KR102213227B1 - Temperature control apparatus and method for gas fuel vehicle - Google Patents

Abstract

The present invention provides a temperature control apparatus for a gas fuel vehicle, capable of improving fuel efficiency of the vehicle, and a control method thereof. According to the present invention, the temperature control apparatus for a gas fuel vehicle comprises: first to third flow paths, which are passages through which the gas fuel stored in a regulator is supplied to gas injectors, respectively, and are configured to perform heat exchange with engine coolant, intake air, and indoor air of the vehicle; a measuring unit for measuring the temperature of the engine coolant, the temperature of the intake air, and the temperature of the indoor air of the vehicle; and a control unit which selectively opens and closes the first to third flow paths according to the measured temperature.

Description

Temperature control device and temperature control method of gas fuel vehicle {TEMPERATURE CONTROL APPARATUS AND METHOD FOR GAS FUEL VEHICLE}

The present invention relates to a temperature control apparatus and a temperature control method of a gas fuel vehicle, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for controlling the temperature of a vehicle using a gas fuel whose temperature is lowered during a decompression process.

In vehicles that use gaseous fuel such as compressed natural gas (CNG), the gaseous fuel is decompressed to a low pressure and then injected into a cylinder for combustion. At this time, the gas fuel is decompressed through adiabatic expansion, and in this process, the gas fuel is cooled to a low temperature of -40°C. However, immediately after starting the vehicle or at the beginning of driving, problems such as shutdown or poor combustion may occur due to an excessively low fuel temperature. In order to solve this problem, a method of increasing the temperature of gaseous fuel through heat exchange with engine coolant has been used. This conventional scheme is shown in FIG. 1.

Referring to FIG. 1, the high-pressure gas fuel stored in the gas tank 10 is depressurized through adiabatic expansion in the regulator 20, and in this process, the gas fuel is cooled to a temperature below zero. The cooled gaseous fuel may be heated in the heat exchanger 50 through heat exchange with engine coolant having a higher temperature than the gaseous fuel. The heated gaseous fuel may be injected into the intake manifold 41 by sequentially passing through the fuel rail 35 and the gas injector 30. The injected gaseous fuel is mixed with air in the intake manifold 41 and may be supplied to the engine 60. The engine coolant heated according to the operation of the engine 60 moves to the heat exchanger 50 through the high temperature line 43, and after being cooled by the low temperature gaseous fuel, the engine 60 again passes through the low temperature line 44. Can be supplied as

Meanwhile, when the engine 60 is sufficiently heated, the temperature of the engine coolant increases, and the temperature of the gas fuel exchanging heat with the engine coolant may also increase. However, if the temperature of the gaseous fuel is excessively increased, the density of the gaseous fuel decreases, resulting in deterioration in fuel efficiency of the vehicle and an increase in the amount of harmful gas emissions. For this reason, after the engine coolant is heated to a certain temperature or higher, supply of the engine coolant to the heat exchanger 50 is blocked to prevent overheating of the gaseous fuel.

However, the conventional gas fuel control method as described above has a problem that the low temperature characteristics of the gas fuel cannot be utilized at all after the engine coolant is sufficiently heated.

An object of the present invention is to provide a temperature control apparatus and a control method of a gas fuel vehicle capable of improving fuel efficiency of a vehicle by cooling intake air or indoor air using the low temperature characteristics of gas fuel.

However, the problem to be solved by the present invention is not limited to the above-described problem, and may be variously expanded within a range not departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

In order to achieve the object of the present invention described above, the temperature control apparatus of a gas fuel vehicle according to exemplary embodiments includes first to third flow paths, which are passages through which gas fuel stored in the regulator is supplied to the gas injector, and the engine coolant. And a measuring unit that measures a temperature, a temperature of intake air, and an indoor air temperature of the vehicle, and a control unit that selectively opens and closes the first to third flow paths according to the temperature measured by the measuring unit. In this case, the first to third flow paths are flow paths for performing heat exchange with engine coolant, intake air, and indoor air of the vehicle, respectively.

In example embodiments, the second flow path may branch from the first flow path, and the third flow path may branch from the second flow path.

In example embodiments, the first flow path may include a first opening/closing valve for opening and closing the flow path, and a first heat exchanger in which heat exchange occurs between the gas fuel and the coolant of the engine. The second flow path may include a second on/off valve for opening and closing the flow path, and a second heat exchanger in which heat exchange occurs between gaseous fuel and intake air. The third flow path may include a third on-off valve for opening and closing the flow path, and a third heat exchanger in which heat exchange occurs between gaseous fuel and indoor air of the vehicle.

In example embodiments, the control unit may selectively open and close the first to third open/close valves according to the temperature measured by the measuring unit.

In example embodiments, the controller may open the first opening/closing valve when the temperature of the engine coolant is less than a first set temperature. The controller may close the first on-off valve and open the second on-off valve when the temperature of the engine coolant is higher than the first set temperature and the temperature of the intake air is higher than the second set temperature. The control unit may open the third opening/closing valve when the temperature of the engine coolant is higher than the first set temperature, the temperature of the intake air is higher than the second set temperature, and the indoor air temperature of the vehicle is higher than the third set temperature. have.

In example embodiments, the first set temperature may be 40°C, the second set temperature may be 20°C, and the third set temperature may be 25°C.

In example embodiments, when the temperature of the engine coolant is equal to or higher than the first set temperature, the control unit may control the engine coolant to not be supplied to the first heat exchanger.

In example embodiments, the first to third flow paths further include first to third check valves installed at rear ends of each of the first to third heat exchangers to prevent reverse flow of gaseous fuel. I can.

In example embodiments, each of the second flow path and the third flow path may branch from the first flow path.

In example embodiments, in the first flow path, a first opening/closing valve for opening and closing the flow path, a first heat exchanger in which heat exchange occurs between the gas fuel and the coolant of the engine, and a first check for preventing reverse flow of the gas fuel. Valves can be installed sequentially. In the second flow path, a second on-off valve for opening and closing the flow path, a second heat exchanger in which heat exchange occurs between gaseous fuel and intake air, and a second check valve for preventing reverse flow of gaseous fuel may be sequentially installed. In the third flow path, a third on-off valve for opening and closing the flow path, a third heat exchanger in which heat exchange occurs between gaseous fuel and indoor air of the vehicle, and a third check valve for preventing reverse flow of gaseous fuel may be sequentially installed. have.

In example embodiments, the controller may open the first opening/closing valve when the temperature of the engine coolant is less than a first set temperature. The controller may close the first on-off valve and open the second on-off valve when the temperature of the engine coolant is higher than the first set temperature and the temperature of the intake air is higher than the second set temperature. The controller may open the third on-off valve when the temperature of the engine coolant is higher than the first set temperature and the indoor air temperature of the vehicle is higher than the third set temperature.

In example embodiments, the gaseous fuel may be compressed natural gas (CNG).

The temperature control apparatus of a gas fuel vehicle according to exemplary embodiments of the present invention may selectively cool the intake air or the indoor air of the vehicle by using the low temperature characteristic of the gas fuel. In this case, since energy that should have been additionally used for cooling intake air or indoor air can be saved, fuel efficiency of the vehicle can be improved. In addition, a sufficient amount of air can be supplied to the engine through intake air cooling, and harmful gas emissions can be reduced by preventing incomplete combustion.

1 is a view showing a conventional temperature control apparatus for a gas fuel vehicle.
2 is a view showing a temperature control apparatus of a gas fuel vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a view showing a temperature control apparatus of a gas fuel vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention.
4 is a flowchart illustrating steps of a method for controlling a temperature of a gas fuel vehicle according to the present invention.

With respect to the embodiments of the present invention disclosed in the text, specific structural or functional descriptions have been exemplified only for the purpose of describing the embodiments of the present invention, and the embodiments of the present invention may be implemented in various forms. It should not be construed as being limited to the embodiments described in.

Since the present invention can apply various changes and have various forms, specific embodiments will be illustrated in the drawings and described in detail in the text. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to a specific form of disclosure, it is to be understood as including all changes, equivalents, or substitutes included in the spirit and scope of the present invention.

Terms such as first and second may be used to describe various components, but the components should not be limited by the terms. The terms may be used for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another component. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, a first element may be referred to as a second element, and similarly, a second element may be referred to as a first element.

When a component is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another component, it is understood that it may be directly connected or connected to the other component, but other components may exist in the middle. Should be. On the other hand, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected" or "directly connected" to another component, it should be understood that there is no other component in the middle. Other expressions describing the relationship between components, such as "between" and "just between" or "adjacent to" and "directly adjacent to" should be interpreted as well.

The terms used in the present application are only used to describe specific embodiments, and are not intended to limit the present invention. Singular expressions include plural expressions unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In the present application, terms such as "comprise" or "have" are intended to designate the presence of a set feature, number, step, action, component, part, or combination thereof, and one or more other features or numbers It is to be understood that the possibility of addition or presence of, steps, actions, components, parts, or combinations thereof is not preliminarily excluded.

Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present invention belongs. Terms as defined in a commonly used dictionary should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with the meaning of the context of the related technology, and should not be interpreted as an ideal or excessively formal meaning unless explicitly defined in this application. .

Hereinafter, preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in more detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same reference numerals are used for the same elements in the drawings, and duplicate descriptions for the same elements are omitted.

2 is a view showing a temperature control apparatus of a gas fuel vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 2, the apparatus 100 for controlling a temperature of a gas fuel vehicle includes first to third flow paths 110, 120 and 130 through which gas fuel stored in the regulator 20 is supplied to the gas injector 30, and the engine And a measuring unit 140 for measuring coolant, intake, and temperature of the vehicle interior, and a control unit 150 for selectively opening and closing the first to third flow paths 110, 120, and 130 according to the measured temperature. .

Here, the gaseous fuel may be compressed natural gas (CNG) or liquefied petroleum gas (LPG). That is, the present invention can be applied to a vehicle using gas fuel. For example, the present invention can be applied to a vehicle using only gaseous fuel, as well as a bi-fuel vehicle that simultaneously uses liquid fuel such as gasoline and gaseous fuel.

The gaseous fuel is stored in the gas tank 10 in a liquid state, and may be in a high pressure state of about 200 bar. The gaseous fuel stored in the gas tank 10 is converted into a gaseous state of low pressure through adiabatic expansion in the regulator 20, and can be cooled to a low temperature in this process. For example, the gaseous fuel in the regulator 20 may have a pressure of about 2 bar. Thereafter, the gaseous fuel may be injected into the intake manifold 41 through the gas rail 35 and the gas injector 30 in sequence. The control unit 150 selectively changes the gas fuel supply flow path between the regulator 20 and the gas injector 30, thereby efficiently utilizing the low temperature characteristics of the gas fuel to improve fuel efficiency of the vehicle. Hereinafter, each flow path will be described in more detail.

The first flow path 110 is a flow path through which heat exchange is performed between the gas fuel and the engine coolant. A first on-off valve 111, a first heat exchanger 113, and a first check valve 115 may be sequentially installed in the first flow path 110.

The first on-off valve 111 is controlled to open and close by the control unit 150, and when the first on-off valve 111 is opened, the gas fuel of the regulator 20 is transferred to the gas injector 30 through the first flow path 110. Can be supplied as For example, the first on-off valve 111 may be a solenoid valve.

The first check valve 115 is a valve that prevents reverse flow of gaseous fuel. Specifically, the first check valve 115 may prevent gas fuel supplied to the second flow path 120 or the third flow path 130 from flowing into the first heat exchanger 113.

In the first heat exchanger 113, heat exchange may occur between gaseous fuel and engine coolant. The engine coolant is introduced into the first heat exchanger 113 through a high-temperature line 43 after cooling the engine 60, and through the low-temperature line 44 after heat exchange with gas fuel in the first heat exchanger 113. It can be supplied back to the engine 60.

The second flow path 120 is a flow path through which heat exchange is performed between gaseous fuel and intake air. A second opening/closing valve 121, a second heat exchanger 123, and a second check valve 125 may be sequentially installed in the second flow path 120.

The second on-off valve 121 is opened and closed by the controller 150, and when the second on-off valve 121 is opened, the gas fuel of the regulator 20 is transferred to the gas injector 30 through the second flow path 120 Can be supplied as For example, the second on-off valve 121 may be a solenoid valve.

Meanwhile, in FIG. 2, the second opening/closing valve 121 is shown to be installed between the first flow path 110 and the point A where the second flow path 120 meets the third flow path 130, but is limited thereto. no. This is because the third on-off valve 131 can control the gaseous fuel from flowing into the third flow path 130. Accordingly, the second on-off valve 121 may be installed between the point A and the second heat exchanger 123.

The second check valve 125 is a valve that prevents gaseous fuel from flowing backward. Specifically, the second check valve 125 may prevent gas fuel supplied to the first flow path 110 or the third flow path 130 from flowing into the second heat exchanger 123. Accordingly, the second check valve 125 is preferably installed between the second heat exchanger 123 and the point B where the second flow path 120 meets the third flow path 130.

In the second heat exchanger 123, heat exchange may occur between the gaseous fuel and the intake air. The intake air is introduced from the outside and may be cooled through heat exchange with gas fuel in the second heat exchanger 123. In this case, charging efficiency of the intake air may be increased, and as a result, fuel efficiency of the vehicle may be improved.

The third flow path 130 is a flow path through which heat exchange is performed between the gas fuel and the air in the vehicle. A third on/off valve 131, a third heat exchanger 133, and a third check valve 135 may be sequentially installed in the third flow path 130.

The third on-off valve 131 is controlled to open and close by the control unit 150, and when the third on-off valve 131 is opened, the gas fuel of the regulator 20 passes through the third flow path 130 to the gas injector 30 Can be supplied as For example, the third on-off valve 131 may be a solenoid valve.

Meanwhile, in order for gaseous fuel to flow through the third flow path 130, the second on-off valve 121 and the third on-off valve 131 must be opened at the same time. In this case, a part of the gaseous fuel may perform heat exchange with intake air in the second heat exchanger 123, and the other part may perform heat exchange with air inside the vehicle in the third heat exchanger 133.

The third check valve 135 is a valve that prevents reverse flow of gaseous fuel. Specifically, the third check valve 125 may prevent gas fuel that has already undergone heat exchange in the first flow path 110 or the second flow path 120 from flowing into the third heat exchanger 133. Accordingly, the third check valve 135 is preferably installed between the third heat exchanger 133 and the point B where the second flow path 120 meets the third flow path 130.

In the third heat exchanger 133, heat exchange may occur between the gas fuel and the air in the vehicle. That is, indoor air inside the vehicle is introduced into the third heat exchanger 133 and may be cooled in the third heat exchanger 133 through heat exchange with low temperature gaseous fuel.

The first to third opening/closing valves 111, 121, 131 may be selectively opened and closed by the control unit 150. When the first on-off valve 111 is opened, the low-temperature gaseous fuel moves to the gas injector 30 through the first flow path 110, and the engine coolant may be cooled during this process. When the second on-off valve 121 is opened, the low-temperature gaseous fuel moves to the gas injector 30 through the second flow path 120, and in this process, the intake air may be cooled. In addition, when the second on/off valve 121 and the third on/off valve 131 are simultaneously opened, a part of the gaseous fuel may flow through the second flow path 120 and the rest of the gaseous fuel may flow through the third flow path 130. . In this process, the intake and vehicle interior air may be cooled. Finally, when all of the first to third on-off valves 111, 121, and 131 are opened, the gas fuel can be divided into the first to third flow paths 110, 120, and 130 to move to the gas injector 30. .

The measurement unit 140 includes first to third temperature sensors 141, 143, and 145, and may transmit measured temperature information to the controller 150.

The first temperature sensor 141 may measure the temperature of the engine coolant. For example, the first temperature sensor 141 may be installed in the high temperature line 43 or the engine 60 to monitor a change in temperature of the coolant. The first temperature sensor 141 may transmit the measured temperature information of the engine coolant to the controller 150.

The second temperature sensor 143 may measure the temperature of the intake air. For example, the second temperature sensor 143 may be installed on the intake manifold 41 to monitor a temperature change of the intake air. The second temperature sensor 143 may transmit the measured temperature information of the intake air to the controller 150.

The third temperature sensor 145 may measure the temperature of the air inside the vehicle. For example, the third temperature sensor 145 may be installed in the interior of the vehicle to monitor the temperature change of the indoor air. The third temperature sensor 145 may transmit the measured temperature information of the vehicle indoor air to the controller 150.

The controller 150 may receive temperature information from the measurement unit 140 and selectively open and close the first to third opening/closing valves 111, 121, 131 using the received temperature information.

For example, immediately after starting or at the beginning of operation, the controller 150 may open the first on-off valve 111 and close the second and third on-off valves 121 and 131. In this case, the gaseous fuel flows through the first flow path 110, and heat exchange with the engine coolant may be performed in the first heat exchanger 113. Accordingly, the gaseous fuel can be heated through heat exchange with the engine coolant having a relatively high temperature.

Thereafter, when the engine 60 is sufficiently heated so that the temperature of the engine coolant rises above the first set temperature and the temperature of the intake air is above the second set temperature, the controller 150 opens the second on-off valve 121 The first opening and closing valve 111 may be closed. This is because when the engine 60 is sufficiently heated, smooth combustion is possible even if the gaseous fuel is not heated. In this case, the gaseous fuel flows through the second flow path 120 and may perform heat exchange with the intake air in the second heat exchanger 123. Accordingly, the temperature of the intake air supplied to the engine 60 can be lowered, and the filling efficiency of the air can be increased.

In one embodiment, the first set temperature may be 40°C, and the second set temperature may be 20°C. However, the first set temperature and the second set temperature may be appropriately selected as necessary.

When cooling is required in the vehicle interior, for example, when the measured value of the third temperature sensor 145 is equal to or higher than the third set temperature, the controller 150 may open the third on-off valve 131. In this case, a part of the gaseous fuel flows through the third flow path 130, and the third heat exchanger 133 may perform heat exchange with the air inside the vehicle. Accordingly, it is possible to lower the indoor temperature of the vehicle. In particular, since the cooling effect can be obtained even if the air conditioner is not operated, the fuel economy of the vehicle can be improved. Meanwhile, the third set temperature may be, for example, 25°C.

Meanwhile, although not shown, a fourth on-off valve (not shown) for controlling the flow of engine coolant may be further installed in the high-temperature line 43. For example, when the temperature of the engine coolant is equal to or higher than the first set temperature, the controller 150 may open the first on-off valve 111 and close the fourth on-off valve. In this case, the gaseous fuel flows through the first flow path 110, but may be provided directly from the regulator 20 to the gas injector 30 without any heat exchange.

As described above, the temperature control apparatus 100 of a gas fuel vehicle according to the present invention may cool the intake air or cool the indoor air of the vehicle by using the low temperature characteristics of the gas fuel. In this case, since energy that should have been additionally used for cooling intake air or indoor air can be saved, fuel efficiency of the vehicle can be improved. In addition, a sufficient amount of air can be supplied to the engine 60 through intake air cooling, and harmful gas emissions can be reduced by preventing incomplete combustion.

3 is a view showing a temperature control apparatus of a gas fuel vehicle according to another embodiment of the present invention. The temperature control apparatus 101 of a gas fuel vehicle illustrated in FIG. 3 is a temperature control apparatus of a gas fuel vehicle described with reference to FIG. 2, except that the third flow path 160 is branched from the first flow path 110. It is substantially the same as (100). Accordingly, redundant descriptions of the same components will be omitted.

Referring to FIG. 3, the apparatus 101 for controlling a temperature of a gas fuel vehicle includes first to third flow paths 110, 120 and 160 through which gas fuel stored in the regulator 20 is supplied to the gas injector 30, and the engine And a measuring unit 140 for measuring coolant, intake, and temperature of the vehicle interior, and a control unit 150 for selectively opening and closing the first to third flow paths 110, 120, and 160 according to the measured temperature. .

The third flow path 160 is a flow path through which heat exchange is performed between the gas fuel and the air inside the vehicle. A third on/off valve 161, a third heat exchanger 163, and a third check valve 165 may be sequentially installed in the third flow path 160.

The third on-off valve 161 is controlled to be opened and closed by the controller 150, and when the third on-off valve 161 is opened, the gas fuel of the regulator 20 is transferred to the gas injector 30 through the third flow path 160. Can be supplied as For example, the third on-off valve 161 may be a solenoid valve.

The third check valve 165 is a valve that prevents gas fuel from flowing backward. Specifically, the third check valve 165 may prevent gas fuel that has already undergone heat exchange in the first flow path 110 or the second flow path 120 from flowing into the third heat exchanger 163.

In the third heat exchanger 163, heat exchange may occur between gaseous fuel and air in the vehicle interior. That is, indoor air inside the vehicle is introduced into the third heat exchanger 163 and may be cooled in the third heat exchanger 163 through heat exchange with low temperature gaseous fuel.

As described above, the temperature control apparatus 101 of the gas fuel vehicle according to the present embodiment, unlike the temperature control apparatus 100 of the gas fuel vehicle described with reference to FIG. 2, the second opening/closing valve 121 or the 3 The on-off valve 161 can be selectively opened and closed. For example, the control unit 150 may close the second on/off valve 121 and selectively open only the third on/off valve 161. In this case, after passing through only the third heat exchanger 163, gaseous fuel It may be supplied to the gas injector 30. In other words, low-temperature gaseous fuel can be used only to cool the indoor air of the vehicle. Therefore, the low-temperature characteristics of the gaseous fuel can be used more efficiently.

Hereinafter, a method of controlling the temperature of the gas fuel vehicle using the temperature control devices 100 and 101 of the gas fuel vehicle illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 will be described. Meanwhile, when the temperature control devices 100 and 101 shown in FIGS. 2 and 3 are used, the control method thereof is substantially the same or similar. Therefore, for convenience of description, the following will be described with reference to the temperature control apparatus 100 of the gas fuel vehicle shown in FIG. 2.

4 is a flowchart illustrating steps of a method for controlling a temperature of a gas fuel vehicle according to the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 4, when the vehicle is started, the regulator 20 is operated to decompress the gaseous fuel (S100). Specifically, the gaseous fuel in a liquid state stored in the gas tank 10 adiabatically expands within the regulator 20, and may be converted into a low-temperature, low-pressure gas.

By opening the first flow path 110 and closing the second flow path 120 (S120), the gaseous fuel is controlled to be supplied to the engine 60 in a heated state through heat exchange with the engine coolant (S130).

Specifically, since the engine 60 is not sufficiently heated immediately after starting the vehicle, the low-temperature gaseous fuel may not be smoothly burned in the engine 60, and in some cases, the engine may be turned off. have. To prevent this, gaseous fuel may be heated through heat exchange with engine coolant having a relatively high temperature and then supplied to the engine 60. In this case, the controller 150 opens the first on-off valve 111 and closes the second on-off valve 121 to control the gaseous fuel to pass through the first heat exchanger 113 of the first flow path 110 can do.

Engine coolant, intake air and vehicle interior temperatures are monitored (S140).

Specifically, the measurement unit 140 may measure the temperature of the engine coolant, the temperature of the intake air, and the indoor temperature of the vehicle, and transmit the measured temperature information to the controller 150.

If the temperature of the engine coolant is higher than a preset first set temperature (S150) and the intake air temperature is higher than a preset second set temperature (S160), the second flow path 120 is opened (S170) between the gaseous fuel and the intake air. Heat exchange is performed (S180).

When the temperature of the engine coolant reaches the first set temperature or higher, the engine 60 may be sufficiently heated. That is, if the engine coolant is higher than the first set temperature, it can be seen that complete combustion in the engine 60 is possible even without heating the gaseous fuel. Therefore, the low-temperature characteristics of gaseous fuel can be utilized elsewhere. In this case, the first set temperature may be, for example, 40°C.

Specifically, when the temperature of the engine coolant measured by the first temperature sensor 141 is equal to or higher than the first set temperature, and the temperature of the intake air measured by the second temperature sensor 143 is equal to or higher than the second set temperature, the controller ( 150) closes the first on-off valve 111 and opens the second on-off valve 121. In this case, the second set temperature may be, for example, 20°C. Accordingly, the gas fuel of the regulator 20 may be supplied to the gas injector 30 through the second flow path 120 instead of the first flow path 110. In this process, the gaseous fuel may perform heat exchange with the intake air in the second heat exchanger 123, and the temperature of the intake air may be lowered. Accordingly, it is possible to increase the filling efficiency of air supplied to the engine 60 and improve the fuel economy of the vehicle.

Thereafter, when the vehicle needs cooling (S200), the indoor air of the vehicle is cooled by utilizing the low-temperature characteristics of the gas fuel.

For example, when the indoor temperature of the vehicle measured by the third temperature sensor 145 is equal to or higher than the third set temperature, the controller 150 may determine that cooling is required. The third set temperature may be, for example, 25°C. In this case, the controller 150 may open the third on-off valve 131 to control a part of the gaseous fuel to be supplied to the third flow path 130 (S210). In the third heat exchanger 135 of the third flow path 130, the gaseous fuel may perform heat exchange with the air inside the vehicle (S220). Accordingly, the air inside the vehicle may be cooled. Accordingly, it is possible to cool the air in the vehicle even if the air conditioner is not separately operated.

Thereafter, when the vehicle interior air is sufficiently cooled and falls below the third set temperature, the controller 150 may determine that cooling is no longer required. In this case, the control unit 150 may control the gas fuel not to be supplied to the third flow path 130 by closing the third on/off valve 131 (S230).

In addition, when the cooling performance is insufficient (S240), the air conditioner is additionally operated (S250), and when the cooling performance is sufficient, the air conditioner may not be operated (S260).

In this case, whether the cooling performance is sufficient may be determined based on the vehicle interior temperature measured by the third temperature sensor 145. For example, if the vehicle interior temperature does not fall below the third set temperature even though the third flow path 130 is opened to cool the vehicle interior air, the controller 150 determines that the cooling performance is insufficient. Additional air conditioning can be activated. Alternatively, even when an air conditioner operation signal is input from the user, the controller 150 may determine that the cooling performance is insufficient.

As described above, in the method for controlling the temperature of a gas fuel vehicle according to the present invention, the combustion reliability of the gas fuel can be ensured by controlling the flow path so that the gas fuel exchanges heat with the engine coolant at the initial start-up. Thereafter, after the engine is sufficiently heated, the intake air or the vehicle interior air may be selectively cooled using a low-temperature gas fuel. In this case, since energy that should have been additionally used for cooling intake air or indoor air can be saved, fuel efficiency of the vehicle can be improved.

Although the above has been described with reference to embodiments of the present invention, those skilled in the art will be able to variously modify and change the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention described in the following claims. You will understand that you can.

10: gas tank 20: regulator
30: gas injector 60: engine
100, 101: temperature control device of gas fuel vehicle
110, 120, 130: 1st, 2nd, 3rd flow path
111, 121, 131: first, second, third on-off valve
113, 123, 133: first, second, and third heat exchangers
115, 125, 135: first, second, third check valve
140: measurement unit 150: control unit

Claims (11)

A first flow path that is a path through which gas fuel stored in the regulator is supplied to the gas injector, and includes a first opening/closing valve for opening and closing the flow path, and a first heat exchanger in which heat exchange occurs between the gas fuel and the coolant of the engine;
A second flow path branched from the first flow path and including a second on/off valve for opening and closing the flow path and a second heat exchanger in which heat exchange occurs between gaseous fuel and intake air;
A third flow path branched from the second flow path and including a third opening/closing valve for opening and closing the flow path and a third heat exchanger in which heat exchange occurs between gaseous fuel and indoor air of the vehicle;
A measuring unit that measures a temperature of engine coolant, a temperature of intake air, and a temperature of an indoor air of the vehicle; And
Including a control unit for selectively opening and closing the first to third flow paths according to the temperature measured by the measurement unit,
The control unit,
When the temperature of the engine coolant is less than the first set temperature, the first on-off valve is opened,
When the temperature of the engine coolant is higher than the first set temperature and the temperature of the intake air is higher than or equal to the second set temperature, the first on-off valve is closed and the second on-off valve is opened,
Gas, characterized in that the third opening/closing valve is opened when the temperature of the engine coolant is higher than the first set temperature, the temperature of the intake air is higher than the second set temperature, and the indoor air temperature of the vehicle is higher than the third set temperature. Temperature control unit of fuel vehicle. delete delete delete The temperature control device of claim 1, wherein the first set temperature is 40°C, the second set temperature is 20°C, and the third set temperature is 25°C. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the controller controls the engine coolant to not be supplied to the first heat exchanger when the temperature of the engine coolant is equal to or higher than the first set temperature. The method of claim 1, wherein the first to third flow paths further include first to third check valves installed at rear ends of each of the first to third heat exchangers to prevent reverse flow of gaseous fuel. The temperature control device of a gas fueled vehicle. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the second flow path and the third flow path branch from the first flow path, respectively. The method of claim 8,
In the first flow path, a first on-off valve for opening and closing the flow path, a first heat exchanger in which heat exchange occurs between the gas fuel and the coolant of the engine, and a first check valve for preventing reverse flow of the gas fuel are sequentially installed,
In the second flow path, a second on-off valve for opening and closing the flow path, a second heat exchanger in which heat exchange occurs between gaseous fuel and intake air, and a second check valve for preventing reverse flow of gaseous fuel are sequentially installed,
In the third flow path, a third on-off valve for opening and closing the flow path, a third heat exchanger in which heat exchange occurs between gaseous fuel and indoor air of the vehicle, and a third check valve for preventing reverse flow of gaseous fuel are sequentially installed. A temperature control device for a gas fuel vehicle, characterized in that. The method of claim 9, wherein the control unit,
When the temperature of the engine coolant is less than the first set temperature, the first on-off valve is opened,
When the temperature of the engine coolant is higher than the first set temperature and the temperature of the intake air is higher than or equal to the second set temperature, the first on-off valve is closed and the second on-off valve is opened,
When the temperature of the engine coolant is equal to or higher than the first set temperature and the indoor air temperature of the vehicle is equal to or higher than the third set temperature, the third on-off valve is opened. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the gaseous fuel is compressed natural gas (CNG).

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