JP2013060098A - Heat medium heating device and vehicular air conditioner including the same - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a heat medium heating device in which a flat heat exchange tube and a PTC heater are piled up in multilayered form and a pressure loss at an outlet/inlet header part of the flat heat exchange tube is reduced for improved performance, and to provide a vehicular air conditioner including it.SOLUTION: In a heat medium heating device 10 with a multilayered stack of flat heat exchange tubes (17) including an outlet/inlet header part 21 or 22 containing a communication hole 21a(22a) and PTC heaters 18, which is built in a casing 11 including a heat medium outlet path (11d) and a heat medium inlet path 11c communicating with the outlet/inlet header part 21 or 22, a diameter D1 of a seal material 26c arranged between the casing 11 and the header part 21 at the inlet and the outlet header part (22) of the flat heat exchange tube 17c at the bottom layer, and a diameter D2 of the communication hole 21a (22a) which is sealed with the seal material 26c, are set larger than a diameter d1 of seal members 26a and 26b in other layer and a diameter d2 of the communication hole 21a.

Description

  The present invention relates to a heat medium heating device that heats a heat medium using a PTC heater, and a vehicle air conditioner including the heat medium heating device.

  In a vehicle air conditioner applied to an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or the like, a positive temperature coefficient thermistor element (hereinafter referred to as “Positive Temperature Coefficient”) is used as one of heat medium heating devices that heat a medium to be heated as a heat source for heating. A device using a PTC heater having a heat generating element as a PTC element) is known. In such a heat medium heating device, Patent Document 1 provides a plurality of partition walls that divide the inside of the housing having the heat medium inlet and outlet into a heating chamber and a heat medium circulation chamber, and is partitioned by the partition walls. A PTC heating element is inserted and installed on the side of the heating chamber so as to be in contact with the partition wall, and the heating medium flowing through the circulation chamber side is heated across the partition wall.

  In Patent Document 2, a PTC heater is configured by providing an electrode plate, an insulating layer, and a heat transfer layer on both sides of a PTC element, and an inlet and an outlet for a heat medium are provided on both sides of the PTC heater. A heat medium heating device having a laminated structure in which a pair of heat medium flow boxes communicated with each other and a substrate housing box for housing a control board and a lid are provided on the outer surface of the heat medium circulation box is provided. .

  However, in Patent Document 1, it is difficult to insert and install the PTC heating element in close contact between the partition walls serving as the heat transfer surfaces, and the contact thermal resistance between the partition walls and the PTC heating element increases, and the heat transfer efficiency decreases. There was a problem. Moreover, in the thing of patent document 2, although the adhesiveness of a PTC heater and a heat carrier distribution box can be improved and a contact thermal resistance can be reduced, since it is difficult to arrange | position a multilayer PTC heater, a plane area is large. At the same time, a heat medium distribution box and a dedicated substrate storage box are required, and there is a limit to reduction in size and weight and cost.

  In view of this, a heat medium heating apparatus has been developed that uses a heat exchange tube having a flat structure and incorporates a heat exchange element in which the flat heat exchange tube and the PTC heater are laminated in multiple layers in a casing. In the heat exchange element having such a configuration, it is necessary to connect the communication holes of the inlet header part and the outlet header part through which the heat medium provided in the flat heat exchange tube flows in and out, and seal the periphery of the communication hole. . As such a technique, for example, as shown in Patent Document 3, an O-ring is provided around the communication hole, and as shown in Patent Document 4, a communication member is provided and brazed. Things are known.

JP 2008-7106 A JP 2008-56044 A JP 2010-2094 A Japanese Patent No. 4100368

  However, as described above, when sealing around the communication hole with a sealing material such as an O-ring, there are the following problems. A flat heat exchanger tube is usually configured by laminating and brazing a pair of thin molded plate members made of an aluminum alloy material in which the flat tube portion, the inlet header portion, and the outlet header portion are press-formed integrally. In addition, a press die installation space for forming a contact surface between the inlet / outlet header portions is required around a portion where a sealing material such as an O-ring is installed. For this reason, in the entrance / exit header portion of a restricted size, there is a tendency that the diameter of the communication hole through which the heat medium flows is reduced, and the pressure loss at the entrance / exit header portion is increased, and the performance is deteriorated. there were. In particular, the pressure loss at the inlet / outlet header portion of the lowermost flat heat exchanger tube connected to the casing-side heat medium inlet path and the heat medium outlet path, through which the entire flow rate of the heat medium passes, is likely to increase.

  This invention is made in view of such a situation, Comprising: It is a heat-medium heating apparatus which laminated | stacked the flat heat exchanger tube and the PTC heater in the multilayer, Comprising: The pressure loss of the heat medium in the inlet-and-outlet header part is carried out. An object of the present invention is to provide a heat medium heating device that reduces the performance and improves the performance, and a vehicle air conditioner including the same.

In order to solve the above-described problems, the heat medium heating device of the present invention and the vehicle air conditioner including the same employ the following means.
That is, the heat medium heating device according to the present invention includes a plurality of flat heat exchanger tubes that flow out from the outlet header portion after the heat medium flowing from the inlet header portion flows through the flat tube portion, and the inlet header portion and the outlet portion. A plurality of the flat heat exchanger tubes that are disposed around the communication holes provided in the header portion and that are communicated with each other by stacking a plurality of the flat heat exchange tubes; A PTC heater incorporated between the flat heat exchanger tubes, and a heat medium inlet passage and a heat medium outlet passage communicating with the inlet header portion and the outlet header portion of the flat heat exchanger tube are provided on the bottom surface. A heat exchanger tube and a casing in which the PTC heater is laminated and incorporated in multiple layers, and the inlet of the flat heat exchanger tube at the lowermost layer and the casing The diameter of the sealing material disposed between the header portion and the outlet header portion and the diameter of the communication hole sealed with the sealing material are larger than the diameter of the sealing material of the other layer and the diameter of the communication hole. It is characterized by being.

  According to the present invention, the flat heat exchanger tube having the inlet / outlet header portion having the communication hole and the PTC heater are laminated in multiple layers, and the heat medium inlet passage and the heat medium outlet passage communicating with the inlet / outlet header portion are provided. In the heat medium heating apparatus incorporated in the casing, the diameter of the sealing material disposed between the casing and the inlet header portion and the outlet header portion of the lowermost flat heat exchanger tube is sealed with the sealing material. Since the diameter of the communication hole is larger than the diameter of the sealing material of the other layer and the diameter of the communication hole, the entire flow rate of the heat medium flowing through the multiple flat heat exchange tubes stacked in multiple layers passes. The diameter and the diameter of the communication hole at the inflow portion from the heat medium inlet passage to the inlet header portion of the flat heat exchanger tube and the outlet portion from the outlet header portion of the flat heat exchanger tube to the heat medium outlet passage. Amount corresponding to the diameter of the sealing material is increased, it is possible to reduce the flow path pressure loss at each site. As a result, the pressure loss of the heat medium flowing through the plurality of flat heat exchanger tubes can be reduced, and the heat transfer efficiency from the PTC heater to the heat medium can be improved. As a result, the heat medium heating device is improved in performance and reduced in size. be able to.

  Furthermore, the heat medium heating device of the present invention is the above-described heat medium heating device, wherein the flat heat exchanger tube has the inlet header portion and the outlet header portion arranged in parallel on one end side, and flows from the inlet header portion. After the heat medium has circulated through the flat tube part, the flat heat exchanger is provided with a U-turn flow path that is turned back at the U-turn part on the other end side and circulates again through the flat tube part and then flows out from the outlet header part. It is characterized by being a tube.

  According to the present invention, the flat heat exchanger tube has the inlet header portion and the outlet header portion arranged in parallel on one end side, and the heat medium flowing in from the inlet header portion is folded back at the U-turn portion on the other end side, and from the outlet header portion. Since it is a flat heat exchanger tube with a U-turn flow channel that flows out, the tube length can be shortened by arranging the inlet header portion and the outlet header portion on one end side, but a U-turn flow channel is formed. In the flat heat exchanger tube, the flow passage pressure loss is increased, and the flow passage pressure loss at the inlet portion of the heat medium to the inlet header portion and the outlet portion from the outlet header portion is reduced. The flow path pressure loss can be reduced as much as possible. Therefore, the heat medium heating device can be miniaturized by making the most of the features of the flat heat exchanger tube provided with the U-turn flow path, and the heat medium heating device can be improved in performance by reducing the pressure loss of the heat medium. be able to.

  Furthermore, the heat medium heating device of the present invention is any one of the above-described heat medium heating devices, wherein the heat medium inlet path and the heat medium outlet path are extended in a horizontal direction along the bottom surface of the casing, It is characterized by communicating upward with respect to the inlet header portion and the outlet header portion of the flat heat exchanger tube.

  According to the present invention, the heat medium inlet passage and the heat medium outlet passage are extended in the horizontal direction from the bottom surface of the casing, and communicated upward with respect to the inlet header portion and the outlet header portion of the flat heat exchanger tube. Therefore, the flow of the heat medium flowing from the heat medium inlet passage to the inlet header portion of the flat heat exchanger tube and the heat medium outlet portion from the outlet header portion of the flat heat exchanger tube to the heat medium outlet passage are curved. Although the flow of the heat medium becomes an uneven flow, the communication hole diameter of the part and the diameter of the sealing material are increased, so that the flow path pressure loss at the part can be effectively reduced. . Therefore, the heat medium inlet channel and the heat medium outlet channel are horizontally arranged to reduce the size of the heat medium heating device and to improve the performance of the heat medium heating device by reducing the flow path pressure loss.

  Furthermore, the heat medium heating device according to the present invention is characterized in that, in any one of the heat medium heating devices described above, the heat medium inlet path and the heat medium outlet path are extended from the casing in the same direction. .

  According to the present invention, since the heat medium inlet path and the heat medium outlet path are extended from the casing in the same direction, the heat medium circulation circuit can be connected to the heat medium heating apparatus from the same direction. Therefore, it is possible to simplify and facilitate the routing of the circulation circuit of the heat medium, and to improve the mountability of the heat medium heating device on the vehicle.

  Furthermore, the vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention is configured such that the heat medium heated by the heat medium heating device can be circulated with respect to the radiator disposed in the air flow path. The heat medium heating device is any one of the above-described heat medium heating devices.

  According to the present invention, the heat medium circulated to the radiator disposed in the air flow path is reduced in size and height by reducing the pressure loss and increasing the heat transfer efficiency from the PTC heater to the heat medium. It can be heated and circulated by a heat medium heating device with improved performance. Therefore, it is possible to improve the air conditioning performance, particularly the heating performance, in the vehicle air conditioner, and to improve the mountability of the air conditioner on the vehicle.

  According to the heat medium heating device of the present invention, the entire flow rate of the heat medium flowing through the plurality of flat heat exchange tubes stacked in multiple layers passes from the heat medium inlet path to the inlet header of the flat heat exchange tube. The flow path pressure loss at each part of the inlet part and the outlet part of the flat heat exchanger tube from the outlet header part to the heat medium outlet passage is increased by the diameter of the communication hole and the seal material. As a result, the pressure loss of the heat medium flowing through the plurality of flat heat exchanger tubes can be reduced, and the heat transfer efficiency from the PTC heater to the heat medium can be improved. Performance and size can be reduced.

  In addition, according to the vehicle air conditioner of the present invention, the heat medium circulated to the radiator disposed in the air flow path is heated and circulated by the heat medium heating apparatus having a small size and high performance. Therefore, it is possible to improve the air conditioning performance of the vehicle air conditioner, particularly the heating performance, and to improve the mountability of the air conditioner on the vehicle.

It is a schematic block diagram of the vehicle air conditioner provided with the heat-medium heating device which concerns on 1st Embodiment of this invention. It is a disassembled perspective view for demonstrating the assembly procedure of the heat medium heating apparatus shown in FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along the heat-medium inlet path of the heat-medium heating device shown in FIG. It is a longitudinal cross-sectional view along the heat medium exit path of the heat medium heating apparatus shown in FIG. FIG. 5 is a perspective view of only the lower case of the heat medium heating device shown in FIG. 4. It is a block diagram of the O-ring arrange | positioned around the heat-medium exit path of the lower case shown in FIG.

Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS.
FIG. 1 shows a schematic configuration diagram of a vehicle air conditioner including a heat medium heating device according to an embodiment of the present invention.
The vehicle air conditioner 1 is provided with a casing 3 that forms an air flow passage 2 for taking outside air or vehicle interior air and adjusting the temperature thereof, and then guiding it to the vehicle interior.

  Inside the casing 3, a blower 4 that sucks and pressurizes outside air or passenger compartment air in order from the upstream side to the downstream side of the air flow passage 2 and pumps it to the downstream side, and is pumped by the blower 4. The flow rate ratio of the cooler 5 that cools the air to be cooled, the radiator 6 that heats the air that has passed through the cooler 5, and the amount of air that passes through the radiator 6 and the amount of air that bypasses the radiator 6 And an air mix damper 7 that adjusts the temperature of the temperature-controlled air by installing the air mix on the downstream side thereof.

The downstream side of the casing 3 is connected to a plurality of outlets for blowing out temperature-controlled air into the vehicle compartment via an outlet mode switching damper and a duct (not shown).
The cooler 5 constitutes a refrigerant circuit together with a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, etc., not shown, and cools the air passing therethrough by evaporating the refrigerant adiabatically expanded by the expansion valve. . The radiator 6 constitutes a heat medium circulation circuit 10A together with the tank 8, the pump 9 and the heat medium heating device 10, and a heat medium (for example, antifreeze liquid, hot water, etc.) heated to a high temperature by the heat medium heating device 10 is used. By circulating through the pump 9, the air passing therethrough is heated.

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view for explaining an assembly procedure of the heat medium heating device 10 shown in FIG. 1, and FIG. 3 shows the heat medium heating device 10 along the heat medium inlet path. FIG. 4 shows a longitudinal sectional view along the heat medium outlet path of the heat medium heating device 10.
As shown in FIG. 2, the heat medium heating device 10 includes a control board 13, a plurality of electrode plates 14 (see FIGS. 3 and 4), and a plurality of IGBTs and the like disposed on the control board 13. Semiconductor switching element 12 (see FIG. 3), heat exchanger pressing member 16, a plurality of (for example, three) flat heat exchanger tubes 17, and a plurality of sets of PTC elements 18a (see FIGS. 3 and 4). The control board 13, the electrode plate 14, the semiconductor switching element 12, the flat heat exchange tube 17, the heat exchange pressing member 16, the casing 11 that accommodates the PTC element 18 a and the like are provided.

A PTC heater 18 is constituted by the electrode plate 14, the PTC element 18a, an insulating member (not shown), and the like.
The casing 11 is divided into an upper half and a lower half, and includes an upper case (not shown) that constitutes the upper half and a lower case 11a that constitutes the lower half. Inside the upper case and the lower case 11a, the control board 13, the semiconductor switching element 12, the electrode plate 14, and the heat exchanger pressing member are mounted by placing the upper case on the opening 11b of the lower case 11a from above the lower case 11a. 16, a space for accommodating a plurality of flat heat exchanger tubes 17 and a plurality of sets of PTC heaters 18 is formed.

  On the bottom surface of the lower case 11a, a heat medium inlet channel 11c for guiding the heat medium introduced into the three stacked flat heat exchanger tubes 17 and a heat medium flowing through the flat heat exchanger tubes 17 are derived. The heat medium outlet passage 11d is integrally formed. The heat medium inlet path 11c and the heat medium outlet path 11d extend in parallel to each other in the same horizontal direction from the bottom surface of the lower case 11a, and project laterally from one end of the lower case 11a. The upper case and the lower case 11a are formed of a resin material (for example, PPS) having a linear expansion similar to that of the aluminum alloy material constituting the flat heat exchanger tube 17 accommodated in the internal space. Thus, weight reduction can be attained by comprising the casing 11 with a resin material.

  In addition, a power harness hole and an LV harness hole (both not shown) for opening through the front ends of the power harness 27 and the LV harness 28 are opened on the lower surface of the lower case 11a. The power supply harness 27 supplies power to the PTC heater 18 via the control board 13 and the semiconductor switching element 12, and the two power supply harnesses provided on the control board 13 are branched at the front end portion into a bifurcated shape. The terminal block 13c can be screwed via an electrode harness connecting screw 13b. The LV harness 28 transmits a control signal to the control board 13, and a tip end portion thereof is connectable to the control board 13.

  The semiconductor switching element 12 and the control board 13 constitute a control system that performs energization control for a plurality of sets of PTC heaters 18 based on a command from a host control unit (ECU), and includes a plurality of semiconductor switching devices such as IGBTs. The energization state for the plurality of sets of PTC heaters 18 can be switched via the element 12. A plurality of flat heat exchanger tubes 17 are stacked so as to sandwich the plurality of sets of PTC heaters 18 from both sides.

  The flat heat exchanger tube 17 is a tube made of an aluminum alloy material. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, the flat heat exchanger tubes 17 in the lower, middle, and upper stages are arranged so that the three flat heat exchanger tubes 17 are parallel to each other. The heat exchange tubes 17c, 17b, and 17a are stacked in this order. As shown in FIGS. 2 to 4, these flat heat exchanger tubes 17 have an inlet header portion 21 and an outlet header portion 22 arranged in parallel at one end portion of the flat tube portion 20, and a heat medium flow at the other end portion. A U-turn part 23 for making a U-turn is formed, and a U-turn flow path 24 is formed in the flat tube part 20 from the inlet header part 21 through the U-turn part 23 to the outlet header part 22. .

  The flat heat exchanger tube 17 is formed by superposing a pair of thin molded plate members 25a and 25b made of an aluminum alloy material, in which the flat tube portion 20, the inlet header portion 21, and the outlet header portion 22 are integrally formed, and brazed and joined. is there. The thickness direction dimension of the inlet header part 21 and the outlet header part 22 is made thicker than the thickness direction dimension of the flat tube part 20 which forms the U-turn flow path 24, and the three flat heat exchanger tubes 17a. , 17b, 17c, a gap having a predetermined dimension is formed between the flat tube portions 20. The PTC heater 18 sandwiched between the upper and lower electrode plates 14 and an insulator (not shown) is sandwiched in the gap, so that the three flat heat exchanger tubes 17 and the two sets of PTC heaters 18 are laminated in multiple layers. It has become so.

  Moreover, when each flat heat exchanger tube 17 is laminated | stacked, as FIG.3, 4 shows, the inlet header part 21 and the outlet header part 22 mutually closely_contact | adhere, and the inlet header part 21 and the outlet header part 22 are attached to each other. The provided communication holes 21a and 22a communicate with each other. At this time, each of the communication holes 21a and 22a is sealed by a sealing material 26 (in this example, an O-ring is used) such as an O-ring, a gasket, and a liquid gasket disposed around the communication holes 21a and 22a. It has become.

  The sealing material (O-ring) 26 is formed between the inlet / outlet header portions 21 and 22 of the flat heat exchanger tube 17a and the flat heat exchanger tube 17b, between the inlet / outlet header portions 21 and 22 of the flat heat exchanger tube 17b and the flat heat exchanger tube 17c, and Between the inlet / outlet header portions 21 and 22 of the flat heat exchanger tube 17c and the inner bottom surface of the lower case 11a, around the communication holes 21a and 22a on the molding plate member 25b side constituting the flat heat exchanger tubes 17b and 17c, and the inner bottom surface of the lower case 11a The sealing material 26 is formed at a location where the sealing material 26 is formed.

  Of the sealing material (O-ring) 26, the sealing materials 26 a and 26 b provided around the communication holes 21 a and 22 a of the inlet / outlet header portions 21 and 22 of the flat heat exchanger tubes 17 b and 17 c are used as seals for the inlet / outlet header portions 21 and 22. Since the press die installation space for forming the contact surface between the entrance / exit header portions 21 and 22 is required around the portion where the material 26 is disposed, the contact at the entrance / exit header portions 21 and 22 having a limited size is required. It is necessary to use sealing materials (O-rings) 26a and 26b having a diameter d1 smaller than the surface. Further, the hole diameter d2 of the communication holes 21a and 22a is made smaller (d2 <d1) than the diameter d1 of the sealing materials 26a and 26b.

  On the other hand, the sealing material (O-ring) 26c disposed between the inlet / outlet header portions 21 and 22 of the lowermost flat heat exchanger tube 17c and the lower case 11a is provided on the lower case 11a side. Therefore, without being restricted as described above, the diameter D1 of the sealing material 26c and the hole diameter D2 of the communication holes 21a and 22a are made as large as possible, and d1 <D1 and d2 <D2, respectively. be able to. Of the sealing material (O-ring) 26c, the sealing material (O-ring) 26cex on the outlet header 22 side is an opening of the heat medium outlet passage 11d provided in the lower case 11a as shown in FIGS. The tongue portion 26d is formed integrally with the edge 11f formed on the portion 11e so as to be a smooth curved surface. The edge 11f is difficult to be formed into a curved surface when the lower case 11a is formed.

Further, between the flat tube portions 20 of the three flat heat exchanger tubes 17, a plurality of sets of PTC heaters 18 are interposed via the electrode plate 14, an insulating sheet (not shown), and the like with respect to the gap between the tubes. It is incorporated as described below.
As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the electrode plate 14 is for supplying power to the PTC element 18 a, and is a plate material made of an aluminum alloy having a rectangular shape in plan view. One electrode plate 14 is laminated on both sides of the PTC element 18a so as to be in contact with the upper surface of the PTC element 18a and one electrode plate is in contact with the lower surface of the PTC element 18a. By these two electrode plates 14, the upper surface and the lower surface of the PTC element 18a are sandwiched from above and below.

  And the electrode plate 14 arrange | positioned at the upper surface side of the PTC element 18a is arrange | positioned so that the upper surface may contact the lower surface of the flat heat exchanger tube 17 via an insulating member, and the electrode arrange | positioned at the lower surface side of the PTC element 18a The plate 14 is disposed such that its lower surface is in contact with the upper surface of the flat heat exchanger tube 17 via an insulating member. In the present embodiment, the electrode plate 14 is provided between the lower flat heat exchanger tube 17c and the middle flat heat exchanger tube 17b, and between the middle flat heat exchanger tube 17b and the upper flat heat exchanger tube 17a. Two sheets, a total of four sheets, are arranged, and the PTC heaters 18 are stacked between the flat tube portions 20 of the three flat heat exchanger tubes 17 in a state of being sandwiched between these electrode plates 14. ing.

  Each of the four electrode plates 14 has substantially the same shape as the flat tube portion 20 of each flat heat exchanger tube 17. Each electrode plate 14 is provided with a terminal 14a (see FIG. 2) on its long side, and this terminal 14a is arranged in the long side direction of the electrode plate 14 so as not to overlap each other when the electrode plates 14 are stacked. Are arranged along. In other words, the terminals 14a provided on each electrode plate 14 are provided with their positions slightly shifted in the long side direction, and are provided so as to be arranged in series when the electrode plates 14 are stacked. . Each terminal 14a is provided so as to protrude upward, and is connected to a terminal block 13a provided on the control board 13 via a terminal connection screw 14b.

  The substrate subassembly 15 is integrated by sandwiching the control substrate 13 and the heat exchanger pressing member 16 with an insulating sheet or the like and fastening them, for example, via four substrate subassembly connection screws 15a. The semiconductor switching element 12 such as an IGBT provided on the control board 13 is a heat generating component, and the heat generation is a heat penetration provided in the control board 13 corresponding to the installation portion of the semiconductor switching element 12. The heat is radiated to the heat exchanger pressing member 16 side through the portion, and is cooled by the heat medium flowing through the flat heat exchanger tube 17.

  Further, on the control board 13 constituting the board subassembly 15, four terminal blocks 13 a are arranged in series on one side corresponding to the four terminals 14 a arranged in series on each electrode plate 14. ing. Further, two power supply harness terminal blocks 13c connected to the two branched ends of the power supply harness 27 are provided so as to line up in series with the four terminal blocks 13a. The terminal block 13 a and the power harness terminal block 13 c are provided so as to protrude downward (or upward) from the control board 13. Moreover, each terminal block 13a and the terminal block 13c for power harnesses are arrange | positioned in series along the long side of the laminated flat heat exchanger tube 17a, 17b, 17c.

  Furthermore, each terminal block 13a and power harness terminal block 13c provided on the control board 13 are provided to be positioned slightly above the opening 11b of the lower case 11a. Thus, the terminal 14a of the electrode plate 14 connected to each terminal block 13a and the power harness terminal block 13c and the tip of the power harness 27 are easily fixed.

  On the other hand, the heat exchanger pressing member 16 constituting the substrate subassembly 15 is a flat aluminum alloy plate material in plan view. As described above, the control board 13 is disposed on the upper surface of the heat exchanger pressing member 16. The heat exchanger pressing member 16 is sized to cover the flat tube portion 20 of each flat heat exchanger tube 17 and the upper surfaces of the inlet / outlet header portions 21 and 22, and the heat exchanger pressing member 16 is provided at the four corners thereof. Is provided with a through-hole through which a board subassembly fixing screw 15b is fixed to the boss of the lower case 11a.

  The substrate subassembly 15 is placed on the upper surface of the stacked upper flat heat exchanger tube 17a, and the lower surface of the heat exchanger pressing member 16 is connected to the flat tube portion 20 and the inlet / outlet header portions 21 and 22 of the upper flat heat exchanger tube 17a. It is arrange | positioned so that the upper surface of may be touched. The board subassembly 15 is formed by laminating the flat heat between the lower surface of the heat exchanger pressing member 16 and the inner bottom surface of the lower case 11a by fixing the heat exchanger pressing member 16 to the lower case 11a with screws as described above. The flat tube portions 20 of the exchange tubes 17a, 17b, and 17c and the two PTC heaters 18 sandwiched therebetween are pressed and brought into close contact with each other, and the inlet / outlet header portions 21 and 22 of the flat heat exchange tubes 17 are also pressed. The seal material (in this example, an O-ring) 26 disposed around the communication holes 21a and 22a provided in the contact hole 21a and 22a is brought into close contact and tightened and fixed.

  As a result, the heat medium flowing in from the heat medium inlet channel 11 c is introduced from the inlet header portion 21 of each flat heat exchanger tube 17 into the flat tube portion 20, and passes through the U-turn flow path 24 of the flat tube portion 20. During the circulation, the PTC heater 18 heats and raises the temperature to reach the outlet header portion 22, and circulates in the flow path that flows out from the outlet header portion 22 through the heat medium outlet passage 11 d. Yes. The heat medium flowing out from the heat medium heating device 10 is configured to be supplied to the radiator 6 through the heat medium circulation circuit 10A (see FIG. 1).

  Further, the heat exchanger pressing member 16 constituting the substrate subassembly 15 is made of an aluminum alloy material having good thermal conductivity, and its lower surface is in contact with the upper surface of the uppermost flat heat exchanger tube 17a. It is configured. Thereby, the heat exchanger pressing member 16 uses the heat medium flowing in the flat heat exchanger tube 17 as a cold heat source as described above, and cools the semiconductor switching element 12 such as an IGBT installed on the control board 13. It can also function as a heat sink.

  In the heat medium heating device 10 described above, the three flat heat exchanger tubes 17a, 17b, and 17c and the two upper and lower PTC heaters 18 can be incorporated into the lower case 11a as follows. First, the sealing material 26c is arranged around the openings of the heat medium inlet passage 11c and the heat medium outlet passage 11d opened on the inner bottom surface of the lower case 11a, and the lowermost flat heat exchanger tube 17c is placed thereon. The PTC heater 18 and the sealing material 26b are disposed on the upper surface of the flat heat exchanger tube 17c, the middle flat heat exchanger tube 17b is overlaid thereon, and the PTC heater 18 and the sealing material are further disposed on the upper surface of the middle flat heat exchanger tube 17b. 26a is arranged, and the upper flat heat exchanger tube 17a is overlaid thereon, so that the three flat heat exchanger tubes 17a, 17b, 17c and the two upper and lower PTC heaters 18 are connected to the communication holes of the inlet / outlet headers 21,22. Sealing materials 26a, 26b, and 26c are interposed around 21a and 22a, and can be assembled by being laminated in multiple layers.

  After the three flat heat exchanger tubes 17 and the two upper and lower PTC heaters 18 are assembled at predetermined positions on the inner bottom surface of the lower case 11a, the substrate subassembly 15 is mounted on the upper surface of the uppermost flat heat exchanger tube 17a. The flat tube portions 20 of the three flat heat exchange tubes 17a, 17b, and 17c are fixed by screwing the heat exchange pressing member 16 of the assembly 15 to the boss portion on the lower case 11a side via four fixing screws 15b. And the three sealing materials 26a, 26b, 26c disposed around the communication holes 21a, 22a of the PTC heaters 18 and the inlet / outlet headers 21, 22 are brought into close contact with each other by the pressing force of the heat exchanger pressing member 16. It can be incorporated into the lower case 11a.

  Thereafter, the terminal of the power harness 27 and the terminal 14a of the electrode plate 14 are fixed to the terminal blocks 13a and 13c of the control board 13 provided on the upper surface of the heat exchanger pressing member 16 via screws 13b and 14b. At the same time, the electrical system is connected by connecting the LV harness 28 to the connector, and finally, the upper case (not shown) is screwed and fixed to the lower case 11a so as to cover the upper portion thereof. Can be assembled.

  In the heat medium heating device 10, the heat medium that has flowed into the inlet header portion 21 through the heat medium inlet passage 11 c is divided and circulated by the inlet header portion 21 to the three flat heat exchanger tubes 17, and the PTC heater 18. Then, the heat medium is circulated through the heat medium circulation circuit 10A of the vehicle air conditioner 1 by flowing out from the outlet header portion 22 through the heat medium outlet passage 11d.

Thus, according to the heat medium heating device 10 and the vehicle air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment, the following operational effects can be obtained.
In the present embodiment, a plurality of flat heat exchanger tubes 17 having a plurality of inlet / outlet headers 21 and 22 having communication holes 21a and 22a and a plurality of sets of PTC heaters 18 are laminated in a multilayer manner, and the inlet / outlet header portions are arranged. In the heat medium heating device 10 incorporated in the casing 11 provided with the heat medium inlet path 11c and the heat medium outlet path 11d communicating with 21 and 22, the casing 11 (lower case 11a) and the lowermost flat heat exchanger tube 11c The diameter D1 of the sealing material (O-ring) 26c disposed between the inlet header portion 21 and the outlet header portion 22 and the diameter D2 of the communication holes 21a and 22a sealed by the sealing material 26c The diameters d1 of the sealing materials 26a and 26b and the diameter d2 of the communication holes 21a and 22a are made larger.

  Therefore, the inlet header of the flat heat exchanger tube 17c from the heat medium inlet passage 11c through which the entire flow rate of the heat medium flowing through the plurality of flat heat exchanger tubes 17a, 17b, 17c stacked in multiple layers passes. The diameter D2 of the communication holes 21a and 22a and the diameter D1 of the sealing material 26c are increased at the inflowing part to the part 21 and the outflowing part from the outlet header part 22 of the flat heat exchanger tube 17c to the heat medium outlet passage 11d. Only the flow path pressure loss at each part can be reduced. As a result, the pressure loss of the heat medium flowing through each flat heat exchanger tube 17 can be reduced, and the heat transfer efficiency from the PTC heater 18 to the heat medium can be increased. As a result, the heat medium heating device 10 is improved in performance and reduced in size. can do.

  In addition, each of the flat heat exchanger tubes 17 described above has the inlet header portion 21 and the outlet header portion 22 arranged in parallel on one end side, and the heat medium flowing in from the inlet header portion 21 is folded at the U-turn portion 23 on the other end side. The flat heat exchanger tube 17 is provided with a U-turn flow path 24 that flows out from the outlet header portion 22. For this reason, the tube length of the flat heat exchanger tube 17 can be shortened compared with the one using the flat heat exchanger tube of the both end tank structure which provided the inlet header part and the outlet header part at the both ends of the flat heat exchanger tube. Thus, the heat medium heating device 10 can be reduced in size and cost.

  Furthermore, by arranging the inlet header portion 21 and the outlet header portion 22 on one end side in parallel, the tube length can be shortened as described above, but the U-turn flow passage 24 is formed, but the flow passage pressure loss increases. It is possible to reduce the flow path pressure loss at the inflow portion of the heat medium into the inlet header portion 21 and the outflow portion from the outlet header portion 22 and to reduce the flow path pressure loss in the flat heat exchanger tube 17 as much as possible. it can. Therefore, the heat medium heating device 10 can be miniaturized by making the most of the features of the flat heat exchanger tube 17 provided with the U-turn flow path 24, and the heat medium heating device 10 can be reduced by reducing the pressure loss of the heat medium. Can be improved in performance.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the heat medium inlet passage 11c and the heat medium outlet passage 11d extend in the horizontal direction from the bottom surface of the casing 11, and are connected to the inlet header portion 21 and the outlet header portion 22 of each flat heat exchanger tube 17. On the other hand, it communicates upward. For this reason, the inflow site of the heat medium from the heat medium inlet passage 11c to the inlet header portion 21 of the flat heat exchanger tube 17c and the outflow portion of the heat medium from the outlet header portion 22 of the flat heat exchanger tube 17c to the heat medium outlet passage 11d. Is a curved flow path, and the flow of the heat medium is biased. However, since the diameter D2 of the communication holes 21a and 22a and the diameter D1 of the seal material 26c are increased, The flow path pressure loss can be effectively reduced. Accordingly, the heat medium inlet passage 11c and the heat medium outlet passage 11d are horizontally arranged, the heat medium heating device 10 can be reduced in size, and the heat medium heating device 10 can be improved in performance by reducing the flow path pressure loss. Can do.

  In addition, the outflow portion of the heat medium from the outlet header portion 22 of the flat heat exchanger tube 17 to the heat medium outlet passage 11d becomes a curved flow path, and the edge portion 11f is formed in molding the casing of the curved portion. The edge portion 11f can be formed into a smooth curved surface by the tongue portion 26d provided on the sealing material (O-ring) 26cex disposed in the opening. For this reason, separation of the flow of the heat medium at the edge portion 11f can be prevented and pressure loss can be reduced, and the performance of the heat medium heating device 10 can also be improved.

  Further, since the heat medium inlet passage 11c and the heat medium outlet passage 11d are configured to extend from the casing 11 in the same direction, the heat medium circulation circuit 10A is connected to the heat medium heating device 10 from the same direction. Can be connected. Therefore, the routing of the heat medium circulation circuit 10A can be simplified and facilitated, and the mounting property of the heat medium heating device 10 on the vehicle can be improved.

  Furthermore, according to the vehicle air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment, the heat medium circulated to the radiator 6 disposed in the air flow path 2 is reduced from the PTC heater 18 to the heat medium with reduced pressure loss. By increasing the heat transfer efficiency, it is possible to heat and circulate with the heat medium heating device 10 that has been reduced in size and performance. For this reason, while improving the air-conditioning performance in the vehicle air conditioner 1, especially heating performance, the mounting property of the air-conditioner 1 with respect to a vehicle can be improved.

  In addition, this invention is not limited to the invention concerning the said embodiment, In the range which does not deviate from the summary, it can change suitably. For example, in the above-described embodiment, the flat heat exchanger tubes 17 are stacked in three layers, and the PTC heater 18 is incorporated between them. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the flat heat exchanger tubes 17 and the PTC heaters 18 Of course, the number of stacked layers may be increased or decreased. Moreover, although the example which made the casing 11 the resin molded product was demonstrated, it cannot be overemphasized that this invention may be made from metals, such as an aluminum alloy, without being limited to this.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle air conditioner 6 Radiator 10 Heat carrier heating device 10A Heat carrier circulation circuit 11 Casing 11c Heat carrier inlet passage 11d Heat carrier outlet passage 17, 17a, 17b, 17c Flat heat exchanger tube 18 PTC heater 21 Inlet header part 21a Communication Hole 22 Outlet header portion 22a Communication hole 23 U-turn portion 24 U-turn flow path 26, 26a, 26b, 26c Seal material D1 Diameter D2 of seal material between casing and bottom flat heat exchanger tube Bottom flat heat exchanger tube Diameter of the communication hole d1 Diameter of the sealing material between the flat heat exchanger tubes of the other layer d2 Diameter of the communication hole of the flat heat exchanger tube of the other layer

Claims (5)

A plurality of flat heat exchanger tubes that flow out of the outlet header after the heat medium flowing in from the inlet header flows through the flat tube,
A sealing material that is disposed around the communication holes provided in the inlet header part and the outlet header part, and seals around the communication holes communicated with each other by laminating a plurality of the flat heat exchanger tubes;
A PTC heater incorporated between a plurality of the flat heat exchanger tubes to be laminated;
A heat medium inlet passage and a heat medium outlet passage communicating with the inlet header portion and the outlet header portion of the flat heat exchanger tube are provided on the bottom surface, and the flat heat exchanger tube and the PTC heater are laminated in multiple layers on the inner bottom surface thereof. And a casing to be incorporated,
The diameter of the sealing material disposed between the casing and the inlet header portion and the outlet header portion of the flattened heat exchanger tube at the lowermost layer and the diameter of the communication hole sealed by the sealing material are different layers. A heating medium heating device characterized in that it is larger than the diameter of the sealing material and the diameter of the communication hole.   In the flat heat exchanger tube, the inlet header portion and the outlet header portion are arranged in parallel on one end side, and after the heat medium flowing in from the inlet header portion flows through the flat tube portion, the U-turn portion on the other end side 2. The heating medium heating according to claim 1, wherein the heating medium heating is a flat heat exchanger tube provided with a U-turn flow path that flows out from the outlet header portion after flowing back through the flat tube portion again. apparatus.   The heat medium inlet path and the heat medium outlet path extend horizontally along the bottom surface of the casing, and face upward with respect to the inlet header portion and the outlet header portion of the flat heat exchanger tube. The heat medium heating device according to claim 1, wherein the heat medium heating device is communicated.   The heat medium heating device according to claim 1, wherein the heat medium inlet path and the heat medium outlet path are extended from the casing in the same direction. In the vehicle air conditioner configured to circulate the heat medium heated by the heat medium heating device with respect to the radiator disposed in the air flow path,
The vehicle air conditioner, wherein the heat medium heating device is the heat medium heating device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

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