JP2014020675A - Refrigeration cycle device for cell temperature adjustment - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a refrigeration cycle device for cell temperature adjustment that can efficiently cool a cell 20 by preventing a high pressure rise and preventing a coolant and oil from being released beyond a refrigeration cycle.SOLUTION: A refrigeration cycle device for cell temperature adjustment comprises: a pressure relief valve 10 that releases a coolant held in a compressor 1 to the outside of the compressor 1 by opening a valve when a pressure of the coolant exceeds a predetermined pressure; a condenser 2 for dissipating heat of the coolant having been compressed; an expansion valve 3 for expanding the coolant that has passed through the condenser 2; an evaporator 4 for allowing evaporation of the expanded coolant; a cell 20 whose temperature is adjusted by a fluid subjected to heat exchange with the condenser 2 and/or the evaporator 4; a bypass circuit 7 for allowing the coolant to flow therethrough by bypassing at least the expansion valve 3 from a high pressure side to a low pressure side; and a high pressure suppression valve 8 for suppressing, upon a high pressure rise, a high pressure by causing the coolant to flow from the high pressure side to the low pressure side via the bypass circuit 7 with a high pressure being set to be equal to or less than a predetermined pressure relevant to the pressure relief valve 10.

Description

  The present invention relates to a battery temperature adjusting refrigeration cycle apparatus that adjusts the temperature of a battery mounted on a vehicle.

  In an electric vehicle such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, electric energy stored in a power storage device such as a secondary battery is supplied to a traveling motor via an inverter or the like. The battery self-heats due to charge / discharge during rapid charging or running, and the temperature rises. When the battery becomes high temperature, not only a sufficient battery function cannot be obtained, but also deterioration and breakage are caused. Therefore, it is necessary to cool the battery below a certain temperature.

  On the other hand, the battery has a problem that input / output characteristics deteriorate even at low temperatures such as in winter, and sufficient electric power cannot be obtained for traveling or charging or regeneration cannot be performed. Therefore, a heating means for the battery may be necessary.

  The temperature at which the battery operates optimally is generally 10 ° C. to 40 ° C., and it is necessary to adjust the temperature of the battery within this temperature range. As a vehicle-mounted system that can meet such demands, there is a vehicle cooling system described in Patent Document 1.

  In this patent document 1, it has the refrigerating cycle provided with the compressor, the condenser, the expansion valve, and the evaporator, and EV system cooling system is connected to the evaporator. And it is the structure which connects an evaporator, the heat exchanger for indoor air conditioning, a battery, and a DC / DC converter in series, and lets a cooling medium flow in series with a pump.

Japanese Patent No. 4285292

  Although the battery can be cooled by using the vehicle cooling system as in Patent Document 1 described above, when the temperature of the vehicle interior air conditioner and the battery is adjusted by one refrigeration cycle, the following problems are solved. This complicates the refrigeration cycle.

  The first problem is that the vehicle interior air conditioning feeling (air conditioner performance) deteriorates when the temperature of the battery is adjusted. The second problem is that it is necessary to satisfy different and different requirements such as heating in the vehicle interior air conditioning and cooling the battery.

  Therefore, there is a demand from a vehicle manufacturer to install a refrigeration cycle dedicated to battery temperature control (a stand-alone refrigeration cycle separated from the air conditioning in the vehicle interior). In order to realize this demand, it is necessary to newly develop a small refrigeration cycle apparatus that has a maximum cooling and heating capacity for battery temperature control of about 1 kW to 2 kW and can be integrated into an assembled battery that is an assembly of batteries.

  When a small refrigeration cycle apparatus is integrated with an assembled battery, it is necessary to reduce the size of the condenser as compared with an air conditioning refrigeration cycle apparatus for air conditioning in a vehicle interior. For this reason, the internal volume of the condenser (the refrigerant storage volume in the tube) is also reduced. For example, the internal volume in the tube of a general air conditioning condenser is about 200 cc, whereas the internal volume of the condenser for the above application is about 35 cc.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 13, the optimum filling amount is limited within a predetermined range in the relationship between the refrigerant filling amount and the high pressure on the high pressure side of the compressor. In the above stand-alone refrigeration cycle, there is little margin in charging the refrigerant into the condenser, and depending on the operating conditions, the refrigerant is overfilled and the high pressure tends to jump.

  More specifically, the liquid refrigerant (HFC-134a as an example) tends to increase in liquid specific volume (volume occupied by the liquid refrigerant per unit mass) as the temperature and pressure increase, as shown in FIG. For this reason, as the operating load is higher as shown in FIG. 13 (higher pressure is higher), the optimum filling amount of the cycle tends to decrease on the left side of FIG.

  Under such a high load condition, when the refrigerant is overfilled in the condenser and the refrigeration cycle is operated, if the balance of the refrigeration cycle changes due to some disturbance, "high pressure rise", "liquid A vicious circle of “reduced refrigerant density (increased specific volume of liquid refrigerant)”, “increased amount of liquid refrigerant in the condenser”, “decreased condenser capacity”, and “increased high pressure” (returned to the beginning) occurs.

  Here, the heat dissipation performance of the condenser is largely determined by the temperature difference ΔT between the saturation temperature at which the refrigerant condenses and the outside air temperature and the condensation area. When liquid refrigerant accumulates in the condenser, the area of the condensing portion decreases, and accordingly, the cycle balance changes in a direction that increases the temperature difference (above ΔT) between the saturation temperature at which the refrigerant condenses and the outside air temperature. For this reason, the high pressure increases. Therefore, the area of the condensing part is significantly reduced due to the fluctuation of the amount of liquid refrigerant in which the liquid refrigerant accumulates in the condensing part, and the high pressure is increased at once.

  Even when a condenser with a large internal volume is used, there is a high pressure rise itself, but since the rate of reduction in the capacity (speed) of the condensing part is small, a rapid high pressure rise does not occur. Therefore, it can be handled by high pressure feedback control or the like in the compressor control, and the high pressure does not rise at a stretch.

  In this way, in the refrigeration cycle dedicated to battery temperature control (a stand-alone refrigeration cycle separated from the refrigeration system of the vehicle interior air conditioner), the condenser is filled with liquid refrigerant, so the gas refrigerant in the condenser However, heat cannot be exchanged with the air, the cooling capacity of the condenser with air is reduced at a stretch, and the high pressure of the refrigeration cycle is rapidly increased.

  Here, as is well known in the art, a pressure relief valve (such as Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-353578) that discharges refrigerant into the atmosphere when the internal pressure becomes high is provided as a protective device in the outer case of the compressor. .

  This pressure relief valve releases or opens the refrigerant gas and pressure to the outside atmosphere of the compressor when the refrigerant gas compressed by the compressor body reaches a predetermined pressure. Therefore, as described above, when a problem occurs that the high pressure of the refrigeration cycle suddenly increases, the pressure relief valve is opened as a protective device.

  FIG. 15 illustrates the relationship between the discharge pressure change in the compressor and the opening pressure of the pressure relief valve. The discharge pressure in the compressor is usually about 1.5 MPa, but when the high pressure in the refrigeration cycle rises rapidly and exceeds the relief opening pressure (for example, 3 MPa) of the pressure relief valve, ) Refrigerant and oil erupt.

  When the battery bag is cooled by a small refrigeration cycle, the pressure relief valve is installed near the battery. Therefore, when the pressure relief valve is opened, the refrigerant and oil in the compressor may be sprayed in the form of a mist, which may damage nearby batteries.

  The problem is particularly great when the battery and the stand-alone refrigeration cycle apparatus are integrated by compact integration. In addition, it is necessary to refill the refrigerant that has been discharged, which complicates maintenance and deteriorates serviceability.

  In addition, before the pressure relief valve opens, there is a means to control the compressor capacity (rotation speed, etc.) and to stop the operation, but the compressor capacity control is poorly responsive and reliably compresses. There is a possibility that the high pressure rise cannot be suppressed by the capacity control of the machine, and that it takes too much time to determine the control constant if the high pressure rise is surely suppressed.

  The present invention has been made paying attention to such problems existing in the prior art, and its purpose is to prevent an increase in high pressure when a refrigeration cycle is used for cooling a battery, An object of the present invention is to provide a battery temperature control refrigeration cycle apparatus capable of efficiently cooling a battery by preventing refrigerant and oil from being discharged to the outside of the refrigeration cycle.

  Descriptions of patent documents listed as prior art can be introduced or incorporated by reference as explanations of technical elements described in this specification.

  In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following technical means. That is, in the invention described in the claims, the compressor (1) that compresses the refrigerant and the valve is opened when the pressure of the refrigerant in the compressor (1) exceeds a predetermined pressure, and the refrigerant is placed outside the compressor (1). Pressure relief valve (10) that discharges, condenser (2) that dissipates heat of the refrigerant compressed by the compressor (1), and expansion valve (3) that expands the refrigerant that has passed through the condenser (2) And an evaporator (4) in which the refrigerant expanded by the expansion valve (3) evaporates, and a battery (20 that is temperature-controlled by a fluid that exchanges heat with at least one of the condenser (2) and the evaporator (4) ), And the refrigerant pressurized by the compressor (1) at a pressure equal to or lower than a predetermined pressure related to the bypass circuit (7, 7a, 7b) and the pressure relief valve (10) that flows through the expansion valve (3). Via the bypass circuit (7, 7a, 7b) Flowing a medium, suppress the rise in pressure of the refrigerant, is characterized in that it comprises a bypass circuit (7, 7a, 7b) pressure suppression valve provided in the (8).

  According to the present invention, when a rapid increase in high pressure occurs, the high pressure suppression valve installed on the bypass circuit is opened at a stage below a predetermined pressure to suppress the increase in high pressure, and the refrigerant or oil Can be prevented from being discharged to the outside of the refrigeration cycle through the pressure relief valve, and the battery can be prevented from being damaged by the discharged refrigerant.

  Further, the battery (20) is used at a temperature lower than the predetermined upper limit of the outside air temperature that is the upper limit of the air temperature outside the vehicle, and a pressure equal to or lower than the predetermined pressure is a refrigerant that cools the battery (20) at the upper limit of the outdoor air temperature. The pressure is higher than the saturation pressure.

  According to the present invention, since the pressure equal to or lower than the predetermined pressure is higher than the saturation pressure of the refrigerant that cools the battery at the outdoor air upper limit temperature when the vehicle is mounted, the high pressure side is required until the outdoor air upper limit temperature is reached. Since the high-pressure suppression valve installed on the bypass circuit connecting the low-pressure side and the low-pressure side does not open, the battery can be cooled at least up to the outside air upper limit temperature.

  Further, the high-pressure suppression valve (8) is provided in a bypass circuit (7a, 7b) provided between the outlet side of the condenser (2) and the evaporator (4), and the evaporator (4) inlet side. A bypass circuit (7a, 7b) is connected to one end of the expansion valve (3) provided in the valve.

  According to this invention, the expansion valve squeezes the high-pressure refrigerant into a low-pressure refrigerant, and is provided at a location where the high-pressure pipe and the low-pressure pipe are adjacent to each other. Therefore, when a bypass circuit is connected to one end of the expansion valve and a high-pressure suppression valve is provided in the bypass circuit, the expansion valve and the high-pressure suppression valve are easily attached adjacent to each other. Regarding the maintainability, since the expansion valve is assumed to be replaced in the market, it can be said that the installation position of the high-pressure suppression valve is a position where maintenance is easy.

  In addition, the code | symbol in parentheses described in a claim and each said means is an example which shows the correspondence with the specific means as described in embodiment mentioned later easily, and limits the content of invention is not.

It is a refrigerant circuit figure of the refrigerating cycle device for battery temperature control in a 1st embodiment of the present invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure of the high pressure | pressure suppression valve used for the refrigerant circuit of FIG. FIG. 2 is a refrigerant circuit diagram illustrating a refrigerant flow during a refrigeration cycle operation in the refrigerant circuit diagram of FIG. 1. FIG. 4 is a refrigerant circuit diagram illustrating a refrigerant flow when the high pressure suppression valve is opened in the refrigerant circuit of FIG. 3. It is a schematic block diagram at the time of the cooling mode of the refrigerating cycle apparatus for battery temperature control in the said embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the connection state of the apparatus with respect to the control apparatus in the said embodiment. It is a schematic block diagram at the time of the heating mode of the refrigerating cycle apparatus for battery temperature control in the said embodiment. It is a refrigerant circuit figure of the refrigerating cycle device for battery temperature control in a 2nd embodiment of the present invention. It is a refrigerant circuit figure of the refrigerating cycle device for battery temperature control in a 3rd embodiment of the present invention. It is a schematic block diagram of the refrigerating-cycle apparatus for battery temperature control in 4th Embodiment of this invention. It is a refrigerant circuit figure of the refrigerating cycle device for battery temperature control in a 5th embodiment of the present invention. It is a graph explaining the transition state of the operation mode according to the outside temperature and battery temperature in the said 5th Embodiment. It is a graph which shows the relationship between refrigerant | coolant filling amount, high pressure, and optimal filling amount in the background of invention. In the background of the invention, it is a graph which shows the relationship between the pressure of one example of a liquid refrigerant, and a liquid specific volume. It is a graph explaining the background of invention and explaining the valve opening pressure of the pressure relief valve used in 1st Embodiment.

  A plurality of modes for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, parts corresponding to the matters described in the preceding embodiment may be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted. When only a part of the configuration is described in each mode, the other modes described above can be applied to the other parts of the configuration.

  Not only combinations of parts that clearly indicate that the combination is possible in each embodiment, but also the embodiments are partially combined even if they are not clearly specified unless there is a problem with the combination. It is also possible.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a first embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 shows a configuration of a refrigeration cycle that performs cooling and heating of a battery, that is, temperature adjustment (temperature control) in a battery temperature adjustment refrigeration cycle apparatus 100. In FIG. 1, the configuration of the refrigeration cycle is based on the system configuration of the normal refrigeration cycle (compressor 1, condenser 2, expansion valve 3, and evaporator 4), compressor discharge section (high pressure side) 5 and compressor. A bypass circuit 7 that connects the suction part (low pressure side) 6 is provided.

  And the high pressure | pressure suppression valve 8 which opens when it becomes the predetermined pressure on the bypass circuit 7 is installed. The high pressure suppression valve 8 is constituted by a differential pressure valve in the first embodiment, but can also be constituted by a control valve such as an electromagnetic valve. The high-pressure suppression valve 8 is provided in the bypass circuit 7 that connects the high-pressure pipe 7H and the low-pressure pipe 7L outside the compressor 1. Further, a high pressure measuring means (pressure sensor) 9 for measuring the high pressure is provided as is well known. The bypass circuit 7 can flow the refrigerant by bypassing (without passing) the expansion valve 3 from the high pressure side to the low pressure side of the refrigerant.

  FIG. 2 shows a configuration of a high-pressure suppression valve 8 that is provided on the bypass circuit 7 and is a differential pressure valve that opens when a predetermined pressure is reached. The upper side of FIG. 2 is the high pressure side that is the compressor discharge section 5 side. Moreover, the lower side of FIG. 2 is the low pressure side which becomes the compressor suction part 6 side. The high-pressure suppression valve 8 has a shut valve 12 that is normally closed by a pressing force of a spring 11 inside.

  FIG. 3 shows the flow of the refrigerant during the refrigeration cycle operation with arrows. In FIG. 3, the condenser 2 and the evaporator 4 of the refrigeration cycle are installed separately in the vertical direction, but the first embodiment may not have this vertical arrangement. The refrigerant is compressed by the compressor 1, flows through the condenser 2, the pressure sensor 9, the expansion valve 3, and the evaporator 4 disposed on the top side, and returns to the compressor 1.

  A high-pressure suppression valve 8 composed of a differential pressure valve is provided at both ends of the compressor 1, but is normally closed (blocked). When the high pressure side which is the compressor discharge section 5 side of the compressor 1 becomes abnormally high pressure, the high pressure suppression valve 8 is opened by the differential pressure, and both ends of the compressor 1 are connected to the high pressure suppression valve as shown in FIG. Short circuit at 8 and refrigerant flows.

  In FIG. 5, the structure of the refrigeration cycle apparatus for battery temperature adjustment during battery cooling will be described. A condenser 2 and an evaporator 4 of the refrigeration cycle are respectively installed in the vertical direction. Cooling and heating are switched by introducing the temperature adjusting air generated by the battery temperature adjusting blower 11 (also simply referred to as a blower) to the evaporator 4 or the condenser 2. For this purpose, a plurality of switching doors 13, 14, 15, 16 are provided. In addition, an electric fan 17 is provided for performing heat radiation to the outside air (or heat absorption from the outside air).

  The battery temperature control refrigeration cycle apparatus 100 according to the present invention includes, firstly, an automobile having a battery inside using an internal combustion engine as a driving source, and secondly, an internal combustion engine and a motor driven by the power of the secondary battery. It is used for a hybrid vehicle that travels in combination, and thirdly, an electric vehicle that uses a motor as a travel drive source. This 1st Embodiment has shown the case where it is used for an electric vehicle. The temperature controlled object to be temperature-controlled is a battery that is provided in a vehicle and arranged in a space where temperature-controlled temperature-controlled air can be blown.

  In FIG. 5, arrows indicate the air flow when the cooling mode for cooling the battery to be temperature-controlled requiring temperature adjustment is performed. In 1st Embodiment, the air which flows through the inside of the duct 46 is employ | adopted as a temperature control fluid for adjusting the temperature of the assembled battery 20 which comprises a battery.

  The secondary battery constituting the assembled battery 20 is chargeable / dischargeable, and is used for an application for supplying electric power to a vehicle running motor or the like. The electric power is stored in each single battery (also referred to as a battery cell) constituting the assembled battery 20. Each unit cell is composed of, for example, a nickel-hydrogen secondary battery, a lithium ion secondary battery, an organic radical battery, or the like. For example, the assembled battery 20 is arranged in a space between the rear seat and the trunk room, a space between the driver seat and the passenger seat, etc. under the seat of the electric vehicle while being housed in the housing. The duct 46 is configured to allow air to flow between the outlet 46 a on the side opposite to the blower of the housing in which the assembled battery 20 is housed and the heat exchanger upstream side passage 41.

  FIG. 6 shows a connection state of devices to the control device 21 in the first embodiment. As shown in FIG. 5 and FIG. 6, the battery temperature adjustment refrigeration cycle apparatus 100 includes a battery pack 20 composed of a plurality of single cells connected to be energized, and air (hereinafter referred to as the temperature adjusted) for the battery pack 20. A door for switching the blower 11 for blowing air), the condenser 2 and the evaporator 4 including a heat exchanger for adjusting the temperature of the air, and the air passage through which the temperature-controlled air flows according to the operation mode. 13, 14, 15, 16, a compressor 1, a battery temperature sensor 45, and an electric fan 17, and a control device 21 that controls the operation of these devices 1, 11, 13 to 16.

  A battery passage is formed in the assembled battery 20 so that air contacts the outer surface or electrode terminal of each unit cell, and the temperature of the assembled battery 20 is adjusted by the temperature-controlled air flowing through the battery passage. Can do. The blower 11 is a temperature adjusting blower that blows temperature adjusted air to a plurality of single cells.

  The assembled battery 20 is controlled by a plurality of electronic components (not shown) used for charging, discharging, and temperature adjustment of the plurality of unit cells, and the temperature of each unit cell is adjusted by the air flowing around. This electronic component includes an electronic component that controls a relay, an inverter of a charger, a battery monitoring device, a battery protection circuit, various control devices, and the like. Each single cell has, for example, a flat rectangular parallelepiped outer case, and electrode terminals protrude from the outer case.

  As the electrode terminals, each unit cell has a positive electrode terminal and a negative electrode terminal arranged with a predetermined interval. For example, all the unit cells constituting the assembled battery 20 start from the negative terminal of the unit cell located on one end side in the stacking direction, and are connected in the stacking direction by the bus bar connecting the electrode terminals of the adjacent unit cells. Are connected in series so that they can be energized up to the positive terminal of the unit cell located on the other end side.

  The refrigeration cycle has a refrigerant circuit configured by annularly connecting at least a compressor 1, a condenser 2 constituting a radiator, an expansion valve 3 constituting a decompression means, an evaporator 4 and the like. The condenser 2 constitutes a heating heat exchanger that heats the air sent to the assembled battery 20 (FIG. 5) to generate temperature-controlled air. In the heating mode, the condenser 2 heats the passing air by the action of the refrigerant compressed by the compressor 1 in the refrigeration cycle dissipating heat to the air passing through the heat exchange part of the condenser 2.

  In FIG. 1, the configuration of the refrigeration cycle will be described in more detail. The heat exchanging part of the condenser 2 includes tubes 2t arranged alternately, and these are laminated and formed integrally. The refrigerant flows in the tubes 2t, and the heated air passes through the outer fins existing between the tubes 2t in a direction orthogonal to the refrigerant flow direction. One end of the plurality of tubes 2t is connected to the upper tank 2u, and the other end is connected to the lower tank 2d. The upper tank 2u and the lower tank 2d communicate with each other through the inside of the plurality of tubes 2t. That is, the refrigerant that has flowed into the lower tank 2d can flow into the upper tank 2u through the tube 2t.

  The evaporator 4 is an example of a cooling heat exchanger that cools air sent to the assembled battery 20 to generate temperature-controlled air. In the evaporator 4, in the cooling mode, after flowing out of the condenser 2 in the refrigeration cycle, the refrigerant decompressed by the expansion valve 3 constituting the decompressor absorbs heat from the air passing through the heat exchange unit.

  Similar to the condenser 2, the heat exchanging portion of the evaporator 4 includes tubes 4 t and outer fins that are alternately arranged, and these are stacked and integrated. The refrigerant flows in the tubes 4t, and the cooled air passes through the outer fins existing between the tubes 4t in a direction perpendicular to the refrigerant flow direction. One end of the plurality of tubes 4t is connected to the upper tank 4u, and the other end is connected to the lower tank 4d. The upper tank 4u and the lower tank 4d communicate with each other through the inside of the plurality of tubes 4t. That is, the refrigerant that has flowed into the lower tank 4d can flow into the upper tank 4u through the tube 4t.

  The refrigeration cycle includes a bypass circuit 7 that connects the evaporator 4 and the condenser 2 so as to be able to bypass the compressor 1, and a high-pressure suppression valve 8 that is an example of a valve device that permits and prohibits refrigerant flow in the bypass circuit 7. Have.

  In addition, the part of the condenser 2 connected to the compressor discharge unit 5 is not limited to the upper tank 2u, and the height position thereof may be arbitrarily set. For example, the portion of the condenser 2 may be provided in the lower tank 2d.

  Further, the portion of the evaporator 4 connected to the compressor suction portion 6 is not limited to the lower tank 4d, and the height position thereof may be arbitrarily set. For example, the portion of the evaporator 4 may be provided in the upper tank 4u.

  Further, the portion of the evaporator 4 connected to the outlet portion of the expansion valve 3 is not limited to the lower tank 4d, and the height position thereof may be arbitrarily set. For example, the portion of the evaporator 4 may be provided in the upper tank 4u.

  Further, the condenser 2 and the evaporator 4 can use heat exchangers having the same configuration, that is, exactly the same components. Thereby, since the heat exchanger used as the condenser 2 and the evaporator 4 can be managed by one part, it can contribute to product cost reduction by reducing the management man-hour of parts.

  Furthermore, as shown in FIG. 5, these heat exchangers 2 and 4 can be adjacent to each other, and thus can be integrally configured as a single component (heat exchanger units 2 and 4).

  In FIG. 5, a refrigeration cycle apparatus 100 for battery temperature control includes a battery passage of the assembled battery 20, a heat exchanger upstream passage 41, a heat exchanger downstream passage 42, an outside air intake passage 43 communicating with the outside of the passenger compartment, An outdoor discharge passage 44 communicating with the outside is provided as an air passage.

  The electric fan 17 is disposed at a position where a forced outdoor air flow from the outdoor air intake passage 43 to the outdoor discharge passage 44 can be created. The blower 11 is arranged between the air flow downstream side of the heat exchanger downstream passage 42 and the air flow upstream side of the battery passage, and creates an air flow from the heat exchanger downstream passage 42 to the battery passage.

  The assembled battery 20 is provided with a battery temperature sensor 45 that detects the temperature of the unit cell. The battery temperature sensor 45 is an example of a device temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the temperature adjustment target. The battery temperature sensor 45 can be configured to detect any one of the surface temperature of a predetermined unit cell, the temperature of the electrode terminal, and the temperature of the bus bar.

  The heat exchanger upstream side passage 41 is a passage located upstream of the air flow with respect to the condenser 2 and the evaporator 4, and the respective inlet portions of the condenser 2 and the evaporator 4 from the heat exchanger upstream side passage 41. Branches into two passages leading to The heat exchanger downstream side passage 42 is a passage located downstream of the air flow with respect to the condenser 2 and the evaporator 4, and the two passages extending from the respective outlet portions of the condenser 2 and the evaporator 4 perform heat exchange. It joins the downstream side passage 42 of the vessel.

  The outside air intake passage 43 is a passage located upstream of the air flow with respect to the condenser 2 and the evaporator 4. The outdoor discharge passage 44 is a passage located downstream of the air flow with respect to the condenser 2 and the evaporator 4.

  The doors 13 to 16 are air path switching means for switching the air path through which the temperature-controlled air flows according to the operation mode. The door 13 is located downstream of the heat exchanger upstream passage 41 and upstream of the condenser 2, and the inlet portion of the condenser 2 communicates with either the heat exchanger upstream passage 41 or the outside air intake passage 43. It is an air path switching means set to the opening position which switches so that it may do.

  The door 14 is located downstream of the condenser 2 and upstream of the heat exchanger downstream passage 42, and switches the outlet of the condenser 2 to either the heat exchanger downstream passage 42 or the outdoor discharge passage 44. Air path switching means set at the opening position. As shown in FIG. 7, the opening positions of the door 13 and the door 14 are the air passage through which the temperature-controlled air flowing through the duct 46 passes through the heat exchanging portion of the condenser 2 and the assembled battery in the heating mode for heating the assembled battery 20. An air path that circulates through the 20 battery passages is set.

  The door 15 is located downstream of the heat exchanger upstream passage 41 and upstream of the evaporator 4, and the inlet portion of the evaporator 4 communicates with either the heat exchanger upstream passage 41 or the outside air intake passage 43. It is an air path switching means set to the position to switch so as to. The door 16 is located downstream of the evaporator 4 and upstream of the heat exchanger downstream passage 42, and switches the outlet of the evaporator 4 to either the heat exchanger downstream passage 42 or the outdoor discharge passage 44. Air path switching means for setting the position.

  As shown in FIG. 5, the opening positions of the door 15 and the door 16 are set together with the air passage through which the temperature-controlled air flowing through the duct 46 passes through the heat exchange part of the evaporator 4 in the cooling mode for cooling the assembled battery 20. An air path that circulates through the battery passage of the battery 20 is set.

  As shown in FIG. 6, the control device 21 receives the detection signal of the battery temperature sensor 45 (FIG. 5), and according to the calculation result using the calculation program stored in advance in the calculation unit and the storage device, the compressor 1 , The opening positions of the doors 13 to 16, the rotational speed of the blower 11, and the rotational speed of the electric fan 17 are controlled. The expansion valve 3 (FIG. 3) is a decompressor with a fixed opening, but the decompression amount may be controlled by the control device 21 using an electronically controlled expansion valve with a variable opening. Good.

  Similarly, the high-pressure suppression valve 8 can also be controlled to open and close by the control device 21 in accordance with a signal from the pressure sensor 9 or the like as a control valve such as an electromagnetic valve. Even in the stand-alone type, the control device 21 can be integrated with an air conditioner control device for air-conditioning the vehicle interior.

  The control device 21 controls the doors 13 to 16, the blower 11, and the compressor 1 to perform the heating mode operation when the heating mode execution condition for warming the assembled battery 20 by providing warm air is established. Moreover, when the implementation conditions of the cooling mode which cools the air given to the assembled battery 20 are materialized, the doors 13-16, the blower 11, and the compressor 1 are controlled, and the operation of a cooling mode is implemented. The control of the control device 21 is continuously performed when a vehicle start switch (for example, an ignition switch) is in an ON state.

  In the heating mode, as shown in FIG. 7, the controller 21 drives the compressor 1, and the heat exchanger upstream side passage 41 and the heat exchanger downstream side passage 42 communicate with each other via the condenser 2. The opening positions of the door 13 and the door 14 are controlled so as to form an air path, and the door 15 and the door 15 are formed so as to form an air path in which the outside air intake passage 43 and the outdoor discharge passage 44 communicate with each other via the evaporator 4. 16 opening positions are controlled. Further, the control device 21 controls the blower 11 and the electric fan 17.

  Thereby, the high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 dissipates heat in the condenser 2 and heats the passing air. The heated air continues to circulate through the air passage that passes through the heat exchange section of the condenser 2 and the battery passage of the assembled battery 20, and continues to be heated by the condenser 2. The temperature-controlled air that continues to be heated in this way, when flowing through the battery passage of the battery pack 20, contacts the surface of the battery cell or the electrode terminal to heat the battery cell and raise the temperature of the battery pack 20. Can do.

  The refrigerant flowing out of the condenser 2 is decompressed by the expansion valve 3 (FIG. 3), vaporized by the evaporator 4 and absorbed by the passing air to cool the passing air, and then sucked into the compressor 1. Is done. The passing air cooled by the evaporator 4 is the outside air flowing from the outside air intake passage 43 toward the outdoor discharge passage 44, and the cooled outside air is again discharged outside the vehicle compartment.

In this case, when the outside air can be circulated from the outside air intake passage 43 to the outdoor discharge passage 44 by the vehicle traveling wind, the electric fan 17 may be controlled to be stopped without being driven. Thus, in the heating operation, the heat of the outside air absorbed by the evaporator 4 is dissipated by the condenser 2 to heat the air, and is provided to the assembled battery 20 as temperature-controlled air.
(Operation of the first embodiment)
In FIG. 5, when the outside air temperature, which is the temperature of the outside air taken in from the outside air intake passage 43, is a high temperature (for example, about 45 ° C.) that is the outside air upper limit temperature when the vehicle travels, the refrigerant in the condenser 2 with respect to this outside air. The saturation temperature is about 70 ° C. The reason is as follows. When the outside air is sent to the condenser 2 by the blower fan 17, a part of the wind that has passed through the condenser 2 and the blower fan 17 once wraps around the condenser 2 side and the heat wraps around again through the condenser 2. Therefore, it is necessary to add about 45 ° C. to the 45 ° C. in consideration of heat wraparound. Further, a temperature difference between the refrigerant and the outside air of about 10 ° C. is necessary for efficient heat exchange.

  Therefore, it is necessary to heat the compressor 1 so that the refrigerant temperature (referred to as the refrigerant upper limit temperature) is 70 ° C. (45 + 15 + 10 = 70).

  The pressure of the refrigerant increases due to this heating, and at this pressure, the high pressure suppression valve 8 and the pressure relief valve 10 (FIGS. 1 and 15) are set so as not to open. However, the condenser 2 of the stand-alone type refrigeration cycle for this type of application is liable to be liquefied in the condenser 2 because the internal volume for storing the refrigerant is as small as about 35 cc as described above. And if the liquefaction in the condenser 2 progresses, the gas refrigerant that can effectively exchange heat with the outside air is reduced, and the capacity of the condenser 2 is further reduced.

  In order to avoid this, the high-pressure suppression valve 8 composed of a differential pressure valve is opened by the differential pressure between the high-pressure side and the low-pressure side of the bypass circuit 7 to eliminate the compression of the refrigerant. In addition, as long as the high-pressure suppression valve 8 comprising this differential pressure valve operates effectively, the pressure relief valve 10 that functions as a safety valve will not open. Accordingly, the refrigerant is inadvertently released into the air without adversely affecting the battery or the like. When the refrigerant is HFC-134a, the generally used specification value of the pressure relief valve 10 is 3.3 to 4.0 MPa-A (about 3 MPa in FIG. 15). On the other hand, the valve set pressure of the high-pressure suppression valve 8 is 2.1 to 3.3 MPa-A.

  Next, the operation when the high pressure is abnormal will be described. When the refrigeration cycle is overfilled and the high pressure rises or exceeds a certain pressure, the high pressure suppression valve 8 comprising a differential pressure valve installed on the bypass circuit 7 (FIG. 4) connecting the high and low pressure pipes. Opens and prevents high pressure rise.

  This valve opening pressure is higher than the saturation pressure at the refrigerant upper limit temperature of 70 ° C. in order to ensure the capacity required for battery cooling, and the valve opening pressure of the pressure relief valve 10 (the refrigerant is HFC132a as described above). In this case, it is necessary to set it lower than about 3 MPa).

  When the high-pressure pressure abnormality occurs, the high-pressure suppression valve 8 serving as a differential pressure valve is opened, so that the high-pressure refrigerant flows to the low-pressure side, preventing abnormal increase in the high-pressure pressure and generating high-temperature and high-pressure gas of the compressor 1. Since the amount is suppressed, the capacity of the refrigeration cycle is reduced, and an increase in high pressure can be prevented.

  Moreover, since the refrigerant is guided to the low pressure side in the refrigeration cycle by opening the high pressure suppression valve 8 serving as a differential pressure valve when the high pressure is abnormal, the refrigerant and oil are not ejected outside the refrigeration cycle. Therefore, the single battery in the assembled battery 20 is not exposed to the ejected refrigerant, and the safety of the battery is improved.

  By the way, when the refrigerant is ejected to the battery, a part of the battery is cooled (or heated) by the refrigerant, so that the temperature deviates from the optimum temperature for the battery pack. In this case, when a part of the battery is heated (40 ° C. or higher), the battery deterioration is accelerated. Furthermore, if the battery is exposed to a high-temperature refrigerant, it may be necessary to take further safety measures.

  On the contrary, when a part of the battery is cooled by the refrigerant, the output characteristics of the cooled unit cell are deteriorated, so that the output of the battery pack is restricted. There is. In addition, if the oil circulating in the refrigeration cycle together with the refrigerant is ejected and adheres to the battery terminal (conducting portion), there is a possibility that the insulation cannot be ensured and the electric leakage may occur. Therefore, it is important to prevent the refrigerant and oil from jetting out of the refrigeration cycle.

  Next, the high-pressure suppression valve 8 is provided in the pipe of the bypass circuit 7 that connects the high-pressure pipe 7H (FIG. 1) outside the compressor 1 and the low-pressure pipe 7L. According to this, since the high pressure suppression valve 8 is provided outside the compressor 1, even if the compressor 1 is the same, the high pressure suppression valve is different depending on the type of the vehicle in which the traveling region is different and the type of the battery 20 to be mounted. It is easy to set 8 to an arbitrary characteristic.

  Further, the pressure equal to or lower than the predetermined pressure at which the high pressure suppression valve 8 is opened is 70% or more of the predetermined pressure at which the pressure relief valve 10 is opened. According to this, the high pressure suppression valve 8 can be reliably opened before the pressure relief valve 10 is opened, and when the pressure becomes abnormally high, the high pressure can be suppressed.

  In addition, before the pressure relief valve 10 opens, when the numerical value for reliably suppressing the abnormal high pressure rise with the high pressure suppression valve 8 is specified, the valve opening pressure (predetermined pressure) of the pressure relief valve 10 is specified. The basis for setting the valve opening pressure so that the high-pressure suppression valve 8 opens at a pressure of 70% or more (but not more than the valve opening pressure of the pressure relief valve) will be described below.

  Ratio of valve opening pressure (relief valve opening pressure) of 3 MPa (more precisely 3.3 MPa-A or more) of the pressure relief valve 10 of FIG. 15 and 70 ° C. saturation pressure (2.1 MPa) in the refrigerant (HFC-134a) Is approximately 0.63 (2.1 / 3.3 = 0.63), and the 70 ° C. saturation pressure (2.1 MPa) in the refrigerant (HFC-134a) is 3.3 MPa of the opening pressure of the pressure relief valve 10. It is about 63%. Accordingly, the valve opening pressure of the high-pressure control valve 8 may be selected from 70% or more of the predetermined pressure to a value slightly smaller than the predetermined pressure (about 75% to 95%).

  Accordingly, when the pressure relief valve 10 is provided that opens and releases the refrigerant to the outside of the compressor 1 when the pressure of the refrigerant in the compressor 1 exceeds a predetermined pressure, the pressure is less than the predetermined pressure and 70 The high-pressure suppression valve 8 flows the refrigerant from the high-pressure side to the low-pressure side via the bypass circuit 7 with the pressure on the high-pressure side, which is equal to or higher than%, so that the pressure is high at the abnormal pressure before the pressure relief valve 10 is reliably opened. The suppression valve 8 can suppress an increase in high pressure.

  More specifically, the outside air when the vehicle travels is about 45 ° C. at maximum. When the battery temperature adjusting refrigeration cycle apparatus 100 is operated under such conditions, the high pressure generally increases to a saturation pressure of about 70 ° C. of the refrigerant temperature. Therefore, it can be judged that the operation state is normal up to a saturation pressure of 70 ° C. (2.1 MPa).

  The high pressure suppression valve 8 needs to be opened at a pressure higher than the saturation pressure (2.1 MPa) of the refrigerant at 70 ° C. (in the case of general HFC-134a). Therefore, “a pressure equal to or lower than a predetermined pressure at which the high-pressure suppression valve 8 is opened is 70% or more of a predetermined pressure at which the pressure relief valve 10 is opened” is set to “a predetermined pressure at which the pressure relief valve 10 is opened (3 .3 MPa) is a pressure of 2.31 MPa or more ”, and prevents the high-pressure suppression valve 8 from opening until a saturation pressure of 70 ° C. (2.1 MPa) that can be judged as a normal operating state. be able to.

  Further, the installation position of the high pressure suppression valve 8 of the first embodiment is in the vicinity of the compressor 1. Therefore, the compressor 1 and the high-pressure control valve 8 can be integrated. Regarding the maintainability, the installation position of the high-pressure suppression valve 8 can be said to be a position where the high-pressure suppression valve can be easily maintained because the compressor 1 assumes replacement in the market.

  If the high-pressure control valve 8 is configured integrally with the compressor 1, the high-pressure suppression valve 8 and the units 1 and 8 of the compressor 1 that are integrated in advance connect the high-pressure pipe 7H and the low-pressure pipe 7L. Mounted. In addition, this can reduce the number of parts.

(Second Embodiment)
Next, a second embodiment of the present invention will be described. In the following embodiments, the same components as those in the first embodiment described above are denoted by the same reference numerals, description thereof will be omitted, and different configurations and features will be described. In FIG. 8, the installation position of the high-pressure suppression valve 8 composed of the differential pressure valve of the second embodiment will be described. The position of the bypass circuit 7 a in the second embodiment of FIG. 8 is a position that bridges the refrigerant flow downstream side of the condenser 2 and the refrigerant flow upstream side of the evaporator 4, and the high pressure suppression valve 8 in parallel with the expansion valve 3. Is arranged.

  In the second embodiment, the high pressure suppression valve 8 is provided in a bypass circuit 7 a provided between the outlet side of the condenser 2 and the evaporator 4. A bypass circuit 7a is connected to one end of the expansion valve 3 provided on the inlet side of the evaporator 4.

  According to this, the expansion valve 3 squeezes the high-pressure refrigerant into a low-pressure refrigerant, and is provided at a location where the high-pressure side and the low-pressure side are adjacent to each other. Therefore, when the bypass circuit 7a is connected to one end of the expansion valve 3 and the high-pressure suppression valve 8 is provided in the bypass circuit 7a, the expansion valve 3 and the high-pressure suppression valve 8 are easily attached adjacent to each other.

  Thus, the installation position of the high pressure suppression valve 8 is an adjacent position to the expansion valve 3. Therefore, the expansion valve 3 and the high-pressure suppression valve 8 can be integrated. Regarding the maintainability, the installation position of the high-pressure suppression valve 8 can be said to be a position where the high-pressure suppression valve 8 can be easily maintained because the expansion valve 3 is assumed to be replaced in the market. Further, when the high pressure suppression valve 8 is configured integrally with the expansion valve 3, the unit of the high pressure suppression valve 8 and the expansion valve 3 integrated in advance is attached so as to connect the high pressure side and the low pressure side. Thereby, the number of parts can be reduced.

(Third embodiment)
Next, a third embodiment of the present invention will be described. Features different from the above-described embodiment will be described. In FIG. 9, the installation position of the high-pressure suppression valve 8 composed of the differential pressure valve of the third embodiment will be described. The position of the bypass circuit 7 b is a position connecting the immediately after passing through the condenser 2 and the low pressure side of the compressor 1. A high-pressure suppression valve 8 composed of a differential pressure valve is disposed in the bypass circuit 7b. Further, the high pressure suppression valve 8, the refrigerant flow downstream side of the condenser 2, and the refrigerant flow upstream side of the evaporator 4 are connected by the expansion valve 3.

  According to this, the expansion valve 3 squeezes the high-pressure refrigerant into a low-pressure refrigerant, and is provided at a location where the high-pressure side and the low-pressure side are adjacent to each other. Therefore, when the bypass circuit 7b is connected to one end of the expansion valve 3 and the high pressure suppression valve 8 is provided in the bypass circuit 7b, the expansion valve 3 and the high pressure suppression valve 8 are attached adjacently.

  The installation position of the high-pressure suppression valve 8 is in the vicinity of the compressor 1 and the expansion valve 3. Therefore, the high pressure suppression valve 8 can be integrated with the compressor 1 and the expansion valve 3. The compressor 1 and the expansion valve 3 are assumed to be replaced in the market. Therefore, regarding the maintainability, it can be said that the installation position of the high-pressure suppression valve 8 is a position where maintenance is easy. If the high-pressure suppression valve 8 is integrated with the expansion valve 3 or the compressor 1, a unit of the high-pressure suppression valve 8 previously integrated with the expansion valve 3 or the compressor 1 is attached to the bypass circuit 7b. As a result, the number of parts can be reduced.

(Fourth embodiment)
Next, a fourth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Features different from the above-described embodiment will be described. In each of the above embodiments, a differential pressure valve made up of a mechanical on-off valve is used as the high pressure suppression valve. However, in FIG. 10 which is the fourth embodiment, a high pressure sensor (the compressor discharge section 5 of FIG. In addition to the differential pressure valve, a high pressure suppression valve 8 is used by using a control valve such as a solenoid valve that opens and closes the valve in response to a detection signal of a pressure sensor provided in addition to the above or an existing pressure sensor 9. Is configured.

  Moreover, the control apparatus 21 (same as the control apparatus 21 of FIG. 6 to assist) which controls the compressor 1 and the high pressure | pressure suppression valve 8 is provided. The control device 21 takes in the value of the pressure sensor provided in the compressor discharge section (high pressure side) 5. The high-pressure suppression valve 8 is a valve that is opened by a signal from the control device 21. Therefore, the valve opening characteristic of the high pressure suppression valve 8 can be arbitrarily set by the control device 21.

(Fifth embodiment)
Next, a fifth embodiment of the present invention will be described. Features different from the above-described embodiment will be described. In FIG. 11, the refrigeration cycle of the fifth embodiment utilizes a heat siphon function. As shown in FIG. 11, the evaporator 4 is arranged at a position lower than the condenser 2. That is, in the state installed in the vehicle, the condenser 2 is at a higher position on the top side than the evaporator 4. Furthermore, the outlet part of the condenser 2 from which the refrigerant flows out toward the evaporator 4 is provided in the lower tank 2d and is connected to the expansion valve 3 via a refrigerant pipe. In order for the condenser 2 and the evaporator 4 to exhibit a heat siphon (also referred to as thermosiphon) function, the outlet portion of the condenser 2 is preferably disposed at the lower portion of the condenser 2. The expansion valve 3 is connected to the lower tank 4d of the evaporator 4 through a refrigerant pipe.

  When cooling is performed, it is common to operate the compressor 1 and create cooling air heat-exchanged with the evaporator 4. However, there is a problem that the cruising distance of the EV vehicle (electric vehicle) is reduced due to power consumption for operating the compressor 1. Therefore, the condenser 2 is installed on the upper side (top side), the evaporator 4 is installed on the lower side (ground side), and the circuit configuration is provided with the bypass circuit 7 that bypasses the compressor 1. With this circuit configuration, when the outside air temperature is 10 ° C. to 15 ° C. lower than the battery temperature, the battery can be cooled without consuming electric power by the compressor 1 by performing the heat siphon operation described later. It becomes.

  The function of this heat siphon will be further described. When it is determined that the temperature of the battery that normally operates at 10 ° C. to 40 ° C. is 25 ° C. to 35 ° C. and the outside air temperature is 5 ° C. to 15 ° C. lower than the battery temperature, the control device (control of FIG. The device 21) stops the compressor 1, opens the high-pressure suppression valve 8 comprising an electromagnetic valve, and switches to heat siphon operation.

  The liquid refrigerant filled in the refrigeration cycle is stored in the evaporator 4 installed below by gravity. The liquid refrigerant in the evaporator 4 is evaporated by causing the heat of the battery to flow to the evaporator 4 by the blower 11 (FIG. 10 to be used) set in the battery.

  The evaporated refrigerant is led to the condenser 2 through a bypass circuit 7 installed in parallel to the compressor 1 and a high-pressure suppression valve 8 including a solenoid valve that is opened, and is liquefied by being cooled by outside air. . The liquefied refrigerant is guided to the evaporator 4 by gravity. The battery can be cooled by repeating the refrigerant flow.

  FIG. 12 illustrates an operation transition state in which the operation mode changes according to the battery temperature and the outside air temperature. In this way, the operation is switched between the heat siphon operation and the normal refrigeration cycle operation. When it is determined that the heat siphon operation is possible according to the temperature of the outside air and the temperature of the battery, the normal refrigeration cycle operation is switched to the heat siphon operation. And the high pressure suppression valve 3 consisting of the electromagnetic valve of FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 which is a switching valve for heat siphon operation is when the high pressure is abnormal, that is, when the pressure of the compressor discharge section 5 becomes an abnormal high pressure. When the control device 21 opens the high-pressure control valve 8, the high-pressure side and the low-pressure side are communicated with each other via the bypass circuit 7, and the high-pressure pressure rise is prevented.

  Moreover, in the said 5th Embodiment, the condenser 2 is provided in the sky direction and the evaporator 4 is provided in the earth direction. In addition, the control device 21 rotates the compressor 1 to cool the battery in a normal refrigeration cycle, and stops the compressor 1 to open the high-pressure suppression valve 8 even if it is not abnormally high pressure. The refrigerant is passed through the condenser 2 and the evaporator 4 by a heat siphon function. According to this, the battery can be cooled by the heat siphon function without rotating the compressor 1, and the switching valve and the high pressure suppression valve 8 necessary for switching to the heat siphon operation can be combined.

  In addition, it can be said that the cooling mode in the said 5th Embodiment has set the operation mode of 2 steps, the high capability cooling mode of FIG. 12, and the low capability cooling mode using a heat siphon function. This will be described in detail below.

  The high-capacity cooling mode is a mode that exhibits a large cooling capacity that is performed when the battery temperature detected by the battery temperature sensor 45 exceeds the first predetermined temperature T1. The first predetermined temperature T1 can be set to 35 ° C., for example.

  That is, when the control device 21 determines that the detected battery temperature exceeds 35 ° C., it determines that the assembled battery 20 is in a state that requires immediate cooling, and executes the high-capacity cooling mode. This high-capacity cooling mode is continued until the detected battery temperature becomes equal to or lower than the first predetermined temperature T1, and when it is determined that the battery temperature is equal to or lower than the first predetermined temperature T1, the high-capacity cooling mode ends. In addition, the arrow of FIG. 3 to support has shown the flow to the refrigerant | coolant in high capacity cooling mode.

  In the high-capacity cooling mode, the control device 21 controls the high-pressure suppression valve 8 to the closed state to drive the compressor 1 as shown in FIG. 3, and uses the outside air intake passage 43 and the outdoor discharge passage 44 of FIG. And the opening positions of the door 13 and the door 14 are controlled so as to form an air path communicating with each other via the condenser 2. Then, the opening positions of the door 15 and the door 16 are controlled so that the heat exchanger upstream side passage 41 and the heat exchanger downstream side passage 42 form an air path communicating with each other via the evaporator 4. Further, the control device 21 drives the blower 11 and the electric fan 17.

  Thereby, the high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 1 dissipates heat in the condenser 2 with respect to the outside air flowing from the outside air intake passage 43 toward the outdoor discharge passage 44 and heats the outside air. The heated outside air is again discharged out of the passenger compartment. At this time, when the outside air can be circulated from the outside air intake passage 43 to the outdoor discharge passage 44 by the vehicle traveling wind, the electric fan 17 may be controlled to be stopped without being driven. Therefore, the electric fan 17 needs to be driven when the vehicle traveling wind cannot be obtained during parking or the like.

  The refrigerant that has flowed out of the condenser 2 is decompressed by the expansion valve 3, vaporized by the evaporator 4, cooled by passing heat from the passing air, and then sucked into the compressor 1. The passing air cooled by the evaporator 4 continues to circulate through the air passage passing through the heat exchange part of the evaporator 4 and the battery passage of the assembled battery 20, and continues to be cooled by the evaporator 4. The temperature-controlled air that continues to be cooled in this way absorbs heat from the unit cell by contacting the surface of the unit cell or the electrode terminal when flowing through the battery passage of the unit cell 20, thereby lowering the temperature of the unit cell 20. Can do. That is, in the high-capacity cooling mode, the air cooled by the evaporator 4 is provided as temperature-controlled air to the assembled battery 20, and the refrigerant heat radiated by the condenser 2 is discharged outside the passenger compartment.

  The heating mode is a mode that exerts a large heating capability that is performed when the detected battery temperature is lower than the second predetermined temperature T2. The second predetermined temperature T2 is set to a temperature lower than the first predetermined temperature T1, and when the battery temperature becomes lower than that, it becomes difficult to exhibit the original charge / discharge capability. The second predetermined temperature T2 can be set to 10 ° C., for example.

  That is, when the control device 21 determines that the detected battery temperature is less than 10 ° C., the control device 21 determines that the battery needs to be heated immediately, and executes the heating mode. This heating mode is continued until the detected battery temperature becomes equal to or higher than the second predetermined temperature T2, and when it is determined that the battery temperature is equal to or higher than the second predetermined temperature T2, the heating mode ends. The refrigerant flow in the heating mode is the same as the refrigerant flow in the high performance cooling mode, but the opening positions of the doors 13, 14, 15 and 16 are different.

  The low-capacity cooling mode is a relatively small cooling capacity that is performed when the detected battery temperature falls within a predetermined temperature range that is equal to or higher than a third predetermined temperature T3 (for example, 25 ° C.) and lower than the first predetermined temperature T1. It is a mode that demonstrates. The predetermined temperature range can be set to 25 ° C. or more and 35 ° C. or less, for example.

  That is, if the control device 21 determines that the detected battery temperature is included in the range of 25 ° C. or more and 35 ° C. or less, the control device 21 determines that the battery is in a state that requires cooling but is not in a state that requires rapid temperature reduction. Then, the low capacity cooling mode is executed. This low capacity cooling mode is continued until the detected battery temperature is below 25 ° C. or above 35 ° C. In addition, the arrow of FIG. 11 which passes the bypass circuit 7 has shown the flow to the refrigerant | coolant in low-capacity cooling mode. However, when the outside air temperature does not satisfy the condition that the temperature is 5 ° C. to 15 ° C. lower than the battery temperature, the cooling by the normal air conditioner cycle that rotates the compressor 1 is performed without performing the cooling by the heat siphon.

  In the low-capacity cooling mode, the control device 21 controls the compressor 1 in a stopped state and the high-pressure suppression valve 8 including an electromagnetic valve in an open state, as shown in FIG. The opening positions of the door 13 and the door 14 are controlled so as to form an air path that communicates with the outdoor discharge passage 44 via the condenser 2. Then, the opening positions of the door 15 and the door 16 are controlled so that the heat exchanger upstream side passage 41 and the heat exchanger downstream side passage 42 form an air path communicating with each other via the evaporator 4. Further, the control device 21 drives the blower 11 and the electric fan 17.

  Thereby, a part of refrigerant | coolant in a refrigerating cycle comes to remain as a liquid refrigerant in the evaporator 4 arrange | positioned below the condenser 2. FIG. Here, when the warm air sent from the assembled battery 20 to the heat exchange unit of the evaporator 4 passes through the heat exchange unit, the liquid refrigerant evaporates, thereby absorbing heat from the warm air. Thereby, the warm air is cooled and supplied again to the battery passage of the assembled battery 20 to cool the battery.

  The refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator 4 flows into the condenser 2 through the bypass circuit 7 in FIG. 11, and is cooled and condensed by the passing air in the tube 2 t forming the heat exchange part of the condenser 2. The condensed refrigerant flows into the lower tank 4d of the evaporator 4 again by its own weight via the lower tank 2d of the condenser 2, and the above-described evaporation and condensation of the refrigerant are repeated. Therefore, the evaporator 4, the condenser 2, and the refrigerant pipe that communicates these function as a heat siphon. Further, when the high-pressure suppression valve 8 is intermittently controlled or variable in opening, the opening of the electronically controlled expansion valve is controlled by using a variable opening electronically controlled expansion valve as the expansion valve 3. Thus, it is possible to adjust the cooling capacity in the evaporator 4.

  In the low capacity cooling mode, the outside air heated by the condenser 2 is again discharged out of the passenger compartment. At this time, when the outside air can be circulated from the outside air intake passage 43 (FIG. 10) toward the outdoor discharge passage 44 by the vehicle running wind, the electric fan 17 may be controlled to be stopped without being driven. Therefore, the electric fan 17 needs to be driven when the vehicle traveling wind cannot be obtained during parking or the like.

  Hereinafter, the effect | action which the refrigerating-cycle apparatus 100 for battery temperature control of this embodiment brings is demonstrated further. The battery temperature adjustment refrigeration cycle apparatus 100 includes an assembled battery 20, a blower 11 that blows temperature-controlled air to the assembled battery 20, and doors 13 and 14 that change an air path through which the temperature-controlled air circulates according to an operation mode. 15, 16 and the heating mode for heating the temperature adjustment object, the condenser 2 for heating the air blown to the temperature adjustment object by the heat radiation action of the refrigerant flowing in the refrigeration cycle, and the cooling mode for cooling the temperature adjustment object 1, the evaporator 4 that cools the air blown to the temperature adjustment target by the endothermic action of the refrigerant that flows in the refrigeration cycle, and the compressor 1 that discharges the refrigerant to the condenser 2 in the refrigeration cycle. The evaporator 4 is disposed at a position lower than the condenser 2.

  According to this, even when the compressor 1 is not driven, that is, when forced refrigerant discharge is not performed, the heat siphon function for causing the condenser 2 and the evaporator 4 to repeatedly evaporate and condense can be realized. As a result, a cooling mode that does not require power can be performed in a temperature control that does not require as high a cooling capacity as when the compressor 1 is driven, for example, during parking, in an urban area, during low-speed operation in a residential area, etc. Noise reduction can be achieved.

  In addition, by adopting the condenser 2 included in the refrigeration cycle as a heat exchanger for heating and the evaporator 4 included in the refrigeration cycle as a cooling exchanger, by utilizing a refrigeration cycle with a simple configuration, An apparatus capable of performing a low capacity cooling mode, a high capacity cooling mode, and a heating mode can be provided.

  Furthermore, since the refrigeration cycle is a cycle independent of the refrigeration cycle for vehicle interior air conditioning, it is not necessary to adapt to the control of vehicle interior air conditioning, and according to the temperature control capability required for the battery to be temperature controlled. Temperature control can be implemented. In addition, according to the battery temperature adjustment refrigeration cycle apparatus 100, since the temperature-controlled air is in a circulating form, it is possible to suppress the inflow of moisture, dust and the like from the outside, and to reduce the heat loss of the temperature-controlled air. A power-saving device can be provided.

  In addition, the outlet portion of the condenser 2 that communicates with the evaporator 4 (for example, the lower tank 2 d in FIG. 11) is disposed at the lower portion of the condenser 2. According to this, the refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator 4 and condensed into a liquid by the condenser 2 can be collected in the lower part of the condenser 2 by its own weight and reliably sent to the evaporator 4. Therefore, it is possible to realize a reliable and effective heat siphon function.

  As shown in FIG. 12, when the battery temperature detected by the battery temperature sensor 45 exceeds the first predetermined temperature T1, the control device 21 drives the compressor 1 and drives the doors 13 to 16 and the blower 11. To control the high-performance cooling mode. When the temperature of the temperature adjustment target detected by the battery temperature sensor 45 is lower than the second predetermined temperature T2, which is lower than the second predetermined temperature T2, the control device 21 drives the compressor 1 and also opens the door 13 -16 and the blower 11 are controlled and a heating mode is implemented.

  The control device 21 corresponds to a predetermined temperature range in which the outside air temperature is within a desired range and the battery temperature detected by the battery temperature sensor 45 is included in a range between the third predetermined temperature T3 and the first predetermined temperature T1. In this case, the compressor 1 is not driven and is brought into a stopped state, and the doors 13 to 16 and the blower 11 are controlled so that the air absorbed by the evaporator 4 is blown to the temperature control target. (Siphon cooling).

  According to this, the temperature control according to a plurality of capability levels can be appropriately performed without wasting energy. In addition, because the temperature control target is a secondary battery that stores electric power for driving the vehicle, the temperature range in which the battery's main functions (charging, discharging, etc.) can be exhibited has been determined. Effective temperature control can be implemented.

  Next, the condenser 2 is provided in the sky direction, the evaporator 4 is provided in the ground direction, and the control device 21 rotates the compressor 1 to cool the battery 20 in a normal refrigeration cycle. 1 is stopped, the high pressure suppression valve 8 is opened, and the refrigerant flows through the condenser 2 and the evaporator 4 by the heat siphon function. According to this, the battery 20 can be cooled by the heat siphon function without rotating the compressor 1, and the switching valve necessary for switching to the heat siphon operation and the high-pressure suppression valve 8 can be combined.

  In FIG. 12, the third predetermined temperature T3 = the second predetermined temperature T2 can be set so that the cooling by the heat siphon is changed to the heating by the air conditioner cycle, but the third predetermined temperature T3 and the second predetermined temperature T2 By setting the temperature difference Hc during the period, the boundary line BL can be quickly switched from cooling to heating only by switching the doors 13 to 16 in FIG.

(Other embodiments)
In the above-described embodiment, the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It is. The structure of the said embodiment is an illustration to the last, Comprising: The scope of the present invention is not limited to the range of these description. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the description of the scope of claims, and further includes meanings equivalent to the description of the scope of claims and all modifications within the scope.

  In the above embodiment, the temperature of the unit cell is detected by the battery temperature sensor, but instead of the temperature of the battery to be temperature controlled, the temperature of the casing housing the battery, other members in the vicinity of the battery The temperature of the battery, the ambient temperature of the battery, and the like may be detected and used as an index for determining the temperature state of the battery.

  In the above embodiment, the blower and the electric fan are configured to be able to control the rotational speed by the control device, but may be devices that can only be operated and stopped but cannot be controlled.

  In the above embodiment, the door is an air path switching means having a plate-like door main body, but is not limited to this form. For example, a door having a sliding door or a film-like door body may be adopted as the door. Moreover, in said embodiment, the shape of the cell which comprises an assembled battery is a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape, a cylindrical shape, etc., and is not specifically limited.

  In addition, the battery and the refrigeration cycle components dedicated to battery temperature control (compressor, expansion valve, high-pressure suppression valve consisting of solenoid valve, evaporator, condenser, electric fan, blower, ventilation path switching door) are integrated into a single housing. Or you may accommodate in the mutually adjacent housing | casing. Further, the high-pressure control valve including a control valve that is opened by a signal from the control device is not limited to an electromagnetic valve, and may be a valve that is operated by an electric motor, a piezoelectric actuator, or the like.

Terminology 2 Condenser 3 Expansion valve 4 Evaporator 7, 7a, 7b Bypass circuit 7H High pressure piping 7L Low pressure piping 8 High pressure suppression valve 10 Pressure relief valve 20 Battery (assembled battery)
21 Control device

Claims (8)

A compressor (1) for compressing the refrigerant;
A pressure relief valve (10) that opens when the pressure of the refrigerant in the compressor (1) exceeds a predetermined pressure and releases the refrigerant to the outside of the compressor (1);
A condenser (2) that dissipates heat of the refrigerant compressed by the compressor (1);
An expansion valve (3) for expanding the refrigerant that has passed through the condenser (2);
An evaporator (4) in which the refrigerant expanded by the expansion valve (3) evaporates;
A battery (20) that is temperature controlled by a fluid that exchanges heat with at least one of the condenser (2) and the evaporator (4);
A bypass circuit (7, 7a, 7b) for flowing the refrigerant pressurized by the compressor (1), bypassing the expansion valve (3);
The bypass circuit (7, 7) is configured to flow a refrigerant through the bypass circuit (7, 7a, 7b) at a pressure equal to or lower than the predetermined pressure related to the pressure relief valve (10) to suppress an increase in the pressure of the refrigerant. 7a, 7b) and a high-pressure suppression valve (8) provided in the battery temperature control refrigeration cycle apparatus.   The use of the battery (20) is performed at a temperature below the upper limit of the outside air, which is a predetermined upper limit of the air temperature outside the vehicle, and the pressure below the predetermined pressure cools the battery (20) at the outside air upper limit temperature. The refrigeration cycle apparatus for battery temperature control according to claim 1, wherein the pressure is higher than a saturation pressure of the refrigerant.   Furthermore, the control apparatus (21) which controls the said compressor (1) is provided, The said high pressure | pressure suppression valve (8) consists of a control valve opened by the signal from the said control apparatus (21), It is characterized by the above-mentioned. The refrigeration cycle apparatus for battery temperature control according to claim 1 or 2.   The condenser (2) is provided in the sky direction, the evaporator (4) is provided in the ground direction, and the control device (21) rotates the compressor (1) to perform the normal refrigeration cycle. The battery (20) is cooled, the compressor (1) is stopped, the high pressure suppression valve (8) is opened, and a heat siphon function is provided to the condenser (2) and the evaporator (4). The battery temperature control refrigeration cycle apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the refrigerant is caused to flow.   Outside the compressor (1), it has a high pressure pipe (7H) connected to the discharge side of the compressor (1) and a low pressure pipe (7L) connected to the suction side of the compressor (1). The high-pressure suppression valve (8) is provided in the bypass circuit (7) outside the compressor (1) that connects the high-pressure pipe (7H) and the low-pressure pipe (7L). The refrigeration cycle apparatus for battery temperature control according to any one of claims 1 to 4.   The high-pressure suppression valve (8) is provided in the bypass circuit (7a, 7b) provided between the outlet side of the condenser (2) and the evaporator (4), and the evaporator (4 4) The battery temperature control according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the bypass circuit (7a, 7b) is connected to one end of the expansion valve (3) provided on the inlet side. Refrigeration cycle equipment.   The said high-pressure suppression valve (8) is comprised integrally with the said expansion valve (3), The refrigeration cycle apparatus for battery temperature control of Claim 6 characterized by the above-mentioned.   The pressure equal to or lower than the predetermined pressure at which the high pressure suppression valve (8) opens is equal to or lower than the predetermined pressure at which the pressure relief valve (10) opens and is equal to or higher than 70% of the predetermined pressure. The refrigeration cycle apparatus for battery temperature control according to any one of claims 1 to 7.

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