JP2014144668A - Air conditioner for vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air conditioner for a vehicle that prevents breakage of an inverter case to avoid exposure of a high voltage portion in the inverter even in a case that the vehicle collided.SOLUTION: Am air conditioner for a vehicle, which performs heat exchange between a coolant and a refrigerant, comprises: an electrically-operated compressor having a compression mechanism that compresses and discharges the absorbed refrigerant and an electric motor for driving the compression mechanism; a drive circuit that converts direct-current power fed from power source into alternating-current power to be supplied to the electric motor; a low temperature and pressure refrigerant and/or a high temperature and pressure refrigerant; and a water-refrigerant heat exchanger that performs heat exchange with a coolant circulating in the air conditioner for a vehicle, in which the electrically-operated compressor, the drive circuit and the water refrigerant heat exchanger are arranged sequentially from the front of the vehicle, and the drive circuit and the water refrigerant heat exchanger are proximally arranged.

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner.

  In a general vehicle in which an engine room that houses an engine is located in front of a cabin (cabin), an air conditioner is also often housed in the engine room. Further, in an automobile that runs on electricity that has been widely used in recent years, a motor room that houses a running motor is arranged in front of the passenger compartment, and an air conditioner is housed in the motor room. In addition, as an automobile that runs on electricity, an EV (Electric Vehicle), a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), or a HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle) is a vehicle that runs using a storage battery mounted on the vehicle. .

  Such an air conditioner performs air conditioning of the passenger compartment by increasing and decreasing the temperature of the refrigerant by compressing and expanding the refrigerant. In some cases, a flammable refrigerant is used as the refrigerant. When the vehicle collides, the refrigerant leaks and a fire is likely to occur. In view of this, Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 disclose a technique for suppressing refrigerant leakage at the time of a vehicle collision.

  Patent Document 1 discloses that a refrigerant flow occurs when an external force of a predetermined level or more is applied to the discharge port side and the inflow port side of a capacitor disposed at a position away from a vehicle interior that is easily damaged by a vehicle collision. An air conditioner for vehicles provided with first and second electromagnetic valves configured to close is closed.

  Further, Patent Document 2 discloses a vehicle air conditioner in which a check valve that prevents passage of refrigerant from the receiver tank side to the condenser side is provided in the refrigerant circuit between the condenser and the receiver tank. .

  In recent years, incombustible refrigerants have been widely used in place of flammable refrigerants, so that leakage of refrigerant at the time of vehicle collision is a problem, as in the vehicle air conditioners disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2. It is rare to become. The vehicle air conditioners disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2 are assumed to be engine-driven compressors.

  On the other hand, an electric compressor is used as a compressor for compressing refrigerant in a vehicle air conditioner mounted on an automobile that runs on electricity. The electric compressor includes an electric motor that moves the compression mechanism and a drive circuit (for example, an inverter) that drives the electric motor. Since the electric power consumption of the electric compressor is as high as several kW, the electric power of the electric compressor is supplied from a high voltage battery used to drive the motor for traveling. For this reason, the inverter which drives the electric motor of an electric compressor is provided with the high voltage part which switches a high voltage at high speed.

Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-74741 JP 2000-103227 A

  By the way, in the vehicle air conditioner disclosed in Patent Document 1 and Patent Document 2, a condenser (heat exchanger), an inverter, and a compressor are arranged in order from the front of the vehicle. Even in an automobile that runs on electricity, if this arrangement is applied and the automobile collides, the strength of the capacitor is not sufficient, so the inverter case is damaged and the high-voltage part in the inverter is exposed. End up. As a result, there is a possibility of electric shock or electric leakage, or it may be ignited by a flammable gas (for example, gasoline) leaked due to an automobile collision and exploding.

  An object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle air conditioner that prevents damage to an inverter case and avoids exposure of a high-voltage portion in the inverter even when a vehicle collides.

  A vehicle air conditioner according to an aspect of the present invention is a vehicle air conditioner that performs heat exchange between a coolant and a refrigerant, and includes a compression mechanism that compresses and discharges the sucked refrigerant, and the compression mechanism. An electric compressor having an electric motor to be driven; a drive circuit for converting DC power fed from a power source into AC power to supply the electric motor; a low-temperature low-pressure refrigerant and / or a high-temperature high-pressure refrigerant; and the vehicle air conditioner A water-refrigerant heat exchanger that exchanges heat with the coolant that circulates inside, and the electric compressor, the drive circuit, and the water-refrigerant heat exchanger are arranged in order from the front of the vehicle. The drive circuit and the water refrigerant heat exchanger are arranged close to each other.

  According to the present invention, even when the vehicle collides, the inverter case can be prevented from being damaged, and exposure of the high voltage portion in the inverter can be avoided.

1 is a perspective view showing a vehicle heat pump device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. FIG. 3 is a top view showing the vehicle heat pump device according to the first embodiment. 1 is a side view showing a vehicle heat pump device according to Embodiment 1. FIG. DD sectional view of FIG. The figure explaining the flow of the refrigerant | coolant and coolant of the vehicle heat pump apparatus of Embodiment 1 The figure explaining the vehicle temperature control system using the heat pump apparatus for vehicles The figure explaining the vehicle temperature control system using the heat pump apparatus for vehicles The perspective view which shows the heat pump apparatus for other vehicles Top view showing another heat pump device for a vehicle Side view showing another vehicle heat pump device The perspective view which shows the partial structure of the vehicle air conditioner which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG. Top view showing a partial configuration of a vehicle air conditioner according to Embodiment 2 Side view showing a partial configuration of a vehicle air conditioner according to Embodiment 2. The schematic diagram which shows the whole structure of the vehicle air conditioner which concerns on Embodiment 2. FIG. The figure explaining the operation | movement at the time of air_conditionaing | cooling operation in the vehicle air conditioner of Embodiment 2. FIG. The figure explaining the operation | movement at the time of the heating operation in the vehicle air conditioner of Embodiment 2. FIG.

  Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. Note that components having the same function are denoted by the same reference symbols throughout the drawings for describing the embodiment, and the repetitive description thereof will be omitted.

(Embodiment 1)
<Configuration of vehicle heat pump device>
First, each structure in Embodiment 1 of this invention is demonstrated using FIGS. 1-4. 1-4 is a figure which shows the structure of the heat pump apparatus for vehicles which concerns on this Embodiment, and a radiator.

  The vehicle heat pump device 1 is a device mounted on a vehicle, and includes a low temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 110, a high temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 111, an electric compressor 112 that compresses and discharges the refrigerant, and the like. . Here, the vehicle is, for example, an electric vehicle. An electric vehicle is a vehicle that travels using a storage battery mounted on the vehicle, such as an EV (Electric Vehicle), a PHEV (Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle), or an HEV (Hybrid Electric Vehicle).

  The vehicle heat pump device 1 has a heat pump cycle therein, and includes a refrigerant in the heat pump cycle, a high-temperature side coolant (corresponding to a first coolant), and a low-temperature coolant (corresponding to a second coolant). Heat exchange between. The low-temperature side coolant and the high-temperature side coolant are introduced from the outside of the vehicle heat pump device 1.

As the refrigerant, for example, carbon dioxide (CO ₂ ), which can improve the efficiency of the heat pump cycle even in a cryogenic environment required for an electric vehicle, and has a higher operating pressure is adopted. Note that the refrigerant is not limited to carbon dioxide, and HFC-134a, HFO-1234y, or the like may be used.

  The cooling liquid is a liquid such as an aqueous ethylene glycol solution. The coolant may be an antifreeze solution, and a propylene glycol aqueous solution may be used in addition to the ethylene glycol aqueous solution.

  The high temperature side coolant is introduced from the high temperature side introduction pipe 104 (arrow B in FIG. 1). The introduced cooling liquid is heated by the high temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 111 and led out from the high temperature side outlet pipe 105 (arrow B 'in FIG. 1). The coolant is transported by a driving force of a high temperature side water pump (not shown).

  The high temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 111 includes a passage through which a high temperature and high pressure refrigerant flows and a passage through which a high temperature side coolant flows, and is configured to transfer heat between these passages. The high temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 111 is a plate stack type heat exchanger, and the electric compressor 112 is positioned in a direction perpendicular to the plate surface. However, the high-temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 111 does not have to be positioned in the direction perpendicular to the plate surface, but by adopting such an arrangement, in the event of a vehicle collision, The shock can be absorbed more.

  The coolant on the low temperature side is introduced from the low temperature side introduction pipe 106 (arrow A in FIG. 1). The introduced cooling liquid is cooled by the low-temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 110 and led out from the low-temperature side outlet pipe 107 (arrow A ′ in FIG. 1). The cooling liquid is transported by a driving force of a low-temperature water pump (not shown).

  The low-temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 110 includes a passage through which low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant flows and a passage through which a low-temperature side coolant flows, and is configured to transfer heat between these passages. The low temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 110 is a plate stack type heat exchanger, and the electric compressor 112 is positioned in a direction perpendicular to the plate surface.

  The electric compressor 112 includes an electric motor and a compression mechanism. The compression mechanism is a mechanism that compresses and discharges the refrigerant by the driving force generated by the electric motor. As the compression mechanism, for example, a scroll type can be used. The electric motor is electrically driven by an inverter (corresponding to a drive circuit). Further, the electric compressor 112 has a cylindrical casing, is arranged so that the central axis of the cylinder is perpendicular to the traveling direction of the vehicle, and is arranged so that the central axis of the cylinder does not face the inverter case 113. The However, it is not always necessary to arrange the cylinder so that the central axis thereof is perpendicular to the traveling direction of the vehicle.

  The inverter case 113 is configured integrally with the casing of the electric compressor 112 and houses the inverter. The inverter case 113 is disposed on the side surface of the casing of the electric compressor 112 and is located between the electric compressor 112 and the low temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 110 and the high temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 111. The inverter case 113, the low-temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 110, and the high-temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 111 are spaced from each other by a few centimeters (for example, 5 cm), and no piping is positioned in this space. It is configured.

  The inverter housed in the inverter case 113 includes a power semiconductor (for example, IGBT: insulated gate bipolar transistor) on the substrate 115 (see FIG. 4), and converts DC power fed from the power feeding unit into three-phase AC power. To supply to the electric motor. The power semiconductor is also called a power semiconductor or a power element.

  The vehicle heat pump device 1 also includes an accumulator 108 upstream of the refrigerant inlet of the electric compressor 112. The accumulator 108 serves to supply only the gaseous refrigerant to the electric compressor 112 by separating the refrigerant into gas and liquid. This is to prevent the electric compressor 112 from being destroyed by compressing the liquid refrigerant.

  The vehicle heat pump device 1 also includes an expansion valve 114 upstream of the refrigerant inlet of the low-temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 110. The expansion valve 114 expands the high-pressure refrigerant to a low pressure without changing the amount of heat, thereby lowering the refrigerant and sending it to the low-temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 110.

  A first radiator (corresponding to an outdoor heat exchanger) 5 is disposed in front of the vehicle, exchanges heat between the high-temperature side coolant and air, and dissipates heat from the high-temperature side coolant to the air. Cool the coolant.

  In the vehicle heat pump device 1, an electric compressor 112, an inverter case 113 (inverter), and a heat exchanger (low temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 110, high temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 111) are arranged in order from the front of the vehicle. The In such an arrangement, when the vehicle collides from the front, the electric compressor 112 located at the front is broken first, so the impact on the inverter case 113 is reduced. Here, since the inverter case 113 is integrally formed with the housing of the electric compressor 112, the electric compressor 112 does not collide with the inverter case 113. In addition, since the plate stack type heat exchanger is disposed behind the inverter case 113, when the inverter case 113 collides with the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger absorbs the shock, so that the shock to the inverter case 113 is further increased. Alleviated. As a result, the inverter case 113 can be prevented from being damaged, and exposure of the high voltage portion can be avoided.

<Operation of vehicle heat pump device>
Next, the flow of the refrigerant and the coolant in the vehicle heat pump apparatus 1 will be described with reference to FIG.

  First, the flow of the refrigerant will be described. An arrow C in FIG. 5 indicates the direction in which the refrigerant flows. The refrigerant flows through the electric compressor 112, the high temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 111, the expansion valve 114, the low temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 110, and the accumulator 108 in this order. This refrigerant flow constitutes a heat pump cycle.

  The high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the electric compressor 112 releases heat in the high-temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 111 and becomes liquid. The refrigerant that has become liquid is rapidly expanded by the expansion valve 114 and becomes a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant. This low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant absorbs heat in the low-temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 110 and evaporates. The evaporated refrigerant passes through the accumulator 108 and is compressed again by the electric compressor 112.

  Subsequently, the flow of the coolant will be described. The coolant introduced from the outside of the vehicle heat pump device 1 through the high temperature side introduction pipe 104 is heated by exchanging heat with a high temperature refrigerant in the high temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 111. The heated coolant is led out from the high temperature side lead pipe 105.

  The coolant introduced from the outside of the vehicle heat pump device 1 via the low temperature side introduction pipe 106 is cooled by exchanging heat with a low temperature refrigerant in the low temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 110, and is cooled. Is derived from

  Thus, in the vehicle heat pump device 1 according to the embodiment, the refrigerant is circulated only in the device to realize the heat pump cycle. Furthermore, the high temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 111 and the low temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 110 exchange heat between a liquid (coolant) and a refrigerant instead of air. With this configuration, the vehicle heat pump device 1 can absorb heat from a location away from the vehicle heat pump device 1 via the coolant and release the heat to a location away from the vehicle heat pump device 1.

<Vehicle temperature control system>
Next, a vehicle temperature adjustment system using the vehicle heat pump device 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram during heating operation of the vehicle temperature adjustment system, and FIG. 7 is an explanatory diagram during cooling operation of the vehicle temperature adjustment system.

  The heated coolant led out from the high temperature side lead pipe 105 and the cooled coolant led out from the low temperature side lead pipe 107 are introduced into the vehicle air conditioner 2 and used for cooling or heating. The vehicle air conditioner 2 is an apparatus that is disposed on the vehicle compartment side of the firewall 7 provided in the vehicle and performs air conditioning of the vehicle interior. The vehicle heat pump device 1 is disposed on the side of the firewall 7 outside the passenger compartment.

  The vehicle air conditioner 2 includes a cooling air / water heat exchanger 200, a heating air / water heat exchanger 201, a blower fan 202, and a switching door 203.

  The cooling air / water heat exchanger 200 cools the air by exchanging heat between the air blown by the blower fan 202 and the cooled coolant led out from the low temperature side outlet pipe 107. The cooled air is guided into the passenger compartment and used for cooling the passenger compartment.

  The coolant heated in the cooling air / water heat exchanger 200 is again introduced into the vehicle heat pump device 1 via the low temperature side introduction pipe 106.

  The heating air / water heat exchanger 201 heats the air by exchanging heat between the air blown by the blower fan 202 and the heated coolant led out from the high temperature side outlet pipe 105. The heated air is guided into the passenger compartment and used for heating the passenger compartment.

  The coolant cooled in the heating air / water heat exchanger 201 is again introduced into the vehicle heat pump device 1 via the high temperature side introduction pipe 104. The first radiator 5 is used for heat radiation of the coolant during cooling.

  The coolant derived from the vehicle heat pump device 1 can also be used for cooling the heating element 3. Here, the heating element 3 is, for example, a traveling motor used in an electric vehicle, an inverter for driving the traveling motor, a storage battery for supplying electric energy to the traveling motor, and charging the storage battery from the outside of the vehicle. It is a heat generating member, such as a charger for charging and a DC-DC converter for performing voltage conversion of the storage battery. These heat generating members need to be cooled while the electric vehicle is running.

  The heat released from the heating element 3 is absorbed by the coolant. That is, the coolant is heated. The heated coolant is guided to the low temperature side introduction pipe 106 and cooled by the vehicle heat pump device 1. The cooling liquid can also be heated by absorbing heat with the second radiator 6.

  When the vehicle air conditioner 2 is used for heating the passenger compartment, the heat released from the heating element 3 is absorbed by the coolant. That is, the coolant is heated. The heated coolant is guided to the low temperature side introduction pipe 106 and cooled by the low temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 110.

  At this time, the heat recovered (absorbed) by the refrigerant is used in the heat cycle of the vehicle heat pump device 1 and can be used for heating the air in the passenger compartment to increase the COP (coefficient of performance) during heating. It is.

  In the vehicle temperature control system, as shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, the coolant path is switched by a plurality of three-way valves T, and the air path toward the vehicle interior is switched by the switching door 203. Switching between heating and cooling can be performed.

<Effect of Embodiment 1>
Thus, in the vehicle heat pump device 1 of the embodiment, the electric compressor 112, the inverter case 113 (inverter), the heat exchanger (the low-temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 110, the high-temperature side water refrigerant heat) in order from the front of the vehicle. An exchange 111) is arranged. At this time, when the vehicle collides from the front, the electric compressor 112 located in the front is broken first, whereby the impact on the inverter case 113 is alleviated. In particular, since the inverter case 113 is configured integrally with the housing of the electric compressor 112, the electric compressor 112 does not collide with the inverter case 113. Further, since the plate stack type heat exchanger is disposed behind the inverter case 113, the impact on the inverter case 113 is further alleviated. As a result, the inverter case 113 can be prevented from being damaged, and exposure of the high voltage portion can be avoided.

  In the present embodiment, the case where the inverter case 113 is disposed in front of the low temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 110 and the high temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 111 has been described. However, the inverter case 113 may be disposed in front of one of the low temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 110 and the high temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 111.

  Further, in the present embodiment, the case where the inverter case 113 is configured integrally with the casing of the electric compressor 112 has been described. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and as shown in FIGS. 8 to 10, the inverter case 113 may be provided separately and provided between the electric compressor 112 and the heat exchanger. At this time, the inverter case 113 and the electric compressor 112 are electrically connected via the connector 116.

(Embodiment 2)
In the first embodiment, the case where the low temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 110 and the high temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 111 are used has been described. On the other hand, Embodiment 2 demonstrates the case where one water-refrigerant heat exchanger 120 is used.

<Partial configuration of vehicle air conditioner>
Each structure in Embodiment 2 of this invention is demonstrated using FIGS. 11-13. FIGS. 11-13 is a figure which shows a partial structure of the vehicle air conditioner which concerns on this Embodiment.

  The electric compressor 112 has a refrigerant inlet port communicating with the two refrigerant introduction pipes 34 and 35 via the accumulator 108, and a refrigerant outlet port of the electric compressor 112 is a refrigerant passage of the water refrigerant heat exchanger 120. It communicates with the entrance.

  The water-refrigerant heat exchanger 120 includes a passage through which a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flows and a passage through which a high-temperature side coolant flows, and is configured to transfer heat between these passages. The water-refrigerant heat exchanger 120 is a plate stack type heat exchanger, and the electric compressor 112 is positioned in a direction perpendicular to the plate surface. The inlet of the refrigerant passage communicates with the discharge port of the electric compressor 112, and the outlet of the refrigerant passage communicates with a refrigerant outlet pipe 33 provided with an orifice opening / closing valve 22. The inlet of the coolant passage is connected to the three-way valve 18 via a pipe, and the outlet of the coolant is connected to the check valve 20 via a pipe.

  While the electric compressor 112 is driven, high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flows through the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 120, while the coolant is switched between a flow-on state and a stopped state by switching the three-way valve. When the coolant flows, heat is radiated from the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant to the coolant, and when the coolant stops, the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant passes through the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 120 at almost the same temperature.

  The three-way valve 18 switches the coolant introduced from the coolant introduction pipe 31 to one of the water refrigerant heat exchanger 120 side and the coolant lead-out pipe 32 side by electrical control.

  The check valve 20 prevents the coolant from flowing back to the water refrigerant heat exchanger 120.

  The on-off valve 22 with an orifice is an on-off valve that functions as an expansion valve during heating operation, and the state is switched by electrical control. The on-off valve 22 with an orifice has, for example, a large-diameter passage and an orifice having a small-diameter passage so that the large-diameter passage can be opened and closed. The on-off valve 22 with the orifice allows the refrigerant to pass through when the large-diameter passage is opened, and allows the high-pressure refrigerant to pass through the small-diameter passage when the large-diameter passage is closed and only the orifice passage is passed. Inflate. The expanded refrigerant becomes a low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant.

  The on-off valve 24 is provided between the inlet of the refrigerant introduction pipe 34 and the junction of the two refrigerant introduction pipes 34 and 35, and opens and closes the passage between them by electrical control.

  The three-way valve 18, the opening / closing valve 22 with orifice, and the opening / closing valve 24 are switched in state by, for example, an electrical signal sent from the control device of the vehicle air conditioner 10. Alternatively, the three-way valve 18, the orificed on-off valve 22, and the on-off valve 24 are configured to receive a command from the control device of the vehicle air conditioner 10 and to output a signal from the control unit of the vehicle air conditioner 10 to switch the state. It is good.

  The radiator 56 has a passage through which a refrigerant flows and a passage through which air flows. For example, the radiator 56 is disposed near the top of the vehicle and exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing through each passage and the outside air. The inlet of the refrigerant passage of the radiator 56 communicates with the refrigerant outlet pipe 33 of the vehicle air conditioner 10 through a pipe. Further, the outlet of the refrigerant passage is branched into two pipes in the middle, and one communicates with the HVAC evaporator in the passenger compartment and the other communicates with the refrigerant introduction pipe 34 leading to the accumulator 108.

  A low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant flows through the radiator 56 during the heating operation and absorbs heat from the outside air, and during the cooling operation, a high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant flows through and releases the heat to the outside air. Outside air is blown onto the radiator 56 by, for example, a fan F1 (see FIG. 14).

  In the vehicle air conditioner 10, an electric compressor 112, an inverter case 113 (inverter), and a water-refrigerant heat exchanger 120 are arranged in order from the front of the vehicle. In such an arrangement, when the vehicle collides from the front, the electric compressor 112 located at the front is broken first, so the impact on the inverter case 113 is reduced. In addition, since the plate stack type water refrigerant heat exchanger 120 is arranged behind the inverter case 113, when the inverter case 113 collides with the water refrigerant heat exchanger 120, the water refrigerant heat exchanger 120 absorbs the impact. Further, the impact on the inverter case 113 is further alleviated. As a result, the inverter case 113 can be prevented from being damaged, and exposure of the high voltage portion can be avoided.

<Overall configuration of vehicle air conditioner>
FIG. 14 is a schematic diagram showing an overall configuration of the vehicle air conditioner of the second embodiment.

  The HVAC 70 is mounted in the passenger compartment and includes a heater core 44 and an evaporator 48. Here, the interior side of the firewall is called the vehicle interior.

  The engine cooler 40 includes a water jacket for flowing a coolant around the internal combustion engine and a pump for flowing the coolant to the water jacket, and releases heat from the internal combustion engine to the coolant flowing in the water jacket. The inlet and outlet of the coolant passage of the water jacket communicate with the heater core 44 and the coolant introduction pipe 31 leading to the three-way valve 18, respectively.

  The heater core 44 is a device that exchanges heat between the coolant and air, and is disposed in the intake passage E of the HVAC 70 that supplies air into the vehicle interior. The coolant passage of the heater core 44 communicates with the engine cooler 40 and the coolant outlet pipe 32. Outside air or the like is introduced into the intake passage E of the HVAC 70 by the fan F2.

  The evaporator 48 is a device that performs heat exchange between the refrigerant expanded to low temperature and low pressure and air, and is disposed in the intake passage E of the HVAC 70. When the refrigerant expanded to low temperature and low pressure passes through the evaporator 48, it absorbs heat from the air and vaporizes. The inlet of the refrigerant passage of the evaporator 48 communicates with the radiator 56 through a pipe with the expansion valve 52 and the opening / closing valve 60 interposed therebetween. The outlet of the refrigerant passage of the evaporator 48 communicates with a refrigerant introduction pipe 35 that communicates with the accumulator 108 through a pipe.

  The expansion valve 52 expands the high-pressure refrigerant to a low temperature and low pressure and discharges it to the evaporator 48. The expansion valve 52 is connected to a position close to the evaporator 48.

  The on-off valve 60 is provided in the middle of a pipe for flowing the refrigerant from the radiator 56 to the evaporator 48, and opens and closes this passage by electrical control.

<Cooling operation>
FIG. 15 is a diagram for explaining an operation during cooling operation in the vehicle air conditioner of the second embodiment. The shaded portion of the piping in the figure indicates that there is no refrigerant or coolant flow.

  During the cooling operation, the on-off valve 24 is closed, the on-off valve 60 is opened, the on-off valve 22 with an orifice is opened, and the water refrigerant heat exchanger 120 side of the three-way valve 18 is switched to closed.

  By this switching, the coolant circulates between the engine cooler 40 and the heater core 44, while the coolant does not flow to the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 120. In the intake passage E in the HVAC 70, the air mix damper is switched so that the air does not flow through the heater core 44, so that the air supplied to the passenger compartment is not heated.

  The refrigerant is compressed to a high temperature and a high pressure by the electric compressor 112, passes through the water refrigerant heat exchanger 120 with a high temperature, and is sent to the radiator 56. Thereafter, the refrigerant is cooled by the radiator 56, passes through the expansion valve 52, expands to a low temperature and a low pressure, and then is sent to the evaporator 48. In the evaporator 48, heat is absorbed from the air sent into the passenger compartment to the refrigerant, thereby cooling the air and vaporizing the refrigerant. The vaporized refrigerant is returned to the electric compressor 112 via the accumulator 108.

  By such a heat pump cycle, cold air can be sent into the passenger compartment.

<Heating operation>
FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating an operation during a heating operation in the vehicle air conditioner according to the second embodiment. The shaded portion of the piping in the figure indicates that there is no refrigerant or coolant flow.

  During the heating operation, the on-off valve 24 is opened, the on-off valve 60 is closed, the orifice-equipped on-off valve 22 is closed, and the coolant outlet pipe 32 side of the three-way valve 18 is switched to closed.

  By this switching, the coolant circulates through the engine cooler 40, the water / refrigerant heat exchanger 120, and the heater core 44. During this time, the coolant is heated by the engine cooler 40 and the water-refrigerant heat exchanger 120 and radiates heat to the air flowing through the intake passage E in the HVAC 70 by the heater core 44.

  Furthermore, the heat generated in the electric compressor 112 is transmitted to the cooling water in the water / refrigerant heat exchanger 120, and the exhaust heat of the electric compressor 112 is also used as a heat source.

  In the intake passage E, an air mix damper or the like is switched so that wind flows through the heater core 44, and the air sent into the vehicle compartment is warmed.

  The refrigerant is compressed to high temperature and high pressure by the electric compressor 112 and then passes through the water refrigerant heat exchanger 120 to radiate heat to the coolant. The high-pressure refrigerant after heat radiation passes through the orifice on-off valve 22, expands to low temperature and low pressure, and is sent to the radiator 56. In the radiator 56, heat is absorbed from the outside air to the refrigerant, and the refrigerant is vaporized. The vaporized refrigerant is returned to the electric compressor 112 via the accumulator 108. No refrigerant flows through the evaporator 48, and no heat exchange is performed there.

  With such an operation, warm air can be sent into the passenger compartment. The warm air effectively uses the heat of the engine, and the heat pump cycle compensates for the lack of engine heat. Further, the exhaust heat of the electric compressor 112 is also effectively used to warm the air. Since heating of air uses a heat pump cycle, power consumption relative to the amount of heating is kept low.

<Effect of Embodiment 2>
Thus, in the vehicle air conditioner 10 of the embodiment, the electric compressor 112, the inverter case 113 (inverter), and the water refrigerant heat exchanger 120 are arranged in order from the front of the vehicle. At this time, when the vehicle collides from the front, the electric compressor 112 located in the front is broken first, whereby the impact on the inverter case 113 is alleviated. Moreover, since the plate-stacked water-refrigerant heat exchanger 120 is disposed behind the inverter case 113, the impact on the inverter case 113 is further alleviated. As a result, the inverter case 113 can be prevented from being damaged, and exposure of the high voltage portion can be avoided.

  The vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention is suitable for use in a system for adjusting the temperature of each part in the vehicle.

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1 Vehicle heat pump apparatus 104 High temperature side inlet pipe 105 High temperature side outlet pipe 106 Low temperature side inlet pipe 107 Low temperature side outlet pipe 108 Accumulator 110 Low temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 111 High temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger 112 Electric compressor 113 Inverter case DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 114 Expansion valve 115 Board | substrate 116 Connector 2 Air-conditioner for vehicles 200 Air-water heat exchanger for cooling 201 Air-water heat exchanger for heating 202 Blower fan 203 Switching door 3 Heating element 5 1st radiator 6 2nd radiator 7 Firewall 10 Vehicle air conditioner 18 Three-way valve 20 Check valve 22 Open / close valve with orifice 24 Open / close valve 31 Coolant introduction pipe 32 Coolant outlet pipe 33 Refrigerant outlet pipe 34, 35 Refrigerant inlet pipe 40 Engine cooler 44 Heater core 48 Evaporator 52 Expansion valve 56 Radiator 60 Open Closed 70 HVAC
E Intake passage F1, F2 Fan

Claims (7)

A vehicle air conditioner that performs heat exchange between a coolant and a refrigerant,
An electric compressor having a compression mechanism for compressing and discharging the sucked refrigerant and an electric motor for driving the compression mechanism;
A drive circuit that converts DC power fed from a power source into AC power and supplies the electric motor;
A water refrigerant heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant and / or the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant and the coolant circulating in the vehicle air conditioner;
Comprising
In order from the front of the vehicle, the electric compressor, the drive circuit, and the water refrigerant heat exchanger are arranged,
The drive circuit and the water-refrigerant heat exchanger are arranged close to each other,
Vehicle air conditioner. An expansion valve for expanding the refrigerant discharged from the electric compressor;
The water refrigerant heat exchanger is
A high-temperature water refrigerant heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant discharged by the electric compressor and the first coolant that transports heat; and / or
A low-temperature side water refrigerant heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between the second coolant that transports cold heat and the low-temperature low-pressure refrigerant expanded by the expansion valve;
The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1. The drive circuit and the water refrigerant heat exchanger are arranged close enough to contact the water refrigerant heat exchanger when the vehicle receives an impact from the front,
The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2. The electric compressor, the drive circuit, and the water refrigerant heat exchanger are disposed outside a cabin of a firewall provided in the vehicle.
The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3. The housing that houses the electric compressor and the housing that houses the drive circuit are configured integrally.
The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4. Both the piping that serves as the passage for the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant and / or the high-temperature and high-pressure refrigerant, and the piping that serves as the passage for the coolant are disposed away from between the drive circuit and the water-refrigerant heat exchanger. ,
The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The water refrigerant heat exchanger is a plate stack type heat exchanger, and the electric compressor and the drive circuit are positioned in a direction perpendicular to the plate surface.
The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 6.

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