JP4496975B2 - Cooling fan control device - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a cooling fan control device that controls rotational driving of a cooling fan that blows air to a radiator that cools cooling water.

Conventionally, as this type of technology, for example, those described in the following documents are known (see Patent Documents 1 to 6). As a technology for rotational drive control of a cooling fan in consideration of fan noise when the vehicle is stopped, those described in Literatures 1 to 4 are known. In the technology described in Literature 1, an air conditioner (A / C) is known. : Air conditioner) is set to the target value of the cooling fan rotation. When the vehicle is stopped and the engine is idle, the upper limit guard is applied to the fan rotation speed according to the required air outlet temperature of the air conditioner. As a result, when the vehicle is stopped and the engine is idling, noise is prioritized over cooling, the fan speed is reduced, and fan noise is suppressed.
In the technique described in Document 2, the number of rotations of the cooling fan is determined based on the temperature of the cooling water of the internal combustion engine, the rotation speed of the blower motor for indoor air blowing for indoor air conditioning, the intake air amount of the internal combustion engine, and the vehicle speed. It is determined to achieve both the supercooling of the internal combustion engine and the reduction of fan noise.

  In the technique described in Document 3, the rotational speed of the cooling fan that cools the in-vehicle battery is controlled based on the background noise prediction model obtained from the temperature of the in-vehicle battery, the vehicle speed, the rotational speed of the internal combustion engine, and the like. .

  In the technique described in Document 4, the vehicle interior noise level is calculated based on at least one of the audio volume, the vehicle speed, and the engine speed, and the vehicle interior noise level and the device internal temperature in the in-vehicle electronic device are calculated. Based on this, the target rotational speed of the cooling fan is calculated and driven.

  In the technique described in Document 5, the number of rotations of the cooling fan that blows cooling air to the radiator is calculated based on the temperature of the cooling water of the internal combustion engine, the outside air temperature, and the vehicle speed, and the temperature of the cooling water is adjusted. Yes.

  In the technique described in Document 6, when the fuel cell vehicle is idle, a hydrogen pump that supplies hydrogen stored in a hydrogen tank to the fuel cell, an air compressor that supplies air to the fuel cell, and cooling water is circulated through the fuel cell. Set the generated noise frequency of rotating equipment such as a cooling water pump and a ventilation fan to ventilate the box containing the fuel cell so that they are separated from each other by 30 Hz or more so as to suppress the swell sound and suppress the feeling of harshness. Yes.

On the other hand, Document 7 describes a technique for protecting the fuel cell from overtemperature. In this technique, when the heat dissipation capability of the cooling tower that keeps the temperature of the cooling medium at an appropriate level is lowered, The power generation output of the fuel cell is limited to match the amount of heat dissipated in the cooling tower, and the temperature of the fuel cell is maintained within an appropriate range.
JP-A-10-196364 Japanese Patent No. 2531196 JP 2004-48981 A JP 2003-148144 A JP 61-046416 A JP 2004-178847 A Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 05-074477

  As described above, conventionally, various techniques have been proposed for driving control of the cooling fan. When a high cooling performance is required in a conventional vehicle, for example, in a high-power engine-equipped vehicle or a fuel cell vehicle, A cooling fan that can be varied is provided to control the cooling water temperature by increasing the fan rotation speed so as not to overheat at high output, while reducing the noise by reducing the fan rotation speed at low output.

  Here, when the vehicle stops after traveling, the engine output is low, but the amount of cooling air supplied to the radiator decreases rapidly, so the coolant temperature temporarily rises above the target value. Thereby, in order to suppress the temperature rise of the cooling water, the rotational speed of the cooling fan is increased, which causes noise.

  In order to reduce such noise, conventionally, the upper limit value of the cooling fan speed is set in consideration of the engine speed, the audio volume, the vehicle interior blower fan, and the like. However, when the noise other than the cooling fan is low, the rotation upper limit value of the cooling fan is also low, so that it is difficult to keep the cooling water temperature within a specified value when the vehicle stops after traveling.

  On the other hand, in fuel cell vehicles, as an alternative to adopting technology that suppresses the swell sound caused by the noise of various rotating equipment, the temperature of fuel cell cooling water rises and the fuel cell electrolytes dry, It has caused problems such as adversely affecting performance.

  In addition, in the method of limiting the power generation output to protect the fuel cell from overtemperature, the temperature of the cooling water of the fuel cell rises, the power generation output is restricted, and the power performance deteriorates. Become.

  Therefore, the present invention has been made in view of the above, and an object of the present invention is to provide a cooling fan control device that controls the temperature of the cooling water within a specified value and reduces the noise of the cooling fan. There is.

  Another object of the present invention is to provide a cooling fan control device capable of reducing the noise of the cooling fan and maintaining a balance between the operating state of the fuel cell and the power performance.

  In order to achieve the above object, a means for solving the problems of the present invention is a radiator that cools cooling water that circulates between a cooled unit of a vehicle and a radiator to remove heat generated in the cooled unit. In the cooling fan control device that controls driving of the cooling fan that blows air, the number of rotations of the cooling fan is determined so that the cooling water temperature satisfies a set target water temperature, and the cooling fan is based on the determined rotation number Drive control means for controlling the driving of the vehicle, travel state determination means for determining whether or not the vehicle is in a travel state, and when the vehicle is determined to be in the travel state by the travel state determination means, When the temperature of the cooling water temporarily rises when the vehicle stops, and when it is estimated that the water temperature rises temporarily, the cooling set up to that time before the vehicle stopped And having a target water temperature setting means for changing the target temperature of.

  According to the present invention, when it is estimated that the coolant temperature rises temporarily when the vehicle is stopped, the coolant temperature is kept within a specified value by decreasing the coolant temperature in advance during traveling. In addition, since the increase in the number of rotations of the cooling fan can be suppressed, the noise of the cooling fan can be reduced.

  Further, by changing the target coolant temperature according to the operating state of the fuel cell, it is possible to reduce the cooling fan noise and maintain the balance between the operating state of the fuel cell and the power performance of the vehicle.

  DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS The best embodiment for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings.

  1 is a diagram illustrating a configuration of a cooling system including a cooling fan control device according to a first embodiment of the present invention. In FIG. 1, in Example 1, a radiator (RAD) 2 that cools cooling water that circulates a cooled unit 3 such as an engine of an internal combustion engine vehicle or a fuel cell of a fuel cell vehicle, and cooling that blows cooling air to the radiator 2. A controller 4 that controls driving of the fan 1 and the cooling fan 1 is provided.

  The controller 4 is a detection signal of the cooling water temperature circulated between the unit to be cooled and the radiator measured by the water temperature sensor 5, and a vehicle speed sensor 6 that functions as a means for determining whether or not the vehicle is in a running state. The detected vehicle speed detection signal and the outside air temperature detection signal measured by the outside air temperature sensor 7 are read to set the target water temperature of the cooling water based on the cooling water temperature, the vehicle speed and the outside air temperature, and the set target water temperature The driving of the cooling fan 1 is controlled based on the above. The means for determining whether or not the vehicle is in a running state may be means for detecting the output of the power source of the vehicle. For example, in the case of a fuel cell vehicle, the power generation output of the fuel cell is detected. It may be a means.

  The controller 4 has a function of executing a procedure shown in FIG. 2 or FIGS. 5 and 9 described later, and this function is realized by a microcomputer or the like provided with resources necessary for information processing. The controller 4 controls the driving of the cooling fan 1 according to the procedure of the flowchart shown in FIG.

  In FIG. 2, first, a normal target water temperature (initial value) in the cooling water is set, and detection signals detected by the water temperature sensor 5, the vehicle speed sensor 6, and the outside air temperature sensor 7 are read (step S201). Thereafter, when the vehicle is in a running state, the outside air temperature is compared with a predetermined reference value set in advance (step S202), and when the outside air temperature is higher than the reference value, the preset FIG. Based on the relationship between the vehicle speed and the target water temperature as shown in FIG. 5, the set value of the target water temperature is changed so that the target water temperature of the cooling water becomes lower than the value when the vehicle stops when the vehicle speed increases (step S203). Subsequently, based on the relationship between the current water temperature, the target water temperature, and the number of rotations of the cooling fan 1, which is set in advance through experiments and desk studies so that the temperature of the cooling water becomes the set target water temperature, the cooling fan 1. And the driving of the cooling fan 1 is controlled so as to be the set number of rotations (step S204).

  On the other hand, if the outside air temperature is lower than the reference value in the comparison result of the previous step S202, the process proceeds to the previous step S204, the number of rotations of the cooling fan 1 is determined, and the cooling fan 1 is driven and controlled.

  As described above, in the first embodiment, when it is estimated that the outside air temperature is high and the coolant temperature temporarily rises when the vehicle stops, the coolant temperature is decreased in advance according to the traveling vehicle speed. deep. As a result, even if the water temperature rises when the vehicle is stopped, the absolute value is kept within a predetermined value that is set in advance, so that the number of revolutions of the cooling fan 1 can be kept low. Can be suppressed and quietness can be improved.

  Further, the target water temperature of the cooling water can be changed only when the outside air temperature is high. Further, when the vehicle speed is low and the heat generation amount of the cooled unit 3 is small, the number of rotations of the cooling fan 1 during traveling is reduced. Therefore, the frequency of power consumption increase due to an increase in the rotational speed of the cooling fan 1 during traveling can be kept low.

  The amount of increase in water temperature when the vehicle is stopped increases according to the amount of change in cooling air between running and when the vehicle is stopped, so the power for lowering the water temperature at low vehicle speeds by changing the target water temperature according to the vehicle speed. Can be kept small. In addition, the amount of increase in water temperature when the vehicle is stopped increases even when the output of the power source during driving is high, so that the output of the power source is detected and the target water temperature is changed according to the detected output as described above. The effect is obtained.

  If the outside air temperature is low, the radiator's heat dissipation capability will increase, and even if the cooling air decreases after the vehicle stops, the increase in water temperature will be small, so whether or not the target water temperature needs to be changed according to the outside air temperature. When the outside air temperature is lower than a predetermined value set in advance, power for lowering the water temperature becomes unnecessary, and power saving can be achieved.

  FIG. 4 is a diagram showing a configuration of a cooling system including a cooling fan control device according to Embodiment 2 of the present invention. In FIG. 4, the feature of the second embodiment is that it further includes an A / C outdoor heat exchanger 41, an A / C system component 42, and an A / C controller 43 as compared with the first embodiment. The driving of the cooling fan 1 is controlled in consideration of the operating state (load) of A / C (air conditioner), and the other is the same as in the first embodiment.

  The A / C outdoor heat exchanger 41 exchanges heat between the A / C refrigerant and the outside air, and is normally disposed at the front portion of the radiator 2 of the vehicle. For this reason, the temperature of the cooling water that passes through the radiator 2 depends on the temperature of the air that has passed through the A / C outdoor heat exchanger 41.

  It is composed of an A / C system component 42, a refrigerant compressor, a refrigerant evaporator, an air inlet switching device, an air blower, and the like. The operating state of these components is an A / C controller 43 that controls the operation of A / C. Via the controller 4.

  FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the drive control procedure of the cooling fan 1 in the configuration shown in FIG. 5, first, step S501 similar to the previous step S201 shown in FIG. 2 and step S502 similar to step S202 are executed. If the comparison result of step S502 shows that the outside air temperature is lower than the reference value, FIG. The cooling fan 1 is driven and controlled by executing the same process as in the previous step S204 (step S506).

  On the other hand, in the comparison result of step S502, when the outside air temperature is higher than the reference value, the operating state of A / C is determined. Here, it is determined whether the A / C air introduction port is on the vehicle exterior side or vehicle interior side (step S503).

  In general, when the A / C air inlet is outside the vehicle, the outside air is taken in and controlled to an appropriate temperature and then blown into the vehicle interior. The amount of heat released by the outdoor heat exchanger 41 also increases. For this reason, the air temperature of the front surface of the radiator 2 rises and causes the coolant temperature to rise.

  Therefore, when the air inlet is outside the vehicle and air is taken into the A / C from the outside of the vehicle, the vehicle speed increases as the vehicle speed and the target water temperature are set as shown in FIG. The set value of the target water temperature is changed so that the target water temperature of the cooling water is lower than the value at the time of stopping (step S504). Here, the relationship between the vehicle speed and the target water temperature shown in FIG. 6 is set such that the decrease rate of the target water temperature increases with respect to the increase in the vehicle speed, as compared with the relationship when the A / C air inlet is in the vehicle interior. Has been. Therefore, when the vehicle speed is the same and air is introduced from the outside of the vehicle to A / C, the target water temperature is set lower than when air in the vehicle compartment is introduced to A / C.

  On the other hand, in the determination result of the previous step S503, when the air inlet is on the vehicle interior side, the cooling water becomes higher as the vehicle speed becomes higher based on the preset relationship between the vehicle speed and the target water temperature as shown in FIG. The set value of the target water temperature is changed so that the target water temperature becomes lower than the value at the time of stopping (step S505). Here, the relationship between the vehicle speed and the target water temperature shown in FIG. 7 is set such that the rate of decrease in the target water temperature is smaller with respect to the increase in the vehicle speed than the relationship when the A / C air inlet is outside the vehicle. ing. Therefore, when the vehicle speed is the same and air is introduced from the vehicle interior to A / C, the target water temperature is set higher than when air outside the vehicle is introduced to A / C.

  After resetting the target water temperature in this way, the same processing as step S204 in FIG. 2 is performed to drive and control the cooling fan 1 (step S506).

  As described above, in the second embodiment, when the operating state of A / C is determined and air is introduced into A / C from the outside of the vehicle, the temperature of the cooling water is predicted to increase when the vehicle is stopped. By resetting the water temperature to a lower value, the rise in water temperature can be suppressed when the vehicle stops. Thereby, the rotation speed of the cooling fan 1 can also be suppressed low, and the noise of the cooling fan 1 at the time of a stop can be reduced.

  On the other hand, when air is introduced into the A / C from the passenger compartment, the rotational speed of the cooling fan 1 during traveling can be reduced by resetting the target water temperature higher than when introducing air from outside the vehicle. The frequency of power consumption increase due to an increase in the rotational speed of the cooling fan 1 can be kept low.

  Further, by determining the target water temperature according to the operating state of A / C, the power required for lowering the water temperature when the A / C load is low can be reduced. For example, when A / C is not operating, the air inlet is in the vehicle interior, and the air blowing temperature from A / C to the vehicle interior has reached the target value, the A / C operates and air Compared to the case where the introduction port is outside the passenger compartment and the blowing temperature does not reach the target value, the operating load of A / C is low, so the water temperature increase margin when the vehicle stops is small. Therefore, by changing the target water temperature during traveling according to the operating state of A / C, it becomes possible to optimally drive and control the cooling fan 1 in terms of noise and power consumption when the vehicle is stopped.

  Note that the A / C operating state is determined by determining the A / C air inlet, but in addition to this, whether the A / C is operating or whether the A / C blowing air temperature is the target. It may be determined whether or not the temperature has been reached. For example, when the A / C is operating, the water temperature rises when the amount of heat released from the A / C outdoor heat exchanger 41 stops larger than when the A / C outdoor heat exchanger 41 is not operating, so the process of step S504 is executed. By doing so, the same effect can be obtained. Further, even when the A / C blowing air temperature does not reach the target temperature, the A / C operating load is higher than when the A / C blowing air temperature has reached the target temperature, and the heat dissipation amount of the A / C outdoor heat exchanger 41 is high. Therefore, the same effect can be obtained by executing the process of the previous step S504.

  FIG. 8 is a diagram showing a configuration of a cooling system including a cooling fan control device according to Embodiment 3 of the present invention. In FIG. 8, the feature of the third embodiment is that it further includes a vehicle navigation system 81 and an ETC (Electronic Toll Collection) system 82 as compared with the second embodiment, and the vehicle travels on a highway. The driving of the cooling fan 1 is controlled in consideration of whether the ETC system is used to pay the toll when traveling on the expressway, Others are the same as in the second embodiment.

  In the navigation system 81, whether the vehicle is traveling on a highway, whether there is a traffic jam in the traveling direction of the vehicle, whether there is a toll gate in the traveling direction, the service area on the highway Alternatively, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is traveling on the interchange introduction route, and when the toll gate or the traffic jam is in the traveling direction, the estimated arrival time to that point is estimated, and the obtained information is given to the controller 4.

  The ETC system 82 determines whether the vehicle is traveling using the ETC system when the vehicle is traveling on the highway, and gives the determination result to the controller 4.

  FIG. 9 is a flowchart showing a procedure of driving control of the cooling fan 1 by the controller 4 in the configuration shown in FIG. 9, first, step S901 similar to step S201 shown in FIG. 2 and step S902 similar to step S202 are executed. If the comparison result in step S902 shows that the outside air temperature is lower than the reference value, FIG. The cooling fan 1 is driven and controlled by executing the same process as in the previous step S204 (step S907).

  On the other hand, when the outside air temperature is higher than the reference value in the comparison result in step S902, it is determined whether or not the vehicle is traveling on the highway based on the information obtained by the navigation system 81 (step S903). If the result of determination is that the vehicle is not traveling on a highway, step S904 similar to step S503 shown in FIG. 5 is executed, and then step S905 or step S505 similar to step S504 shown in FIG. 5 is executed. Step S906 is executed, and then step S907 is executed.

  On the other hand, if it is determined in step S903 that the vehicle is traveling on the highway, the next stop is predicted by the procedure shown in steps S908 to S912 below, and the coolant temperature is lowered in advance before stopping. Thus, it becomes possible to determine the necessity of lowering the water temperature more accurately than in the second embodiment.

  First, when it is determined that the vehicle is traveling on an expressway, it is subsequently determined whether or not the vehicle is traveling on a service area or an interchange introduction route (step S908). If the vehicle is traveling, it can be predicted that the vehicle will stop easily thereafter, so the process of step S904 is executed to reduce the target water temperature.

  On the other hand, if the vehicle is not traveling on the service area or the interchange introduction route, it is then determined whether there is a toll gate on the route (step S909). As a result of the determination, if there is a toll booth, it is considered that the car will stop there, but if you are traveling using the ETC system, it is possible that the car will not stop at the toll booth, so use the ETC system next. It is determined whether the vehicle is traveling (step S910). As a result of the determination, if the vehicle is not traveling using the ETC system, the vehicle will stop at the next toll gate. Therefore, the fee is based on the distance from the current position to the toll gate obtained by the navigation system 81 and the vehicle speed. The arrival time to arrive at the place is estimated (step S911).

  Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the current time is t (minutes) before the estimated estimated arrival time (step S912). As a result of the determination, if the current time is not before t (minutes), that is, if it is estimated that the vehicle will arrive earlier than t (minutes), the target water temperature is not lowered and the process of step S907 is performed. If the time is before t (minutes), the process of the previous step S904 is executed.

  Here, when the circulation time required for the cooling water to circulate once around the cooling system is T, the predetermined value t set in advance is set to be 2T (min) or more. The circulation time T is calculated as T = G / Q (minutes) based on the retained water amount G (L) of the cooling water and the pumping capacity Q (L / min) of the pump that circulates the cooling water. As a result, the cooling water circulates at least two times in the cooling system before the vehicle stops, and the vehicle can be stopped after the effect of lowering the water temperature appears reliably. In addition, when the vehicle is predicted not to stop until t (minutes) or longer, the target water temperature is not reduced, so that the power required for the water temperature reduction can be reduced.

  On the other hand, if it is determined that there is no toll gate on the route in the determination result of the previous step S909, the navigation system 81 subsequently determines whether or not there is a traffic jam on the route. As a result of the determination, if there is no traffic jam on the route, the processing of the previous step S907 is executed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the traffic jam has occurred on the route, the vehicle may stop there. Therefore, in the same manner as when estimating the arrival time until arrival at the toll gate, the stop time until the vehicle stops due to traffic jam is estimated (step S911).

  After that, as in the case of determining whether or not the current time is t (minutes) before the estimated estimated arrival time, it is determined whether or not the stop time until the vehicle stops due to traffic is before t (minutes). It discriminate | determines (step S912) and it is determined whether it changes target water temperature similarly to the case where it stops at a toll gate.

  Thus, in the third embodiment, it can be estimated that the vehicle is traveling at a relatively high output or vehicle speed on the highway, and that the vehicle can easily stop after entering the service area or interchange introduction road. Therefore, in such a case, by lowering the temperature of the cooling water, it is possible to avoid using the power required for lowering the water temperature during the previous driving, and thus it is possible to save power. Become.

  In addition, if there is a traffic jam in the traveling direction of the expressway, it is conceivable that the vehicle will stop easily due to the traffic jam. The power required for this can be avoided and power saving can be achieved.

  If there is a toll gate in the direction of the highway, it may be possible to stop at the toll gate easily. In such a case, the water temperature can be reduced by lowering the water temperature. The necessary power can be avoided and power saving can be achieved.

  The cooling water circulates at least twice in the cooling system from when the target cooling water temperature is lowered to when the vehicle stops, so that the water temperature can be stopped after the effect of lowering the water temperature has been ensured. The power required for lowering the water temperature can be reduced.

  In addition, when driving using the ETC system, it is considered that there is a high probability that the vehicle will not stop even if there is a toll gate in the direction of travel. In that case, the target water temperature should not be lowered in advance. Thus, the power required for lowering the water temperature can be reduced.

  Thus, since the frequency of reducing the temperature of the cooling water can be limited by reasonably predicting the stop of the vehicle based on the navigation information, the same effect as in the second embodiment can be obtained. In addition, power saving can be achieved.

  FIG. 10 is a diagram showing a configuration of a cooling system including a cooling fan control device according to Embodiment 4 of the present invention. In FIG. 10, in the fourth embodiment, a radiator (RAD) 103 that cools cooling water circulating in the fuel cell 107 of the fuel cell vehicle, a cooling fan 104 that blows cooling air to the radiator 103, and driving of the cooling fan 104 are controlled. A controller 105 is provided.

  Heat generated by the power generation of the fuel cell 107 is sent to the radiator 103 through the cooling water circulating in the cooling water flow path 106 and cooled.

  The controller 105 calculates a target power generation amount based on information such as an accelerator opening degree not shown here, an operating state of the fuel cell 107 operated according to the calculated target power generation amount, and an outside air temperature sensor. A target coolant temperature is set based on the outside air temperature measured at 101 and the vehicle speed measured by the vehicle speed sensor 102, and the drive of the cooling fan 104 is controlled so that the coolant reaches the target coolant temperature.

  FIG. 11 shows the configuration of the fuel cell 107. In FIG. 11, the hydrogen supplied from the hydrogen source 1102 is adjusted to an appropriate pressure by the hydrogen pressure regulating valve 1104 via the hydrogen flow path 1103 and then sent to the fuel cell main body 1101. In addition, air as an oxidant is supplied from the air compressor 1106 through the air flow path 1105. The air pressure is adjusted by an air pressure regulating valve 1107. The air temperature at the outlet of the fuel cell main body 1101 is measured by an air outlet temperature sensor 1108. The heat generated by the power generation in the fuel cell main body 1101 is removed by the cooling water supplied from the cooling water pump 1109 via the cooling water channel 1110. The temperature of the cooling water is measured by a cooling water inlet temperature sensor 1111.

  Next, the control procedure of the cooling fan 104 in the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In FIG. 12, first, the target water temperature of the cooling water as a reference value is set (step S1201). This target water temperature is set in advance through experiments and desk studies. Subsequently, as the vehicle speed, the outside air temperature, and the operating state of the fuel cell 107, for example, the power generation output of the fuel cell 107 is read into the controller 105 (step S1202).

  Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the outside air temperature exceeds a preset predetermined value (step S1203). As a result of the determination, if the outside air temperature exceeds the predetermined value, the target water temperature set in the previous step S1201 is corrected based on the vehicle speed (step S1204). This correction is performed based on a table prepared in advance representing the relationship between the vehicle speed and the temperature correction amount as shown in FIG. 13, for example. That is, when the vehicle speed is within a predetermined range, no correction is performed. When the vehicle speed is larger than the predetermined range, the target water temperature is decreased, and when the vehicle speed is smaller, the target water temperature is corrected.

  Subsequently, the target water temperature corrected based on the vehicle speed is further corrected by the output of the fuel cell 107 (step S1205). This correction is performed based on a table prepared in advance representing the relationship between the fuel cell output and the temperature correction amount as shown in FIG. 14, for example. That is, when the fuel cell output is within a predetermined range, correction is not performed. When the fuel cell output is larger than the predetermined range, the target water temperature is lowered, and when it is smaller, the target water temperature is raised.

  Thereafter, based on the relationship between the target water temperature of the cooling water prepared in advance and the rotational speed of the cooling fan 104 so that the target water temperature is selectively corrected as described above, the controller 105 sets the cooling fan 104 to the target water temperature. The number of rotations is determined, and the cooling fan 104 is driven and controlled under the control of the controller 105 so that the determined number of rotations is obtained.

  Thus, in the said Example 4, the raise range of a cooling water temperature can be suppressed at the time of a stop which cooling capacity falls by lowering | hanging the target water temperature of cooling water at the time of driving | running | working with comparatively sufficient cooling capacity. Moreover, the rotation speed of the cooling fan 104 can be kept low by raising the target water temperature when the vehicle stops when the cooling capacity is lowered. In any case, in addition to being able to reduce the noise of the cooling fan 104 by setting the target water temperature in accordance with the power generation output representing the operating state of the fuel cell 107, the operating state and power performance of the fuel cell 107 can be reduced. Can keep the balance.

  Further, by using the power generation amount as the operation state of the fuel cell 107, the target water temperature can be set according to the heat generation amount of the fuel cell 107. Thereby, the balance between heat generation and heat dissipation of the fuel cell 107 can be kept good.

  Next, the control procedure of the cooling fan 104 in the fifth embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In the flowchart shown in FIG. 15, the same step numbers are assigned to the steps (steps S1201, S1203, S1204, and S1205) for executing the same processing as the steps in the flowchart shown in FIG. The configuration of the fifth embodiment is the same as that shown in FIGS.

In FIG. 15, first, the target water temperature of the cooling water that is a reference value is set (step S1201). This target water temperature is set in advance through experiments and desk studies. Subsequently, for example, the vehicle speed, the outside air temperature, the power generation output of the fuel cell 107 as the operation state of the fuel cell 107, and the air outlet temperature of the fuel cell 107 as the operation state of the fuel cell 107 are read into the controller 105 (step S1502).

  Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the outside air temperature exceeds a preset predetermined value (step S1203). As a result of the determination, if the outside air temperature exceeds the predetermined value, the target water temperature set in the previous step S1201 is corrected based on the vehicle speed (step S1204). This correction is performed based on a table prepared in advance representing the relationship between the vehicle speed and the temperature correction amount as shown in FIG. 13, for example. That is, when the vehicle speed is within a predetermined range, no correction is performed. When the vehicle speed is larger than the predetermined range, the target water temperature is decreased, and when the vehicle speed is smaller, the target water temperature is corrected.

  Subsequently, the target water temperature corrected based on the vehicle speed is further corrected by the output of the fuel cell 107 (step S1205). This correction is performed based on a table prepared in advance representing the relationship between the fuel cell output and the temperature correction amount as shown in FIG. 14, for example. That is, when the fuel cell output is within a predetermined range, correction is not performed. When the fuel cell output is larger than the predetermined range, the target water temperature is lowered, and when it is smaller, the target water temperature is raised.

  Subsequently, the humidification state of the fuel cell main body is estimated based on the fuel cell output and the fuel cell air outlet temperature (step S1506). For example, as shown in FIG. 16, the humidification state is estimated by using a table prepared in advance showing the relationship between the fuel cell output and the humidification state with respect to the discretely set fuel cell air outlet temperature. Based on. That is, it is estimated that the humidified state is better as the fuel cell output is higher, and that the humidified state is better as the outlet air temperature is lower when the fuel cell output is the same.

  Here, the humidified state of the fuel cell body is estimated based on the output of the fuel cell and the fuel cell air outlet temperature. However, it may be estimated from the relationship between the output current of the fuel cell 107 and the output voltage. .

  Next, based on the humidified state of the fuel cell 107 estimated in the previous step S1506, the target water temperature corrected by the fuel cell output is further corrected (step S1507). This correction is performed based on a table prepared in advance representing the relationship between the quality of the humidified state and the temperature correction amount as shown in FIG. 17, for example. That is, the correction is not performed when the humidified state is in a predetermined range, and the target water temperature is increased when the humidified state is better than the predetermined range, while the target water temperature is corrected when the humidified state is bad. .

  Thereafter, based on the relationship between the target water temperature of the cooling water prepared in advance and the rotational speed of the cooling fan 104 so that the target water temperature is selectively corrected as described above, the controller 105 sets the cooling fan 104 to the target water temperature. The number of rotations is determined, and the cooling fan 104 is driven and controlled under the control of the controller 105 so that the determined number of rotations is obtained.

  As described above, in the fifth embodiment, in addition to obtaining the same effect as in the fourth embodiment, the humidified state of the fuel cell 107 can be obtained by using the humidified state as the operating state of the fuel cell 107. Can keep good. For this reason, the noise of the cooling fan 104 can be reduced without causing deterioration of the fuel cell 107 or an abnormal heat generation state, and the balance between the operating state of the fuel cell 107 and the power performance can be maintained.

  Next, the control procedure of the cooling fan 104 in the sixth embodiment will be described with reference to the flowchart shown in FIG. In the flowchart shown in FIG. 18, the same step numbers are assigned to the steps (steps S1201, S1203, S1204, and S1205) for executing the same processing as the steps in the flowchart shown in FIG. The configuration of the sixth embodiment is the same as that shown in FIGS.

  In FIG. 18, first, a target coolant temperature that is a reference value is set (step S1201). This target water temperature is set in advance through experiments and desk studies. Subsequently, for example, the output of the fuel cell 107 as the vehicle speed, the outside air temperature, and the operating state of the fuel cell 107, and the output limit amount of the fuel cell 107 as the operating state of the fuel cell 107 are read into the controller 105 (step S1802).

  Thereafter, it is determined whether or not the outside air temperature exceeds a preset predetermined value (step S1203). As a result of the determination, if the outside air temperature exceeds the predetermined value, the target water temperature set in the previous step S1201 is corrected based on the vehicle speed (step S1204). This correction is performed based on a table prepared in advance representing the relationship between the vehicle speed and the temperature correction amount as shown in FIG. 13, for example. That is, when the vehicle speed is within a predetermined range, no correction is performed. When the vehicle speed is larger than the predetermined range, the target water temperature is decreased, and when the vehicle speed is smaller, the target water temperature is corrected.

  Subsequently, the target water temperature corrected based on the vehicle speed is further corrected by the output of the fuel cell 107 (step S1205). This correction is performed based on a table prepared in advance representing the relationship between the fuel cell output and the temperature correction amount as shown in FIG. 14, for example. That is, when the fuel cell output is within a predetermined range, correction is not performed. When the fuel cell output is larger than the predetermined range, the target water temperature is lowered, and when it is smaller, the target water temperature is raised.

  Subsequently, based on the output limit value of the fuel cell 107, the target water temperature corrected by the fuel cell output is further corrected (step S1806). This correction is performed based on a table prepared in advance representing the relationship between the output limit value and the temperature correction amount as shown in FIG. 19, for example. That is, when the output limit value is within a predetermined range, no correction is performed. When the output limit value is set higher than the predetermined range, the target water temperature is raised while the output limit value is set low. In such a case, the target water temperature is corrected to be lowered.

  Here, the target water temperature is corrected based on the output limit value, but this difference is large, for example, based on the difference between the required power generation amount of the fuel cell 107 obtained from the driving state of the vehicle and the output limit value. In that case, the target water temperature may be corrected to be lowered.

  Thereafter, based on the relationship between the target water temperature of the cooling water prepared in advance and the rotational speed of the cooling fan 104 so that the target water temperature is selectively corrected as described above, the controller 105 sets the cooling fan 104 to the target water temperature. The number of rotations is determined, and the cooling fan 104 is driven and controlled under the control of the controller 105 so that the determined number of rotations is obtained.

  As described above, in the sixth embodiment, in addition to obtaining the same effect as in the fourth embodiment, by using the output limit amount as the operation state of the fuel cell 107, particularly the power performance is sacrificed. Therefore, the noise of the cooling fan 104 can be reduced and the balance between the operating state of the fuel cell 107 and the power performance can be maintained.

  Further, by using the difference between the output limit amount and the required power generation amount as the operation state of the fuel cell 107, the noise of the cooling fan 104 can be reduced with the minimum control amount, and the operation state and power performance of the fuel cell are reduced. Can keep the balance.

It is a figure which shows the structure of the cooling fan control apparatus which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the control procedure of the cooling fan control apparatus which concerns on Example 1 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the vehicle speed and target water temperature which are used in Example 1. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the cooling fan control apparatus which concerns on Example 2 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the control procedure of the cooling fan control apparatus which concerns on Example 2 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the vehicle speed and target water temperature which are used in Example 2. FIG. It is a figure which shows the other relationship between the vehicle speed and target water temperature which are used in Example 2. FIG. It is a figure which shows the structure of the cooling fan control apparatus which concerns on Example 3 of this invention. It is a flowchart which shows the control procedure of the cooling fan control apparatus which concerns on Example 3 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the cooling fan control apparatus which concerns on Example 4 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the structure of the fuel cell shown in FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the control procedure of the cooling fan control apparatus which concerns on Example 4 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the vehicle speed used in Example 4, and a temperature correction amount. It is a figure which shows the relationship between a fuel cell output used in Example 4, and a temperature correction amount. It is a flowchart which shows the control procedure of the cooling fan control apparatus which concerns on Example 5 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the fuel cell output with respect to air outlet temperature used in Example 5, and the humidification state of a fuel cell. It is a figure which shows the relationship between a humidification state and temperature correction amount used in Example 5. FIG. It is a flowchart which shows the control procedure of the cooling fan control apparatus which concerns on Example 6 of this invention. It is a figure which shows the relationship between the output limit value of a fuel cell and temperature correction amount used in Example 6. FIG.

Explanation of symbols

DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1,104 ... Cooling fan 2,103 ... Radiator 3 ... Unit to be cooled 4, 43, 105 ... Controller 5 ... Water temperature sensor 6, 102 ... Vehicle speed sensor 7, 101 ... Outside air temperature sensor 41 ... A / C outdoor heat exchanger 42 ... A / C system parts 81 ... Navigation system 82 ... ETC system 106 ... Cooling water channel 107 ... Fuel cell 1101 ... Fuel cell body 1102 ... Hydrogen source 1103 ... Hydrogen channel 1104 ... Hydrogen pressure regulating valve 1105 ... Air channel 1106 ... Air Compressor 1107 ... Air pressure regulating valve 1108 ... Air outlet temperature sensor 1109 ... Cooling water pump 1110 ... Cooling water flow path 1111 ... Cooling water inlet temperature sensor

Claims (14)

In a cooling fan control device that controls driving of a cooling fan that circulates between a cooled unit of a vehicle and a radiator and removes heat generated in the cooled unit to cool a cooling water that cools the cooling water,
Drive control means for determining the rotational speed of the cooling fan so as to satisfy the set target water temperature, and controlling the driving of the cooling fan based on the determined rotational speed;
Traveling state determining means for determining whether or not the vehicle is in a traveling state;
When it is determined that the vehicle is in the traveling state by the traveling state determining means, it is estimated whether or not the coolant temperature temporarily rises when the vehicle is stopped, and the water temperature temporarily rises. And a target water temperature setting means for changing the target water temperature of the cooling water that has been set before the vehicle stops when the vehicle is stopped. The travel state determination means is configured by means for detecting a vehicle speed of the vehicle, or means for detecting an output of a power source of the vehicle,
2. The cooling fan control device according to claim 1, wherein the target water temperature setting means changes the target water temperature based on a vehicle speed of the vehicle or an output of a power source. The target water temperature setting means includes a determination result as to whether an air conditioner provided in the vehicle is operating, a determination result as to whether the air conditioner introduces outside air or circulates air in the vehicle interior, and The target water temperature is changed based on any one of the determination results of whether or not the temperature of the air blown into the vehicle from the air conditioner has reached the target temperature. The cooling fan control device described. An outside air temperature detecting means for detecting the outside air temperature,
The cooling fan control device according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein the target water temperature setting means changes the target water temperature based on the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detecting means. The vehicle includes a navigation system for obtaining information related to traveling,
The target water temperature setting means reduces the target water temperature when the navigation system recognizes that the vehicle has traveled on a highway and has entered a highway service area or an interchange introduction road. The cooling fan control device according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein The vehicle includes a navigation system for obtaining information related to traveling,
The target water temperature setting means lowers the target water temperature when the navigation system recognizes that the vehicle is traveling on an expressway and traffic congestion is occurring in the traveling direction of the vehicle. The cooling fan control device according to any one of claims 1 to 5. The vehicle includes a navigation system for obtaining information related to traveling,
The target water temperature setting means reduces the target water temperature when the navigation system recognizes that the vehicle travels on an expressway and the toll gate is in the traveling direction of the vehicle. The cooling fan control apparatus of any one of Claims 1-5. Calculating means for calculating a circulation time T for circulating the cooling water once around the cooling system based on the amount of the cooling water retained in the cooling system through which the cooling water circulates and the drive capacity of the pump for circulating the cooling water through the cooling system; ,
Estimating means for estimating an estimated arrival time for the vehicle to reach a traffic jam point or a toll gate obtained by the navigation system;
Discriminating means for discriminating whether or not the current time is 2T or more before the expected arrival time estimated by the estimating means;
If the determination means determines that the current time is 2T or more before the arrival time estimated by the estimation means, the target water temperature setting means is 2T or more of the expected arrival time estimated by the estimation means. The cooling fan control device according to claim 6 or 7, wherein the target water temperature is lowered from the front. The vehicle includes an ETC system that automatically pays a toll using wireless communication or the like,
When the vehicle is traveling using the ETC system, the target water temperature setting means does not change the target water temperature even when the navigation system recognizes that there is a toll gate in the traveling direction. The cooling fan control device according to claim 7. Driving a cooling fan that blows air to a radiator that cools cooling water that circulates between a fuel cell that generates electricity by electrochemically reacting fuel gas and oxidant gas and removes heat generated in the fuel cell. In the cooling fan control device for controlling
Drive control means for determining the rotational speed of the cooling fan so as to satisfy the set target water temperature, and controlling the driving of the cooling fan based on the determined rotational speed;
Vehicle speed detection means for detecting the vehicle speed of the vehicle using the fuel cell as a power source;
An outside air temperature detecting means for detecting the outside air temperature;
An operating state detecting means for detecting an operating state of the fuel cell;
When the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detecting means is higher than a predetermined value set in advance and the vehicle speed detecting means detects that the vehicle is in a running state, it is detected by the driving state detecting means. The target water temperature is lowered based on the operating state of the fuel cell, the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature detecting means is higher than a predetermined value set in advance, and the vehicle is stopped by the vehicle speed detecting means. A cooling fan control device comprising target water temperature setting means for increasing the target water temperature based on the operating state of the fuel cell detected by the operating state detecting means when it is detected. The cooling fan control device according to claim 10, wherein the operating state of the fuel cell is a power generation amount of the fuel cell. The cooling fan control device according to claim 10, wherein the operating state of the fuel cell is a humidified state of the fuel cell. The cooling fan control device according to claim 10, wherein the operating state of the fuel cell is an output limit amount of the fuel cell. A power generation amount setting means for setting a required power generation amount required for the fuel cell;
14. The cooling fan control device according to claim 13, wherein the operating state of the fuel cell is a difference between an output limit amount of the fuel cell and a required power generation amount set by the power generation amount setting means.

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