JPH09177552A - Battery cooling device for automobile - Google Patents

Abstract

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To more effectively cool a battery according to the battery temperature. SOLUTION: A battery provided within an engine room 1 is housed in a battery case 1 for covering it with a space around it. This battery case 10 has an outside air inlet duct 5 having an air inlet port at the tip and an exhaust duct 6 having a fan attached thereto. This device also has a control means for operating the fan of the exhaust duct 6 when the detected temperature of a temperature sensor for detecting the battery temperature exceeds a prescribed temperature.

Description

Detailed Description of the Invention

[0001]

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to an automobile battery cooling device for cooling a battery arranged in an engine room.

[0002]

2. Description of the Related Art As a measure for preventing life or performance deterioration due to temperature rise of a battery arranged in an engine room, a heat shield cover is provided for the engine,
The cooling air of the radiator fan is being supplied.

[0003]

However, such conventional measures do not positively cool the battery itself, and the amount of outside air introduced is low in a low-speed running state during traffic congestion or in an idling state when parked or parked. By reducing, the battery will be exposed to higher temperatures.

In view of the above points, the present invention has an object to provide a battery cooling device for an automobile, which cools the battery more effectively according to the battery temperature.

[0005]

In order to achieve this object, the present invention is characterized in that, according to claim 1, a battery provided in an engine room is housed in a battery case covering a space around the battery case and at the same time. The battery case is provided with an outside air introduction duct having an air introduction port at the tip and an exhaust duct with a fan attached, and the fan is activated when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the battery exceeds a predetermined temperature. It is characterized in that a control means for controlling is attached.

[0006] The outside air introduced from the outside air introduction duct is introduced into the battery case, is naturally ventilated around the battery and is exhausted from the exhaust duct to cool the battery. When the temperature detected by the temperature sensor exceeds a predetermined temperature, the control means actuates the fan to draw in the battery case and forcibly introduce the outside air.

[0007]

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS A vehicle battery cooling device according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to FIGS. In the engine room 1, the battery 3 is housed in the battery case 10 shown in FIG. A frame-shaped battery mounting tool 1 having a battery mounting frame portion 15a on the bottom surface of the battery case, and a spacer frame portion 15b protruding from the periphery thereof.
5 is fixed, and the battery 3 is fixed to the battery mounting tool 15 by an attached tightening tool (not shown). A lid 10a that can lock the closed state is hinged on the upper surface of the battery case 10, and is connected to an outside air introduction duct 5 and an air conditioner provided with an air introduction port 5a at a tip portion thereof located on the side surface of the lid 10a. A common air inlet 17 with the air conditioning duct 7, a connection port 18 with the exhaust duct 6, and a battery harness outlet 19 are provided.

At the air inlet 17, as shown in principle in FIG. 3, either one of the outlets 5b and 7b of both ducts 5 and 7 is closed, or a switching valve that closes or opens both of them. 16 are provided. Entrance 7a of the air conditioning duct 7
Is connected to the outlet of the evaporator 9 following the blower 9a of the air conditioner, and an opening / closing valve 29 is provided.
A fan 12 is provided at the inlet of the exhaust duct 6. A temperature sensor 27 that detects the temperature of the wall surface of the battery 3 is attached. A solar cell 28, which serves as an alternative power source for the battery when the engine is off, is attached to the front portion of the instrument panel.

Reference numeral 20 denotes a control circuit which controls the above-mentioned respective parts in response to the detection signal of the temperature sensor 27 and the engine off signal. This control circuit, together with the switching valves 16, the drive circuits 21 to 23 for operating the fan 12 and the on-off valve 29, and the power source changeover switch 26 that operates when the engine is off, constitute the control means of the battery cooling device.

The operation of the battery cooling device for an automobile thus constructed will be described with reference to FIG. When the battery temperature is in a normal range where only the outside air cooling is sufficient during traveling, the on-off valve 29 is closed, the fan 12 is stopped, and the control circuit 20 causes the switching valve 16 to pass through the drive circuit 21.
As shown in, the outside air introduction duct 5 is opened and the air conditioning duct 7 is closed. As a result, the outside air is introduced into the battery case 10 through the outside air introduction duct 5, and thus the introduced outside air is included in the spacer frame portion 15b.
The battery 3 cools the periphery of the battery 3 by flowing through a gap defined by the battery case 10 and is discharged through the fan 12 and the exhaust duct 6 in the stopped state, thereby cooling by natural ventilation.

In such a state, when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor 27 falls below the normal range especially in a cold region, the switching valve 16 further closes the outside air introducing duct 5 as shown in FIG. As a result, the battery 3 is conversely protected in the battery case 10 against excessive temperature drop.

When the introduction of outside air becomes insufficient due to congestion or the like and the detected temperature becomes higher than the normal state, the control circuit 20 operates the fan 12 through the drive circuit 22, and the switching valve 16 causes the outside air introduction duct 5 and the air conditioning duct 7 to operate. , And the control circuit 20 also opens the on-off valve 29 through the drive circuit 23 to take in not only the outside air but also the cool air from the air conditioner as shown in FIG.
Ventilate by 2

When the engine is turned off after traveling or when the vehicle is parked or stopped, the power source changeover switch 26 is activated in response to the engine off signal, and the output voltage of the solar cell 28 is input to activate the control circuit 20. When the detected temperature is higher than the normal range, the fan 12 is operated with the solar cell 28 as a power source to perform forced ventilation with the outside air, as shown in FIG.

Incidentally, instead of the above-described embodiment, the control circuit 2
By attaching a timer to 0, when the detected temperature is higher than the normal range when the engine is off, the fan 12 may be operated by the solar cell 28 for a predetermined timer time. Further, the switching valve 16 may be individually connected to a dedicated on-off valve without forming a common inlet for the outside air introduction duct 5 and the air conditioning duct 7. Further, the on-off valve 29 can be left to the valve at the outlet of the air-conditioning duct 7 to have its closing function without intentionally providing it.

[0015]

According to the first aspect of the present invention, the battery is efficiently cooled in the cover box through the dedicated air introducing duct, so that the life of the battery increases as the temperature rises.
Performance deterioration can be suppressed. Further, when the temperature of the battery exceeds a predetermined temperature, the fan is operated to enable forced cooling.

According to the second aspect of the present invention, by attaching the valve, the problem of excessive cooling in a cold region or the like can be solved even if the outside air introducing duct is adopted.

According to the third aspect of the present invention, the cool air can be introduced from the air conditioner, and the battery can be cooled even when the amount of the outside air introduced is reduced, such as when traffic is congested.

According to the invention of claim 4, by using the solar cell as a driving source, it is possible to forcibly introduce the outside air by operating the fan even when the engine is off when the battery temperature is high. Become.

[Brief description of the drawings]

FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a battery cooling device for an automobile according to an embodiment of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view showing an attachment structure of a battery of the battery cooling device to a cover box.

FIG. 3 is a diagram showing a configuration of a control means of the battery cooling device.

FIG. 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation of the battery cooling device.

[Explanation of symbols]

 1 Engine Room 3 Battery 5 Outside Air Introduction Duct 6 Exhaust Duct 7 Air Conditioning Duct 10 Battery Case 12 Fan 16 Switching Valve 27 Temperature Sensor 28 Solar Cell

Claims (4)

[Claims] 1. A battery provided in an engine room is housed in a battery case which covers a space around the battery, and the battery case is provided with an outside air introduction duct having an air introduction port at its tip and a fan. And a control means for operating the fan when the temperature detected by the temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of the battery exceeds a predetermined temperature. 2. A battery cooling system for an automobile according to claim 1, wherein the outside air introducing duct is provided with a valve which is operated by a control means to close the outside air introducing duct when the detected temperature falls below a predetermined temperature. apparatus. 3. An air conditioning duct for introducing cold air from an air conditioning device is provided in the battery case, and the air conditioning duct is provided with:
2. The battery cooling device for an automobile according to claim 1, further comprising a valve that is opened by the control means together with the fan of the exhaust duct to introduce cold air when the temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature. 4. The battery cooling device for an automobile according to claim 1, further comprising a solar battery for activating the fan of the exhaust duct by the control means when the detected temperature exceeds a predetermined temperature when the engine is off.