JP7371467B2 - Vehicle energy management system - Google Patents

Description

The present disclosure relates to a vehicle energy management system.

For example, Patent Document 1 describes a configuration in which a vehicle air conditioner applied to electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, fuel cell vehicles, etc. can heat and cool vehicle components such as batteries, motors, and inverters. It is stated that Specifically, in the refrigerant circuit, an evaporator for automobile components is provided in parallel with an evaporator for air conditioning, and a bypass circuit is also provided that connects the compressor to each evaporator by bypassing the condenser. With this configuration, air conditioning and This makes it possible to control battery temperature.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2013-184596

However, if the temperature control of automotive components is completely dependent on the vehicle air conditioner, the vehicle air conditioner will have to flow refrigerant through the refrigerant circuit to control the temperature of the vehicle components. Therefore, there is a concern that the power consumption for driving the compressor and the expansion valve will increase accordingly.

The present disclosure has been made in view of the above-mentioned points, and aims to provide a vehicle energy management system that can control the temperature of in-vehicle equipment installed in a vehicle while suppressing power consumption. purpose.

In order to achieve the above objective, the vehicle energy management system according to the present disclosure includes:
The vehicle is divided into a plurality of areas (1, 2, 3), and in at least two of the plurality of areas, a first area (1) and a second area (2), in-vehicle equipment related to the corresponding area is It has a first thermal energy management section (14) and a second thermal energy management section (15) that manage the thermal energy of (30, 31, 32),
The first area is a cabin area where vehicle occupants board, and a heat pump type cold/heat exchange device that controls the air conditioning state of the cabin area is provided as an on-board device (30) related to the cabin area. ,
The first thermal energy management unit is configured to supply a refrigerant that corresponds to the difference between the refrigerant flow rate and the maximum refrigerant flow rate that the heat pump type cold heat exchange device uses to air condition the passenger compartment area, based on at least the set temperature, the vehicle interior temperature, and the vehicle exterior temperature. It is configured so that the amount of cold energy obtained by the flow rate can be calculated as the amount of surplus cold energy of the heat pump type cold heat exchange device,
A plurality of in-vehicle devices are provided as in-vehicle devices (30, 31) related to the second area,
The structure is configured so that cold heat can be transferred between a plurality of on-vehicle devices in the second area, and also between the heat pump type cold heat exchanger in the first area and at least one on-vehicle device in the second area. consists of
The second thermal energy management unit transfers cold energy between the plurality of in-vehicle devices when the operating temperature of at least one of the in-vehicle devices related to the second area is outside the appropriate temperature range. , manage the operating temperature of at least one in-vehicle device to be within an appropriate temperature range,
Further, the second thermal energy management unit may be configured to: when the operating temperature of at least one in-vehicle device cannot be changed to within an appropriate temperature range by transferring cold heat between a plurality of in-vehicle devices related to the second area; Notify the first thermal energy management department of the insufficient amount of cooling energy,
The first thermal energy management unit is configured to provide the notified insufficient amount of cooling energy from the heat pump type cooling heat exchanger in the first area to at least one in-vehicle device in the second area within the range of the calculated surplus amount of cooling energy. be done.

As described above, by providing each of the first area and the second area with the first thermal energy management section and the second thermal energy management section that manage the thermal energy of the in-vehicle equipment related to the corresponding area, It becomes possible to accurately understand the state of thermal energy of on-vehicle equipment related to the area and manage it appropriately while suppressing power consumption.

Specifically, in order to manage the thermal energy of the in-vehicle devices, the second thermal energy management unit determines whether the operating temperature of each of the plurality of in-vehicle devices related to the second area is within an appropriate temperature range or not. Determine if the temperature is outside the range. When the operating temperature of at least one in-vehicle device is outside the appropriate temperature range, the second thermal energy management unit transfers cold energy between the operating temperature of at least one in-vehicle device and other in-vehicle devices to manage the operating temperature so that the operating temperature is within the appropriate temperature range. do. As described above, according to the vehicle energy management system according to the present disclosure, when the operating temperature of at least one vehicle-mounted device is outside the appropriate temperature range, the second thermal energy management unit controls the temperature between the vehicle-mounted devices in the second area. Attempts to keep the operating temperature of in-vehicle equipment within an appropriate temperature range by transferring cold heat. Therefore, when the operating temperature of the in-vehicle equipment falls outside the appropriate temperature range, the heat pump type cold/heat exchanger may not need to control the temperature of the in-vehicle equipment, resulting in an increase in power consumption in the heat pump type cold/heat exchanger. can be suppressed.

When transferring cold energy between multiple in-vehicle devices related to the second area, if the operating temperature of the in-vehicle devices cannot be changed to within an appropriate temperature range, a heat pump type cold heat exchanger is used to Generate the amount of cold heat to be transferred between the area and the second area. However, in this case, the first thermal energy management section generates the amount of cooling energy to be transferred within the range of the amount of surplus cooling energy. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the temperature control state of the vehicle interior area from being influenced by the temperature control of the in-vehicle equipment in the second area.

The reference numbers in the above parentheses merely indicate an example of the correspondence with specific configurations in the embodiments described later in order to facilitate understanding of the present disclosure, and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention in any way. It's not something I did.

Further, technical features stated in each claim other than the above-mentioned features will become clear from the description of the embodiments and the accompanying drawings to be described later.

FIG. 3 is a diagram illustrating an example of dividing a vehicle into a plurality of areas. 1 is a diagram showing an overview of the overall configuration of a vehicle energy management system according to an embodiment. It is a figure showing an example of each cooling circuit of an engine and an inverter, and a composition for controlling those cooling circuits. FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of an air conditioner and an example of a configuration for transferring cold heat from the air conditioner to a cooling circuit of an engine. 2 is a flowchart illustrating processing executed by the FA thermal energy management unit in order to control the temperature of in-vehicle equipment while saving power. 12 is a flowchart showing a process executed by a CA thermal energy management unit in order to control the temperature of in-vehicle equipment while saving power. It is a flowchart which shows the process performed by the FA thermal energy management part of 2nd Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the process performed by the CA thermal energy management part of 2nd Embodiment.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a vehicle energy management system according to a first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail with reference to the drawings.

FIG. 1 shows an example of dividing a vehicle into a plurality of areas. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle is divided into three areas: a central area (CA) 1, a front area (FA) 2, and a rear area (RA) 3. The central area 1 includes a cabin area where vehicle occupants board. The front area 2 includes an engine room in which an engine is installed. Note that the example of dividing the vehicle into multiple areas is not limited to the example shown in FIG. 1. For example, the central area 1 may be further divided into a vehicle interior area and an area below it, resulting in a total of four areas. Alternatively, the central area 1 and the rear area 3 may be combined to form a total of two areas.

FIG. 2 is a diagram showing an overview of the overall configuration of the vehicle energy management system according to the present embodiment. For convenience of illustration and explanation, FIG. 2 shows only some of the on-vehicle devices to be controlled by the vehicle energy management system and a control device for controlling them.

As shown in FIG. 2, as in-vehicle equipment related to the central area 1, an air conditioner (A/C) 30 that adjusts the air conditioning state of the vehicle interior is provided. The air conditioner 30, which will be described in detail later, is a heat pump type air conditioner capable of cooling and heating the vehicle interior. Although the air conditioner 30 itself is not entirely installed in the vehicle interior, it is defined as a vehicle-mounted device related to the central area 1 because it adjusts the air conditioning state of the vehicle interior. In addition, as in-vehicle equipment related to the central area 1, for example, a heat pump type cold/heat exchange device is installed below the seat in the vehicle interior or in the console to control the temperature management state of a control device that manages vehicle behavior. It's okay. This heat pump type cold heat exchange device can be configured similarly to a heat pump type air conditioner.

An air conditioner control unit (ACU) 20 is provided to control the air conditioner 30. The ACU 20 acquires the set temperature of the vehicle interior from the CA thermal energy management unit 14, and controls the air conditioner 30 so that the actual vehicle interior temperature matches the set temperature. Further, when the ACU 20 receives an instruction from the CA thermal energy management unit 14 to transfer the amount of cold energy to the front area 2 and/or the rear area 3, the ACU 20 transfers the amount of cold energy according to the instruction from the air conditioner 30 to the front area 2 and/or the rear area 3. /Or execute processing for providing to rear area 3. However, the CA thermal energy management unit 14 may directly perform processing for providing the amount of cooling energy to the front area 2 and/or the rear area 3.

The CA thermal energy management section 14 receives the target vehicle interior temperature setting from the target setting section 10 via the general energy management section 11 and outputs the set temperature to the ACU 20 . Further, the CA thermal energy management unit 14 acquires the vehicle interior temperature and vehicle exterior temperature (outside air temperature) from the ACU 20, and calculates the surplus cold energy amount of the air conditioner 30 based on the set temperature, the vehicle interior temperature, and the vehicle exterior temperature. For example, the CA thermal energy management unit 14 converts the amount of cold energy obtained by the refrigerant flow rate corresponding to the difference between the refrigerant flow rate used by the air conditioner 30 for cooling or heating the vehicle interior and the maximum refrigerant flow rate of the air conditioner 30 into surplus cold energy. It can be calculated as a quantity. The calculated surplus cooling energy amount is notified to the FA thermal energy management section 15 in the front area 2 and the RA thermal energy management section 16 in the rear area 3.

As in-vehicle equipment related to the front area 2, an engine 31 that generates power for driving the vehicle and an inverter 32 that drives a driving motor (not shown) are provided. In this way, the vehicle to which the vehicle energy management system of this embodiment is applied is a hybrid vehicle that includes the engine 31 and the driving motor. However, the vehicle energy management system according to this embodiment may be applied to a vehicle having only an engine or a vehicle having only a driving motor.

The engine 31 and the inverter 32 each have a cooling circuit, which will be described in detail later. The respective cooling circuits are configured to allow cooling water to communicate with each other. Thereby, it is possible to transfer cold heat between the engine 31 and the inverter 32 via the cooling water of each cooling circuit. Although not shown, other in-vehicle equipment may also be interposed in the respective cooling circuits of the engine 31 and the inverter 32 to cool them together. For example, if the vehicle is equipped with an EGR system, an EGR cooler may be interposed in the cooling circuit of the engine 31. In addition, a throttle body, a power steering electric motor, etc. may be interposed in the cooling circuit of the engine 31. Further, the cooling circuit of the inverter 32 may include a boost converter, a driving motor, or the like. Furthermore, a cooling circuit for cooling at least one of the above-mentioned on-vehicle devices may be provided independently, and cold heat may be transferred to and from the cooling circuit of the engine 31 and/or the inverter 32.

The operating state of the engine 31 is controlled by an engine control unit (ECU) 21. The operating state of the inverter 32 is controlled by a hybrid control unit (HCU) 22. Both the ECU 21 and the HCU 22 are given control targets for the engine 31 and the driving motor from the kinetic energy management section 12. Specifically, the ECU 21 is given a target engine torque that the engine 31 should generate by the kinetic energy management section 12. The HCU 22 is given a target motor torque to be generated by the travel motor by the kinetic energy management section. ECU 21 and HCU 22 respectively control engine 31 and inverter 32 according to given control targets.

Further, the ECU 21 controls the operation of the cooling circuit of the engine 31 so that the operating temperature of the engine 31 falls within an appropriate temperature range. The HCU 22 also controls the operation of the cooling circuit of the inverter 32 so that the operating temperature of the inverter 32 falls within an appropriate temperature range. For example, the ECU 21 operates the cooling circuit of the engine 31 so that the temperature of the cooling water is within a range of 70 to 90 degrees. Furthermore, the HCU 22 operates the cooling circuit of the inverter 32 so that the temperature of the cooling water is within a range of 80 degrees or less. However, depending on the driving state of the vehicle, even if the cooling circuit is operating, the operating temperature of at least one of the engine 31 and the inverter 32 may fall outside the appropriate temperature range. For example, when the vehicle travels down a long downhill slope, the travel motor acts as a generator and generates an alternating current voltage, and the inverter 32 converts the alternating current voltage into a direct current voltage. If such a state continues for a long time, the operating temperature of the inverter 32 may exceed the appropriate temperature range despite cooling by the cooling circuit. At this time, since fuel is not supplied to the engine 31 due to the fuel cut, the operating temperature of the engine 31 may fall below the appropriate temperature range depending on the outside temperature. If the operating temperature of the engine 31 falls below the appropriate temperature range, part of the combustion energy of the fuel will be used to heat the engine 31 when the engine 31 is restarted, resulting in worsening of fuel efficiency. I invite you. Additionally, if the vehicle continues to drive at high speed using engine output while maintaining a certain distance from the vehicle in front, the vehicle in front of the vehicle will not be able to provide sufficient cooling air, causing the cooling capacity of the cooling circuit to become insufficient. , the operating temperature of the engine 31 may exceed the appropriate temperature range.

The FA thermal energy management unit 15 communicates with the ECU 21 and the HCU 22 to obtain information regarding the operating temperatures of the engine 31 and the inverter 32. The FA thermal energy management unit 15 determines whether at least one of the operating temperatures exceeds the appropriate temperature range, based on the acquired information regarding the operating temperatures of the engine 31 and the inverter 32. In this determination, if it is determined that the operating temperature of at least one of the engine 31 and the inverter 32 is outside the appropriate temperature range, the FA thermal energy management unit 15 causes the cooling water of the cooling circuit described above to communicate with each other to transfer cold heat. By doing so, each operating temperature is managed to be within an appropriate temperature range.

Furthermore, if the operating temperature of the on-vehicle equipment that exceeds the appropriate temperature range cannot be changed to within the appropriate temperature range by transferring cold energy between the on-board equipment in the front area 2, the FA thermal energy management unit 15 The thermal energy management unit 14 is notified of the insufficient cooling energy amount within the range of the surplus cooling energy amount notified in advance. When the insufficient amount of cooling energy is provided from the air conditioner 30 in the central area 1 in response to this notification, the FA thermal energy management unit 15 executes a process of accepting the insufficient amount of cooling energy.

As described above, according to the vehicle energy management system of the present embodiment, when the operating temperature of at least one vehicle-mounted device in the front area 2 is outside the appropriate temperature range, the FA thermal energy management unit 15 The system attempts to keep the operating temperature of on-vehicle devices within an appropriate temperature range by transferring cold and heat between on-board devices. Therefore, when the operating temperature of an in-vehicle device falls outside the appropriate temperature range, the air conditioner 30 in the central area 1 may not be required to control the temperature of the in-vehicle device. The increase can be suppressed. Further, the FA thermal energy management unit 15 has a cooling operation unit that calculates the amount of cooling energy by making at least one of the calculation processing speed, calculation timing, and calculation information processing and structure the same as the CA thermal energy management unit 14; If the kinetic energy management unit 12 or the power energy management unit 13 is configured to include a cold energy amount conversion unit that converts the cold energy amount into referenceable information, it is possible to reduce the gradual change in thermal energy and the fast change in kinetic energy or electric energy. Differences in the characteristics of the controlled object and control accuracy can be absorbed.

When the operating temperature of the on-vehicle equipment cannot be changed to within an appropriate temperature range when transferring cold heat between multiple on-board devices related to the front area 2, the air conditioner 30 in the central area 1 is used. This generates an amount of cooling energy to be transferred between the central area 1 and the front area 2. However, in this case, the CA thermal energy management unit 14 basically generates the amount of cold energy to be transferred within the range of the amount of surplus cold energy. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the air conditioning state in the vehicle interior from being affected by the temperature control of the on-vehicle equipment in the front area 2.

On-vehicle equipment related to the rear area 3 includes a high-voltage battery 33 that supplies high voltage to the inverter 32 and stores regenerated power converted to direct current by the inverter 32, and a high-voltage battery 33 that steps down the high voltage generated by the high-voltage battery 33. , a DC/DC converter 34 that supplies a low voltage (eg, 12V) battery (not shown) is provided.

The high-voltage battery 33 and the DCDC converter 34 each have a cooling circuit, similarly to the engine 31 and inverter 32 in the front area 2 described above. These cooling circuits are configured to allow cooling water to communicate with each other. Thereby, it is possible to transfer cold heat between the high voltage battery 33 and the DCDC converter 34 via the cooling water of each cooling circuit. Note that the cooling circuit may mainly cool the high-voltage battery 33 while also allowing the cooling liquid to flow through the cooling path of the DC/DC converter 34 when necessary using a switching valve or the like.

High voltage battery 33 and DCDC converter 34 are controlled by power control unit (PCU) 23. The PCU 23 calculates the amount of charge (SOC) of the high voltage battery 33 based on the generated voltage and input/output current of the high voltage battery 33 and outputs it to the power energy management section 13 . Furthermore, the PCU 23 executes equalization processing for each battery cell in order to suppress variations in the charging voltage of each battery cell forming the high-voltage battery 33 . Furthermore, when the PCU 23 receives a conversion instruction from the power energy management unit 13 to be performed by the DCDC converter 34 based on the operating state of each on-vehicle device, the charging state of the low voltage battery, etc., the PCU 23 operates the DCDC converter 34 to charge the low voltage battery. to charge.

Further, the PCU 23 controls the operation of the cooling circuit of the high voltage battery 33 so that the operating temperature of the high voltage battery 33 is within an appropriate temperature range (for example, 60 degrees or less), and also controls the operation temperature of the DCDC converter 34 to be within an appropriate temperature range. The operation of the cooling circuit of the DCDC converter 34 is controlled so that the temperature falls within the temperature range.

The RA thermal energy management unit 16 communicates with the PCU 23 to obtain information regarding the operating temperatures of the high voltage battery 33 and the DC/DC converter 34 . The RA thermal energy management unit 16 determines whether the operating temperature of at least one of them exceeds the appropriate temperature range, based on the acquired information regarding the operating temperatures of the high voltage battery 33 and the DCDC converter 34. In this determination, if it is determined that the operating temperature of at least one of the high-voltage battery 33 and the DCDC converter 34 is outside the appropriate temperature range, the RA thermal energy management unit 16 causes the cooling water of the cooling circuit described above to communicate with each other to generate cooling energy. The operating temperature of each unit is controlled to be within an appropriate temperature range by moving the unit.

Furthermore, similar to the FA thermal energy management section 15 described above, the RA thermal energy management section 16 controls the operating temperature of the on-vehicle devices that exceed the appropriate temperature range when transferring cold energy between the on-vehicle devices in the rear area 3. If the temperature cannot be changed within the range, the CA thermal energy management unit 14 is notified of the insufficient amount of cooling energy within the range of the surplus amount of cooling energy notified in advance. Further, the RA thermal energy management unit 16 executes a process of accepting the insufficient amount of cooling heat provided from the air conditioner 30 in the central area 1. The RA thermal energy management unit 16 also has at least one of the same calculation processing speed, calculation timing, and processing and structure of calculation information as the CA thermal energy management unit 14, and has a cooling calculation unit that calculates the amount of cooling energy, and a cooling calculation unit that calculates the amount of cooling energy. It is preferable that the energy management unit 12 or the power energy management unit 13 include a cooling energy amount conversion unit that converts the cooling energy amount into information that can be referred to.

In FIG. 2, the target setting unit 10 determines the performance of the vehicle based on the driving operation by the vehicle occupant, the surrounding conditions of the vehicle (driving road, surrounding obstacles, outside temperature, etc.), and setting operations for various in-vehicle devices. Target values related to behavior (for example, vehicle travel route, target speed, target acceleration/deceleration, target steering angle, etc.), target set temperature of the vehicle interior, etc. are determined. The overall energy management section 11 distributes and outputs various target values determined by the goal setting section 10 to the kinetic energy management section 12, the electric power energy management section 13, and each of the thermal energy management sections 14 to 16. Further, the overall energy management section 11 mediates various controls by the kinetic energy management section 12, the electric power energy management section 13, and each of the thermal energy management sections 14 to 16.

For example, based on the target speed and target acceleration/deceleration of the vehicle, the kinetic energy management unit 12 determines the target engine torque and target motor torque that are most energy efficient to achieve them, or the target regenerative torque by the travel motor and the mechanical brake. Calculate the target braking torque by On the other hand, the power energy management unit 13 determines the amount of power that can be provided from the high-voltage battery 33 and the amount of power that can be charged to the high-voltage battery 33 based on the amount of charge of the high-voltage battery 33, the driving route of the vehicle, the operating status of various on-vehicle devices, etc. Calculate the amount of electricity. The general energy management section 11 determines whether the charge amount of the high voltage battery 33 is insufficient for the target motor torque calculated by the kinetic energy management section 12 or the chargeable amount of the high voltage battery 33 is insufficient for the target regenerative torque. If so, mediation is made to the kinetic energy management unit 12 to set the motor torque and regenerative torque within a range in which the high-voltage battery 33 can be charged and discharged.

Next, with reference to FIG. 3, an example of each cooling circuit for the engine 31 and the inverter 32, and a configuration for controlling these cooling circuits will be described. Note that the configuration for cooling the high-voltage battery 33 and the DCDC converter 34 can be configured in substantially the same manner as the configuration for cooling the engine 31 and the inverter 32, so a description thereof will be omitted.

The cooling circuit of the engine 31 is provided with a first electric water pump 40, a first temperature sensor 41, a first three-way valve 42, and an engine radiator 43. The first temperature sensor 41 detects the temperature of the cooling water circulating in the cooling circuit of the engine 31 and outputs it to the ECU 21 . The ECU 21 drives the first electric water pump 40 based on the coolant temperature detected by the first temperature sensor 41, and controls the amount of coolant circulating through the cooling circuit including the water jacket of the engine 31. Note that, as in the prior art, the first electric water pump 40 may be a water pump driven by the engine 31, and the cooling water may also be configured to flow through a path that bypasses the engine radiator 43 using a thermostat. The first three-way valve 42 is driven by the FA thermal energy management section 15 and supplies cooling water to the cooling circuit of the engine 31 at a flow rate corresponding to the amount of cold heat transferred between the cooling circuit of the engine 31 and the cooling circuit of the inverter 32. It is made to flow into the cooling circuit of the inverter 32 from there. The engine radiator 43 is provided on the front end side of the vehicle in the engine room, and cools the cooling water by exchanging heat between the running wind passing through the engine radiator 43 and the cooling water. A first radiator fan 44 is provided near the engine radiator 43. The first radiator fan 44 is driven by the ECU 21 when the vehicle is stopped, and forcibly sends cooling air to the engine radiator 43.

The cooling circuit of the inverter 32 is also configured in substantially the same manner as the cooling circuit of the engine 31. The cooling circuit of the inverter 32 is provided with a second electric water pump 45, a second temperature sensor 46, a second three-way valve 47, and an inverter radiator 48. The second temperature sensor 46 detects the temperature of the cooling water circulating in the cooling circuit of the inverter 32 and outputs it to the HCU 22 . The HCU 22 drives the second electric water pump 45 based on the coolant temperature detected by the second temperature sensor 46, and controls the amount of coolant circulating through the cooling circuit of the inverter 32. The second three-way valve 47 is driven by the FA thermal energy management section 15 and supplies cooling water to the cooling circuit of the inverter 32 at a flow rate corresponding to the amount of cold heat transferred between the cooling circuit of the engine 31 and the cooling circuit of the inverter 32. It is made to flow from there to the cooling circuit of the engine 31. The inverter radiator 48 is provided on the front end side of the vehicle in the engine room adjacent to the engine radiator 43, and cools the coolant by exchanging heat between the running wind passing through the inverter radiator 48 and the coolant. A second radiator fan 49 is provided near the inverter radiator 48. The second radiator fan 49 is driven by the HCU 22 when the vehicle is stopped, and forcibly sends cooling air to the inverter radiator 48.

Next, with reference to FIG. 4, an example of the configuration of the air conditioner 30 and an example of a configuration for transferring cold heat from the air conditioner 30 to the cooling circuit of the engine 31 will be described. Note that the cooling circuit for the high-voltage battery 33 in the rear area 3 is also configured to be able to transfer cold heat from the air conditioner 30, but since it is similar to the configuration in FIG. 4, a description thereof will be omitted.

The air conditioner 30 has a main refrigerant circuit for air conditioning inside the vehicle. The main refrigerant circuit includes an electric compressor 50, an indoor air conditioning condenser 51, a first pressure reducing device 52, a first on-off valve 53, an outdoor heat exchanger 54, a second pressure reducing device 55, a second on-off valve 56, and an indoor air conditioning evaporator 57. , and an accumulator 58. Furthermore, in addition to the main refrigerant circuit described above, the air conditioner 30 has a refrigerant circuit for transferring cold heat to the cooling circuit of the engine 31. The cold heat transfer refrigerant circuit includes a first three-way valve 59, a second three-way valve 60, a third pressure reducing device 61, a chiller 62, a fourth pressure reducing device 63, and a third on-off valve 64. The air conditioner 30 further includes a blower 65, an air mix door 66, and the like.

The ACU 20 switches the operating modes of the air conditioner 30, such as heating, cooling, dehumidifying heating, etc., and controls the amount of cold heat transferred to the cooling circuit of the engine 31. For example, during indoor heating, the ACU 20 switches the first on-off valve 53 to a closed state and switches the second on-off valve 56 to an open state. When the electric compressor 50 is driven by the ACU 20, the low temperature, low pressure refrigerant gas in the accumulator 58 is compressed by the electric compressor 50, and becomes high temperature and high pressure. This high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant gas enters the indoor air conditioning condenser 51, exchanges heat with the air blown by the blower 65, and releases condensation heat indoors. This heats the vehicle interior. The condensed refrigerant is depressurized by the first pressure reducing device 52, and becomes low temperature and low pressure. This low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant passes through the outdoor heat exchanger 54, absorbs heat from the atmosphere, evaporates, and becomes refrigerant gas. This refrigerant gas returns to the accumulator 58 via the second on-off valve 56 because the second on-off valve 56 is in the open state.

During indoor cooling, the ACU 20 sets the air mix door 66 to a position where air does not pass through the indoor air conditioning condenser 51, and also switches the first on-off valve 53 to the open state and the second on-off valve 56 to the closed state. In this case, the refrigerant gas that is compressed by the electric compressor 50 and becomes high temperature and high pressure enters the indoor air conditioning condenser 51, but does not exchange heat with the air blown by the blower 65 and is not condensed in the indoor air conditioning condenser 51. . Furthermore, since the first on-off valve 53 is open, the refrigerant gas enters the outdoor heat exchanger 54 without passing through the first pressure reducing device 52, and is condensed in the outdoor heat exchanger 54. Thereafter, since the second on-off valve 56 is closed, the pressure of the condensed refrigerant is reduced by the second pressure reducing device 55, and the temperature and pressure of the condensed refrigerant are reduced. This low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant is evaporated in the indoor air conditioning evaporator 57, thereby cooling the air blown by the blower 65. The refrigerant gas then returns to accumulator 58.

During dehumidification and heating, the ACU 20 switches the first on-off valve 53 to a closed state and also switches the second on-off valve 56 to a closed state. In this case, the refrigerant gas, which is compressed by the electric compressor 50 and becomes high temperature and high pressure, heats the vehicle interior by exchanging heat with the air blown by the blower 65 in the indoor air conditioning condenser 51. The refrigerant that has passed through the indoor air conditioning condenser 51 is depressurized by the first pressure reducing device 52 and then enters the outdoor heat exchanger 54 . The outdoor heat exchanger 54 works as a condenser when the temperature of the refrigerant is higher than the outside air temperature, and works as an evaporator when it is lower than the outside air temperature. The refrigerant is further reduced in pressure by the second pressure reducing device 55 and then enters the indoor air conditioning evaporator 57 . In the indoor air conditioning evaporator 57, the refrigerant dehumidifies the blown air by cooling the air to below the dew point temperature.

In each of the above-mentioned operation modes, the ACU 20 varies the driving rotation speed of the electric compressor 50 so as to obtain the required cooling capacity, heating capacity, or dehumidifying heating capacity. In other words, when only a small amount of cooling capacity, heating capacity, or dehumidification/heating capacity is required to maintain the air conditioning state in the vehicle interior at the target state, the ACU 20 reduces the driving rotation speed of the electric compressor 50. , reduce the amount of refrigerant to be discharged. By varying the driving rotation speed of the electric compressor 50 in this manner, power consumption can be reduced.

Further, the ACU 20 executes processing for providing the instructed amount of cooling energy to the cooling circuit of the engine 31 in accordance with the instruction to transfer the amount of cooling energy from the CA thermal energy management unit 14 . For example, when the CA thermal energy management unit 14 instructs the amount of heating as the amount of cooling heat, the ACU 20 increases the driving rotation speed of the electric compressor 50 so that the amount of refrigerant corresponding to the amount of heating is obtained. The ACU 20 adjusts the opening degree of the first three-way valve 59 so that the amount of refrigerant that has increased due to the increase in the driving rotation speed of the electric compressor 50 flows to the chiller 62. The chiller 62 is for exchanging heat between the refrigerant flowing through the coolant transfer refrigerant circuit and the cooling water of the engine 31 cooling circuit. The FA thermal energy management unit 15 opens the on-off valve 67 in the cooling circuit of the engine 31 as an insufficient cooling heat amount acceptance process, so that the cooling water of the engine 31 flows into the chiller 62 . Therefore, in the chiller 62, the cooling water of the engine 31 can be heated by the high temperature, high pressure refrigerant flowing through the cold heat transfer refrigerant circuit. When the time corresponding to the instructed heating amount has elapsed, the ACU 20 closes the flow path of the first three-way valve 59 to the refrigerant circuit for transferring cold heat, and reduces the driving rotation speed of the electric compressor 50 to the original rotation speed. The refrigerant flowing out from the chiller 62 is returned to the accumulator 58 after being reduced in pressure by the fourth pressure reducing device 63.

When the CA thermal energy management unit 14 instructs the amount of cooling as the amount of cooling heat, the ACU 20 increases the driving rotation speed of the electric compressor 50 so that the amount of refrigerant corresponding to the amount of cooling is obtained. The ACU 20 controls the opening degree of the second three-way valve 60 on the downstream side of the outdoor heat exchanger 54 so that the amount of refrigerant that has increased due to the increase in the driving rotation speed of the electric compressor 50 is diverted to the refrigerant circuit for transferring cold heat. adjust. The refrigerant branched into the cold heat transfer refrigerant circuit is depressurized by the third pressure reducing device 61 and then flows into the chiller 62 . Therefore, in the chiller 62, the cooling water of the engine 31 can be cooled by the low temperature, low pressure refrigerant flowing through the cold heat transfer refrigerant circuit. When the time corresponding to the instructed cooling amount has elapsed, the ACU 20 closes the flow path of the second three-way valve 60 to the refrigerant circuit for transferring cold heat, and reduces the driving rotation speed of the electric compressor 50 to the original rotation speed. The refrigerant flowing out from the chiller 62 flows into the accumulator 58 via the third on-off valve 64 provided in parallel with the fourth pressure reducing device 63.

For example, if the operating temperature of the inverter 32 exceeds the appropriate temperature range and the cooling amount in the cooling circuit of the inverter 32 is insufficient, the FA thermal energy management unit 15 temporarily cools the engine 31 as an insufficient cooling amount acceptance process. In order to further transfer the cooling amount transferred to the circuit to the cooling circuit of the inverter 32, a process of opening the first and second three-way valves 42 and 47 is executed. Further, the cooling circuit of the inverter 32 is configured to be able to exchange heat with the refrigerant of the air conditioner 30, similarly to the engine cooling circuit, so that cold heat can be directly supplied from the air conditioner 30 without going through the engine 31 cooling circuit. It may be movable.

The air conditioner 30 configured as described above is configured to be capable of cooling, heating, and dehumidifying/heating the vehicle interior by providing the indoor air conditioning condenser 51. However, for example, as in Patent Document 1, a configuration may be adopted in which a heater core that exchanges heat with the cooling water of the engine 31 is provided in the duct of the air conditioner 30 and the indoor air conditioning condenser is eliminated. Furthermore, both a heater core that exchanges heat with the cooling water of the engine 31 and the indoor air conditioning condenser 51 may be provided.

Next, processing for controlling the temperature of on-vehicle equipment in a power-saving manner will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIGS. 5 and 6. FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing the processing executed by the FA thermal energy management section 15, and FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing the processing executed by the CA thermal energy management section 14.

In step S100 of FIG. 5, the FA thermal energy management unit 15 acquires the operating temperatures of the engine 31 and the inverter 32 from the ECU 21 and the HCU 22. In step S105, the ambient temperature (outside air temperature) of the vehicle is acquired from the CA thermal energy management unit 14. Furthermore, in step S110, the excess cold energy amount of the air conditioner 30 is received from the CA thermal energy management unit 14.

In step S115, the FA thermal energy management unit 15 determines whether at least one of the engine 31 and the inverter 32 is outside the appropriate temperature range. Note that, as described above, the ECU 21 and the HCU 22 operate their respective cooling circuits so that the operating temperatures of the engine 31 and the inverter 32 fall within appropriate temperature ranges. However, depending on the driving condition of the vehicle, the operating temperature of at least one of the engine 31 and the inverter 32 may fall outside the appropriate temperature range. If it is determined in step S115 that both the engine 31 and inverter 32 are within the appropriate temperature range, the process returns to step S100. On the other hand, if it is determined that at least one of the engine 31 and the inverter 32 is outside the appropriate temperature range, the process proceeds to step S120.

In step S120, the amount of cooling energy required to bring the operating temperature of the in-vehicle equipment determined to be outside the appropriate temperature range to within the appropriate temperature range is calculated. This required amount of cooling heat can be calculated from the temperature difference between the actual operating temperature and the appropriate temperature range, and the heat capacity of the vehicle-mounted equipment determined to be outside the appropriate temperature range. Note that the amount released to the surroundings when the cold energy corresponding to the required amount of cold energy is actually transferred may be calculated based on the ambient temperature, and the required amount of cold energy may be corrected using this as a loss.

In step S125, it is determined whether or not the transfer of cold heat between the engine 31 and the inverter 32 is effective in order to bring the operating temperature of the in-vehicle equipment determined to be outside the appropriate temperature range closer to the appropriate temperature range. For example, if the operating temperatures of both the engine 31 and the inverter 32 exceed the upper limit of the appropriate temperature range, even if cold heat is transferred between the engine 31 and the inverter 32, both the engine 31 and the inverter 32 will be kept at the appropriate temperature. You can't get close to it. In such a case, it is determined that the transfer of cold heat between the engine 31 and the inverter 32 is not effective. On the other hand, even if both the engine 31 and the inverter 32 are outside the appropriate temperature range, for example, the operating temperature of the engine 31 is below the lower limit of the appropriate temperature range, and the operating temperature of the inverter 32 is above the upper limit of the appropriate temperature range. In this case, by transferring cold heat between the engine 31 and the inverter 32, both can be brought close to the appropriate temperature range. In addition, even if one operating temperature is within the appropriate temperature range and there is still room for the upper limit temperature, and the other operating temperature exceeds the upper limit of the appropriate temperature range, cold heat is transferred between the engine 31 and the inverter 32. By moving them, both can be brought closer to the appropriate temperature range. Therefore, in such a case, it is determined that the transfer of cold heat between the engine 31 and the inverter 32 is effective.

In step S125, if it is determined that the transfer of cold energy between the engine 31 and the inverter 32 is effective, the process proceeds to step S130, whereas if the transfer of cold energy between the engine 31 and the inverter 32 is not effective, If determined, the process advances to step S145.

In step S130, the FA thermal energy management unit 15 adjusts the opening degrees of the first three-way valve 42 and the second three-way valve 47 so that the refrigerant flow rate corresponds to the required amount of cooling heat calculated in step S120. Thereby, the cooling water between the cooling circuit of the engine 31 and the cooling circuit of the inverter 32 is communicated with each other. Therefore, the amount of cooling can be transferred from the cooling circuit where the cooling water temperature is low to the cooling circuit where the cooling water temperature is high. In other words, the amount of heat can be transferred from the cooling circuit where the cooling water temperature is high to the cooling circuit where the cooling water temperature is low.

In the following step S135, it is determined whether or not the operating temperature of at least one of the engine 31 and the inverter 32, which was outside the appropriate temperature range, has reached the appropriate temperature range due to the movement of cold heat between the engine 31 and the inverter 32. In this determination, if it is determined that the temperature has reached the appropriate temperature range, the process returns to step S100. On the other hand, if it is determined that the temperature has not reached the appropriate temperature range, the process proceeds to step S140.

In step S140, the amount of cold heat that is insufficient is calculated based on the temperature difference between the respective operating temperatures after the cold heat transfer between the engine 31 and the inverter 32 and their respective appropriate temperature ranges. Then, the process advances to step S145. Note that if it is determined in step S125 that the cold heat transfer between the engine 31 and the inverter 32 is not effective and the process proceeds to step S145, the required cold heat amount calculated in step S120 is the insufficient cold heat amount. It is considered that

In step S145, it is determined whether the operating temperature of at least one of the engine 31 and the inverter 32 is equal to or higher than a predetermined limit temperature higher than the upper limit temperature of the appropriate temperature range. If it is determined that the temperature is above a predetermined temperature limit, there is a possibility that the engine 31 and the inverter 32 may be damaged or their operations may be significantly restricted. Therefore, regardless of the surplus amount of cooling energy of the air conditioner 30, the process proceeds to step S160 in order to accept the insufficient amount of cooling energy from the air conditioner 30. On the other hand, if it is determined that the temperature is not higher than the predetermined limit temperature, the process proceeds to step S150.

In step S<b>150 , it is determined whether the amount of cold energy that is insufficient to maintain the appropriate temperature range is equal to or less than the amount of surplus cold energy of the air conditioner 30 . In this determination, if it is determined that the insufficient amount of cooling energy is equal to or less than the surplus amount of cooling energy, the process proceeds to step S155. On the other hand, if it is determined that the insufficient amount of cold energy is larger than the surplus amount of cold energy, the process returns to step S100 without performing the process of accepting the amount of cold energy from the air conditioner 30. In step S155, the FA thermal energy management section 15 notifies the CA thermal energy management section 14 of the insufficient amount of cooling heat. In this way, when the FA thermal energy management unit 15 determines that the insufficient amount of cold energy can be secured from the air conditioner 30 in the central area 1 based on the surplus amount of cold energy calculated by the CA thermal energy management unit 14, Notify the CA thermal energy management unit 14 of the insufficient amount of cooling energy.

In step S160, the FA thermal energy management unit 15 executes a process of accepting the insufficient amount of cooling heat provided from the air conditioner 30 in the central area 1. Specifically, as described with reference to FIG. 4, the on-off valve 67 in the cooling circuit of the engine 31 is opened. As a result, cooling water for the engine 31 flows into the chiller 62 . As a result, in the chiller 62, cold heat can be transferred from the refrigerant flowing through the cold heat transfer refrigerant circuit of the air conditioner 30 to the cooling water of the engine 31. In addition, in the front area 2, when the amount of cooling energy is insufficient in the cooling circuit of the inverter 32, the FA thermal energy management unit 15 further operates the first and second three-way valves 42, as an insufficient amount of cooling energy acceptance process. 47 is opened to transfer the amount of cold heat transferred to the cooling circuit of the engine 31 to the cooling circuit of the inverter 32.

In step S<b>200 in FIG. 6 , the CA thermal energy management unit 14 obtains the target vehicle interior temperature setting from the target setting unit 10 via the general energy management unit 11 . Further, in step S210, the CA thermal energy management unit 14 acquires the vehicle interior temperature and the vehicle exterior temperature (outside air temperature) from the ACU 20. Then, in step S220, the CA thermal energy management unit 14 calculates the amount of surplus cold heat of the air conditioner 30 based on the set temperature of the vehicle interior, the temperature of the vehicle interior, and the temperature outside the vehicle. In step S230, the CA thermal energy management section 14 notifies the FA thermal energy management section 15 and the RA thermal energy management section 16 of the calculated surplus cold energy amount.

In step S240, the CA thermal energy management section 14 determines whether or not the insufficient amount of cooling energy has been received from the FA thermal energy management section 15 and/or the RA thermal energy management section 16. If the CA thermal energy management unit 14 determines that the insufficient amount of cooling energy has been received, the process proceeds to step S250, and if it determines that the insufficient amount of cooling energy has not been received, the process returns to step S200. In step S250, the CA thermal energy management unit 14 executes the process of providing the insufficient amount of cooling heat described above.

As described above, the CA thermal energy management unit 14 calculates the surplus cold energy amount, and the FA thermal energy management unit 15 and the RA thermal energy management unit 16 are notified of the surplus cold energy amount in advance. In principle, the FA thermal energy management section 15 and the RA thermal energy management section 16 notify the CA thermal energy management section 14 of the insufficient amount of cooling energy when the insufficient amount of cooling energy is less than or equal to the surplus amount of cooling energy. Therefore, the CA thermal energy management unit 14 can, in principle, generate the amount of cold energy to be transferred within the range of the amount of surplus cold energy. Therefore, it is possible to suppress the air conditioning state in the vehicle interior from being affected by the temperature control of the on-vehicle equipment in the front area 2.

However, if the operating temperature of in-vehicle equipment related to front area 2 and rear area 3 exceeds a predetermined temperature limit, that in-vehicle equipment may be damaged or its operation may be significantly restricted. . Therefore, in this case, even if the insufficient amount of cooling energy is greater than the surplus amount of cooling energy of the air conditioner 30, the CA thermal energy management unit 14 is notified of the insufficient amount of cooling energy. In response to this notification, the CA thermal energy management unit 14 instructs the ACU 20, which controls the air conditioner 30, to give priority to providing insufficient cooling energy over room temperature adjustment. Thereby, it becomes possible to provide the insufficient amount of cooling energy that exceeds the amount of surplus cooling energy from the air conditioner 30. In addition, the kinetic energy management section 12 and the power energy management section 13 should be integrated and implemented in the area where the main equipment subject to thermal energy management is mounted (for example, in the same control device as the thermal energy management section). For example, the development of each energy management department becomes possible by closing it to the relevant area, and the system developed for each energy and the system developed for each area on the vehicle become the same, and the system developed for each area on the vehicle can be individually developed based on the manufacturing factors of the vehicle. development can be realized. On the other hand, instead of providing a cooling energy conversion section in each of the thermal energy management sections 14 to 16, the kinetic energy management section 12 and the power energy management section 13 are integrated with each cooling energy conversion section, and each energy control device is separately installed (for example, , in the area where the main equipment subject to each energy management is located), it is possible to separate the development of the energy management department from the manufacturing of each vehicle area, making it easier to carry out concurrent development.

(Second embodiment)
Next, a vehicle energy management system according to a second embodiment of the present disclosure will be described. The vehicle energy management system according to this embodiment is configured in the same manner as the vehicle energy management system according to the first embodiment. Therefore, a description of the configuration of the vehicle energy management system according to this embodiment will be omitted.

In the vehicle energy management system according to the first embodiment described above, when the actual operating temperature of in-vehicle equipment such as the engine 31 and the inverter 32 exceeds the appropriate temperature range, the cooling circuit of the engine 31 and the cooling circuit of the inverter 32 are activated. The system transfers cold heat between the air conditioner 30 and the air conditioner 30, and transfers the insufficient amount of cold heat from the air conditioner 30.

In contrast, the vehicle energy management system according to the present embodiment estimates the operating temperature changes of the on-vehicle devices such as the engine 31 and the inverter 32 when the vehicle travels on the planned travel route, and applies the estimated operating temperature changes to the operating temperature changes. Based on this, a plan for the insufficient amount of cooling heat that needs to be procured from the air conditioner 30 is created. Then, according to the created plan, the CA thermal energy management unit 14 executes the process of providing the insufficient amount of cooling energy, and the FA thermal energy management unit 15 and/or the RA thermal energy management unit 16 executes the process of receiving the insufficient amount of cooling energy. do. This makes it possible to estimate changes in the operating temperature of on-board equipment such as the engine 31 and inverter 32 in advance and transfer the insufficient amount of cooling heat, thereby suppressing excessive changes in the operating temperature of on-board equipment. It becomes possible.

Note that the vehicle energy management system according to the first embodiment and the vehicle energy management system according to the second embodiment are not contradictory but complementary, and therefore may be implemented in combination.

FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing the processing executed by the FA thermal energy management section 15 of this embodiment, and FIG. 8 is a flowchart showing the processing executed by the CA thermal energy management section 14 of this embodiment. Note that the RA thermal energy management unit 16 can also execute processing similar to the flowchart in FIG. 7 .

In step S 300 of FIG. 7, the FA thermal energy management unit 15 acquires information regarding the scheduled route of the vehicle from a navigation device (not shown), and determines the engine 31 and inverter when the vehicle travels the acquired scheduled route. 32 operating temperature changes are estimated. In step S305, a future prediction of the amount of surplus cooling energy of the air conditioner 30 is received from the CA thermal energy management unit 14.

In step S310, the FA thermal energy management unit 15 determines whether the operating temperature of at least one of the engine 31 and the inverter 32 is likely to exceed the appropriate temperature range, based on the estimated operating temperature changes of the engine 31 and the inverter 32. Locations on the planned route are identified in order from the start point to the goal point of the planned route. In step S315, the estimated amount of cooling energy necessary to maintain the operating temperature of the vehicle-mounted equipment, which may exceed the appropriate temperature range, within the appropriate temperature range is calculated for one specified location on the driving route. This estimated cooling energy amount can be calculated from, for example, the temperature difference between the estimated maximum value (or minimum value) of the operating temperature change and the upper limit (or lower limit) of the appropriate temperature range, and the heat capacity of the on-vehicle equipment. Note that if there is no place on the planned travel route where the temperature may exceed the appropriate temperature range, all the plans for the insufficient amount of cooling energy for the planned travel route may be set to zero.

In step S320, the FA thermal energy management unit 15 determines whether the amount of cold heat estimated in step S315 can be secured within the same area. For example, the operating temperature of the engine 31 may exceed the appropriate temperature range, but if the operating temperature of the inverter 32 is sufficiently low, the FA thermal energy management unit 15 can secure the estimated amount of cooling heat within the same area. It can be determined that If it is determined that the estimated amount of cold heat can be secured within the same area, the process proceeds to step S345. On the other hand, if it is determined that the estimated amount of cold heat cannot be secured within the same area, the process proceeds to step S325.

In step S325, the temperature difference between the respective operating temperatures after the cold heat transfer between the engine 31 and the inverter 32 and their respective appropriate temperature ranges, or if the cold heat cannot be transferred between the engine 31 and the inverter 32, , the insufficient amount of cooling heat is calculated based on the temperature difference between the respective operating temperatures of the engine 31 and the inverter 32 and their respective appropriate temperature ranges without transfer of cold heat.

In the subsequent step S330, it is determined whether the maximum value of the operating temperature change of at least one of the engine 31 and the inverter 32 is equal to or higher than a predetermined limit temperature higher than the upper limit temperature of the appropriate temperature range. If it is determined that the temperature is above a predetermined temperature limit, there is a possibility that the engine 31 and the inverter 32 may be damaged or their operations may be significantly restricted. Therefore, regardless of the surplus amount of cooling energy of the air conditioner 30, the process proceeds to step S340 in order to accept the insufficient amount of cooling energy from the air conditioner 30. On the other hand, if it is determined that the temperature is not higher than the predetermined limit temperature, the process proceeds to step S335.

In step S335, based on the future prediction of the surplus cold energy received in step S305, it is determined whether the insufficient cold energy to maintain the appropriate temperature range is less than or equal to the surplus cold energy of the air conditioner 30. In this determination, if it is determined that the insufficient amount of cooling energy is equal to or less than the surplus amount of cooling energy, the process proceeds to step S340. On the other hand, if it is determined that the insufficient amount of cold energy is larger than the surplus amount of cold energy, the process of step S340 is skipped and the process proceeds to step S345 in order to prevent the amount of cold energy from being provided from the air conditioner 30. In step S340, the calculated insufficient amount of cooling energy is incorporated into the insufficient amount of cooling energy plan for the planned travel route. Thereafter, the process advances to step S345.

In step S345, all the operating temperatures of at least one of the engine 31 and the inverter 32, which were identified in order from the start point to the goal point of the planned travel route in step S310, may exceed the appropriate temperature range. Determine whether or not the location determination is complete. If it is determined that the determination of all locations has not been completed, the process returns to step S310 and determination of the remaining locations is executed. On the other hand, if it is determined that the determination of all locations has been completed, the process advances to step S350.

In step S350, the FA thermal energy management unit 15 determines a cooling/heat deficit plan for the planned travel route. In step S355, the FA thermal energy management unit 15 notifies the CA thermal energy management unit 14 of the insufficient amount of cooling energy. As a result, the CA thermal energy management unit 14 can generate the amount of cold energy to be transferred to the cooling circuit of the engine 31 in the front area 2, in principle, within the range of the surplus amount of cold energy, according to the plan for the insufficient amount of cold energy. . In step S360, the FA thermal energy management unit 15 executes a process of accepting the insufficient amount of cooling energy provided from the air conditioner 30 according to the plan for the insufficient amount of cooling energy.

In step S400 of FIG. 8, the CA thermal energy management unit 14 obtains the target vehicle interior temperature setting from the target setting unit 10 via the general energy management unit 11. In step S410, the CA thermal energy management unit 14 acquires information regarding the outside air temperature at various locations on the planned travel route, for example, from an external server (not shown). Then, in step S420, the CA thermal energy management unit 14 determines, based on the set cabin temperature, the cabin temperature, and the outside air temperature of the scheduled route, the excess cold energy of the air conditioner 30 when the vehicle travels the scheduled route. Calculate future forecasts of volume. In step S430, the CA thermal energy management section 14 notifies the FA thermal energy management section 15 and the RA thermal energy management section 16 of the calculated future prediction of the amount of surplus cold energy.

In step S440, the CA thermal energy management unit 14 receives the insufficient cooling amount plan from the FA thermal energy management unit 15 and the RA thermal energy management unit 16. Then, in step S450, the CA thermal energy management unit 14 executes a process of providing the insufficient amount of cooling energy according to the received plan for the insufficient amount of cooling energy.

The second embodiment described above mainly describes an example in which cold energy is transferred from the air conditioner 30 in the central area 1 to the front area 2, which includes an engine 31 and an inverter 32 as in-vehicle equipment, according to a plan for insufficient cooling energy. did.

To briefly explain the rear area 3 having the high-voltage battery 33, when the vehicle is traveling, the high-voltage battery 33 is charged and discharged by supplying power to the traveling motor and charging regenerative power generated by the traveling motor. It is a secondary battery. The RA thermal energy management unit 16 estimates the future operating temperature change of the high-voltage battery 33 based on the scheduled route of the vehicle and the amount of charging and discharging that occurs when the vehicle travels the scheduled route. Then, the RA thermal energy management unit 16 calculates the estimated amount of cooling energy necessary to keep the operating temperature of the high-voltage battery 33 within an appropriate temperature range based on the estimated operating temperature change. If the RA thermal energy management unit 16 determines that the necessary estimated amount of cold energy cannot be secured within the rear area 3, it formulates a plan for the estimated amount of cold energy that is insufficient within the range of future predictions of surplus amount of cold energy, and The energy management department 14 is notified. Therefore, the CA thermal energy management unit 14 can provide the insufficient amount of cooling heat from the air conditioner 30 in the central area 1 to at least one vehicle-mounted device in the rear area 3 according to the notified plan.

Although the preferred embodiments of the present disclosure have been described above, the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be implemented with various modifications without departing from the gist of the present disclosure.

For example, each controller and method described herein may be a dedicated controller provided by configuring a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions embodied by a computer program. It may be realized by a computer. Alternatively, each of the controllers and techniques described herein may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by a processor configured with one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, each control unit and its method described herein may be configured by a processor and memory programmed to execute one or more functions of executing a computer program, and one or more hardware logic circuits. It may also be implemented by one or more dedicated computers configured in combination with a dedicated processor. The computer program may also be stored as instructions executed by a computer on a computer-readable non-transitory tangible storage medium.

1: Central area, 2: Front area, 3: Rear area, 10: Goal setting department, 11: General energy management department, 12: Kinetic energy management department, 13: Power energy management department, 14: CA thermal energy management department, 15: FA thermal energy management section, 16: RA thermal energy management section, 20: air conditioner control unit, 21: engine control unit, 22: hybrid control unit, 23: power control unit, 30: air conditioner, 31: engine, 32: Inverter, 33: High voltage battery, 34: DCDC converter, 40: First electric water pump, 41: First temperature sensor, 42: First three-way valve, 43: Engine radiator, 44: First radiator fan, 45: 2nd electric water pump, 46: 2nd temperature sensor, 47: 2nd three-way valve, 48: Inverter radiator, 49: 2nd radiator fan, 50: Electric compressor, 51: Indoor air conditioning condenser, 52: 1st pressure reducing device , 53: first on-off valve, 54: outdoor heat exchanger, 55: second pressure reducing device, 56: second on-off valve, 57: indoor air conditioning evaporator, 58: accumulator, 59: first three-way valve, 60: first 2 Three-way valve, 61: Third pressure reducing device, 62: Chiller, 63: Fourth pressure reducing device, 64: Third on-off valve, 65: Blower, 66: Air mix door, 67: On-off valve

Claims (11)

The vehicle is divided into a plurality of areas (1, 2, 3), and in at least two of the plurality of areas, a first area (1) and a second area (2), in-vehicle equipment related to the corresponding area is It has a first thermal energy management section (14) and a second thermal energy management section (15) that manage the thermal energy of (30, 31, 32),
The first area is a cabin area in which a vehicle occupant rides, and a heat pump type cold/heat exchange device that controls the air conditioning state of the cabin area is provided as an onboard device (30) related to the cabin area. is,
The first thermal energy management unit is configured to calculate a difference between a refrigerant flow rate and a maximum refrigerant flow rate that the heat pump type cold heat exchange device uses to air condition the vehicle interior area, based on at least a set temperature, a vehicle interior temperature, and a vehicle exterior temperature. configured to be able to calculate the amount of cold heat obtained by the flow rate of the refrigerant as the surplus amount of cold heat of the heat pump type cold heat exchange device,
A plurality of in-vehicle devices are provided as in-vehicle devices (30, 31) related to the second area,
The structure is configured such that cold heat can be transferred between the plurality of on-vehicle devices in the second area, and also between the heat pump type cold heat exchanger in the first area and at least one on-vehicle device in the second area. is configured to allow movement of
When the operating temperature of at least one of the plurality of on-vehicle devices related to the second area is outside an appropriate temperature range, the second thermal energy management unit controls cooling energy between the plurality of on-vehicle devices. moving the at least one in-vehicle device so that its operating temperature is within an appropriate temperature range;
Furthermore, the second thermal energy management unit may change the operating temperature of the at least one on-vehicle device to within an appropriate temperature range in transferring cold heat between a plurality of on-vehicle devices related to the second area. If not possible, notify the first thermal energy management unit of the insufficient amount of cooling energy;
The first thermal energy management unit provides the notified insufficient amount of cooling energy from the heat pump type cooling and heat exchanger in the first area to at least one in-vehicle device in the second area within the range of the calculated surplus amount of cooling energy. Vehicle energy management system. The second thermal energy management unit provides the first thermal energy when it is determined that the insufficient amount of cold energy can be provided from the first area based on the surplus amount of cold energy calculated by the first thermal energy management unit. The vehicular energy management system according to claim 1, wherein the energy management system notifies the energy management unit of the amount of cooling heat that is insufficient. When an excessive temperature rise exceeding a predetermined limit value occurs in the in-vehicle equipment related to the second area, the second thermal energy management unit controls the amount of cooling energy to suppress the excessive temperature rise from the first thermal energy management unit. Notifying the first thermal energy management unit of the amount of cooling energy for suppressing excessive temperature rise even if the amount exceeds the surplus cooling energy amount calculated by the thermal energy management unit;
The first thermal energy management unit transfers the amount of cold energy that exceeds the amount of surplus cold energy notified by the second thermal energy management unit from the heat pump type cold heat exchanger in the first area to at least one vehicle-mounted device in the second area. The vehicle energy management system according to claim 1 or 2, which is provided to a vehicle. 4. The first thermal energy management section calculates a future prediction of the surplus cooling energy amount based on information regarding a scheduled travel route of the vehicle and outside air temperature on the scheduled travel route. The vehicle energy management system described in . 5. The vehicle energy management system according to claim 4, wherein the future prediction of the surplus cooling energy amount calculated by the first thermal energy management section is notified in advance to the second thermal energy management section. At least one of the plurality of in-vehicle devices in the second area is an in-vehicle device that generates power for driving the vehicle;
The second thermal energy management unit estimates a future operating temperature change of the in-vehicle equipment that generates power from the kinetic energy required for the vehicle to travel the planned route, and adjusts the estimated operating temperature to an appropriate temperature. If it is determined that the estimated amount of cold energy necessary to keep the amount within the range is calculated, and it is determined that the necessary estimated amount of cold energy cannot be secured within the second area, within the range of the future prediction of the surplus amount of cold energy, Formulating a plan for the estimated insufficient amount of cold energy to be moved from one area and notifying the first thermal energy management department;
According to claim 4 or 5, the first thermal energy management unit provides the insufficient amount of cold energy from the heat pump type cold heat exchanger in the first area to at least one in-vehicle device in the second area according to the notified plan. The vehicle energy management system described. At least one of the plurality of in-vehicle devices in the second area is a secondary battery that is charged and discharged as the vehicle travels;
The second thermal energy management section estimates a future operating temperature change of the secondary battery based on the amount of charging and discharging that occurs when the vehicle travels on the scheduled route, and estimates the future operating temperature change of the secondary battery. Calculate the estimated amount of cooling energy necessary to keep the estimated operating temperature within the appropriate temperature range, and if it is determined that the necessary estimated amount of cooling energy cannot be secured within the second area, calculate the future prediction of the surplus amount of cooling energy. formulate a plan for the estimated insufficient amount of cold energy to be moved from the first area within the range, and notify the first thermal energy management department;
The first thermal energy management unit provides the insufficient amount of cooling energy from the heat pump type cooling heat exchanger in the first area to at least one in-vehicle device in the second area according to the notified plan. Vehicle energy management system. When it is predicted that an excessive temperature rise change exceeding a predetermined limit value will occur in the in-vehicle equipment, the second thermal energy management unit is configured to adjust the amount of cooling energy for suppressing the excessive temperature rise change to the second thermal energy management unit. 1. Even if the surplus cooling energy amount exceeds the future prediction of the surplus cooling energy amount calculated by the thermal energy management unit, the insufficient cooling energy amount for suppressing an excessive temperature rise is incorporated into the estimated insufficient cooling energy amount plan. 7. The vehicle energy management system according to 7. It has at least one of a kinetic energy management unit that manages kinetic energy of the vehicle and an electrical energy management unit that manages electrical energy in the vehicle,
The second thermal energy management unit has at least one of the same calculation processing speed, calculation timing, and calculation information processing and structure as the first thermal energy management unit, and a cooling calculation unit that calculates the amount of cooling energy; The energy management system for a vehicle according to claim 6, further comprising a cooling energy amount conversion section that converts the cooling energy amount calculated by the cooling energy calculation section into information that can be referred to by another energy management section. The vehicle energy management system according to claim 9, wherein the second thermal energy management section and the other energy management section are constructed within the same control device. The vehicle energy management system according to claim 9, wherein the other energy management section is provided in an area where main equipment to be managed by the other energy management section is arranged.

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