traveling, when the air conditioning is not used, the effect of mounting this small engine cannot be enjoyed. The cruising range cannot be extended.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an in-vehicle power generation device that can easily adjust a cruising distance as needed without increasing the capacity of an on-board battery. .

  A first characteristic configuration of an in-vehicle power generation device according to the present invention includes an internal combustion engine, a generator driven by the internal combustion engine, an exhaust purification device that purifies exhaust gas from the internal combustion engine, and cools at least the internal combustion engine. The cooling means and the base member to which at least one of them is attached are provided integrally.

  According to this characteristic configuration, the in-vehicle power generation device provided with the generator driven by the internal combustion engine is integrally formed with the internal combustion engine, the exhaust purification device, and the cooling means, so that other parts besides the electrical wiring with the battery Wiring and piping are not required, and it can be easily attached to and removed from the vehicle body. Therefore, it is possible to decide whether or not to mount the in-vehicle power generator according to the planned travel distance, the remaining battery level, and the like.

  For example, when the planned travel distance is short or when the remaining battery capacity is sufficient, power saving can be achieved by removing the in-vehicle power generation device and reducing the weight of the vehicle body. In addition, when the planned travel distance is long or when the battery remaining amount is low, the cruising distance can be extended without increasing the battery capacity by installing the in-vehicle power generation device. Further, if a plurality of in-vehicle power generation devices can be mounted, the cruising distance can be further easily extended.

  The second characteristic configuration is that the cooling means includes a cooling circuit for circulating the refrigerant, and the cooling circuit is configured to be able to cool the exhaust purification device.

  Since the in-vehicle power generation apparatus is configured integrally with components, the length of the exhaust pipe between the internal combustion engine and the exhaust purification apparatus is shortened. Then, the high-temperature exhaust gas discharged from the internal combustion engine may flow into the exhaust purification device without being sufficiently cooled. In such a case, according to the present characteristic configuration, the water-cooled cooling means is configured to cool the exhaust purification device, so that the exhaust purification device becomes high temperature, and consequently the in-vehicle power generation device becomes high temperature. This can be prevented.

  In addition, when power generation is performed intermittently, the heat stored in the refrigerant by the previous power generation can warm the internal combustion engine during the next power generation, thus shortening the warm-up time and generating power efficiently. It can be performed. Similarly, with respect to the catalyst in the exhaust purification device, the temperature of the catalyst can be quickly raised by the heat stored in the refrigerant at the time of the previous power generation at the next power generation, and the exhaust gas purification can be performed quickly.

  According to a third characteristic configuration, on the cooling circuit, the internal combustion engine is disposed downstream of the exhaust purification device, and a heat exchanger that radiates the refrigerant between the exhaust purification device and the internal combustion engine is provided. It is in the point to have.

  According to the third characteristic configuration, when the exhaust purification device is cooled, the refrigerant whose temperature has increased is radiated by the heat exchanger, and then the refrigerant circulates in the internal combustion engine. Therefore, the internal combustion engine can be reliably cooled while cooling the exhaust purification device, and the temperature rise of the entire on-vehicle power generation device can be suppressed.

  The fourth characteristic configuration includes a housing that houses the internal combustion engine, the generator, and the exhaust purification device, and a part of the cooling circuit is disposed on the outer surface of the housing, and is disposed on the outer surface. Further, at least a part of the cooling circuit is provided with heat radiating fins.

  According to the fourth characteristic configuration, since the refrigerant in the cooling circuit is efficiently cooled by the traveling wind, the cooling function of the cooling means is further enhanced. Further, since the cooling circuit outside the casing is disposed on the outer surface of the casing, it is not necessary to support the cooling circuit with other components, and the independence due to the integration of the in-vehicle power generator is not impaired. The base member described above may be configured as a part of the casing, or may be configured such that the base member and the casing are separate members.

It is a plane schematic diagram of the electric vehicle provided with the vehicle-mounted power generation device according to the present invention. It is a perspective view which shows the internal structure of a vehicle-mounted power generator. It is a side surface schematic diagram which shows the flow of the cooling water and air in a vehicle-mounted power generator.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of an in-vehicle power generator according to the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.

  Based on FIG. 1, an overall configuration of an electric vehicle 1 equipped with an in-vehicle power generation device (hereinafter referred to as a power generation device) 10 will be described. A pair of left and right front wheels 2 and rear wheels 3 assembled via suspensions (not shown) are arranged on the front and rear sides of the vehicle 1. Here, the front wheels 2 are drive wheels, and when the motor 13 is driven, the power is transmitted to the front wheels 2 via the drive shaft 4. The vehicle 1 is not limited to a front wheel drive vehicle, and may be a rear wheel drive vehicle or a four wheel drive vehicle.

  A battery 11 serving as a power source for the motor 13 is mounted on the lower portion of the vehicle 1, and a charger 14 is provided behind the battery 11. The charger 14 is configured to be connected to, for example, a general household outlet, and the battery 11 is charged via the charger 14. The connection destination of the charger 14 is not limited to a general household outlet, and may be connected to a dedicated device for high-speed charging.

  A power control unit (hereinafter referred to as PCU) 12 including an inverter and a booster circuit is electrically connected between the battery 11 and the motor 13. The direct current from the battery 11 is boosted by the PCU 12 and converted into an alternating current, so that the motor 13 can be driven. When the vehicle 1 is decelerated, it is preferable that the motor 13 functions as a generator and the battery 11 is regeneratively charged via the PCU 12 by electricity generated by the motor 13.

  The power generation device 10 is installed in a state of being electrically connected to the battery 11. When the amount of electricity stored in the battery 11 decreases to a certain amount, an ECU (not shown) issues a command to start power generation by the power generation device 10 and the battery 11 is charged. While the power generation device 10 generates power, electricity may be supplied directly from the power generation device 10 to the motor 13 via the PCU 12 or may be temporarily stored in the battery 11. Furthermore, it is also possible to store a part of the generated electricity in the battery 11 while supplying electricity directly from the power generation device 10 to the motor 13. The power generation by the power generation device 10 ends when the ECU recognizes that the battery 11 is fully charged.

  Based on FIG. 2, the structure of the electric power generating apparatus 10 is demonstrated. The main components of the power generation apparatus 10 include an engine (internal combustion engine) 20, a generator 21, an exhaust purification device 22, and a cooling circuit 30. The engine 20 takes out power by burning fuel supplied from a fuel tank (not shown). This fuel tank may be housed in a case 40 described later, or may be externally attached to the case 40. The generator 21 converts the power extracted by the engine 20 into electric energy, and supplies electricity necessary for driving the motor 13. The exhaust purification device 22 includes a catalyst for purifying the exhaust gas, and purifies the exhaust gas from the engine 20.

  These components are housed in a box-shaped housing 40 so that the power generation apparatus 10 can be handled integrally. The housing 40 includes a base portion (base member) 40a, a side surface portion 40b, and an upper surface portion, and each component is fixed to the base portion 40a. In FIG. 2, in order to clarify the internal configuration of the power generation apparatus 10, a part of the side surface portion 40b and the entire upper surface portion are not displayed. In the present embodiment, each component is fixed to the base portion 40a that is a part of the casing 40. However, the component is fixed to a member different from the casing 40, and the member is fixed to the casing 40. It may be fixed.

  The converter 23 disposed outside the side surface portion 40 b converts the alternating current generated by the generator 21 into a direct current that can be stored in the battery 11. The converter 23 has an air cooling structure and is disposed outside the side surface portion 40b so as to be easily cooled by receiving traveling wind. However, the converter 23 may be configured to be housed in the housing 40 or may be cooled by a water cooling structure.

  The cooling circuit 30 has cooling water (refrigerant) inside, and is configured so that the cooling water circulates in the order of the reservoir tank 31, the cooling pump 32, the exhaust purification device 22, the heat exchanger 33, and the engine 20. Of the cooling circuit 30, an external cooling circuit 30 a extending between the engine 20 and the reservoir tank 31 is disposed below the housing 40. The external cooling circuit 30a is formed in a zigzag shape and includes heat radiation fins 34.

  As described above, since the components of the power generation device 10 are integrally formed with the housing 40, wiring and piping with other components other than the electrical wiring with the battery 11 are not required, and the vehicle 1 can be easily connected to the vehicle 1. Can be attached / detached. Therefore, it can be determined whether or not the power generation device 1 is mounted according to the planned travel distance, the remaining battery level, and the like. Further, if a plurality of power generators 1 can be mounted, the cruising distance can be further easily extended.

  On the other hand, since the components of the power generation apparatus 10 are housed in the housing 40, it is essential to efficiently cool the engine 20 that generates a large amount of heat. Therefore, the power generation apparatus 10 employs a water cooling method. Based on FIG. 3, the flow of cooling water (solid arrow) will be described.

  The reservoir tank 31 adjusts the circulation amount of the cooling water so that the internal pressure of the cooling circuit 30 is constant. The cooling water in the reservoir tank 31 circulates through the cooling circuit 30 when the cooling pump 32 is driven. The cooling water that has passed through the cooling pump 32 flows through a circuit formed in the exhaust purification device 22 and cools the exhaust purification device 22. By cooling the exhaust purification device 22 in this way, even when the exhaust gas flows into the exhaust purification device 22 in a high temperature state because the length of the exhaust pipe between the engine 20 and the exhaust purification device 22 is short, It is possible to prevent the exhaust purification device 22 from becoming high temperature.

  After the exhaust purification device 22, the cooling water is sent to the engine 20 after passing through the heat exchanger 33. As described above, the cooling water passes through the heat exchanger 33 immediately after the exhaust purification device 22, whereby the cooling water heated by the exhaust purification device 22 is cooled by the heat exchanger 33 and then sent to the engine 20. Therefore, the cooling efficiency of the engine 20 is improved. The cooling water that has cooled the engine 20 is sent to an external cooling circuit 30 a disposed below the housing 40. The external cooling circuit 30a is formed in a zigzag shape, enhances the cooling effect by extending the circuit, and further includes a heat radiating fin 34 to further improve the cooling efficiency.

  Next, the air flow will be described. The broken block arrows in FIG. 3 indicate the air flow. The generator 21 has a fan 21 a, and the fan 21 a rotates when the generator 21 is driven, and is configured to take in air from a suction port 41 formed in the housing 40. The air taken in by the fan 21a is exhausted from the exhaust port 42 to the outside of the housing 40 while air-cooling the generator 21, the engine 20, the exhaust purification device 22, and the heat exchanger 33. Thus, by using the fan 21a that is driven during power generation in the power generation apparatus 10 as an air-cooling cooling means, it is possible to suppress the heat from being accumulated inside the housing 40 and the temperature of the power generation apparatus 10 from rising.

  The power generation device 10 according to the present invention is not limited to the embodiment described above, and may take other forms. For example, the heat exchanger 33 may be disposed outside the housing 40 to improve the air cooling effect during traveling. Moreover, you may comprise so that the generator 21 may be cooled not only by air cooling but by the cooling circuit 30.

  In the above-described embodiment, the power generation device 10 and the battery 11 are installed in the lower part of the vehicle 1, but they may be installed in an engine room or a trunk room. In addition, the direction in which the power generation apparatus 10 is installed may be determined as appropriate in consideration of the air cooling effect and the installation space, and is not limited to the horizontally placed state as shown in the above embodiment.

  The present invention can be applied to an in-vehicle power generation device including a generator driven by an internal combustion engine.

1 Vehicle 10 Power Generation Device 11 Battery 12 PCU
13 Motor 20 Engine (Internal combustion engine)
21 Generator 22 Exhaust purification device 23 Converter 30 Cooling circuit (cooling means)
30a External cooling circuit (cooling means)
33 Heat exchanger 34 Radiation fin 40 Housing 40a Base part (base member)

Claims (4)

An internal combustion engine;
A generator driven by the internal combustion engine;
An exhaust purification device for purifying exhaust from the internal combustion engine;
Cooling means for cooling at least the internal combustion engine;
And a base member to which at least one of them is attached.   The in-vehicle power generation device according to claim 1, wherein the cooling unit includes a cooling circuit that circulates a refrigerant, and the cooling circuit is configured to cool the exhaust purification device.   The internal combustion engine is provided on a downstream side of the exhaust purification device on the cooling circuit, and includes a heat exchanger that radiates heat of the refrigerant between the exhaust purification device and the internal combustion engine. The in-vehicle power generator described in 1.   A housing for housing the internal combustion engine, the generator, and the exhaust emission control device is provided, and a part of the cooling circuit is disposed on an outer surface of the housing, and at least one of the cooling circuits disposed on the outer surface. The in-vehicle power generator according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the heat radiating fin is provided in the part.

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