JP7445374B2 - Vehicle air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner with a cooling function that cools objects to be cooled.

Conventionally, Patent Document 1 describes a battery temperature control device including an air conditioning circuit, a battery cooling circuit, a refrigerant coolant heat exchange section, a battery temperature sensor, an indoor temperature sensor, a water pump, and a vehicle controller.

The air conditioning circuit circulates air conditioning refrigerant to air condition the vehicle interior. The air conditioning circuit has an evaporator. The evaporator exchanges heat between the low-temperature, low-pressure air conditioning refrigerant and the blown air that is blown into the vehicle interior, and absorbs heat from the blown air.

The battery cooling circuit circulates cooling water to cool the battery. The battery serves as a power source for the drive motor. The refrigerant coolant heat exchange section exchanges heat between the air conditioning refrigerant, which has become low temperature and low pressure, and the cooling water of the battery cooling circuit, and absorbs heat from the cooling water.

The battery temperature sensor detects the temperature of the blown air that has passed through the evaporator of the air conditioning circuit. In other words, the battery temperature sensor detects the load on the air conditioning circuit. The water pump circulates cooling water in the battery cooling circuit.

The vehicle controller reduces the amount of circulating water in the battery cooling circuit as the load on the air conditioning circuit increases. This allows the battery to be cooled while preventing the air conditioning circuit from reducing its ability to air condition the vehicle interior.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2014-235897

However, with the above-mentioned conventional technology, depending on the air conditioning settings of the occupant and the air conditioning environment, there is a risk that cooling of the battery may be unnecessarily delayed or that the cooling capacity of the battery may be held unnecessarily low. In other words, cooling of the battery may be restricted even though the occupant is not dissatisfied with the temperature inside the vehicle.

In view of the above-mentioned points, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle air conditioner that can suppress unnecessarily restricting cooling of an object to be cooled.

In order to achieve the above object, in the vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1,
a compressor (11) that compresses and discharges refrigerant;
a radiator (12) that radiates heat from the refrigerant discharged from the compressor (11);
a pressure reducing part (15, 18a, 18b) that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant heat radiated by the radiator (12);
an air-conditioning evaporator (16) that evaporates the refrigerant decompressed in the pressure-reducing part (15, 18a, 18b) by exchanging heat with air-conditioning air blown into the vehicle interior;
a cooling evaporator (19a, 19b) that cools the object to be cooled (70) by evaporating the refrigerant reduced in pressure in the pressure reducing unit (15, 18a, 18b);
a cooling operation switching unit (14b) that switches whether or not to perform a cooling operation of the object to be cooled (70) by the cooling evaporator (19a, 19b);
and a cooling operation permission section (S404) that permits cooling operation when the temperature (Tr) inside the vehicle is lower than the reference inside temperature (KTr) ,
The cooling operation permission section is
If the standard elapsed time (TIMER) has elapsed since the compressor started, cooling operation is permitted,
When the outside temperature (Tam) is below the standard anti-fog temperature (KTamd), the standard elapsed time is lengthened or the cooling operation is prohibited compared to when the outside temperature is above the standard anti-fog temperature.

Thereby, the object to be cooled (70) can be cooled in accordance with the temperature (Tr) in the vehicle interior, so it is possible to prevent the cooling of the object to be cooled from being restricted more than necessary.
In order to achieve the above object, in the vehicle air conditioner according to claim 3,
a compressor (11) that compresses and discharges refrigerant;
a radiator (12) that radiates heat from the refrigerant discharged from the compressor;
a pressure reducing section (15, 18a, 18b) that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant heat radiated by the radiator;
an air conditioning evaporation section (16) that evaporates the refrigerant whose pressure has been reduced in the pressure reduction section by exchanging heat with air conditioning air blown into the vehicle interior;
a cooling evaporation section (19a, 19b) that cools the object to be cooled (70) by evaporating the refrigerant depressurized in the decompression section;
a cooling operation switching unit (14b) that switches whether or not to perform a cooling operation of the object to be cooled by the cooling evaporator;
and a cooling operation permission section (S404) that permits cooling operation when the temperature (Tr) inside the vehicle is lower than the reference inside temperature (KTr),
The cooling operation permission section is
If the standard elapsed time (TIMER) has elapsed since the compressor started, cooling operation is permitted,
When there is no need to cool the air conditioning blown air in the air conditioning evaporator, the reference elapsed time is made shorter than when it is necessary to cool the air conditioning blown air in the air conditioning evaporator.
Thereby, the same effects as the vehicle air conditioner according to the first aspect can be obtained.
In order to achieve the above object, in the vehicle air conditioner according to claim 6,
a compressor (11) that compresses and discharges refrigerant;
a radiator (12) that radiates heat from the refrigerant discharged from the compressor;
a pressure reducing section (15, 18a, 18b) that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant heat radiated by the radiator;
an air conditioning evaporation section (16) that evaporates the refrigerant whose pressure has been reduced in the pressure reduction section by exchanging heat with air conditioning air blown into the vehicle interior;
a cooling evaporation section (19a, 19b) that cools the object to be cooled (70) by evaporating the refrigerant depressurized in the decompression section;
a cooling operation switching unit (14b) that switches whether or not to perform a cooling operation of the object to be cooled by the cooling evaporator;
and a cooling operation permission section (S404) that permits cooling operation when the temperature (Tr) inside the vehicle is lower than the reference inside temperature (KTr),
The cooling operation permission section is
If the standard elapsed time (TIMER) has elapsed since the compressor started, cooling operation is permitted,
If the temperature of the object to be cooled is higher than the standard allowable temperature (KTBmax), allow the cooling operation, or shorten the standard elapsed time compared to when the temperature of the object to be cooled is below the standard allowable temperature (KTBmax). .
Thereby, the same effects as the vehicle air conditioner according to the first aspect can be obtained.
In order to achieve the above object, in the vehicle air conditioner according to claim 9,
a compressor (11) that compresses and discharges refrigerant;
a radiator (12) that radiates heat from the refrigerant discharged from the compressor;
a pressure reducing section (15, 18a, 18b) that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant heat radiated by the radiator;
an air conditioning evaporation section (16) that evaporates the refrigerant whose pressure has been reduced in the pressure reduction section by exchanging heat with air conditioning air blown into the vehicle interior;
a cooling evaporation section (19a, 19b) that cools the object to be cooled (70) by evaporating the refrigerant depressurized in the decompression section;
a cooling operation switching unit (14b) that switches whether or not to perform a cooling operation of the object to be cooled by the cooling evaporator;
and a cooling operation permission section (S404) that permits cooling operation when the temperature (Tr) inside the vehicle is lower than the reference inside temperature (KTr),
The cooling operation permission section is activated when the outside temperature (Tam) is below the standard anti-fogging temperature (KTamd) and the temperature (TE) of the air conditioning evaporator becomes lower than the target air conditioning evaporator temperature (TEO). Allow cooling operation.
Thereby, the same effects as the vehicle air conditioner according to the first aspect can be obtained.

Note that the reference numerals in parentheses of each means described in this column and the claims indicate correspondence with specific means described in the embodiment described later.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment. FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing an electric control unit of a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment. It is a flow chart which shows control processing of automatic air conditioning control of a vehicle air conditioner of one embodiment. FIG. 6 is a control characteristic diagram for determining the air volume of an air conditioning blower in control processing of a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows a part of control processing of the vehicle air conditioner of one embodiment. It is a control characteristic diagram which determines the operating state of a water heater in the control process of the vehicle air conditioner of one embodiment. It is a control characteristic diagram which determines the target heat medium temperature in the control process of the vehicle air conditioner of one embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows another part of control processing of the vehicle air conditioner of one embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows another part of control processing of the vehicle air conditioner of one embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows another part of control processing of the vehicle air conditioner of one embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows another part of control processing of the vehicle air conditioner of one embodiment. It is a chart showing air conditioning battery requirements in control processing of a vehicle air conditioner of one embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows another part of control processing of the vehicle air conditioner of one embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows another part of control processing of the vehicle air conditioner of one embodiment. 3 is a chart showing whether or not battery cooling operation is possible in control processing of a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment. It is a control characteristic diagram which determines the evaporator temperature judgment value f2 in the control process of the vehicle air conditioner of one embodiment. It is a chart showing correction value β1 in control processing of the vehicle air conditioner of one embodiment. It is a chart showing hysteresis β2 in control processing of the vehicle air conditioner of one embodiment. It is a control characteristic diagram which determines the inside temperature judgment value f1 in the control process of the vehicle air conditioner of one embodiment. It is a chart showing correction value α1 in control processing of the vehicle air conditioner of one embodiment. It is a control characteristic diagram which determines the elapsed time judgment value f3 in the control process of the vehicle air conditioner of one embodiment. It is a chart showing standard elapsed time TIMER in control processing of a vehicle air conditioner of one embodiment. FIG. 6 is a control characteristic diagram for determining a time limit L Top in control processing of a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment. FIG. 6 is a control characteristic diagram for determining a limited opening degree LDop in control processing of a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment. FIG. 3 is a control characteristic diagram for determining the operating rate of an outside air fan in control processing of a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a control process for oil recovery control of a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment. 5 is a time chart illustrating an example of a case where oil recovery control of a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment is executed. It is a chart showing switching of a refrigerant circuit in a refrigeration cycle device of a vehicle air conditioner of one embodiment.

Hereinafter, embodiments will be described based on the drawings. In each of the following embodiments, parts that are the same or equivalent to each other are given the same reference numerals in the drawings.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, one embodiment of a vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the present invention will be described using the drawings. The vehicle air conditioner 1 of this embodiment is installed in an electric vehicle that obtains driving force for running the vehicle from an electric motor. The vehicle air conditioner 1 of this embodiment is a vehicle air conditioner with a cooling function that air-conditions a vehicle interior, which is a space to be air-conditioned, and cools a battery 70, which is a cooling target, in an electric vehicle.

The battery 70 is a secondary battery that stores power to be supplied to in-vehicle equipment such as an electric motor. The battery 70 is an assembled battery formed by electrically connecting a plurality of battery cells in series or in parallel.

A battery cell is a rechargeable secondary battery. In this embodiment, a lithium ion battery is used as the battery cell. Each battery cell is formed into a flat rectangular parallelepiped shape. The respective battery cells are stacked and integrated so that their flat surfaces face each other. Therefore, the battery 70 as a whole is formed into a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape.

In this type of battery 70, the output tends to decrease when the temperature becomes low, and the battery 70 tends to deteriorate when the temperature becomes high. Therefore, the temperature of the battery 70 needs to be maintained within an appropriate temperature range (in this embodiment, 15°C or higher and 55°C or lower) in which the battery 70 can exhibit sufficient charging and discharging performance. There is.

Furthermore, in the battery 70 formed by electrically connecting a plurality of battery cells, if the performance of any one of the battery cells deteriorates, the performance of the assembled battery as a whole will deteriorate. Therefore, when cooling the battery 70, it is desirable to cool all the battery cells equally.

The vehicle air conditioner 1 of this embodiment includes a refrigeration cycle device 10 shown in FIG. 1, a heat medium circuit 20, an indoor air conditioning unit 30, a battery pack 40, an air conditioning control device 50 shown in FIG. 2, and the like.

First, the refrigeration cycle device 10 will be explained. The refrigeration cycle device 10 cools the air conditioning air blown into the vehicle interior and the cooling air blown onto the battery 70 in the vehicle air conditioner 1 . The refrigeration cycle device 10 can switch between a battery-only cycle, an air-conditioning only cycle, and an air-conditioning battery cycle as a refrigerant circuit.

The air-conditioning only cycle is a refrigerant circuit that is switched when cooling the air-conditioning air without cooling the cooling air. More specifically, the air conditioning single cycle is a refrigerant circuit that allows refrigerant to flow into the air conditioning evaporator 16, which will be described later, without flowing the refrigerant into the right battery evaporator 19a and the left battery evaporator 19b, which will be described later.

The battery-only cycle is a refrigerant circuit that is switched when cooling the cooling air without cooling the air conditioning air. More specifically, the battery-only cycle is a refrigerant circuit that allows refrigerant to flow into the right battery evaporator 19a and the left battery evaporator 19b without allowing the refrigerant to flow into the air conditioning evaporator 16.

The air conditioning battery cycle is a refrigerant circuit that is switched when cooling both air conditioning air and cooling air. More specifically, the air-conditioning battery cycle is a refrigerant circuit that causes refrigerant to flow into the air-conditioning evaporator 16, and also to flow into the right battery evaporator 19a and the left battery evaporator 19b.

The refrigeration cycle device 10 uses an HFO-based refrigerant (specifically, R1234yf) as the refrigerant. The refrigeration cycle device 10 constitutes a vapor compression type subcritical refrigeration cycle in which the refrigerant pressure on the high-pressure side does not exceed the critical pressure of the refrigerant. Refrigerating machine oil for lubricating the compressor 11 is mixed in the refrigerant. In this embodiment, PAG oil (polyalkylene glycol oil) having compatibility with the liquid phase refrigerant is used as the refrigerating machine oil. A portion of the refrigeration oil circulates through the cycle along with the refrigerant.

In the refrigeration cycle device 10, the compressor 11 sucks in refrigerant, compresses it, and discharges it. The compressor 11 is arranged in a drive device room on the front side of the vehicle. The drive device room forms a space in which at least a portion of equipment (for example, an electric motor) used for generating or adjusting a driving force for running the vehicle is arranged.

The compressor 11 is an electric compressor that uses an electric motor to rotationally drive a fixed capacity type compression mechanism having a fixed discharge capacity. The rotation speed (i.e., refrigerant discharge capacity) of the compressor 11 is controlled by a control signal output from the air conditioning control device 50.

A refrigerant inlet side of a condenser 12 is connected to a discharge port of the compressor 11 . The condenser 12 exchanges heat between the high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 and the outside air blown from the outside air fan 12a. The condenser 12 is a condensing heat exchange unit that radiates heat of the refrigerant to the outside air and condenses the refrigerant. Condenser 12 is a radiator. The condenser 12 is arranged on the front side of the drive device chamber.

The outside air fan 12a is an electric blower that blows outside air toward the condenser 12. The number of revolutions (that is, the air blowing capacity) of the outside air fan 12a is controlled by a control voltage output from the air conditioning control device 50. The outside air fan 12a may be a suction type fan or a blowout type fan as long as it can send outside air to the condenser 12.

A receiver 12b is connected to the refrigerant outlet side of the condenser 12. The receiver 12b separates the gas and liquid of the refrigerant flowing out from the condenser 12, allows a part of the separated liquid phase refrigerant to flow out downstream, and stores the remaining liquid phase refrigerant as surplus refrigerant of the cycle. Department. The condenser 12 and receiver 12b of this embodiment are integrally formed.

The outlet of the receiver 12b is connected to the inlet side of a branching portion 13a that branches the flow of the refrigerant flowing out from the receiver 12b. The branch portion 13a is a three-way joint having three inlets and outlets that communicate with each other. In the branch portion 13a, one of the three inflow ports is used as an inflow port, and the remaining two are used as outflow ports.

An inlet side of an air conditioning expansion valve 15 is connected to one outlet of the branch portion 13a via an air conditioning solenoid valve 14a. The other outlet of the branch 13a is connected to the inlet of the battery side branch 13c via a battery electromagnetic valve 14b.

The air conditioning solenoid valve 14a is an air conditioning opening/closing part that opens and closes a refrigerant passage from one outlet of the branch part 13a to the inlet of the air conditioning expansion valve 15. The opening/closing operation of the air conditioning solenoid valve 14a is controlled by a control voltage output from the air conditioning control device 50. In the refrigeration cycle device 10, the air conditioning solenoid valve 14a opens and closes the refrigerant passage, thereby switching the refrigerant circuit. Therefore, the air conditioning solenoid valve 14a is a refrigerant circuit switching section.

The air-conditioning expansion valve 15 is an air-conditioning pressure reducing part that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing out from one outlet of the branch part 13a until it becomes a low-pressure refrigerant. Furthermore, the air conditioning expansion valve 15 is an air conditioning flow rate adjustment section that adjusts the flow rate of refrigerant flowing into the air conditioning evaporator 16.

In this embodiment, a temperature-type expansion valve constituted by a mechanical mechanism is employed as the air conditioning expansion valve 15. More specifically, the air conditioning expansion valve 15 includes a temperature sensing portion having a deformable member (specifically, a diaphragm) that deforms depending on the temperature and pressure of the refrigerant on the outlet side of the air conditioning evaporator 16, and a deformable member. and a valve body that is displaced in response to deformation of the valve body to change the throttle opening degree.

As a result, in the air conditioning expansion valve 15, the throttle opening is changed so that the degree of superheating of the refrigerant on the outlet side of the air conditioning evaporator 16 approaches a predetermined reference degree of superheating (5° C. in this embodiment). . Here, the mechanical mechanism refers to a mechanism that operates by a load due to fluid pressure, a load due to an elastic member, etc. without requiring the supply of electric power.

The refrigerant inlet side of the air conditioning evaporator 16 is connected to the outlet of the air conditioning expansion valve 15 . The air-conditioning evaporator 16 exchanges heat between the low-pressure refrigerant whose pressure has been reduced by the air-conditioning expansion valve 15 and the air-conditioning air. The air-conditioning evaporator 16 is an air-conditioning evaporator that evaporates a low-pressure refrigerant to exhibit an endothermic effect in order to cool the air-conditioned air. The air conditioning evaporator 16 is arranged inside the air conditioning casing 31 of the indoor air conditioning unit 30.

One inlet side of the confluence section 13b is connected to the outlet of the air conditioning evaporator 16 via a check valve 17. The check valve 17 allows the refrigerant to flow from the outlet side of the air conditioning evaporator 16 to one inlet side of the confluence section 13b, and allows the refrigerant to flow from the one inlet side of the confluence section 13b to the outlet side of the air conditioning evaporator 16. Prevent refrigerant from flowing to the side.

The merging portion 13b is a three-way joint similar to the branching portion 13a. In the confluence section 13b, two of the three inflow ports are used as inflow ports, and the remaining one is used as an outflow port. The inlet side of the compressor 11 is connected to the outlet of the confluence section 13b.

Further, the battery solenoid valve 14b is a cooling opening/closing part that opens and closes a refrigerant passage from the other outlet of the branch part 13a to the inlet of the battery side branch part 13c. The basic configuration of the battery solenoid valve 14b is the same as that of the air conditioning solenoid valve 14a. In the refrigeration cycle device 10, the refrigerant circuit can be switched by the battery electromagnetic valve 14b opening and closing the refrigerant passage. Therefore, the battery electromagnetic valve 14b is a refrigerant circuit switching section together with the air conditioning electromagnetic valve 14a.

The battery electromagnetic valve 14b is a cooling operation switching section that switches whether or not to perform a cooling operation for the battery 70 by the right battery evaporator 19a and the left battery evaporator 19b.

The battery side branch part 13c is a three-way joint having the same configuration as the branch part 13a. The inlet side of the right battery expansion valve 18a is connected to one outlet of the battery side branch portion 13c. The inlet side of the left battery expansion valve 18b is connected to the other outlet of the battery side branch portion 13c.

The right battery expansion valve 18a is a cooling pressure reducing part that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing out from one outlet of the battery side branch part 13c until it becomes a low-pressure refrigerant. Further, the right battery expansion valve 18a is a cooling flow rate adjustment section that adjusts the flow rate of refrigerant flowing into the right battery evaporator 19a.

In this embodiment, an electric expansion valve constituted by an electric mechanism is employed as the right side battery expansion valve 18a. More specifically, the right battery expansion valve 18a includes a valve body that changes the aperture opening and an electric actuator (specifically, a stepping motor) that displaces the valve body.

The operation of the right battery expansion valve 18a is controlled by control pulses output from the air conditioning control device 50. Further, the right side battery expansion valve 18a has a fully closing function of closing the refrigerant passage by fully closing the throttle opening. Here, the electrical mechanism means a mechanism that operates by being supplied with electric power.

The refrigerant inlet side of the right battery evaporator 19a is connected to the outlet of the right battery expansion valve 18a. The right battery evaporator 19a exchanges heat between the low-pressure refrigerant whose pressure has been reduced by the right battery expansion valve 18a and the cooling air blown onto the battery 70. The right side battery evaporator 19a is a cooling evaporator that cools the cooling air by evaporating a low-pressure refrigerant and exhibiting an endothermic action in order to cool the battery 70.

The left battery expansion valve 18b is a cooling pressure reducing part that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing out from the other outlet of the battery side branch part 13c until it becomes a low-pressure refrigerant. Further, the left battery expansion valve 18b is a cooling flow rate adjustment section that adjusts the flow rate of refrigerant flowing into the left battery evaporator 19b. The basic configuration of the left battery expansion valve 18b is the same as the right battery expansion valve 18a.

The refrigerant inlet side of the left battery evaporator 19b is connected to the outlet of the left battery expansion valve 18b. The left battery evaporator 19b exchanges heat between the low-pressure refrigerant whose pressure has been reduced by the left battery expansion valve 18b and the cooling air blown onto the battery 70. The left battery evaporator 19b is a cooling evaporator that cools the cooling air by evaporating a low-pressure refrigerant and exhibiting an endothermic action in order to cool the battery 70.

Therefore, a plurality of cooling evaporation sections of this embodiment are provided. The plurality of cooling evaporators are connected in parallel to each other with respect to the refrigerant flow. Moreover, the same number of cooling flow rate adjustment sections as the plurality of cooling evaporation sections are provided. Each of the cooling flow rate adjustment sections is arranged upstream of each cooling evaporation section in the flow of refrigerant, so that the flow rate of refrigerant flowing into each cooling evaporation section can be individually adjusted.

One inlet side of the battery side merging section 13d is connected to the outlet of the right side battery evaporator 19a. The other inlet side of the battery side merging section 13d is connected to the outlet of the left battery evaporator 19b. The battery side merging portion 13d is a three-way joint having the same configuration as the merging portion 13b. The other inlet side of the merging portion 13b is connected to the outlet of the battery side merging portion 13d.

The above-mentioned right battery expansion valve 18a, left battery expansion valve 18b, right battery evaporator 19a, left battery evaporator 19b, and battery side merging portion 13d are arranged in the battery casing 41 of the battery pack 40. ing.

Here, detailed configurations of the air conditioning evaporator 16, the right battery evaporator 19a, and the left battery evaporator 19b will be described. In the refrigeration cycle device 10, the air conditioning evaporator (i.e., the air conditioning evaporator 16) and the cooling evaporator (i.e., the right battery evaporator 19a and the left battery evaporator 19b) are arranged in parallel with respect to the flow of refrigerant. connected. Furthermore, so-called tank-and-tube heat exchangers are used as the air conditioning evaporator 16, the right battery evaporator 19a, and the left battery evaporator 19b.

A tank-and-tube heat exchanger includes a plurality of refrigerant tubes and a pair of tanks. A refrigerant tube is a metal tube through which refrigerant flows. The plurality of refrigerant tubes are stacked in a predetermined direction at intervals. Air passages are formed between adjacent refrigerant tubes to allow air to exchange heat with the refrigerant.

The tank is a metal cylindrical member with a bottom that extends in the direction in which the plurality of refrigerant tubes are stacked. The pair of tanks are connected to both ends of the plurality of refrigerant tubes, respectively. A distribution space that distributes the refrigerant to the plurality of refrigerant tubes and a collection space that collects the refrigerant flowing out from the plurality of refrigerant tubes are formed inside the tank.

Thereby, a heat exchange core portion is formed that exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing through each refrigerant tube and the air flowing through the air passage. Heat exchange fins that promote heat exchange between the refrigerant and the air are arranged in the air passage. Therefore, the heat exchange area between the refrigerant and air in a tank-and-tube heat exchanger is the front area of the heat exchange core (in other words, the projected area) and the surface area of the heat exchange fins when viewed from the air flow direction. can be defined by the total value of

In this embodiment, as the air conditioning evaporator 16, one whose heat exchange area is larger than the sum of the heat exchange area of the right battery evaporator 19a and the heat exchange area of the left battery evaporator 19b is adopted. are doing. Further, the right battery evaporator 19a and the left battery evaporator 19b have the same heat exchange area.

Next, the heat medium circuit 20 will be explained. The heat medium circuit 20 is a circuit that circulates a heat medium that exchanges heat with air for air conditioning. The heat medium circuit 20 uses an ethylene glycol aqueous solution as the heat medium. The heat medium circuit 20 includes a water pump 21, a water heater 22, a heater core 23, and a reserve tank 24.

The water pump 21 pumps a heat medium toward the water heater 22 . The water pump 21 is an electric impeller pump that rotates an impeller (that is, an impeller) using an electric motor. Water pump 21 is arranged in the drive device room. The rotation speed (pumping capacity) of the water pump 21 is controlled by a control voltage output from the air conditioning control device 50.

The water heater 22 is a heat medium heating section that heats the heat medium pumped from the water pump 21. The water heater 22 is a PTC heater having a PTC element (ie, a positive temperature coefficient thermistor). The amount of heat generated by the water heater 22 is controlled by a control voltage output from the air conditioning control device 50.

A heat medium inlet side of a heater core 23 is connected to the downstream side of the water heater 22 . The heater core 23 exchanges heat between the heat medium heated by the water heater 22 and air conditioning air. The heater core 23 is a heating heat exchange unit that heats the air conditioning air by dissipating the heat of the heat medium to the air conditioning air. The heater core 23 is arranged within an air conditioning casing 31 of the indoor air conditioning unit 30.

The inlet side of the reserve tank 24 is connected to the heat medium outlet of the heater core 23 . The reserve tank 24 is a storage section that stores surplus heat medium in the heat medium circuit 20. In the heat medium circuit 20, by arranging the reserve tank 24, a decrease in the amount of the heat medium circulating through the heat medium circuit 20 is suppressed. The reserve tank 24 has a supply port for replenishing the heat medium when the amount of heat medium in the heat medium circuit 20 becomes insufficient.

Next, the indoor air conditioning unit 30 will be explained. The indoor air conditioning unit 30 is a unit that blows air conditioning air adjusted to an appropriate temperature for air conditioning the vehicle interior to an appropriate location within the vehicle interior. The indoor air conditioning unit 30 is arranged inside an instrument panel at the forefront of the vehicle interior.

The indoor air conditioning unit 30 houses an air conditioning blower 32, an air conditioning evaporator 16, a heater core 23, etc. in an air conditioning casing 31 that forms an air passage for air conditioning. The air conditioning casing 31 is molded from a resin (for example, polypropylene) that has a certain degree of elasticity and excellent strength. An air passage is formed in the air conditioning casing 31 through which air for air conditioning flows.

An inside/outside air switching device 33 is disposed at the most upstream side of the air-conditioning casing 31 in the direction of air flow. The inside/outside air switching device 33 adjusts the ratio of inside air (ie, vehicle interior air) and outside air (ie, vehicle exterior air) introduced into the air conditioning casing 31 . The inside/outside air switching device 33 is an inside/outside air switching unit that adjusts the outside air ratio, which is the ratio of outside air in the air conditioning blown air flowing into the air conditioning evaporator 16 disposed in the air conditioning casing 31.

The inside/outside air switching device 33 is an inside air ratio adjusting section that adjusts the ratio of inside air in the air conditioning blown air flowing into the air conditioning evaporator 16. The inside/outside air switching device 33 is an outside air ratio adjusting section that adjusts the ratio of outside air in the air conditioning blown air flowing into the air conditioning evaporator 16.

More specifically, the inside/outside air switching device 33 is formed with an inside air introduction port 33a for introducing inside air into the air conditioning casing 31, and an outside air introduction port 33b for introducing outside air. Inside the inside/outside air switching device 33, an inside/outside air switching door 33c is arranged that continuously adjusts the opening areas of the inside air inlet 33a and the outside air inlet 33b.

Therefore, in the inside/outside air switching device 33, the ratio of the amount of inside air introduced into the air conditioning casing 31 to the amount of outside air (i.e., the outside air rate) is adjusted by displacing the inside/outside air switching door 33c. The inside/outside air switching door 33c is driven by an electric actuator 33e for an inside/outside air switching device. The operation of the electric actuator 33e for the inside/outside air switching device is controlled by a control signal output from the air conditioning control device 50.

An air conditioning blower 32 is disposed downstream of the inside/outside air switching device 33 in the flow of air. The air conditioning blower 32 blows air sucked in via the inside/outside air switching device 33 into the vehicle interior. The air conditioning blower 32 is an electric blower that drives a centrifugal multi-blade fan using an electric motor. The air conditioning blower 32 has its rotation speed (that is, air blowing capacity) controlled by a control voltage output from the air conditioning control device 50.

An air conditioning evaporator 16 and a heater core 23 are arranged downstream of the air conditioning blower 32 in this order with respect to the air flow. In other words, the air conditioning evaporator 16 is disposed upstream of the heater core 23 in the flow of the blown air.

A cold-air bypass passage 35 is provided in the air-conditioning casing 31 to allow the air-conditioning air that has passed through the air-conditioning evaporator 16 to flow around the heater core 23 . An air mix door 34 is disposed in the air conditioning casing 31 on the downstream side of the blown air flow of the air conditioning evaporator 16 and on the upstream side of the blown air flow of the heater core 23.

The air mix door 34 is an air volume ratio adjustment unit that adjusts the air volume ratio between the air volume that passes through the heater core 23 side and the air volume that passes through the cold air bypass passage 35 in the air conditioning blast air that has passed through the air conditioning evaporator 16. . The air mix door 34 is driven by an electric actuator 34a for air mix doors. The operation of the electric actuator 34a for the air mix door is controlled by a control signal output from the air conditioning control device 50.

A mixing space 36 is formed in the air conditioning casing 31 on the downstream side of the heater core 23 and the cold air bypass passage 35 in the flow of air. The mixing space 36 is a space in which air-conditioning air heated by the heater core 23 and air-conditioning air that has passed through the cold air bypass passage 35 and has not been heated are mixed.

An opening hole for blowing out the air-conditioning air mixed and temperature-controlled in the mixing space 36 into the vehicle interior is arranged in the downstream part of the air-conditioning casing 31 in the flow direction of the air.

The opening holes include a face opening hole 37a, a foot opening hole 37b, and a defroster opening hole 37c. The face opening hole 37a is an opening hole for blowing out the conditioned air toward the upper body side of the occupant. The foot opening hole 37b is an opening hole for blowing out the conditioned air toward the feet of the occupant. The defroster opening hole 37c is an opening hole for blowing out conditioned air toward the inner surface of the front window glass.

The face opening hole 37a, the foot opening hole 37b, and the defroster opening hole 37c are connected to a face outlet, a foot outlet, and a defroster outlet (all of which are not shown) provided in the vehicle interior through ducts forming air passages. ).

Therefore, the temperature of the conditioned air mixed in the mixing space 36 is adjusted by the air mix door 34 adjusting the ratio of the air volume passing through the heater core 23 and the air volume passing through the cold air bypass passage 35. Then, the temperature of the air conditioning air (i.e., conditioned air) blown into the vehicle interior from each outlet is adjusted.

Further, a face door 38a, a foot door 38b, and a defroster door 38c are arranged on the upstream side of the air flow of the face opening hole 37a, the foot opening hole 37b, and the defroster opening hole 37c. The face door 38a adjusts the opening area of the face opening hole 37a. The foot door 38b adjusts the opening area of the foot opening hole 37b. The defroster door 38c adjusts the opening area of the froster opening hole.

The face door 38a, the foot door 38b, and the defroster door 38c form an outlet mode switching section that switches the outlet mode. The face door 38a, the foot door 38b, and the defroster door 38c are rotated in conjunction with each other by an electric actuator 38d for the outlet mode door via a link mechanism or the like. The operation of the electric actuator 38d for the outlet mode door is controlled by a control signal output from the air conditioning control device 50.

Specifically, the outlet modes to be switched by the outlet mode switching unit include face mode, bi-level mode, foot mode, and the like.

The face mode is an air outlet mode in which the face air outlet is fully opened and air is blown from the face air outlet toward the upper body of the occupant in the vehicle interior. The bi-level mode is an air outlet mode in which both the face air outlet and the foot air outlet are opened and air is blown toward the upper body and feet of the occupants in the vehicle interior. The foot mode is an air outlet mode in which the foot air outlet is fully opened, the defroster air outlet is opened by a small opening degree, and air is mainly blown out from the foot air outlet.

Further, the defroster mode can be switched to by the occupant manually operating an air outlet mode switch provided on the operation panel 60. The defroster mode is an outlet mode in which the defroster outlet is fully opened and air is blown out from the defroster outlet onto the inner surface of the front window glass.

Next, the battery pack 40 will be explained. The battery pack 40 is a package that houses the battery 70 in a coolable manner.

The battery pack 40 is placed under the floor of the vehicle compartment. The battery pack 40 houses a cooling blower 42, a right battery evaporator 19a, a left battery evaporator 19b, and the like in a battery casing 41 that forms an air passage for cooling air. The battery casing 41 is a metal sealed case that has been subjected to electrical insulation treatment and heat insulation treatment.

Inside the battery casing 41, a cooling space 43, a right air passage 44a, a left air passage 44b, and a battery space 45 are formed. The battery space 45 is a space that accommodates the battery 70. The cooling space 43 is a space in which the cooling blower 42, the right battery evaporator 19a, the left battery evaporator 19b, and the like are accommodated.

The battery space 45 and the cooling space 43 communicate with each other. The cooling blower 42 is an electric blower that blows cooling air sucked from the battery space 45 toward both the right battery evaporator 19a and the left battery evaporator 19b. The cooling blower 42 is a cooling blower that blows cooling air to cool the battery 70 . The basic configuration of the cooling blower 42 is the same as that of the air conditioning blower 32. In this embodiment, as the cooling blower 42, one whose maximum blowing capacity is smaller than the maximum blowing capacity of the air conditioning blower 32 is used.

The right air passage 44a is an air passage through which cooling air that has passed through the right battery evaporator 19a flows. The right air passage 44a guides the cooling air that has passed through the right battery evaporator 19a to the right side of the battery 70 when viewed from the stacking direction of the battery 70. In other words, the right air passage 44a guides the cooling air toward one end surface of the plurality of battery cells.

The left air passage 44b is an air passage through which the cooling air that has passed through the left battery evaporator 19b flows. The left air passage 44b guides the cooling air that has passed through the left battery evaporator 19b to the left side of the battery 70 when viewed from the stacking direction of the battery 70. In other words, the left air passage 44b guides the cooling air to the other end surface side of the plurality of battery cells.

The vehicle air conditioner 1 of this embodiment also includes a steering heater 91, a seat blower 92, a seat heater 93, and a knee radiant heater 94. The steering heater 91, the seat blower device 92, the seat heater 93, and the knee radiant heater 94 are heating auxiliary devices that improve the feeling of heating for the occupant when heating the vehicle interior. The operation of the heating auxiliary device is controlled by a control signal output from the air conditioning control device 50.

More specifically, the steering heater 91 is a steering heating section that heats the steering wheel using an electric heater. The seat blower device 92 is a seat blower that blows air toward the occupant from inside the seat. The seat heater 93 is a seat heating unit that heats the surface of a seat on which an occupant is seated using an electric heater. The knee radiant heater 94 is a knee heating unit that irradiates heat source light toward the occupant's knees.

Next, the electric control section of this embodiment will be explained using FIG. 2. The air conditioning control device 50 is composed of a well-known microcomputer including a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and its peripheral circuits. The air conditioning control device 50 performs various calculations and processes based on a control program stored in the ROM, and controls the operation of various controlled devices connected to the output side.

On the input side of the air conditioning control device 50, an inside air sensor 51, an outside air sensor 52, a solar radiation sensor 53, a high pressure refrigerant pressure sensor 54, an air conditioning evaporator temperature sensor 55, a right side cooling evaporator temperature sensor 56a, and a left side cooling evaporator are installed. Various sensor groups such as a temperature sensor 56b, a cooling evaporator pressure sensor 57, a water temperature sensor 58, a battery temperature sensor 59, and a humidity sensor 59a are connected.

The inside air sensor 51 is an inside air temperature detection section that detects the inside air temperature Tr, which is the temperature inside the vehicle. The outside air sensor 52 is an outside air temperature detection section that detects outside air temperature Tam. The solar radiation sensor 53 is a solar radiation amount detection section that detects the solar radiation amount Ts in the vehicle interior.

The high-pressure refrigerant pressure sensor 54 is a high-pressure refrigerant pressure detection section that detects the refrigerant pressure Ph on the high-pressure side. The high-pressure refrigerant pressure sensor 54 of this embodiment detects the pressure of the refrigerant flowing out from the receiver 12b.

The air conditioning evaporator temperature sensor 55 is an air conditioning evaporator temperature detection section that detects the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE, which is the temperature of the air conditioning evaporator 16. The air conditioning evaporator temperature sensor 55 of this embodiment detects the heat exchange fin temperature of the air conditioning evaporator 16. Therefore, the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE has a value equivalent to the temperature of the air conditioning air blown out from the air conditioning evaporator 16.

The right side cooling evaporator temperature sensor 56a is a cooling evaporator temperature detection unit that detects the right side cooling evaporator temperature TEBR, which is the temperature of the refrigerant flowing out from the right side battery evaporator 19a. The right-side cooling evaporator temperature sensor 56a of this embodiment detects the temperature of the refrigerant pipe extending from the outlet of the right-side battery evaporator 19a to the battery-side confluence section 13d.

The left side cooling evaporator temperature sensor 56b is a cooling evaporator temperature detection unit that detects the left side cooling evaporator temperature TEBL, which is the temperature of the refrigerant flowing out from the left side battery evaporator 19b. The left side cooling evaporator temperature sensor 56b of this embodiment detects the temperature of the refrigerant pipe extending from the outlet of the left side battery evaporator 19b to the battery side confluence section 13d.

The cooling evaporator pressure sensor 57 is a cooling evaporator pressure detection unit that detects the cooling evaporator pressure PEB, which is the pressure of the refrigerant flowing out from the right battery evaporator 19a and the left battery evaporator 19b. The water temperature sensor 58 is a heat medium temperature detection section that detects the heat medium temperature TW on the outlet side of the water heater 22.

Battery temperature sensor 59 is a battery temperature detection section that detects battery temperature TB (that is, the temperature of battery 70). The battery temperature sensor 59 of this embodiment has a plurality of temperature sensors and detects the temperature of a plurality of locations on the battery 70. Therefore, the air conditioning control device 50 can also detect the temperature difference between each part of the battery 70. Furthermore, as the battery temperature TB, the average value of the detection values of a plurality of temperature sensors is adopted.

The humidity sensor 59a is a humidity detection unit that detects the window vicinity humidity RHW, which is the relative humidity near the front window glass in the vehicle interior.

Furthermore, an operation panel 60 disposed near an instrument panel at the front of the vehicle interior is connected to the input side of the air conditioning control device 50. Operation signals from various switches provided on the operation panel 60 are input to the air conditioning control device 50 .

Specifically, the operation switches provided on the operation panel 60 include an air conditioner switch 60a, an auto switch 60b, an inlet mode changeover switch 60c, an outlet mode changeover switch 60d, an air volume setting switch 60e, an economy switch 60f, and a temperature switch. There are setting switches 60g, etc.

The air conditioner switch 60a is an air conditioning cooling requesting unit that requests the air conditioning evaporator 16 to cool the air conditioning blown air by the operation of the passenger. The auto switch 60b is an automatic control setting section that sets or cancels the automatic air conditioning control of the vehicle air conditioner 1 according to an operation by a passenger.

The suction port mode changeover switch 60c is a suction port mode setting unit that switches the suction port mode according to an operation by a passenger. The air outlet mode changeover switch 60d is an air outlet mode setting unit that switches the air outlet mode according to an operation by a passenger.

The air volume setting switch 60e is an air volume setting section for manually setting the air volume of the air conditioning blower 32. The temperature setting switch 60g is a target temperature setting section that sets the vehicle interior target temperature Tset through operation by the occupant. The economy switch 60f is a power saving requesting unit that requests power saving of the refrigeration cycle device 10 by an operation by a passenger.

Further, the air conditioning control device 50 is electrically connected to another vehicle control device 80. Other examples of the vehicle control device 80 include a driving force control device that controls the operation of an electric motor that outputs driving force for driving the vehicle.

The air conditioning control device 50 and the vehicle control device 80 are communicably connected to each other. Therefore, based on the detection signal or operation signal input to one control device, the other control device can also control the operation of various devices connected to the output side. For example, the vehicle control device 80 can use the battery temperature TB input to the air conditioning control device 50 to change the output of the electric motor for driving the vehicle.

It should be noted that the air conditioning control device 50 is integrally configured with control means for controlling various control target devices connected to the output side of the air conditioning control device 50. In the air conditioning control device 50, the configuration (hardware and software) that controls the operation of each device to be controlled constitutes a control unit that controls the operation of each device to be controlled.

For example, in the air conditioning control device 50, a configuration that controls the operation of the right battery expansion valve 18a and the left battery expansion valve 18b, which are cooling flow rate adjustment units, is the cooling flow rate control unit 50a. Further, in the air conditioning control device 50, the configuration that controls the operation of the electric actuator 38d for the outlet mode door driven by the outlet mode door is the outlet mode control section 50b.

Next, the operation of the vehicle air conditioner 1 of this embodiment with the above configuration will be explained using FIGS. 3 to 27. FIG. 3 is a flowchart showing a control process as a main routine of the vehicle air conditioner 1 of this embodiment. This control process starts when the auto switch 60b is turned on (ON) while the vehicle system is activated. Each control step described in the flowchart of each figure is a various function implementation unit that the air conditioning control device 50 has.

First, in step S1 of FIG. 3, initialization of flags, timers, etc. configured by the storage circuit of the air conditioning control device 50, and initial positioning of the electric actuator (specifically, the stepping motor) described above are performed. It will be done. Note that, in the initialization in step S1, among the flags and calculated values, some of the values stored when the vehicle air conditioner was stopped last time or when the vehicle system was terminated are read out.

For example, in this embodiment, the value of the trip counter Tcnt is read. The trip counter Tcnt is a memory that stores how many trips have been made in the past, when one trip is defined as one trip from the start to the stop of the vehicle system.

Next, in step S2, operation signals etc. from the operation panel 60 are read, and the process proceeds to step S3. In the following step S3, a signal of the vehicle environmental condition used for air conditioning control, that is, a detection signal of the above-mentioned sensor group is read. Furthermore, in step S3, the detection signals of the sensor group connected to the input side of the vehicle control device 80 and the control signals output from the vehicle control device 80 are read from the vehicle control device 80.

Next, in step S4, a target blowout temperature TAO as a target temperature of the air blown into the vehicle interior is calculated using the following formula F1.
TAO=Kset×Tset-Kr×Tr-Kam×Tam-Ks×Ts+C…(F1)
Tset is the vehicle interior target temperature set by the temperature setting switch 60g. Tr is the inside temperature detected by the inside air sensor 51. Tam is the outside temperature detected by the outside air sensor 52. Ts is the amount of solar radiation detected by the solar radiation sensor 53. Moreover, Kset, Kr, Kam, and Ks are control gains, and C is a constant for correction.

Next, in step S5, the open/close state of the air conditioning solenoid valve 14a is determined. In step S5, when the air conditioning evaporator 16 is required to cool the air conditioning blown air based on the operation signal of the air conditioner switch 60a read in step S2, the air conditioning solenoid valve 14a is activated. open.

Next, in step S6, the amount of air conditioning air blown by the air conditioning blower 32 and the amount of cooling air blown by the cooling blower 42 are determined.

The amount of air blown by the air conditioning blower 32 is determined based on the target outlet temperature TAO. Specifically, as shown in the control characteristic diagram of FIG. 4, in the extremely low temperature range (maximum cooling range) and extremely high temperature range (maximum heating range) of the target outlet temperature TAO, The voltage is set to the maximum value (MAX), and the air volume of the air conditioning blower 32 is set to the maximum air volume.

When the target blowout temperature TAO increases from the extremely low temperature range to the intermediate temperature range, the air conditioning blower voltage is lowered in accordance with the increase in the target blowout temperature TAO, and the amount of air blown by the air conditioning blower 32 is reduced. When the target blowout temperature TAO decreases from the extremely high temperature range to the intermediate temperature range, the air conditioning blower voltage is lowered in accordance with the decrease in the target blowout temperature TAO, and the amount of air blown by the air conditioning blower 32 is reduced.

When the target blowing temperature TAO falls within a predetermined intermediate temperature range, the air conditioning blower voltage is set to the minimum value (min), and the air volume of the air conditioning blower 32 is set to the minimum air volume.

In addition, regarding the amount of air blown by the cooling blower 42, the amount of air blown by the cooling blower 42 is determined by using the cooling blower voltage applied to the cooling blower 42 as a predetermined reference voltage, regardless of the target blowout temperature TAO or the battery temperature TB. is the standard air volume. The reference air volume of the cooling fan 42 is set to be less than or equal to the minimum air volume of the air conditioning fan 32.

Therefore, the amount of air blown by the cooling blower 42 is equal to or less than the amount of air blown by the air conditioning blower 32. In other words, the volume of cooling air that exchanges heat with the low-pressure refrigerant in the cooling evaporator (in this embodiment, the total volume of air that exchanges heat with the right battery evaporator 19a and the left battery evaporator 19b) is: The volume is less than the volume of the air conditioning air that exchanges heat with the low-pressure refrigerant in the air conditioning evaporator.

Next, in step S7, the suction port mode is determined. Step S7 is an outside air ratio determination unit that determines the ratio of outside air introduced into the air conditioning evaporator 16. Step S7 is an inside air ratio determination unit that determines the ratio of inside air introduced into the air conditioning evaporator 16. Step S7 is an inside/outside air control section that controls the inside/outside air switching device 33. Details of step S7 will be explained using FIG. 5.

First, in step S71, it is determined whether the battery temperature TB is higher than a predetermined reference allowable temperature KTBmax (49° C. in this embodiment). If it is determined in step S71 that the battery temperature TB is higher than the reference allowable temperature KTBmax, the process advances to step S72. If it is determined in step S71 that the battery temperature TB is not higher than the reference allowable temperature KTBmax, the process advances to step S76.

Here, the reference allowable temperature KTBmax is set to a temperature at which it is necessary to cool the battery 70 in order to suppress deterioration of the battery 70 when the battery temperature TB is higher than the reference allowable temperature KTBmax. There is.

In step S72, it is determined whether the outside temperature Tam is equal to or lower than a predetermined standard anti-fogging temperature KTamd (15° C. in this embodiment). The reference anti-fog temperature KTamd is an outside temperature at which the windows of the vehicle tend to fog. If it is determined in step S72 that the outside temperature Tam is lower than the reference anti-fogging temperature KTamd, the process advances to step S73. If it is determined in step S72 that the outside temperature Tam is not lower than the reference anti-fogging temperature KTamd, the process proceeds to step S76.

Here, the standard anti-fog temperature KTamd is set to a temperature at which window fogging is likely to occur on the front window glass when the outside temperature Tam is below the standard anti-fog temperature KTamd (15°C in this embodiment). ing.

In step S73, it is determined whether the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE is higher than the target air conditioning evaporator temperature TEO determined in step S12, which will be described later. If it is determined in step S73 that the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE is higher than the target air conditioning evaporator temperature TEO, the process advances to step S74. If it is determined in step S73 that the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE is not higher than the target air conditioning evaporator temperature TEO, the process advances to step S76.

Here, when the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE is higher than the target air conditioning evaporator temperature TEO, the air conditioning blown air is not sufficiently cooled in the air conditioning evaporator 16, and the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE is higher than the target air conditioning evaporator temperature TEO. Air dehumidification tends to be insufficient.

In step S74, it is determined whether or not the battery cooling operation determined in step S14, which will be described later, is permitted. If it is determined in step S74 that the battery cooling operation is permitted, the process advances to step S75. If it is determined in step S74 that the battery cooling operation is not permitted, the process advances to step S76.

Therefore, when proceeding to step S75, it is necessary to cool the battery 70, and even though the front window glass is likely to fog up and the dehumidification of the air for air conditioning is insufficient, the battery cooling operation is not performed. This is the case when it is determined that it is permitted.

Therefore, in step S75, a control signal to be output to the electric actuator 33e for the inside/outside air switching device is determined so that the outside air ratio becomes 100%, and the process proceeds to step S8. By setting the outside air ratio to 100%, the inside of the vehicle can be ventilated, and fogging on the inner surface of the window glass can be suppressed.

In step S76, it is determined whether the outside temperature Tam is higher than a predetermined reference high temperature side outside temperature KTamh (35° C. in this embodiment). If it is determined in step S76 that the outside temperature Tam is higher than the reference high temperature side outside temperature KTamh, the process advances to step S79. That is, if it is determined in step S76 that the outside temperature Tam is not higher than the reference high temperature side outside temperature KTamh, the process advances to step S77.

In step S77, it is determined whether the refrigerant circuit has been switched to the air conditioning battery cycle. If it is determined in step S77 that the refrigerant circuit has been switched to the air conditioning battery cycle, the process advances to step S79. If it is determined in step S77 that the refrigerant circuit has not been switched to the air conditioning battery cycle, the process advances to step S78.

In step S78, as shown in the control characteristic diagram shown in step S78 of FIG. 5, a control signal to be output to the electric actuator 33e for the inside/outside air switching device is determined, and the process proceeds to step S8. In step S78, a control signal to be output to the electric actuator 33e for the inside/outside air switching device is determined so as to increase the outside air ratio as the target blowout temperature TAO increases.

In step S79, a control signal to be output to the electric actuator 33e for the inside/outside air switching device is determined so that the outside air ratio is 0% (in other words, the inside air ratio is 100%), and the process proceeds to step S8. According to this, it is possible to introduce relatively low-temperature internal air into the air-conditioning evaporator 16 to reduce the temperature rise of the air-conditioning air blown out from the air-conditioning evaporator 16.

Next, in step S8, the outlet mode is determined. The outlet mode is determined based on the target outlet temperature TAO. Specifically, as the target blowing temperature TAO rises from a low temperature range to a high temperature range, the face mode, bilevel mode, and foot mode are switched in this order. Therefore, in the summer, the face mode is most likely to be selected, in the spring and autumn, the bi-level mode is most likely to be selected, and in the winter, the foot mode is most likely to be selected.

Further, when the occupant manually operates the outlet mode changeover switch 60d to change the outlet mode, the operation by the occupant is given priority over the outlet mode determined in step S8.

Next, in step S9, the energization state of the water heater 22 is determined. Details of step S9 will be explained using FIGS. 6 and 7.

In step S9, as shown in the control characteristic diagram of FIG. 6, the operation of the water heater 22 is controlled based on the temperature difference ΔTW (ΔTW=TWO-TW) obtained by subtracting the heat medium temperature TW from the target heat medium temperature TWO. do. Specifically, when the temperature difference ΔTW is in the process of increasing, the water heater 22 is switched from non-energized to energized when the temperature difference ΔTW becomes equal to or higher than the reference upper limit temperature difference KΔTW1 (3° C. in this embodiment). (ON in FIG. 6).

When the temperature difference ΔTW is in the decreasing process, when the temperature difference ΔTW becomes equal to or higher than the reference lower limit temperature difference KΔTW2 (in this embodiment, 0°C), the water heater 22 is switched from being energized to being de-energized (in FIG. 6, , OFF). The difference between the reference upper limit temperature difference KΔTW1 and the reference lower limit temperature difference KΔTW2 is a hysteresis width for preventing control hunting.

Further, the target heat medium temperature TWO is determined with reference to a control map stored in the air conditioning control device 50 in advance. In this embodiment, as shown in the control characteristic diagram of FIG. 7, the target heat medium temperature TWO is determined to increase as the target blowout temperature TAO increases.

Next, in step S10, the operating state of the water pump 21 is determined. Details of step S10 will be explained using FIG. 8.

First, in step S101, it is determined whether the heat medium temperature TW is higher than the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE. If it is determined in step S101 that the heat medium temperature TW is higher than the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE, the process advances to step S102. If it is determined in step S101 that the heat medium temperature TW is not higher than the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE, the process advances to step S104.

In step S102, it is determined whether the air conditioning blower 32 is operating. If it is determined in step S102 that the air conditioning blower 32 is operating, the process advances to step S103. If it is determined in step S102 that the air conditioning blower 32 is not operating, the process advances to step S104.

In step S103, it is determined to operate the water pump 21, and the process proceeds to step S11. In step S104, it is determined to stop the water pump 21, and the process proceeds to step S11.

Next, in step S11, the target opening degree SW of the air mix door 34 is calculated using the following formula F2.
SW=(TAO-TE)/(TW-TE)×100(%)...(F2)
The air conditioning evaporator temperature TE is the air conditioning evaporator temperature detected by the air conditioning evaporator temperature sensor 55. The heat medium temperature TW is the heat medium temperature detected by the water temperature sensor 58.

In formula F2, when SW=0%, the air mix door 34 is displaced to the maximum cooling position. In other words, the air mix door 34 is moved to a position where the cold air bypass passage 35 is fully opened and the air passage on the heater core 23 side is fully closed.

Further, in formula F2, when SW=100%, the air mix door 34 is displaced to the maximum heating position. In other words, the air mix door 34 is moved to a position where the cold air bypass passage 35 is fully closed and the air passage on the heater core 23 side is fully opened.

In this embodiment, as explained in step S9, it is determined that the target heat medium temperature TWO is increased as the target blowout temperature TAO increases. Further, the target heat medium temperature TWO is determined such that the target opening degree SW becomes approximately 100% when the heat medium temperature TW rises to the target heat medium temperature TWO.

According to this, when the occupant manually operates the temperature setting switch 60g to lower the target vehicle interior temperature Tset, the temperature of the air-conditioned air blown into the vehicle interior is reduced by lowering the target opening SW. can be rapidly reduced.

Next, in step S12, a target air conditioning evaporator temperature TEO and a target cooling evaporator temperature TEOB are determined. Details of step S12 will be explained using FIG. 9.

First, in step S201, a first tentative target air conditioning evaporator temperature f (TAO) is determined. Specifically, in step S201, as shown in the control characteristic diagram shown in step S201 of FIG. It is determined to raise it, and the process advances to step S202.

In step S202, a second temporary target air conditioning evaporator temperature f (outside temperature) is determined. Specifically, in step S202, as shown in the control characteristic diagram shown in step S202 of FIG. It is determined to raise it, and the process advances to step S203.

In step S203, the smaller value of the first tentative target air conditioning evaporator temperature f (TAO) and the second tentative target air conditioning evaporator temperature f (outside temperature) is determined as the target air conditioning evaporator temperature TEO. Then, the process advances to step S204.

In step S204, a target cooling evaporator temperature TEOB is determined. Specifically, in step S204, as shown in the control characteristic diagram shown in step S204 in FIG. 9, it is determined that the target cooling evaporator temperature TEOB is increased as the outside temperature Tam increases. , proceed to step S13.

Next, in step S13, the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11 (specifically, the rotation speed of the compressor 11) is determined. Step S13 is a compressor control unit that controls the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11. The determination of the compressor rotation speed in step S13 is not performed every control cycle τ in which the main routine of FIG. 3 is repeated, but is performed every predetermined control interval (1 second in this embodiment). Details of step S13 will be explained using FIGS. 10 and 11.

First, in step S301, the amount of change Δf_C in the rotation speed of the compressor 11 according to the refrigerant circuit is determined, and the process proceeds to step S302.

Specifically, in step S301, when the refrigerant circuit is switched to the battery-only cycle, the temperature is calculated by subtracting the representative temperature of the cooling evaporator section from the target cooling evaporator temperature TEOB determined in step S204. Calculate the deviation En. Further, the deviation change rate Edot (Edot=En-(En-1)) is calculated by subtracting the previously calculated deviation En-1 from the currently calculated deviation En.

Then, using the temperature deviation En and the deviation change rate Edot, the rotation speed change with respect to the previous compressor rotation speed is determined by fuzzy inference based on membership functions and rules for a single battery cycle stored in advance in the air conditioning control device 50. Find the quantity Δf_C.

Here, in this embodiment, the average value of the right-side cooling evaporator temperature TEBR and the left-side cooling evaporator temperature TEBL, or either one thereof, is adopted as the representative temperature of the cooling evaporator section. For this reason, there is a possibility that an error will occur between the representative temperature and the actual temperature of the cooling evaporation section. However, since the cooling evaporator cools the cooling air, even if a certain amount of error occurs, it will not adversely affect the cooling of the battery or the feeling of air conditioning for the occupants.

In addition, when the refrigerant circuit is switched to the air conditioning single cycle or the air conditioning battery cycle, the temperature deviation En is calculated by subtracting the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE from the target air conditioning evaporator temperature TEO determined in step S203. do. Further, the deviation change rate Edot (Edot=En-(En-1)) is calculated by subtracting the previously calculated deviation En-1 from the currently calculated deviation En.

Then, using the temperature deviation En and the deviation rate of change Edot, the previous compressor rotational speed is The amount of change in rotational speed Δf_C with respect to the rotation speed is determined.

When the refrigerant circuit is switched to the air conditioning single cycle or the air conditioning battery cycle, the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE can be fed back in order to determine the rotational speed change amount Δf_C. Since the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE has a value equivalent to the temperature of the air conditioning air blown out from the air conditioning evaporator 16, it is possible to appropriately adjust the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE without causing overshoot or the like. can.

In step S302, the upper limit correction amount f (battery temperature) for the upper limit value of the rotation speed of the compressor 11 is determined, and the process proceeds to step S303.

Here, when the refrigerant circuit is switched to the air conditioning only cycle, there is no need to flow the refrigerant into the cooling evaporator (that is, the right battery evaporator 19a and the left battery evaporator 19b). Therefore, when the refrigerant circuit is switched to the air conditioning only cycle, the upper limit of the rotation speed of the compressor 11 is set so that vibration and noise can be suppressed while making the compressor 11 exhibit efficiency higher than a predetermined value. It is desirable to decide.

On the other hand, when the refrigerant circuit is switched to the air conditioning battery cycle, the refrigerant must not only flow into the air conditioning evaporator 16 but also into the cooling evaporator. Therefore, if the upper limit of the rotation speed of the compressor 11 is determined in the same way as in the air conditioning single cycle, the flow rate of refrigerant flowing into the air conditioning evaporator 16 will be reduced, making it possible to cool the air conditioning air to the desired temperature. There is a possibility that you will not be able to do it.

Therefore, when the refrigerant circuit is switched to the air conditioning battery cycle, the rotation speed of the compressor 11 is adjusted so that both the air conditioning air and the cooling air can be cooled to an appropriate temperature. It is necessary to determine the upper limit value. In other words, when the refrigerant circuit is switched to the air conditioning battery cycle, it is necessary to increase the upper limit of the rotation speed of the compressor 11 compared to when the refrigerant circuit is switched to the air conditioning only cycle.

Therefore, in step S302, as shown in the control characteristic diagram shown in step S302 of FIG. 10, it is determined that the upper limit correction amount f (battery temperature) is increased as the battery temperature TB increases. Furthermore, in step S302, it is determined to decrease the upper limit correction amount f (battery temperature) as the vehicle speed decreases. This is because the amount of heat generated by the battery 70 decreases as the vehicle speed decreases.

Furthermore, by increasing the upper limit correction amount f (battery temperature) as the battery temperature TB increases, the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE can be quickly brought close to the target air conditioning evaporator temperature TEO. Therefore, as will be explained later in step S404, the battery cooling operation is more likely to be permitted. As a result, a rise in temperature of the battery 70 can be suppressed.

In step S303, the upper limit value of the rotation speed of the compressor 11 based on the air conditioning battery requirements (hereinafter referred to as the air conditioning battery requirements upper limit value) is determined according to the refrigerant circuit and vehicle speed, and the process proceeds to step S304. Therefore, step S303 is an upper limit value determination unit that determines the upper limit value of the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11.

Specifically, in step S303, as shown in the chart of FIG. 12, when the refrigerant circuit is switched to the battery-only cycle, the air conditioning battery requirements are adjusted as the battery temperature TB increases, regardless of the vehicle speed. Decide to increase the upper limit. This is because as the battery temperature TB increases, the amount of heat generated by the battery 70 increases, and the flow rate of refrigerant required to cool the battery 70 increases.

In addition, when the refrigerant circuit is switched to the air conditioning only cycle and the vehicle speed is below a predetermined reference vehicle speed (25 km/h in this embodiment), the air conditioning battery requirement upper limit value is The first reference upper limit value (in this embodiment, 3500 rpm) is determined.

When the refrigerant circuit is switched to the air conditioning only cycle and the vehicle speed is higher than the standard vehicle speed, the air conditioning battery requirement upper limit is set to the second standard upper limit (5000 rpm in this embodiment). decide.

Furthermore, when the refrigerant circuit is switched to the air conditioning battery cycle, the upper limit value when the refrigerant circuit is switched to the air conditioning only cycle is used as the base, and the upper limit value correction amount determined in step S302 with respect to the base is used. Add f (battery temperature). Then, the value obtained by adding the upper limit value correction amount f (battery temperature) to the base is determined as the air conditioning battery requirement upper limit value.

More specifically, when the refrigerant circuit is switched to the air conditioning battery cycle and the vehicle speed is below the reference vehicle speed, the upper limit correction amount f (battery temperature) is added to the first reference upper limit. The value added is determined as the upper limit value for air conditioning battery requirements. When the refrigerant circuit is switched to the air conditioning battery cycle and the vehicle speed is higher than the standard vehicle speed, the air conditioning is performed using the value obtained by adding the upper limit correction amount f (battery temperature) to the second reference upper limit value. Decide on the upper limit of battery requirements.

Therefore, in the refrigeration cycle device 10 of this embodiment, the refrigerant filling amount can be determined based on the time when the air conditioning battery cycle is switched.

More specifically, if the refrigerant charging amount is determined based on when the air conditioning battery cycle is being switched, there is a possibility that the refrigerant will be overfilled when the air conditioning cycle is switched to the battery only cycle or the air conditioning only cycle. There is. In contrast, in this embodiment, the upper limit of the rotation speed of the compressor 11 is reduced when switching to the battery only cycle or the air conditioning only cycle, so that it is possible to suppress an abnormal increase in the refrigerant pressure on the high pressure side. Can be done.

In step S304, an upper limit value of the rotation speed of the compressor 11 (hereinafter referred to as NV requirement upper limit value) for suppressing noise and vibration of the compressor 11 is determined, and the process proceeds to step S305. Specifically, in step S304, when the vehicle speed is equal to or lower than the reference vehicle speed, the first NV upper limit value (5200 rpm in this embodiment) is determined. When the vehicle speed is higher than the reference vehicle speed, the second NV upper limit value (8600 rpm in this embodiment) is determined.

Here, as the vehicle speed decreases, road noise also decreases, making it easier for the occupants to feel the noise and vibrations of the compressor 11. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first NV upper limit is set to a lower value than the second NV upper limit.

In step S305, the smaller value of the air conditioning battery requirement upper limit value and the NV requirement upper limit value determined in step S302 is determined as the upper limit value of the rotation speed of the compressor 11, and the process proceeds to step S306.

In step S306, the lower limit value of the rotation speed of the compressor 11 (hereinafter referred to as the lower limit value for oil recovery) necessary for executing oil recovery control is determined, and the process proceeds to step S307. Therefore, step S306 is a lower limit value determination unit that determines the lower limit value of the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11. In step S306, the lower limit value for oil recovery is determined to be higher than the lower limit value during normal operation when oil recovery control is not executed.

Furthermore, in step S306, as shown in the control characteristic diagram shown in step S306 in FIG. 10, the lower limit value for oil recovery is determined to be increased as the outside temperature Tam decreases.

This is because the flow rate of circulating refrigerant that circulates through the cycle decreases as the outside temperature Tam decreases, so refrigeration oil accumulates in the air conditioning evaporator 16, the right battery evaporator 19a, the left battery evaporator 19b, etc. This is because it becomes easier. Therefore, as the outside temperature Tam decreases, the lower limit value for oil recovery is increased to make it easier to return the refrigerating machine oil from the air conditioning evaporator 16, the right battery evaporator 19a, and the left battery evaporator 19b to the compressor 11. are doing.

Furthermore, in step S306, when the refrigerant circuit is switched to the air conditioning battery cycle, the lower limit value for oil recovery is raised more than when the refrigerant circuit is switched to the air conditioning only cycle or the battery only cycle. This is because in the air conditioning battery cycle, the number of refrigerant paths through which the refrigerant flows is greater than in the air conditioning only cycle and the battery only cycle, so the circulating refrigerant flow rate required to return the refrigerating machine oil to the compressor 11 increases.

In step S307 shown in FIG. 11, the rotation speed correction degree (hereinafter referred to as the raising level) of the compressor 11 at the time of starting cooling of the battery 70 is determined, and the process proceeds to step S308. The raising level is a control flag used to determine whether the rotation speed correction degree of the compressor 11 is "high," "medium," or "low."

In step S307, as shown in the control characteristic diagram described in step S307 of FIG. 11, a determination value (air conditioning evaporator temperature TE - target air conditioning The raising level is determined using the evaporator temperature TEO).

When the determination value is in the process of increasing, the raising level is switched from "low" to "medium" when the determination value becomes equal to or higher than the second determination value (-0.5° C. in this embodiment). Further, when the determination value becomes equal to or higher than the fourth determination value (in this embodiment, 3° C.), the raising level is switched from “medium” to “high”.

When the determination value is in the decreasing process, the raising level is switched from "high" to "medium" when the determination value becomes less than or equal to the third determination value (in this embodiment, 2° C.). Further, when the determination value becomes equal to or lower than the first determination value (-1° C. in this embodiment), the raising level is switched from "medium" to "low". The difference between the first judgment value and the second judgment value and the difference between the third judgment value and the fourth judgment value are hysteresis widths for preventing control hunting.

Therefore, in step S307, as the determination value (air conditioning evaporator temperature TE - target air conditioning evaporator temperature TEO) obtained by subtracting the target air conditioning evaporator temperature TEO from the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE increases, the raising level is changed in the order of "low", "medium" and "high". This is because as the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE becomes higher, the temperature fluctuation in the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE when cooling the battery 70 is started becomes larger.

In step S308, the rotational speed change amount Δf_C determined in step S301 is changed based on the raising level determined in step S307, and the process proceeds to step S309. More specifically, the change in the rotation speed change amount Δf_C in step S308 is such that the current upper limit value of the rotation speed of the compressor 11 determined in step S306 is higher than the previous upper limit value of the rotation speed of the compressor 11. This is done when the speed is increasing by 1000 rpm or more.

When the current upper limit value of the rotation speed of the compressor 11 is 1000 rpm or more higher than the previous upper limit value of the rotation speed of the compressor 11, and the raising level determined in step S307 is "low". ”, the rotational speed change amount Δf_C is not changed. Therefore, the rotational speed change amount Δf_C is maintained at the value determined in step S301.

Further, when the current upper limit value of the rotation speed of the compressor 11 is increased by 1000 rpm or more than the previous upper limit value of the rotation speed of the compressor 11, and the raising level determined in step S307 is In the case of "medium", the rotation speed change amount Δf_C is changed to 500 rpm. According to the membership function and rules of this embodiment, by changing the rotational speed change amount Δf_C to 500 rpm, the rotational speed change amount Δf_C can be reliably increased.

Further, when the current upper limit value of the rotation speed of the compressor 11 is increased by 1000 rpm or more than the previous upper limit value of the rotation speed of the compressor 11, and the raising level determined in step S307 is In the case of "high", the rotation speed change amount Δf_C is changed to 2000 rpm. In other cases, the rotational speed change amount Δf_C is not changed.

That is, in step S308, as the raising level increases in the order of "low", "medium", and "high", the number of revolutions of the compressor 11 when starting cooling the battery 70 is rapidly increased. ing.

In step S309, the upper limit change amount f (refrigerant pressure) that is the upper limit value of the rotation speed change amount Δf_C is determined, and the process proceeds to step S310. Specifically, in step S309, as shown in the control characteristic diagram shown in step S309 in FIG. decided on. This prevents the refrigerant pressure on the high pressure side from increasing abnormally.

In step S310, the current rotation speed of the compressor 11 is determined, and the process proceeds to step S14. Specifically, in step S310, the smaller value of the rotation speed change amount Δf_C determined in step S308 and the upper limit change amount f (refrigerant pressure) determined in step S309 is set to the previous compressor 11. Add to the rotation speed. This determines the first provisional compressor rotation speed.

Then, the smaller value of the first temporary compressor rotation speed and the upper limit value of the rotation speed of the compressor 11 determined in step S305 is set as the second temporary compressor rotation speed. The larger value of the second provisional compressor rotation speed and the oil recovery lower limit determined in step S306 is determined as the current rotation speed of the compressor 11.

Next, in step S14, the operating states of the battery electromagnetic valve 14b, the right battery expansion valve 18a, and the left battery expansion valve 18b are determined. Step S14 is an aperture opening control section that controls the aperture opening degrees of the right battery expansion valve 18a and the left battery expansion valve 18b. The determination of the throttle opening degrees of the right battery expansion valve 18a and the left battery expansion valve 18b in step S14 is not performed every control period τ in which the main routine of FIG. This is done every 2 seconds). Details of step S14 will be explained using FIGS. 13 to 24.

First, in step S401 shown in FIG. 13, it is determined whether the battery temperature TB is higher than a predetermined reference battery cooling temperature KTB1 (35° C. in this embodiment). If it is determined in step S401 that the battery temperature TB is higher than the reference battery cooling temperature KTB1, the process advances to step S402. If it is determined in step S401 that the battery temperature TB is not higher than the reference battery cooling temperature KTB1, the process advances to step S406.

The reference battery cooling temperature KTB1 is set to a temperature at which it is determined that it is desirable to cool the battery 70 when the battery temperature TB is higher than the reference battery cooling temperature KTB1. Therefore, the reference battery cooling temperature KTB1 is set to a temperature lower than the reference allowable temperature KTBmax explained in step S71.

In step S406, it is determined to close the battery electromagnetic valve 14b, and the process proceeds to step S15. This is because the battery 70 does not need to be cooled when the battery temperature TB is below the reference battery cooling temperature KTB1. As a result, no refrigerant is supplied to the cooling evaporator, and the battery 70 is not cooled.

In step S402, it is determined whether or not the occupant requests that the vehicle interior be air-conditioned. Specifically, in step S402, when the air conditioner switch 60a is turned on (ON) or when the air-conditioning blower 32 is making the air-conditioning blower 32 exert its air blowing ability by the air volume setting switch 60e, the air-conditioning inside the vehicle is controlled by the passenger. It is determined that it is required to do so.

If it is determined in step S402 that the passenger does not request that the vehicle interior be air-conditioned, the process advances to step S403. If air conditioning in the vehicle interior is not requested by the occupant, battery cooling can be performed without considering the effect on the air conditioning in the vehicle interior. Therefore, in step S403, battery cooling operation is permitted, and the process proceeds to step S405.

The fact that the battery cooling operation is permitted or prohibited is stored in a dedicated control flag. This also applies to other control steps.

If it is determined in step S402 that the passenger has requested that the vehicle interior be air-conditioned, the process advances to step S404. If the passenger requests that the vehicle interior be air-conditioned, the vehicle interior air-conditioning is being performed. Therefore, when battery cooling is performed, when the flow rate of refrigerant flowing into the cooling evaporator increases, the flow rate of refrigerant flowing into the air conditioning evaporator 16 decreases, causing the temperature and humidity of the air conditioned air to rise. There is a risk of it getting lost.

That is, if battery cooling is performed at the same time as air conditioning in the vehicle interior is being performed, there is a risk that the feeling of air conditioning for the occupants will deteriorate. Therefore, in step S404, as shown in the chart of FIG. 15, it is determined whether the battery cooling operation is allowed (that is, permitted or prohibited), and the process proceeds to step S405. Step S404 is a cooling operation permission unit that permits battery cooling operation.

In determining whether or not the battery cooling operation is to be performed in step S404 shown in FIG. 15, it is determined whether or not the defroster mode has been selected as a result of the occupant operating the air outlet mode changeover switch 60d. When the defroster mode is selected, it is determined whether the environmental conditions of the vehicle are such that the front window glass is likely to fog up, that is, whether the anti-fog requirement is high or low.

In this embodiment, when the outside temperature Tam is equal to or lower than the reference anti-fog temperature KTamd (15° C. in this embodiment), it is determined that window fogging is likely to occur and the anti-fog requirement is high. Furthermore, if the outside temperature Tam is higher than the reference anti-fog temperature KTamd, it is determined that the window is less likely to fog and the anti-fog requirement is low.

If the outside temperature Tam is below the reference anti-fogging temperature KTamd and it is determined that the anti-fogging requirement is high, then whether the temperature of the air for air conditioning is low enough to prevent window fogging is determined. In other words, the presence or absence of antifogging ability is determined.

Specifically, when the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE is equal to or lower than the target air conditioning evaporator temperature TEO, the air conditioning blown air is sufficiently cooled in the air conditioning evaporator 16, and the air conditioning blown air It is determined that sufficient dehumidification is being performed. Therefore, when the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE is equal to or lower than the target air conditioning evaporator temperature TEO, it is determined that there is sufficient antifogging ability, and the battery cooling operation is permitted.

In addition, if the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE is higher than the target air conditioning evaporator temperature TEO, the air conditioning blown air is not sufficiently cooled in the air conditioning evaporator 16, and the air conditioning blown air is not sufficiently cooled. It is determined that adequate dehumidification is not being performed. Therefore, if the air-conditioning evaporator temperature TE is higher than the target air-conditioning evaporator temperature TEO, it is determined that there is no sufficient anti-fogging ability, and the battery cooling operation is prohibited.

However, even if the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE is higher than the target air conditioning evaporator temperature TEO, if the battery temperature TB is higher than the standard allowable temperature KTBmax (49°C in this embodiment), the battery cooling Operation is permitted. The reference allowable temperature KTBmax is a battery temperature at which the life of the battery 70 is significantly reduced.

On the other hand, if the outside temperature Tam is higher than the reference anti-fog temperature KTamd and it is determined that the anti-fog requirement is low, the possibility of rapid window fogging is low. Therefore, in this case, the evaporator temperature determination value f2 (evaporator temperature) is used to determine whether or not the antifogging ability is present. The evaporator temperature determination value f2 (evaporator temperature) is a control flag used to determine whether the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE is "high" or "low".

With the evaporator temperature determination value f2 (evaporator temperature), it is easier to determine that the antifogging ability is present, compared to the case where the determination is made using the actual air conditioning evaporator temperature TE.

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 16, when the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE is in the decreasing process, the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE is equal to or less than the value obtained by adding the correction value β1 to the target air conditioning evaporator temperature TEO. When this happens, the evaporator temperature judgment value f2 (evaporator temperature) becomes "low". When the evaporator temperature determination value f2 (evaporator temperature) is "low", it is determined that the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE is low and there is an anti-fog ability. As a result, battery cooling operation is permitted.

In addition, when the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE is in the process of increasing, when the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE becomes equal to or higher than the value obtained by adding the correction value β1 and the hysteresis β2 to the target air conditioning evaporator temperature TEO, the evaporation The evaporator temperature judgment value f2 (evaporator temperature) becomes "high". When the evaporator temperature determination value f2 (evaporator temperature) is "high", it is determined that the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE is high and there is no antifogging ability. As a result, battery cooling operation is prohibited.

However, even if the evaporator temperature judgment value f2 (evaporator temperature) is "high", if the battery temperature TB is higher than the standard allowable temperature KTBmax (49°C in this embodiment), the battery cooling Operation is permitted. In FIG. 16, the total value together with hysteresis β2 becomes the hysteresis width for preventing control hunting.

As shown in FIG. 17, the correction value β1 is determined to be a large value as the battery temperature TB increases. Therefore, as the battery temperature TB increases, it becomes easier to determine that the battery has antifogging ability. This is because the battery 70 tends to deteriorate as the battery temperature TB increases, so battery cooling is prioritized over ensuring comfort in the vehicle interior.

As shown in FIG. 18, the hysteresis β2 is determined to be a large value as the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE increases. When the air-conditioning evaporator temperature TE becomes high, the air-conditioning evaporator temperature TE tends to fluctuate due to fluctuations in the temperature of the air-conditioning blast air flowing into the air-conditioning evaporator 16 (so-called suction temperature). Therefore, control hunting is suppressed by increasing the hysteresis β2 as the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE increases.

Further, even when the defroster mode is not switched, it is determined whether the anti-fogging request is high or low, in the same way as when the defroster mode is switched. Then, when it is determined that the outside temperature Tam is lower than the reference anti-fog temperature KTamd and the anti-fog requirement is high, the presence or absence of the anti-fog ability is determined in the same way as when the defroster mode is switched.

Specifically, when the air-conditioning evaporator temperature TE is below the target air-conditioning evaporator temperature TEO, the temperature of the air-conditioning blast air is low enough to prevent window fogging. It is determined that it has clouding ability. Therefore, battery cooling operation is permitted.

In addition, when the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE is higher than the target air conditioning evaporator temperature TEO, the temperature of the air conditioning blast air has not become low enough to prevent window fogging, and there is insufficient antifogging ability. It is determined that there is no Therefore, battery cooling operation is prohibited. However, when the battery temperature TB is equal to or higher than the reference allowable temperature KTBmax, the battery cooling operation is permitted.

On the other hand, if the outside temperature Tam is higher than the reference anti-fog temperature KTamd and it is determined that the anti-fog requirement is low, it is determined whether to permit or prohibit battery cooling operation based on the comfort in the vehicle interior. In order to determine comfort, an internal temperature determination value f1 (battery temperature) and an evaporator temperature determination value f2 (evaporator temperature) are used. The inside temperature determination value f1 (battery temperature) is a control flag used to determine whether the inside temperature Tr is "high" or "low".

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 19, when the inside temperature Tr is in the process of falling, the inside temperature Tr is calculated by adding a correction value α1 to a predetermined standard inside temperature KTr (in this embodiment, 30° C.). When the internal temperature determination value f1 (battery temperature) changes from "high" to "low". When the inside temperature determination value f1 (battery temperature) is "low," it is determined that the inside temperature Tr is low and the comfort in the vehicle interior is high.

Further, when the inside temperature Tr is in the process of rising, when the inside temperature Tr becomes equal to or higher than the value obtained by adding the correction value α1 and the hysteresis α2 (2°C in this embodiment) to the reference inside temperature KTr, the inside temperature Tr is increased. The air temperature determination value f1 (battery temperature) changes from "low" to "high." When the inside temperature determination value f1 (battery temperature) is "high," it is determined that the inside temperature Tr is high and the comfort in the vehicle interior is low.

The reference internal temperature KTr is a temperature used when estimating the level of judgment regarding driving of the occupant. When the internal temperature Tr is equal to or lower than the reference internal temperature KTr, it can be estimated that the occupant's judgment regarding driving is maintained. When the internal temperature Tr exceeds the reference internal temperature KTr, it can be estimated that the occupant's ability to make decisions regarding driving is deteriorated.

As shown in FIG. 20, the correction value α1 is determined to be a large value as the battery temperature TB increases. Therefore, as the battery temperature TB increases, it becomes easier to determine that comfort is high. This is because the battery 70 tends to deteriorate as the battery temperature TB increases, so battery cooling is prioritized over ensuring comfort in the vehicle interior.

Furthermore, comfort in the vehicle interior is determined using the evaporator temperature determination value f2 (evaporator temperature). This determination is substantially the same as the determination of the presence or absence of the anti-fogging ability, which is performed when the defroster mode is switched.

Specifically, when the evaporator temperature determination value f2 (evaporator temperature) is "low", it is determined that the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE is low and the comfort in the vehicle interior is high. Further, when the evaporator temperature determination value f2 (evaporator temperature) is "high", it is determined that the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE is high and the comfort in the vehicle interior is low.

Therefore, the value obtained by adding the correction value β1 to the target air conditioning evaporator temperature TEO is the reference evaporator temperature used when estimating passenger comfort. When the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE is lower than the reference evaporator temperature TEO+β1, it can be estimated that the discomfort in the vehicle interior is suppressed within an allowable range.

When the comfort is determined to be high in both the comfort determination using the inside temperature determination value f1 (battery temperature) and the comfort determination using the evaporator temperature determination value f2 (evaporator temperature). battery cooling operation is permitted.

Furthermore, the comfort was determined to be low in at least one of the comfort determination using the inside temperature determination value f1 (battery temperature) and the comfort determination using the evaporator temperature determination value f2 (evaporator temperature). If so, it is determined whether to permit or prohibit battery cooling operation based on the elapsed time determination value f3 (battery temperature).

Specifically, as shown in FIG. 21, if the elapsed time from the start of the vehicle system is equal to or greater than the reference elapsed time TIMER, the elapsed time judgment value f3 (battery temperature) is permitted, and the battery cooling operation is disabled. is allowed. Further, if the elapsed time since the start of the vehicle system does not exceed the reference elapsed time TIMER, the elapsed time determination value f3 (battery temperature) is prohibited, and the battery cooling operation is prohibited.

The reference elapsed time TIMER is a time used when estimating the output of the battery 70. When the elapsed time from the activation of the vehicle system becomes equal to or greater than the reference elapsed time TIMER, it can be estimated that the possibility that the output of the battery 70 will decrease increases. In other words, when the elapsed time from the start of the vehicle system becomes equal to or greater than the reference elapsed time TIMER, it can be estimated that the need to cool the battery 70 increases.

The reference elapsed time TIMER is also the time when it is considered that the minimum level of comfort in the vehicle interior can be ensured by the air conditioning that is started when the vehicle system is started.

As a result, even if battery cooling operation is not permitted for a long time, such as when a passenger opens the window, battery cooling operation can be reliably activated depending on the elapsed time since the vehicle system was started. may be allowed.

Further, as shown in FIG. 22, the reference elapsed time TIMER is set to a shorter time as the battery temperature TB increases. Therefore, as battery temperature TB increases, battery cooling can be allowed in a short time, and deterioration of battery 70 can be effectively suppressed.

In step S405 of FIG. 13, it is determined whether the battery cooling operation is permitted. If it is determined in step S405 that the battery cooling operation is not permitted (that is, the battery cooling operation is prohibited), the process advances to step S406. If it is determined in step S405 that the battery cooling operation is permitted, the process advances to step S407. In step S407, it is decided to open the battery electromagnetic valve 14b, and the process proceeds to step S408.

Here, a case will be considered in which the air conditioning only cycle is switched to the air conditioning battery cycle by deciding to open the battery electromagnetic valve 14b in step S407.

In the refrigeration cycle device 10 in this case, there is a possibility that the flow rate of refrigerant flowing into the cooling evaporator section increases rapidly, and the flow rate of refrigerant flowing into the air conditioning evaporator 16 connected in parallel to the cooling evaporator section suddenly decreases. There is. As a result, there is a possibility that cooling of the air-conditioning air in the air-conditioning evaporator 16 becomes insufficient.

Therefore, in the present embodiment, gradual change control is performed in the following control steps to gradually increase the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing into the cooling evaporator over time.

First, in step S408, it is determined whether or not the battery solenoid valve 14b changes from a closed state to an open state by opening the battery solenoid valve 14b in step S407. If it is determined in step S408 that the battery electromagnetic valve 14b changes from the closed state to the open state, the process advances to step S409.

In step S409, it is determined whether or not the refrigerant circuit has been switched from the air conditioning only cycle to the air conditioning battery cycle due to the decision to open the battery electromagnetic valve 14b in step S407. If it is determined in step S409 that the refrigerant circuit has been switched from the air conditioning single cycle to the air conditioning battery cycle, the process advances to step S410.

In step S410, a time period for executing gradual change control (hereinafter referred to as time limit LTop) is determined, and the process proceeds to step S411. In step S410, as shown in the control characteristic diagram of FIG. 23, a time limit LTop during normal operation in which oil recovery control is not executed and a time limit LTop during oil recovery control are determined. Therefore, step S410 is a time limit determining section. Moreover, the time of oil recovery control is the time of execution of oil recovery control.

The time limit LTop during normal operation is determined so that the time limit LTop becomes longer as the outside temperature Tam increases. This is because as the outside air temperature Tam increases, the amount of heat released by the high-pressure refrigerant in the condenser 12 decreases, and the time required to lower the temperature of the cooling evaporator section increases. Furthermore, as the outside air temperature Tam decreases, there is a high possibility that the temperature of the cooling evaporator will decrease unnecessarily.

The time limit LTop during oil recovery control is determined so that the time limit LTop becomes shorter as the outside temperature Tam increases. This is because, as the outside temperature Tam increases, refrigerating machine oil becomes difficult to accumulate in the air conditioning evaporator 16, the right battery evaporator 19a, the left battery evaporator 19b, and the like.

In step S411, the maximum throttle opening degree (hereinafter referred to as limited opening degree LDop) of the cooling flow rate adjustment section (that is, the right side battery expansion valve 18a and the left side battery expansion valve 18b) during gradual change control is determined. , the process advances to step S412. In step S411, as shown in the control characteristic diagram of FIG. 24, the limited opening degree LDop during normal operation and the limited opening degree LDop during oil recovery control are determined. Therefore, step S411 is a limit opening determining section.

The limited opening degree LDop is defined as the opening degree ratio with respect to when the cooling flow rate adjustment section is fully open (that is, 100%).

The limited opening degree LDop during normal operation is determined so that the limited opening degree LDop increases as the outside temperature Tam increases. This is because as the outside temperature Tam increases, the amount of heat released by the high-pressure refrigerant in the condenser 12 decreases, and the time required to lower the temperature of the cooling evaporator section increases. Further, as the outside air temperature Tam decreases, there is a high possibility that the temperature of the cooling evaporator section will decrease unnecessarily.

The limited opening degree LDop during oil recovery control is determined so that the limited opening degree LDop becomes smaller as the outside temperature Tam increases. This is because as the outside temperature Tam increases, refrigerating machine oil becomes difficult to stay in the air conditioning evaporator 16, the right battery evaporator 19a, and the left battery evaporator 19b. Furthermore, regarding the limited opening degree LDop during oil recovery control, the refrigerating machine oil remaining in at least the air conditioning evaporator 16, the right battery evaporator 19a, and the left battery evaporator 19b can be returned to the compressor 11. Decide within the range.

In step S412, the throttle opening degree ODop of the cooling flow rate adjustment section during gradual change control is determined, and the process proceeds to step S414. In step S412, the throttle opening degree ODop is changed according to the switching elapsed time Top after it is determined that the battery electromagnetic valve 14b changes from the closed state to the open state.

Specifically, in step S412, the throttle opening degree ODop of the cooling flow rate adjustment section is increased within a range that is equal to or less than the limit opening degree LDop. Furthermore, in step S412, the amount of increase in the throttle opening ODop per unit time is set to a predetermined reference increase amount (in this embodiment, the amount of increase per second is 0.1% of the maximum opening). , increase the throttle opening degree ODop of the cooling flow rate adjustment section.

If the aperture opening ODop reaches the limit opening LDop before the switching elapsed time Top reaches the limit time LTop, the aperture opening ODop changes to the limit opening until the switching elapsed time Top reaches the limit time LTop. Maintained in LDop. Furthermore, when the switching elapsed time Top reaches the time limit LTop, the gradual change control is ended regardless of the aperture opening degree ODop. That is, the limited opening degree LDop is set to 100%.

On the other hand, if it is determined in step S408 that the battery electromagnetic valve 14b has not changed from the closed state to the open state, the process advances to step S413. If it is determined in step S409 that the refrigerant circuit has not been switched from the air conditioning single cycle to the air conditioning battery cycle, the process advances to step S413. If the process advances to step S413, there is no need to execute gradual change control, so the limited opening degree LDop is set to 100%.

In step S414 shown in FIG. 14, it is determined whether oil recovery control is being executed. If it is determined in step S414 that oil recovery control is being executed, the process advances to step S415. If it is determined in step S414 that oil recovery control is not being executed, the process advances to step S416.

In steps S415 and S416, the value of the frost formation determination flag is determined, and the process proceeds to step S417. If it is determined that frost has formed on the cooling evaporator, “presence” is stored in the frost formation determination flag. Furthermore, when it is determined that no frost has formed on the cooling evaporator, "absence" is stored.

In step S415, when the lowest temperature TEBmin of the cooling evaporator temperature is in the decreasing process, when the lowest temperature TEBmin becomes lower than the predetermined first reference frosting temperature KTEB1 (in this embodiment, -5°C) Then, the frost formation determination flag changes from "absent" to "present". Further, when the minimum temperature TEBmin of the cooling evaporator temperature is in the rising process, when the minimum temperature TEBmin reaches a predetermined second reference frosting temperature KTEB2 (-3°C in this embodiment) or higher, The frost formation determination flag changes from "present" to "absent."

The difference between the first reference frost temperature KTEB1 and the second reference frost temperature KTEB2 is a hysteresis width for preventing control hunting.

In step S416, when the minimum temperature TEBmin is in the process of falling, a frost formation determination flag is set when the minimum temperature TEBmin becomes a predetermined third reference frost formation temperature KTEB3 (-1°C in this embodiment) or lower. changes from “nothing” to “existence.” Furthermore, when the lowest temperature TEBmin of the cooling evaporator temperature is in the process of increasing, the frosting temperature is The frost determination flag changes from "present" to "absent."

The difference between the third reference frost temperature KTEB3 and the fourth reference frost temperature KTEB4 is a hysteresis width for preventing control hunting.

Moreover, in this embodiment, the lower value of the right side cooling evaporator temperature TEBR and the left side cooling evaporator temperature TEBL is set as the lowest temperature TEBmin of the cooling evaporator temperature.

Furthermore, the first reference frosting temperature KTEB1 is set to a lower temperature than the third reference frosting temperature KTEB3. The second reference frosting temperature KTEB2 is set to a temperature lower than the fourth reference frosting temperature KTEB4. Therefore, during execution of oil recovery control, the frost formation determination flag is less likely to become "present" than during normal operation.

In step S417, it is determined whether frost has formed on the cooling evaporator using the frost formation determination flag. If the frost formation determination flag is "present" in step S417, the process advances to step S418. In step S418, the cooling flow rate adjustment section (that is, the right battery expansion valve 18a and the left battery expansion valve 18b) is fully closed (0%). This prevents the refrigerant from flowing into the cooling evaporator, and the cooling evaporator is defrosted.

If the frost formation determination flag is "absent" in step S417, the process advances to step S419. In step S419, the right throttle opening ODR of the right battery expansion valve 18a is determined, and the process proceeds to step S420. The right throttle opening degree ODR is determined so that the right side superheat degree SHBR of the refrigerant on the outlet side of the right battery evaporator 19a approaches a predetermined target cooling side superheat degree SHBO (in this embodiment, 10° C.). .

Specifically, in step S419, the right side change amount fR (right side superheat degree) of the right throttle opening degree ODR is determined. In this embodiment, as shown in the control characteristic diagram shown in step S419 in FIG. Accordingly, it is determined to increase the right side change amount fR (right side superheat degree).

Furthermore, in step S419, the value obtained by adding the right side change amount fR (right side superheat degree) to the previous right throttle opening ODR, and the throttle opening ODop during gradual change control during normal operation determined in step S412. Among them, the smaller value is set as the right aperture opening degree ODR.

In step S420, the left throttle opening degree ODL of the left battery expansion valve 18b is determined, and the process proceeds to step S15. The left throttle opening ODL is basically determined to be the same value as the right throttle opening ODR. That is, the left throttle opening degree ODL is determined in synchronization with the determination of the right throttle opening degree ODR so that it increases or decreases to the same extent as the right throttle opening degree ODR.

However, when the left side superheat degree SHBL and the right side superheat degree SHBR of the refrigerant on the outlet side of the left side battery evaporator 19b deviate, the throttle opening degree of the left side battery expansion valve 18b is corrected. Specifically, in step S420, as shown in the control characteristic diagram shown in step S420 of FIG. 14, the left side correction amount is increased as the value obtained by subtracting the right superheat degree SHBR from the left side superheat degree SHBL increases. decide to let them do so.

Further, in step S420, the value obtained by adding the right side change amount fR (right side superheat degree) and the left side correction amount to the previous right throttle opening degree ODR, and the value obtained by adding the right side change amount fR (right side superheat degree) and the left side correction amount, and the value obtained by adding the right side change amount fR (right side superheat degree) and the left side correction amount, and The smaller value of the diaphragm openings ODop is set as the left diaphragm opening ODL. The right side superheat degree SHBR and the left side superheat degree SHBL are derived from the right side cooling evaporator temperature TEBR, the left side cooling evaporator temperature TEBL, and the cooling evaporator pressure PEB.

Next, in step S15, the operating rate of the outside air fan 12a (ie, the amount of outside air blown) is determined. The amount of air blown by the outside air fan 12a is determined based on the refrigerant pressure Ph on the high pressure side. Specifically, as shown in the control characteristic diagram of FIG. 25, as the refrigerant pressure Ph increases, the operation rate of the outside air fan 12a is increased to increase the amount of air blown.

Next, in step S16, the air conditioning control device 50 outputs control signals and control voltages to various controlled devices so that the control states determined in steps S5 to S15 described above are obtained. Next, in step S17, the process waits for a control period τ (250 ms in this embodiment), and returns to step S2 after determining whether the control period τ has elapsed.

Here, in a refrigeration cycle device in which refrigerant oil is mixed in the refrigerant as in this embodiment, the refrigerant oil may remain in the refrigerant circuit. In particular, refrigerating machine oil tends to accumulate in the air conditioning evaporator 16 that evaporates liquid phase refrigerant, the right battery evaporator 19a, and the left battery evaporator 19b. Such accumulation of refrigerating machine oil deteriorates the heat exchange performance of the air conditioning evaporator 16, the right battery evaporator 19a, and the left battery evaporator 19b.

Therefore, in the vehicle air conditioner 1 of this embodiment, the refrigerating machine oil accumulated in the air conditioning evaporator 16, the right battery evaporator 19a, the left battery evaporator 19b, etc. of the refrigeration cycle device 10 is returned to the compressor 11. It is possible to perform oil recovery control for Oil recovery control will be explained using FIG. 26. The control process for oil recovery control shown in FIG. 26 is executed in parallel with the main routine control process shown in FIG.

In the control process for oil recovery control, oil recovery control is prohibited when an anti-fogging condition is established that gives priority to defogging the interior of the vehicle over execution of oil recovery control. First, in step S801, the air conditioning elapsed time ACT from the start of the air conditioning operation in which the air conditioning blown air is cooled in the air conditioning evaporator 16 is within a predetermined reference air conditioning execution time KACT1 (120 seconds in this embodiment). It is determined whether or not.

Here, the time when the air conditioning operation starts is when the air conditioner switch 60a is turned on (ON) from the non-on (OFF) state. In other words, the start of air conditioning operation is the time when the air conditioning solenoid valve 14a changes from a closed state to an open state. Therefore, if the air conditioner switch 60a is already turned on when the vehicle system is started, the time when the vehicle system is started is the time when air conditioning operation starts.

Further, the reference air conditioning execution time KACT1 is determined to be the time required from the start of air conditioning operation until the temperature of the air conditioning blown air decreases and stabilizes to a temperature that allows comfortable air conditioning in the vehicle interior. In other words, the reference air conditioning execution time KACT1 is determined as the time required until the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE reaches the target air conditioning evaporator temperature TEO and stabilizes.

Note that the air conditioning evaporator temperature TE is stabilized when the amount of change per unit time is equal to or less than a predetermined reference amount of change.

If it is determined in step S801 that the air conditioning elapsed time ACT is within the reference air conditioning execution time KACT1, the process advances to step S802. If it is determined in step S801 that the air conditioning elapsed time ACT is not within the reference air conditioning execution time KACT1, the process advances to step S809.

If it is determined in step S801 that the air conditioning elapsed time ACT is not within the reference air conditioning execution time KACT1, stable air conditioning in the vehicle interior has already been achieved. Furthermore, the amount of condensed water adhering to the air conditioning evaporator 16 is also increasing. Therefore, when the oil recovery control is executed, the cooling capacity and dehumidification capacity of the air conditioning blown air in the air conditioning evaporator 16 are reduced, and there is a possibility that the antifogging capacity is reduced.

Therefore, in step S809, it is determined not to perform oil recovery control (that is, prohibition of oil recovery control), and the process returns to step S801 again. That is, in this embodiment, the anti-fogging condition is satisfied when the air conditioning elapsed time ACT exceeds the reference air conditioning execution time KACT1.

In step S802, it is determined whether the trip counter Tcnt is greater than or equal to a predetermined reference number of times KTcnt (in this embodiment, five times). If it is determined in step S802 that the trip counter Tcnt is equal to or greater than the reference number of times KTcnt, the process advances to step S803. If it is determined in step S802 that the trip counter Tcnt has not exceeded the reference number of times KTcnt, the process advances to step S809.

In step S803, it is determined whether the battery cooling operation is permitted. If it is determined in step S803 that the battery cooling operation is not permitted, the process advances to step S804. If it is determined in step S803 that the battery cooling operation is permitted, the process advances to step S809.

Here, if the air conditioning operation is started and the battery cooling operation is permitted, refrigerant is supplied not only to the air conditioning evaporator 16 but also to the right battery evaporator 19a and the left battery evaporator 19b. be done. Therefore, the refrigerating machine oil accumulated in the air conditioning evaporator 16, the right battery evaporator 19a, and the left battery evaporator 19b can be returned to the compressor 11 without performing oil recovery control.

In step S804, similarly to step S417, it is determined whether frost has formed on the cooling evaporator using the frost formation determination flag. If it is determined in step S804 that the frost formation determination flag is "absent", the process advances to step S805. If it is determined in step S804 that the frost formation determination flag is "present," the process advances to step S809.

In step S805, it is determined whether the outside temperature Tam is higher than a predetermined reference anti-fogging necessary temperature KTamL (10° C. in this embodiment). If it is determined in step S805 that the outside temperature Tam is higher than the reference anti-fog required temperature KTamL, the process advances to step S806. If it is determined in step S805 that the outside temperature Tam is not equal to or higher than the reference anti-fogging temperature KTamL, the process advances to step S809.

The standard anti-fog required temperature KTamL is set to a temperature at which it is determined that there is a high possibility that sudden window fogging will occur when the outside temperature Tam is below the standard required anti-fog temperature KTamL. Therefore, the required reference anti-fog temperature KTamL is set to a temperature lower than the reference anti-fog temperature KTamd.

Therefore, when it is determined that the outside temperature Tam is not higher than the reference antifogging required temperature KTamL, oil recovery control is prohibited. That is, in the present embodiment, the anti-fog condition is satisfied when the outside temperature Tam becomes equal to or lower than the reference anti-fog required temperature KTamL.

In step S806, it is determined whether the air outlet mode has been switched to the defroster mode. If it is determined in step S806 that the air outlet mode has not been switched to the defroster mode, the process advances to step S807. If it is determined in step S806 that the air outlet mode has been switched to the defroster mode, the process advances to step S809.

When the air outlet mode is switched to the defroster mode, defogging of the front window glass is requested by the passenger's operation, and there is a high possibility that the window fogging will occur. Therefore, when oil recovery control is executed, there is a possibility that the anti-fogging ability will be reduced and the windows will fog up.

Therefore, when the outlet mode is switched to the defroster mode, oil recovery control is prohibited. That is, in this embodiment, the anti-fogging condition is satisfied when the air outlet mode is switched to the defroster mode.

In step S807, it is determined whether the air conditioning elapsed time ACT is within a predetermined reference air conditioning stabilization time KACT2 (20 seconds in this embodiment). If it is determined in step S807 that the air conditioning elapsed time ACT is within the reference air conditioning stability time KACT2, the process advances to step S809. If it is determined in step S807 that the air conditioning elapsed time ACT is not within the reference air conditioning stability time KACT2, the process advances to step S810.

Here, the reference air conditioning stabilization time KACT2 is determined assuming the time required from the start of air conditioning operation until the temperature distribution of the air conditioning evaporator 16 is resolved. While the temperature distribution is occurring in the air-conditioning evaporator 16, the temperature of the air-conditioning air has not decreased to a temperature that allows comfortable air-conditioning in the vehicle interior.

Therefore, if it is determined that the air conditioning elapsed time ACT is within the reference air conditioning stability time KACT2, oil recovery control is prohibited. That is, in this embodiment, the anti-fogging condition is satisfied when the air conditioning elapsed time ACT is within the reference air conditioning stabilization time KACT2.

In step S808, oil recovery control is executed, and the process advances to step S810. Specifically, in the oil recovery control, the battery electromagnetic valve 14b is opened and the compressor 11 is operated at the rotation speed determined in step S13. That is, in the oil recovery control, the refrigerant circuit is switched to the air conditioning battery cycle, and the refrigerant is passed through the cooling evaporator.

Furthermore, whether or not oil recovery control is being executed is stored in a dedicated control flag. Therefore, if it is not stored in the dedicated control flag that oil recovery control is being executed, normal operation is performed without oil recovery control being executed.

In step S810, it is determined whether oil recovery control has been completed. Specifically, in step S810, it is determined whether the execution time of the oil recovery control has reached the oil recovery control time limit LTop determined in step S410. Then, when the execution time of the oil recovery control reaches the time limit LTop, it is determined that the oil recovery control has been completed.

If it is determined in step S810 that the oil recovery control has been completed, the process advances to step S808. In step S811, the trip counter Tcnt is reset (that is, the trip counter Tcnt is set to 0 times), and the process returns to step S801. If it is determined in step S810 that the oil recovery control is not completed, the process returns to step S801 while maintaining the value of the trip counter Tcnt.

As is clear from the control in steps S801 to S807 described above, oil recovery control is prohibited when the anti-fogging condition is satisfied. Therefore, as shown in the time chart of FIG. 27, oil recovery control is executed when the air conditioning elapsed time ACT exceeds the reference air conditioning stability time KACT2 and is within the reference air conditioning execution time KACT1. .

Then, when other anti-fogging conditions are not satisfied and oil recovery control is executed, the refrigerant circuit is switched from the air conditioning single cycle to the air conditioning battery cycle. Furthermore, as shown as an example in FIG. 27, after the oil recovery control ends, if cooling of the battery 70 is not required, the refrigerant circuit is switched from the air conditioning battery cycle to the air conditioning only cycle.

Therefore, in the vehicle air conditioner 1 of this embodiment, the refrigerant circuit of the refrigeration cycle device 10 is switched as shown in the diagram of FIG. 28.

Specifically, if the air conditioner switch 60a is not turned on and the battery cooling operation is permitted in step S14, the cycle is basically switched to a battery-only cycle. Note that if the air conditioner switch 60a is not turned on and the battery cooling operation is prohibited, the compressor 11 is stopped, so the refrigerant circuit may be switched to any one of the refrigerant circuits.

Further, if the air conditioner switch 60a is turned on and the battery cooling operation is permitted, the air conditioner is switched to the air conditioning battery cycle. When the air conditioner switch 60a is turned on and battery cooling operation is prohibited, the cycle is basically switched to an air conditioning only cycle. However, even if the air conditioner switch 60a is turned on and the battery cooling operation is prohibited, the cycle is switched to the air conditioning battery cycle while the oil recovery control is being executed.

When the refrigeration cycle device 10 is switched to the air conditioning only cycle, an operation in an air conditioning mode is executed in which refrigerant is allowed to flow into the air conditioning evaporator and at the same time, refrigerant is prohibited from flowing into the cooling evaporator.

In the refrigeration cycle apparatus 10 in the air conditioning mode, high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 flows into the condenser 12. The high-pressure refrigerant that has flowed into the condenser 12 exchanges heat with the outside air blown from the outside air fan 12a and is condensed. The refrigerant condensed in the condenser 12 is separated into gas and liquid in the receiver 12b.

Since the battery electromagnetic valve 14b is closed, the liquid phase refrigerant flowing out from the receiver 12b flows into the air conditioning expansion valve 15 via the branch portion 13a and the air conditioning electromagnetic valve 14a and is depressurized. The low pressure refrigerant whose pressure has been reduced by the air conditioning expansion valve 15 flows into the air conditioning evaporator 16 .

The refrigerant that has flowed into the air conditioning evaporator 16 exchanges heat with the air conditioning air blown from the air conditioning blower 32 and evaporates. This cools the air conditioning air. The refrigerant flowing out of the air conditioning evaporator 16 is sucked into the compressor 11 via the check valve 17 and the merging section 13b, and is compressed again.

In the heat medium circuit 20 in the air conditioning mode, the heat medium pumped from the water pump 21 is heated by the water heater 22 . The heat medium heated by the water heater 22 flows into the heater core 23. The heat medium flowing into the heater core 23 exchanges heat with the air-conditioning air cooled by the air-conditioning evaporator 16 . Thereby, the air conditioner is reheated.

The heat medium flowing out from the heater core 23 is sucked into the water pump 21 via the reserve tank 24 and is pumped again.

In the indoor air conditioning unit 30 in the air conditioning mode, air flowing from the inside/outside air switching device 33 is sucked into the air conditioning blower 32 . The air-conditioning air blown from the air-conditioning blower 32 flows into the air-conditioning evaporator 16 and is cooled. A portion of the air-conditioning air cooled by the air-conditioning evaporator 16 is reheated by the heater core 23 depending on the opening degree of the air mix door 34.

The air conditioning air heated by the heater core 23 and the air conditioning air that has passed through the cold air bypass passage 35 are mixed in the mixing space 36 and approach the target blowout temperature TAO. Then, the air-conditioning air adjusted to an appropriate temperature in the mixing space 36 is blown out to an appropriate location in the vehicle interior according to the outlet mode. This provides comfortable air conditioning inside the vehicle.

Furthermore, when the refrigeration cycle device 10 is switched to the battery-only cycle, a cooling mode operation is executed in which the refrigerant is prohibited from flowing into the air conditioning evaporator and the refrigerant is allowed to flow into the cooling evaporator. .

In the refrigeration cycle device 10 in the cooling mode, the refrigerant condensed in the condenser 12 is separated into gas and liquid in the receiver 12b, similar to the air conditioning only cycle. Since the air conditioning solenoid valve 14a is closed, the liquid phase refrigerant flowing out from the receiver 12b flows into the battery side branch part 13c via the branch part 13a and the battery solenoid valve 14b.

The refrigerant flowing out from one outlet of the battery side branch portion 13c flows into the right battery expansion valve 18a and is depressurized. The low-pressure refrigerant whose pressure has been reduced by the right battery expansion valve 18a flows into the right battery evaporator 19a.

The refrigerant that has flowed into the right battery evaporator 19a exchanges heat with the cooling air blown from the cooling blower 42 and evaporates. Thereby, the cooling air is cooled. The refrigerant flowing out from the right battery evaporator 19a is sucked into the compressor 11 via the battery side merging section 13d and the merging section 13b, and is compressed again.

The refrigerant flowing out from the other outlet of the battery side branch portion 13c flows into the left battery expansion valve 18b and is depressurized. The low-pressure refrigerant whose pressure has been reduced by the left battery expansion valve 18b flows into the left battery evaporator 19b.

The refrigerant that has flowed into the left battery evaporator 19b exchanges heat with the cooling air blown from the cooling blower 42 and evaporates. Thereby, the cooling air is cooled. The refrigerant flowing out of the left battery evaporator 19b is sucked into the compressor 11 via the battery side merging section 13d and the merging section 13b, and is compressed again.

In the battery pack 40 in the cooling mode, air within the battery space 45 is sucked into the cooling blower 42 . The cooling air blown from the cooling blower 42 flows into the right battery evaporator 19a and the left battery evaporator 19b and is cooled.

The cooling air cooled by the right battery evaporator 19a is guided to the battery space 45 via the right air passage 44a, and is blown to the right side of the battery 70. This cools one end surface of the plurality of battery cells. The cooling air cooled by the left battery evaporator 19b is guided to the battery space 45 via the left air passage 44b and blown to the left side of the battery 70. Thereby, the other end surface of the plurality of battery cells is cooled.

Further, when the refrigeration cycle device 10 is switched to the air conditioning battery cycle, an operation in an air conditioning cooling mode is executed in which the refrigerant flows into the air conditioning evaporation section and the refrigerant flows into the cooling evaporation section.

In the refrigeration cycle device 10 in the air conditioning cooling mode, the refrigerant condensed in the condenser 12 is separated into gas and liquid in the receiver 12b, similar to the air conditioning only cycle and the battery only cycle. The liquid phase refrigerant flowing out from the receiver 12b flows into the branch portion 13a.

The refrigerant flowing out from one outlet of the branch portion 13a flows into the air conditioning expansion valve 15 via the air conditioning solenoid valve 14a, similarly to when the air conditioning only cycle is switched. Then, the air-conditioning blown air is cooled by the air-conditioning evaporator 16 in the same way as when switching to the air-conditioning only cycle.

The refrigerant flowing out from the other outlet of the branch part 13a flows into the battery-side branch part 13c via the battery electromagnetic valve 14b, similarly to when the cycle is switched to the battery-only cycle. Then, in the same way as when switching to the battery-only cycle, the cooling air is cooled by the right battery evaporator 19a and the left battery evaporator 19b.

The heat medium circuit 20 and the indoor air conditioning unit 30 in the air conditioning cooling mode operate in the same manner as when switching to the air conditioning only cycle. Therefore, even when the refrigerant circuit of the refrigeration cycle device 10 is switched to the air conditioning battery cycle, the air conditioner whose temperature has been adjusted appropriately is blown out to appropriate locations in the vehicle interior, thereby providing comfortable air conditioning in the vehicle interior. is realized.

In the battery pack 40 in the air-conditioning cooling mode, each component operates in the same manner as when it is switched to the battery-only cycle. Therefore, even when the refrigerant circuit of the refrigeration cycle device 10 is switched to the air conditioning battery cycle, the battery 70 can be cooled.

Furthermore, when the refrigerant circuit of the refrigeration cycle device 10 is switched to the air conditioning battery cycle, the refrigerant can be passed through the air conditioning evaporator 16, the right battery evaporator 19a, and the left battery evaporator 19b. Therefore, by circulating the refrigerant at the required flow rate to execute oil recovery control, the refrigerant stagnant in the air conditioning evaporator 16, the right battery evaporator 19a, and the left battery evaporator 19b is returned to the compressor 11. be able to.

In this embodiment, as described in step S404, when the temperature Tr inside the vehicle is lower than the reference internal temperature KTr, the cooling operation is permitted.

Thereby, the battery 70 can be cooled according to the temperature Tr in the vehicle interior, so that it is possible to suppress unnecessarily restricting the cooling of the object to be cooled.

In this embodiment, the reference internal temperature KTr is the temperature inside the vehicle that can be estimated to maintain the judgment of the occupant.

Thereby, the battery 70 can be cooled while suppressing a decrease in the judgment of the occupant due to an increase in the temperature Tr in the vehicle interior.

In this embodiment, as described in step S404, the higher the temperature TB of the battery 70, the higher the reference internal temperature KTr.

According to this, the higher the temperature TB of the battery 70 is, the easier the cooling operation of the battery 70 is to be performed, so it is possible to suppress the temperature TB of the battery 70 from becoming too high.

In this embodiment, as described in step S404, when the temperature TE of the air conditioning evaporator 16 is lower than the reference evaporator temperature TEO+β1, the cooling operation is permitted.

Thereby, the battery 70 can be cooled while appropriately suppressing a decrease in the judgment ability of the occupant due to an increase in the temperature Tr in the vehicle interior.

In this embodiment, the reference evaporator temperature TEO+β1 is the temperature of the air conditioning evaporator 16 at which it can be estimated that the discomfort of the occupant is suppressed within an allowable range.

Thereby, the battery 70 can be cooled while suppressing the discomfort felt by the occupant due to the rise in the temperature Tr in the vehicle interior within an allowable range.

In this embodiment, as described in step S404, the higher the temperature TB of the battery 70, the higher the reference evaporator temperature TEO+β1.

According to this, as the temperature TB of the battery 70 is higher, the cooling operation of the battery 70 is more likely to be performed, so it is possible to suppress the temperature TB of the battery 70 from becoming too high.

In this embodiment, as described in step S404, the higher the temperature TE of the air conditioning evaporator 16, the higher the hysteresis width β2 when determining whether to permit the cooling operation based on the reference evaporator temperature TEO+β1. Enlarge.

According to this, even if the temperature TE of the air-conditioning evaporator 16 becomes high and the fluctuation in the temperature TE of the air-conditioning evaporator 16 becomes large, hunting can be suppressed from occurring in determining whether or not to permit the cooling operation. .

In this embodiment, as described in step S404, when the reference elapsed time TIMER has elapsed since the compressor 11 was started, the cooling operation is permitted.

As a result, the cooling operation of the object to be cooled can be performed when the comfort of the occupant is likely to be ensured, so that it is possible to prevent the cooling of the object to be cooled from being unnecessarily restricted.

In the present embodiment, the reference elapsed time TIMER is a time during which the need to cool the battery 70 increases.

Thereby, when the need to cool the battery 70 becomes high, the battery 70 can be appropriately cooled.

In this embodiment, as described in step S404, if the outside temperature Tam is equal to or lower than the reference anti-fog temperature KTamd, the cooling operation is prohibited.

Thereby, when the window is easily fogged and the battery 70 is easily cooled by outside air, the defogging of the window can be prioritized over cooling the battery 70, so that cooling the battery 70 and defogging the window can be achieved as much as possible.

In step S404, when the outside temperature Tam is lower than or equal to the reference anti-fog temperature KTamd, the reference elapsed time TIMER may be made longer than when the outside temperature Tam is above the reference anti-fog temperature KTamd. Thereby, when the need to cool the battery 70 becomes high, the battery 70 can be appropriately cooled.

In this embodiment, as described in step S404, if there is no need to cool the air conditioning blown air with the air conditioning evaporator 16, cooling is immediately started without providing the reference elapsed time TIMER. In other words, when there is no need to cool the air conditioning blast air with the air conditioning evaporator 16, the reference elapsed time TIMER is made shorter than when it is necessary to cool the air conditioning blast air with the air conditioning evaporator 16. .

According to this, when there is no need to cool the air conditioning blown air with the air conditioning evaporator 16, the battery 70 can be cooled early, so it is possible to prevent the cooling of the battery 70 from being restricted more than necessary.

In this embodiment, as described in step S404, the cooling operation permission unit S404 shortens the reference elapsed time TIMER as the temperature of the battery 70 is higher.

Thereby, the higher the temperature of the battery 70 is, the earlier the cooling of the battery 70 can be started, so that the temperature of the battery 70 can be prevented from becoming too high.

In this embodiment, as described in step S404, if the temperature of the battery 70 is higher than the reference allowable temperature KTBmax, the cooling operation is permitted, or compared to the case where the temperature of the battery 70 is below the reference allowable temperature KTBmax. to shorten the reference elapsed time TIMER.

Thereby, the temperature of the battery 70 can be suppressed from becoming higher than the reference allowable temperature KTBmax.

In this embodiment, the reference allowable temperature KTBmax is a temperature at which the life of the battery 70 is significantly reduced. Thereby, it is possible to prevent the life of the battery 70 from being significantly reduced.

In this embodiment, as explained in step S7, when the temperature of the battery 70 is higher than the reference allowable temperature KTBmax and the cooling operation is permitted, the proportion of the outside air introduced into the air conditioning evaporator 16 is set to a predetermined outside air ratio. The ratio of outside air introduced into the air-conditioning evaporator 16 is increased by determining the above value (in this embodiment, 100%).

As a result, since the battery 70 is cooled and the vehicle interior is ventilated, it is possible to suppress window fogging as much as possible even if the dehumidifying ability of the air conditioning evaporator 16 is insufficient due to the cooling of the battery 70 to below the reference allowable temperature KTBmax. .

In this embodiment, as described in step S404, when the outside temperature Tam is equal to or lower than the reference anti-fog temperature KTamd, if the temperature TE of the air conditioning evaporator 16 becomes lower than the target air conditioning evaporator temperature TEO, Allow cooling operation.

Thereby, when the window is easily fogged and the battery 70 is easily cooled by outside air, the defogging of the window can be prioritized over cooling the battery 70, so that cooling the battery 70 and defogging the window can be achieved as much as possible.

In the present embodiment, the reference anti-fog temperature KTamd is an outside temperature at which the windows of the vehicle tend to fog. Thereby, cooling of the battery 70 and defogging of the windows can be appropriately achieved.

In this embodiment, as described in step S13, when the cooling operation is permitted in step S404, the battery electromagnetic valve 14b increases the upper limit of the rotation speed of the compressor 11 before starting the cooling operation of the battery 70. do.

According to this, since the cooling operation can be started after lowering the temperature of the air conditioning evaporator 16 as much as possible, it is possible to suppress the temperature of the air conditioning evaporator 16 from rising as much as possible when the cooling operation of the battery 70 is started.

In this embodiment, as explained in step S7, when the cooling operation is permitted in step S404, the proportion of outside air introduced into the air conditioning evaporator 16 is determined to be 0%, and the outside air is introduced into the air conditioning evaporator 16. Reduce the percentage of outside air that is In other words, when the cooling operation is permitted in step S404, the proportion of the inside air introduced into the air conditioning evaporator 16 is determined to be equal to or higher than a predetermined inside air ratio (in this embodiment, 100%).

According to this, when the cooling operation of the battery 70 is permitted, the temperature of the air introduced into the air conditioning evaporator 16 can be lowered as much as possible. temperature rise can be suppressed as much as possible.

In this embodiment, the sum of the heat exchange areas of the right side battery evaporator 19a and the left side battery evaporator 19b is smaller than the heat exchange area of the air conditioning evaporator 16.

Thereby, it is possible to suppress as much as possible the temperature of the air conditioning evaporator 16 from rising when the cooling operation of the battery 70 is started. That is, since the flow rate of refrigerant flowing into the right battery evaporator 19a and the left battery evaporator 19b is reduced, it is easier to stabilize the cooling capacity exhibited by the right battery evaporator 19a and the left battery evaporator 19b. .

In this embodiment, the amount of air blown by the cooling blower 42 is smaller than the amount of air blown by the air conditioning blower 32.

Thereby, it is possible to suppress as much as possible the temperature of the air conditioning evaporator 16 from rising when the cooling operation of the battery 70 is started. That is, even if the refrigerant is evaporated to cool the cooling air in the right side battery evaporator 19a and the left side battery evaporator 19b, the cooling of the air conditioning air in the air conditioning evaporator 16 is hardly affected. .

In this embodiment, the cooling evaporator includes a plurality of heat exchangers (specifically, the right battery evaporator 19a and the left battery evaporator 19b).

Thereby, the battery 70 can be cooled as evenly as possible. In other words, the cooling evaporator can be arranged by effectively utilizing the cooling space 43 of the battery pack 40. That is, the cooling evaporator can be arranged so that the battery 70 can be effectively cooled.

In this embodiment, the right side battery expansion valve 18a and the left side battery expansion valve 18b are electric expansion valves, and the throttle openings of the right side battery expansion valve 18a and the left side battery expansion valve 18b are controlled in step S14.

This makes it possible to adjust the flow rate of the refrigerant flowing into the right battery evaporator 19a and the left battery evaporator 19b when starting the cooling operation of the battery 70. It is possible to suppress the temperature of the container 16 from rising as much as possible.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be modified in various ways as described below without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

The refrigeration cycle device 10 is not limited to the configuration disclosed in the above embodiment. For example, the battery electromagnetic valve 14b may be abolished, and the fully closing function of the right battery expansion valve 18a and the left battery expansion valve 18b may be used to connect the other outlet of the branch 13a to the inlet of the battery branch 13c. The refrigerant passage leading to the refrigerant may be opened or closed. In this case, it is desirable that sufficient responsiveness be ensured for the operation of the right battery expansion valve 18a and the left battery expansion valve 18b.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, for example, an example was explained in which the throttle opening degree of the right battery expansion valve 18a was operated based on a control characteristic diagram stored in the air conditioning control device 50 that predetermined the opening degree, but the invention is not limited to this. Not done. For example, the throttle opening degree of the right side battery expansion valve 18a may be changed using a feedback control method based on the superheat degree difference obtained by subtracting the target cooling side superheat degree SHBO from the right side superheat degree SHBR.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which two evaporators for cooling, the right battery evaporator 19a and the left battery evaporator 19b, are employed, but the number of cooling evaporators is not limited.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the refrigerant is simultaneously introduced into both the right battery evaporator 19a and the left battery evaporator 19b when cooling the battery 70, but the present invention is not limited thereto. For example, when the outside temperature is low, the refrigerant may be caused to alternately flow into the right battery evaporator 19a and the left battery evaporator 19b.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which R1234yf was employed as the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle device 10, but the refrigerant is not limited to this. For example, R134a, R600a, R410A, R404A, R32, R407C, etc. may be adopted. Alternatively, a mixed refrigerant made by mixing a plurality of these refrigerants may be used.

Further, the heat medium circuit 20 is not limited to the configuration disclosed in the above embodiment. For example, in the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which an aqueous ethylene glycol solution was used as the heat medium, but the present invention is not limited to this. As the heat medium, a solution containing dimethylpolysiloxane or a nanofluid, an antifreeze, an aqueous liquid refrigerant containing alcohol, etc., a liquid medium containing oil, etc. may be employed.

Further, the battery pack 40 is not limited to the configuration disclosed in the above embodiment. In the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the battery 70 is cooled by circulating the cooling air cooled by the cooling evaporator within the battery casing 41 of the battery pack 40, but the present invention is not limited thereto. .

For example, a refrigerant-heat medium heat exchanger is provided that cools the low-temperature side heat medium by exchanging heat between the low-pressure refrigerant flowing out from the cooling flow rate adjustment section and the low-temperature side heat medium. Then, the battery 70 may be cooled by causing the low temperature side heat medium cooled by the refrigerant-heat medium heat exchanger to flow into a cooling water passage formed so as to be in contact with the battery 70.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example was described in which the battery 70 is cooled as the object to be cooled, but the object to be cooled is not limited to this. As the object to be cooled, in-vehicle equipment that generates heat during operation may be adopted, such as an inverter, a motor generator, a power control unit (so-called PCU), a control device for an advanced driving support system (so-called ADAS), etc. .

Further, the air conditioning control device 50 is not limited to the configuration disclosed in the above-described embodiment. For example, battery temperature sensor 59 may be connected to vehicle control device 80. The air conditioning control device 50 may read the battery temperature TB input into the vehicle control device 80 and use it for various controls.

In step S204, it is determined to increase the target cooling evaporator temperature TEOB as the outside temperature Tam increases, but the target cooling evaporator temperature TEOB is set to a value higher than the target air conditioning evaporator temperature TEO (for example, 10 ℃). Thereby, the temperatures TEBR and TEBL of the right battery evaporator 19a and the left battery evaporator 19b can be made higher than the temperature TE of the air conditioning evaporator 16.

That is, the air conditioning expansion valve 15, the right battery expansion valve 18a, and the left battery expansion valve 18b change the temperature TEBR and TEBL of the right battery evaporator 19a and the left battery evaporator 19b to the temperature TE of the air conditioning evaporator 16. It may be higher than that.

According to this, when the cooling operation of the battery 70 is started, the rise in temperature of the air conditioning evaporator 16 can be suppressed as much as possible. That is, since the flow rate of refrigerant flowing into the right battery evaporator 19a and the left battery evaporator 19b is reduced, it is easier to stabilize the cooling capacity exhibited by the right battery evaporator 19a and the left battery evaporator 19b. .

Further, the control by the air conditioning control device 50 is not limited to that disclosed in the above embodiment. For example, in step S412 described above, an example was described in which the reference increase amount is 0.1% of the maximum opening degree as the increase amount per second, but the present invention is not limited to this. If it is possible to suppress a sudden decrease in the amount of refrigerant flowing into the air conditioning evaporator 16, it may be set to 0.1% or less.

Furthermore, the reference increase amount may be changed as in step S412 described above. That is, the reference increase amount may be set to 0.1% until the switching elapsed time Top reaches the time limit L Top, and the reference increase amount may be changed to 0% after the time limit L Top. At this time, the reference increase amount may be changed stepwise or continuously.

Furthermore, in the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the time limit LTop is determined in accordance with the outside temperature Tam in step S410, and the limit opening degree LDop is determined in accordance with the outside temperature Tam in step S411. Not limited. For example, the time limit LTop may be a fixed value (for example, 30 seconds), and the opening limit LDop may be a fixed value (for example, 5%).

Further, in step S404 of the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the level of the anti-fogging request is determined using the outside temperature Tam, but the present invention is not limited to this. The level of the anti-fog requirement may be determined using the window neighborhood humidity RHW detected by the humidity sensor 59a.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, an example has been described in which the control process for oil recovery control shown in FIG. 26 is executed in parallel with the control process of the main routine, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, when the process advances to step S806 and it is determined to prohibit oil recovery control, the control process for oil recovery control may be stopped until the next activation of the vehicle system.

Further, in the above-described embodiment, there is no mention of the operation of the cooling blower 42 when the oil recovery control is executed in step S805, but in the oil recovery control, the cooling blower 42 is operated in the same manner as during normal operation. It may be activated or it may be deactivated. Furthermore, in the oil recovery control, the compressor 11 may be operated continuously or may be operated intermittently.

Further, the reference number of times KTcnt used in step S802 of the above-described embodiment may be determined depending on the system configuration, taking into consideration the ease with which refrigerating machine oil stays in the cycle. Furthermore, when it is determined in step S803 that the battery cooling operation is permitted, the trip counter Tcnt may be reset.

10 Refrigeration cycle device 11 Compressor 12 Condenser (radiator)
14b Battery solenoid valve (cooling operation switching part)
15 Air conditioning expansion valve (pressure reducing part)
16 Air conditioning evaporator (air conditioning evaporator)
18a Right side battery expansion valve (cooling flow rate adjustment part)
18b Expansion valve for left battery (cooling flow rate adjustment part)
19a Right side battery evaporator (cooling evaporator)
19b Evaporator for left battery (cooling evaporator)

Claims (25)

a compressor (11) that compresses and discharges refrigerant;
a radiator (12) that radiates heat from the refrigerant discharged from the compressor;
a pressure reducing part (15, 18a, 18b) that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant heat radiated by the radiator;
an air conditioning evaporation section (16) that evaporates the refrigerant whose pressure has been reduced in the pressure reduction section by exchanging heat with air conditioning air blown into the vehicle interior;
a cooling evaporation section (19a, 19b) that cools the object to be cooled (70) by evaporating the refrigerant that has been depressurized in the depressurization section;
a cooling operation switching unit (14b) that switches whether or not to perform a cooling operation of the object to be cooled by the cooling evaporator;
a cooling operation permission section (S404) that permits the cooling operation when the temperature (Tr) inside the vehicle is lower than the reference inside temperature (KTr) ;
The cooling operation permission section is
If a reference elapsed time (TIMER) has elapsed since the compressor was started, permitting the cooling operation;
When the outside temperature (Tam) is below the standard anti-fog temperature (KTamd), the standard elapsed time is lengthened compared to when the outside temperature is above the standard anti-fog temperature, or the cooling operation is performed. Vehicle air conditioning equipment that prohibits The cooling operation permission unit determines whether the air-conditioning blown air does not need to be cooled by the air-conditioning evaporator, compared with the case where the air-conditioning blown air needs to be cooled by the air-conditioning evaporator. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the elapsed time is shortened. a compressor (11) that compresses and discharges refrigerant;
a radiator (12) that radiates heat from the refrigerant discharged from the compressor;
a pressure reducing part (15, 18a, 18b) that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant heat radiated by the radiator;
an air conditioning evaporation section (16) that evaporates the refrigerant whose pressure has been reduced in the pressure reduction section by exchanging heat with air conditioning air blown into the vehicle interior;
a cooling evaporation section (19a, 19b) that cools the object to be cooled (70) by evaporating the refrigerant that has been depressurized in the depressurization section;
a cooling operation switching unit (14b) that switches whether or not to perform a cooling operation of the object to be cooled by the cooling evaporator;
a cooling operation permission section (S404) that permits the cooling operation when the temperature (Tr) inside the vehicle is lower than the reference inside temperature (KTr) ;
The cooling operation permission section is
If a reference elapsed time (TIMER) has elapsed since the compressor was started, permitting the cooling operation;
For a vehicle, when the air conditioning blown air does not need to be cooled in the air conditioning evaporator, the reference elapsed time is shortened compared to a case where the air conditioning blown air needs to be cooled in the air conditioning evaporator. Air conditioner. The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein the cooling operation permission section shortens the reference elapsed time as the temperature of the object to be cooled increases. The cooling operation permission unit permits the cooling operation when the temperature of the object to be cooled is higher than a reference allowable temperature (KTBmax), or when the temperature of the object to be cooled is below a reference allowable temperature (KTBmax). The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the reference elapsed time is made shorter than the standard elapsed time. a compressor (11) that compresses and discharges refrigerant;
a radiator (12) that radiates heat from the refrigerant discharged from the compressor;
a pressure reducing part (15, 18a, 18b) that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant heat radiated by the radiator;
an air conditioning evaporation section (16) that evaporates the refrigerant whose pressure has been reduced in the pressure reduction section by exchanging heat with air conditioning air blown into the vehicle interior;
a cooling evaporation section (19a, 19b) that cools the object to be cooled (70) by evaporating the refrigerant that has been depressurized in the depressurization section;
a cooling operation switching unit (14b) that switches whether or not to perform a cooling operation of the object to be cooled by the cooling evaporator;
a cooling operation permission section (S404) that permits the cooling operation when the temperature (Tr) in the vehicle interior is lower than the reference internal temperature (KTr) ;
The cooling operation permission section is
If a reference elapsed time (TIMER) has elapsed since the compressor was started, permitting the cooling operation;
If the temperature of the object to be cooled is higher than the reference allowable temperature (KTBmax), the cooling operation is permitted, or the reference progress is compared to when the temperature of the object to be cooled is below the reference allowable temperature (KTBmax). Vehicle air conditioning system that saves time . The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 5 or 6 , wherein the reference allowable temperature is a temperature at which the life of the object to be cooled is significantly reduced. an outside air adjustment section (33) that adjusts the ratio of inside air and outside air introduced into the air conditioning evaporation section;
If the cooling operation is permitted because the temperature of the object to be cooled is higher than the reference allowable temperature, the inside/outside air adjustment unit is controlled so that the proportion of the outside air introduced into the air conditioning evaporation unit is increased. The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 5 to 7, further comprising an inside/outside air control section (50h). a compressor (11) that compresses and discharges refrigerant;
a radiator (12) that radiates heat from the refrigerant discharged from the compressor;
a pressure reducing part (15, 18a, 18b) that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant heat radiated by the radiator;
an air conditioning evaporation section (16) that evaporates the refrigerant whose pressure has been reduced in the pressure reduction section by exchanging heat with air conditioning air blown into the vehicle interior;
a cooling evaporation section (19a, 19b) that cools the object to be cooled (70) by evaporating the refrigerant that has been depressurized in the depressurization section;
a cooling operation switching unit (14b) that switches whether or not to perform a cooling operation of the object to be cooled by the cooling evaporator;
a cooling operation permission section (S404) that permits the cooling operation when the temperature (Tr) inside the vehicle is lower than the reference inside temperature (KTr) ;
When the outside temperature (Tam) is below the reference anti-fogging temperature (KTamd), the cooling operation permission unit controls the temperature (TE) of the air conditioning evaporator to be lower than the target air conditioning evaporator temperature (TEO). A vehicle air conditioner that permits the cooling operation when the temperature changes . 10. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 9 , wherein the reference anti-fog temperature is the outside temperature at which the windows of the vehicle tend to fog. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 9 or 10 , wherein the cooling operation permission unit permits the cooling operation when a reference elapsed time (TIMER) has elapsed since the compressor was started. The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 , 3, 6 and 11, wherein the reference elapsed time is a time when the need to cool the object to be cooled increases. The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 12 , wherein the reference internal temperature is a temperature within the vehicle interior that can be estimated to maintain the judgment of an occupant. 14. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling operation permission section increases the reference internal air temperature as the temperature (TB) of the object to be cooled increases. The vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 14 , wherein the cooling operation permission section permits the cooling operation when the temperature (TE) of the air conditioning evaporation section is lower than a reference evaporation section temperature (TEO+β1). air conditioning equipment. 16. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 15 , wherein the reference evaporator temperature is a temperature of the air conditioning evaporator at which it can be estimated that the discomfort of the occupant is suppressed within an allowable range. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 15 or 16 , wherein the cooling operation permission unit increases the reference evaporator temperature as the temperature (TB) of the object to be cooled increases. The cooling operation permission unit increases a hysteresis width (β2) when determining whether to permit the cooling operation based on the reference evaporator temperature as the temperature (TE) of the air conditioning evaporator increases. The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 15 to 17 . A compressor control unit (S13) that increases the upper limit value of the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor before the cooling operation switching unit starts the cooling operation when the cooling operation permission unit permits the cooling operation. The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 18 . an outside air adjustment section (33) that adjusts the ratio of inside air and outside air introduced into the air conditioning evaporation section;
An outside air control unit (S7) that controls the inside and outside air adjustment unit so that when the cooling operation permission unit permits the cooling operation, a proportion of outside air introduced into the air conditioning evaporation unit is reduced. Item 20. The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of Items 1 to 19 . The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 20 , wherein the cooling evaporator is a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the air blown to the object to be cooled and the refrigerant. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 21 , wherein a heat exchange area of the cooling evaporator is smaller than a heat exchange area of the air conditioning evaporator. an air conditioning blower section (32) that blows the air conditioning blower air to the air conditioning evaporator section;
comprising a cooling air blowing section (42) that blows cooling air to the cooling evaporation section,
The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 21 or 22 , wherein the amount of air blown by the cooling air blower is smaller than the amount of air blown by the air conditioning blower. 24. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the pressure reducing section makes the temperature (TEBR, TEBL) of the cooling evaporation section higher than the temperature (TE) of the air conditioning evaporation section. 25. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the cooling evaporator includes a plurality of heat exchangers.

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