JP2018024373A - Air intake duct for cooling on-vehicle battery - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide an air intake duct for cooling an on-vehicle battery, the air intake duct being able to collect moisture contained in air taken in a duct and also reduce pressure loss with respect to the flow of air.SOLUTION: An air intake duct 30 for cooling on-vehicle battery, which supplies air to an on-vehicle battery 2 and cools it, comprises: a duct body 38 having an intake port 32, an exhaust port 34, and a communication passage 36 allowing communication between the air intake port and the exhaust port; and a plurality of water reservoir parts 44 provided facing the communication passage 36 and in a duct bottom 46 located in a vertically lower position in the duct body 38. Each reservoir part 44 is formed in a recessed shape so as to collect moisture contained in air taken from the air intake port 32. Each reservoir 44 in the recessed shape has: a partition wall provided upward in an air flow direction; and an inclination face 50 inclining upwards from the upstream side to the downstream side with respect to the air flow direction.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

  The present invention relates to an air intake duct for cooling an in-vehicle battery, and more particularly to an air intake duct having a water reservoir on the bottom surface inside the duct.

  2. Description of the Related Art Electric vehicles such as hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles that can run by driving a motor with electric power supplied from a secondary battery mounted on the vehicle are known. In such an electric vehicle, a cooling device for cooling the secondary battery may be provided.

  For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses a vehicle battery cooling device including a suction duct, a blower, and an intake duct that flows air taken in from the suction duct in the left-right direction of the vehicle and sends the air to the blower. The air intake duct of the cooling device includes a water reservoir portion in which a passage portion that flows in the left-right direction of the vehicle is expanded downward so as to collect liquid that has entered the interior, and a separation wall portion that divides the water reservoir portion in the left-right direction of the vehicle And have. Accordingly, it is described that the liquid accumulated in the duct can be prevented from flowing to the blower side when the vehicle is inclined or the vehicle turns.

JP 2010-140861 A

  In the intake duct of the vehicle battery cooling device described in Patent Document 1, the separation wall portion is formed substantially perpendicular to the air flow direction in the duct. Therefore, there is a problem that the pressure loss caused by the air flowing in the intake duct colliding with the separation wall is increased.

  An object of the present invention is to provide an in-vehicle battery cooling intake duct capable of accumulating water contained in air taken into a duct and reducing pressure loss of air flowing in the duct.

  An in-vehicle battery cooling intake duct according to the present invention is an in-vehicle battery cooling intake duct for supplying air to an in-vehicle battery for cooling, the intake port for taking in air, and the intake port A duct main body having an exhaust port for sending air taken in from the battery toward the battery, a communication passage communicating between the intake port and the exhaust port, and a bottom surface of the duct positioned vertically below the duct main body. A plurality of water reservoirs provided facing the passage and arranged in a row in the air flow direction and arranged in a direction orthogonal to the air flow direction. Each part is formed in a concave shape so as to be able to store water contained in the air taken in from the air inlet, and each of the concave water pool parts is a partition wall part erected along the flow direction of the air, The sky Those having an inclined surface that is inclined upward from the upstream side to the downstream side with respect to the flow direction.

  According to the intake duct for cooling a vehicle-mounted battery according to the present invention, water contained in air taken into the duct from the intake port can be stored in a plurality of water reservoirs, and water can be prevented from entering the battery. . Moreover, since the water reservoir has an inclined surface that is inclined upward from the upstream side to the downstream side in the air flow direction, air can flow downstream along the inclined surface, and pressure loss can be reduced.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the vehicle-mounted battery cooling system containing the intake duct which is embodiment. It is a perspective view which shows the state which decomposed | disassembled the intake duct shown in FIG. 1 into the upper side duct part and the lower side duct part. (A) is a top view which shows a part of several water pool part formed in the duct bottom face of the lower side duct part shown in FIG. 2 by upper surface view, (b) is A- in (a). It is A sectional view. (A) is the same top view as FIG. 3 (a) which shows another example of the water pool part formed in the duct bottom face of the lower side duct part shown in FIG. 2, (b) is the inside of (a). It is a BB sectional view taken on the line. (A) is the same top view as FIG. 3 (a) which shows another example of the water pool part formed in the duct bottom face of the lower side duct part shown in FIG. 2, (b) is (a). It is a CC sectional view taken on the line.

  Embodiments according to the present invention will be described below in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. In this description, specific shapes, materials, numerical values, directions, and the like are examples for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and can be appropriately changed according to the application, purpose, specification, and the like. In addition, when a plurality of embodiments and modified examples are included below, it is assumed from the beginning that these configurations are used in appropriate combinations.

  FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of an in-vehicle battery cooling system 10 including an intake duct according to an embodiment. In FIG. 1, two directions orthogonal to each other along the horizontal direction are indicated by arrows X and Y, and a vertical direction orthogonal to the horizontal direction is indicated by an arrow Z. In the embodiment, an example in which the arrow X coincides with the direction from the front to the rear of the vehicle on which the in-vehicle battery cooling system 10 is mounted, and the arrow Y (see FIG. 2) coincides with the left-right direction or the width direction of the vehicle. It is shown.

  The in-vehicle battery cooling system 10 is a device for cooling a secondary battery (battery) 2 mounted on a vehicle. Hereinafter, only “cooling system 10” will be referred to as appropriate. The secondary battery 2 is composed of a chargeable / dischargeable assembled battery, and for example, a lithium ion battery or a nickel metal hydride battery is preferably used. The secondary battery 2 is mounted on a vehicle in a state of being housed in a battery case 4 made of, for example, a metal casing. The secondary battery 2 may be mounted on the rear side of the rear seat in the vehicle.

  The vehicle on which the secondary battery 2 is mounted is, for example, a hybrid vehicle (including a plug-in hybrid vehicle) or an electric vehicle such as an electric vehicle. The electric vehicle refers to a vehicle that can drive with a driving force by driving a motor with electric power supplied from the secondary battery 2. The electric vehicle includes a vehicle equipped with a fuel cell. A fuel cell vehicle travels by driving a driving motor with electric power generated by the fuel cell, and the electric power generated by the fuel cell is charged in an in-vehicle secondary battery to drive the driving motor. It can also be used.

  The cooling system 10 includes a blower 12, an intake side connection duct 14, an exhaust side connection duct 16, and an intake duct 30. The blower 12 has an intake port 12a and an exhaust port 12b. The blower 12 is driven by a drive source (motor) (not shown). Thereby, the blower 12 functions as a blower that sends out the air sucked from the intake port 12a through the exhaust port 12b.

  The intake side connection duct 14 is a hollow member made of, for example, resin that forms a pipe line. One end of the intake side connection duct 14 is connected to the intake port 12 a of the blower 12. The other end of the intake side connection duct 14 opens toward the vehicle interior of the vehicle, for example, at a position below the rear seat. Thereby, when the blower 12 is operated, the air taken in from the passenger compartment is taken into the blower 12 via the intake side connection duct 14.

  A filter 15 is installed in the opening on the other end side of the intake side connection duct 14. The filter 15 is made of, for example, a net or a nonwoven fabric. The filter 15 removes dust and dirt contained in the air sucked into the intake side connection duct 14 from the vehicle interior. Thereby, it is possible to prevent or suppress dust and the like from being taken into the blower 12 together with air and entering the secondary battery 2.

  The exhaust side connection duct 16 is, for example, a resin-made hollow member that forms a pipe line, similarly to the intake side connection duct 14. One end of the exhaust side connection duct 16 is connected to the exhaust port 12 b of the blower 12. The exhaust side connection duct 16 is bent downward at a position of the blower 12 on the vehicle rear side (arrow X side), and the other end is opened obliquely downward.

  The intake duct 30 of the cooling system 10 includes an intake port 32 for taking in air, an exhaust port 34 for sending air taken in from the intake port 32 toward the secondary battery 2, and communication between the intake port 32 and the exhaust port 34. A duct body 38 having a passage 36.

  The air inlet 32 is formed to open at one end of the duct body 38. The intake port 32 is connected to the other end of the exhaust side connection duct 16 connected to the blower 12. The exhaust port 34 is formed to open to the other end of the duct body 38. As will be described later, the exhaust port 34 includes two exhaust ports 34a and 34b spaced apart in the arrow Y direction (vehicle width direction) when the duct body 38 is bifurcated. The exhaust ports 34a and 34b are respectively connected to two air inlet ports 6a and 6b formed on the side surface of the battery case 4 so as to be separated from each other in the vehicle width direction (Y direction).

  The duct body 38 is a hollow member, and a communication path 36 is formed therein. Moreover, the duct main body 38 has the introduction part 40a, the intermediate part 40b, and the exhaust part 40c in order from the vehicle front side (right side in FIG. 1). The air sent from the blower 12 to the duct main body 38 via the exhaust side connection duct 16 flows obliquely downward in the introduction part 40a, and is substantially horizontal (arrow X) toward the rear of the vehicle in the intermediate part 40b and the exhaust part 40c. Flowing.

  In the present embodiment, an example is shown in which the intermediate portion 40b of the duct main body 38 extends substantially along the horizontal direction. However, the present invention is not limited to this, and the intermediate portion 40b is downstream in the air flow direction. You may form in the shape inclined up toward it. In this way, when water is contained in the air sent into the intake duct 30, the water is less likely to enter the exhaust part 40c beyond the intermediate part 40b, and water can enter the secondary battery 2 more effectively. It can be effectively suppressed.

  FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing the intake duct 30 shown in FIG. 1 in an exploded state with an upper duct portion and a lower duct portion. The duct body 38 of the intake duct 30 includes an upper duct portion 38a and a lower duct portion 38b. The upper duct portion 38a and the lower duct portion 38b are each formed of a resin molded product, for example. The duct body 38 is configured by assembling the upper duct portion 38a with respect to the lower duct portion 38b from above (in the direction of arrow D). The upper duct portion 38a and the lower duct portion 38b are joined to each other by, for example, an adhesive.

  As shown in FIG. 2, the upper duct portion 38a and the lower duct portion 38b are bifurcated on the vehicle rear side. Thus, at the other end of the duct body 38, the two exhaust ports 34a and 34b are formed apart from each other in the vehicle width direction (arrow Y). The lower duct portion 38b is provided with two attachment portions (only one is shown in FIG. 2) on both sides in the left and right (arrow Y) directions. The intake duct 30 is fixed by inserting bolts or the like into the through holes formed in the attachment portions 42 and fastening them to the vehicle body.

  As shown in FIG. 1, a large number of water reservoirs 44 are provided on the duct bottom surface 46 located vertically below in the duct body 38 so as to face the communication path 36 in the duct body 38. Specifically, the duct bottom face 46 in the duct body 38 is constituted by the duct bottom face of the lower duct portion 38b as shown in FIG. Accordingly, the water reservoir 44 is formed on the duct bottom surface 46 of the lower duct portion 38b.

  FIG. 3A is a plan view showing a part of a number of water reservoirs 44 formed on the duct bottom surface 46 of the lower duct portion 38b shown in FIG. 2 in a top view, and FIG. It is AA sectional view taken on the line in (a). As shown in FIGS. 2 (a) and 2 (b), a plurality of water reservoirs 44 are arranged side by side in the flow direction (arrow X) of the air flowing in the duct body 38 and are orthogonal to the air flow direction ( A plurality are arranged side by side in the arrow Y). As shown to Fig.2 (a), in this Embodiment, each water sump part 44 is formed in hexagon shape by planar view. Each pool 44 is formed in alignment in the Y direction. Further, the two rows of water reservoirs 44 adjacent to each other in the direction of the arrow X are arranged at positions shifted by half the width W in the Y direction. By arranging the respective water reservoirs 44 in this manner, the number of the water reservoirs 44 can be increased by effectively utilizing the space of the duct bottom surface 46 without waste.

  As shown in FIGS. 3 (a) and 3 (b), the water reservoirs 44 are each formed in a concave shape so that water contained in the air taken in from the air inlet 32 (see FIGS. 1 and 2) of the duct body 38 can be stored. Has been. More specifically, each water reservoir 44 includes a partition wall portion 48 erected along the air flow direction (arrow X), and the upstream side (the right side in FIG. 3) to the downstream side (the right side in FIG. 3). An inclined surface 50 inclined upward to the left side in FIG. 3 and a standing wall surface 52 rising upward continuously from the inclined surface 50. Thereby, as shown in FIG.3 (b), while the water pool part 44 is formed in the shape dented in the substantially V shape, the water pool parts 44 adjacent in the direction orthogonal to the flow direction of air are It is partitioned by a partition wall portion 48.

  The inclined surface 50 of the water reservoir 44 constitutes a bottom surface of the water reservoir 44 formed in a concave shape and forms a recess for storing water. The inclined surface 50 has a function of guiding the air flowing along the duct bottom surface 46 in the duct body 38 to the downstream side. Further, the inclined surface 50 has a water collecting function for guiding water adhering to the duct bottom surface 46 of the duct body 38 to the substantially V-shaped recess of the water reservoir 44.

  The partition wall 48 that partitions the water reservoir 44 prevents water accumulated in the water reservoir 44 from moving in the vehicle width direction (arrow Y direction). Thereby, when the vehicle is tilted or when centrifugal force is applied during curve traveling, the water accumulated in each water reservoir 44 is configured not to flow in the vehicle width direction in the duct body 38.

  The standing wall portion 52 of the water reservoir 44 is formed substantially perpendicular to the air flow direction in the duct body 38. However, the standing wall portion 52 is formed to face the downstream side in the air flow direction, and does not face the upstream side. Therefore, the standing wall 52 of the water reservoir 44 does not increase the pressure loss with respect to the air flowing in the duct body 38.

  In addition, the depth of the recessed water reservoir 44 may not be uniformly formed. For example, the air flow direction may be shallow on the upstream side and deep on the downstream side, or vice versa.

  Next, the operation of the cooling system 10 including the intake duct 30 having the above-described configuration will be described with reference to FIG. 1 again.

  For example, when the temperature of the secondary battery 2 becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined temperature, the blower 12 is driven. Thereby, the air in the passenger compartment is sucked through the filter 15 from the other end opening of the intake side connection duct 14. At this time, for example, when an occupant spills water in the passenger compartment, water may be sucked together with air.

  The air sucked into the blower 12 is sent from the exhaust side connection duct 16 to the intake duct 30. At that time, the water contained in the air falls to the bottom surface of the duct in the duct main body 38 due to the gravitational action and accumulates in the water reservoir 44. At this time, the air flowing in the vicinity of the duct bottom surface 46 in the duct body 38 can flow so as to be guided downstream by the inclined surface 50 of each water reservoir 44. As described above, in the intake duct 30 according to the present embodiment, the water reservoir 44 in the duct body 38 does not have a wall portion that is erected so as to be substantially perpendicularly opposed to the upstream side in the air flow direction. The air can be smoothly flowed to the downstream side by being guided by the inclined surface 50.

  The air flowing through the duct body 38 is sent into the battery case 4 from the two exhaust ports 34a and 34b. Thereby, the secondary battery 2 accommodated in the battery case 4 is efficiently cooled by the air sent from both sides in the vehicle width direction. The air that has cooled the secondary battery 2 is released to the outside of the case through an opening, a gap, or the like formed on the wall surface of the battery case 4.

  As described above, according to the intake duct 30 according to the present embodiment, water contained in the air taken into the duct main body 38 from the intake port 32 is accumulated in the many water reservoirs 44 provided on the duct bottom surface 46. And intrusion of water into the secondary battery 2 can be suppressed. Moreover, since the water reservoir 44 has the inclined surface 50 inclined upward from the upstream side in the air flow direction, air can flow downstream along the inclined surface 50, and pressure loss can be reduced. .

  4 (a) is a plan view similar to FIG. 3 (a) showing another example of a water reservoir formed on the duct bottom surface 46 of the lower duct portion 38b shown in FIG. ) Is a sectional view taken along line BB in (a). In this example, each water reservoir 44a has a triangular shape in plan view, and is arranged in a state of being aligned in the vehicle longitudinal direction (arrow X) and the vehicle width direction (arrow Y). Further, the water pool portions 44 adjacent to each other in the vehicle width direction (arrow Y) are partitioned by a partition wall portion 48. Other configurations and operational effects are the same as those of the intake duct 30 according to the above-described embodiment.

  5 (a) is a plan view similar to FIG. 3 (a) showing still another example of the water reservoir formed on the duct bottom surface 46 of the lower duct portion 38b shown in FIG. FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line CC in (a). Each pool 44b in this example has an oval shape in plan view. Each pool 44b is formed in alignment in the vehicle width direction (arrow Y), but the two rows of pool 44b adjacent to the vehicle longitudinal direction (arrow X) are half the width W in the vehicle width direction. It is arranged at a position shifted by only. Further, the water pool portions 44b adjacent to each other in the vehicle width direction are partitioned by a partition wall portion 48, respectively. Other configurations and operational effects are the same as those of the intake duct 30 according to the above-described embodiment.

  The shape of the water reservoir 44 in plan view may be a shape other than that described above. In addition, by appropriately designing the shape, depth, angle of the inclined surface, etc. of the water reservoir 44, it is possible to improve the instantaneous water collection performance and change the amount of water that has entered the intake duct. it can.

  2 Secondary battery, 4 Battery case, 6a, 6b Air inlet, 10 In-vehicle battery cooling system, 12 Blower, 12a, 32 Air inlet, 12b, 34, 34a, 34b Air outlet, 14 Air intake side connection duct, 15 Filter, 16 exhaust side connection duct, 30 intake duct, 36 communication path, 38 duct body, 38a upper duct part, 38b lower duct part, 40a introduction part, 40b intermediate part, 40c exhaust part, 42 mounting part, 44, 44a, 44b Water pool, 46 Duct bottom, 48 Partition wall, 50 Inclined surface.

Claims (1)

An in-vehicle battery cooling air intake duct for supplying air to an in-vehicle battery for cooling,
A duct body having an intake port for taking in air, an exhaust port for sending air taken in from the intake port toward the battery, and a communication path communicating between the intake port and the exhaust port;
Provided on the bottom surface of the duct located vertically below the duct body so as to face the communication path, and are arranged side by side in the air flow direction and arranged in a direction orthogonal to the air flow direction. A pooled water reservoir,
The plurality of water reservoirs are respectively formed in a concave shape so as to be able to store water contained in the air taken in from the intake port, and each of the concave water reservoirs is erected along the air flow direction. An in-vehicle battery cooling intake duct having a partition wall portion and an inclined surface inclined upward from the upstream side to the downstream side in the air flow direction.

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