WO2023281986A1

WO2023281986A1 - Function component module for refrigeration cycle

Info

Publication number: WO2023281986A1
Application number: PCT/JP2022/023576
Authority: WO
Inventors: 貴郁松本; 豪太尾形; 博登井上; 琢郎佐原; 慎二橋元; 諭宮野; 理功大内; 弘之川島; 繁次大石
Original assignee: 株式会社デンソー
Priority date: 2021-07-05
Filing date: 2022-06-13
Publication date: 2023-01-12

Abstract

The present invention comprises: a passage formation portion (71) in which a refrigerant passage through which refrigerant of a refrigeration cycle flows is formed; a plurality of function components (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, 13e, 13f, 13g, 17) which are mounted to the passage formation portion and are activated through supply of drive currents to provide predetermined functions in the refrigeration cycle; and a function component control unit (62) which calculates, on the basis of a value of target performance of the refrigeration cycle input from a main control unit (61) for calculating the target performance, values of the drive currents output to the plurality of function components to output the drive currents to the plurality of function components and detects failures of the plurality of function components, wherein the number of function component control units is smaller than the number of function components.

Description

Functional product module for refrigeration cycle

Cross-reference to related applications

This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2021-111356 filed on July 5, 2021 and Japanese Patent Application No. 2022-25576 filed on February 22, 2022. to invoke.

The present disclosure relates to a module that integrates functional components of a refrigeration cycle.

Currently, vehicles that run on electricity output from batteries, such as hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles, are becoming more popular. Along with this, the refrigeration cycle for vehicles has come to take charge of battery cooling in addition to air conditioning.

On the other hand, Patent Document 1 describes a control system that is applied to an automotive air conditioning system. In this prior art, the electronic control portion of the control system controls the electronic expansion valve.

Japanese Patent No. 6283739

When the vehicle refrigerating cycle is responsible for cooling the battery, if the vehicle refrigerating cycle fails and the battery cannot be cooled, the running of the vehicle will be hindered. expansion valve, solenoid valve, etc.) must be detected by an electronic control unit.

As a result, the computational capacity required of the electronic control unit that controls the operation of the vehicular refrigeration cycle significantly increases, so there is a demand for measures to reduce the computational load of the electronic control unit.

In addition, as the refrigeration cycle for vehicles is responsible for battery cooling in addition to air conditioning, the number of functional items to be controlled by the electronic control unit has increased significantly. As a result, the number of electrical wires (particularly, wires through which drive current flows) between the electronic control unit and the functional products has increased significantly. Moreover, each functional item is installed in various places in the vehicle because its installation location is determined according to its function. As a result, the total extension of the electrical wiring between the electronic control unit and the functional product becomes extremely long, making it difficult to ensure electromagnetic compatibility with respect to the drive current.

In view of the above points, the present disclosure aims to reduce the computational load of the electronic control unit and to facilitate ensuring electromagnetic compatibility.

A refrigeration cycle functional component module according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a passage forming portion, a plurality of functional components, and a functional component control unit.

A refrigerant passage through which the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle flows is formed in the passage forming portion. A plurality of functional items are attached to the passage forming portion, and operate by being supplied with drive current to perform predetermined functions in the refrigerating cycle. The functional product control unit calculates drive current values to be output to the plurality of functional products based on the target capacity value input from the main control unit that calculates the target capacity of the refrigeration cycle, and drives the plurality of functional products. It outputs current and detects failures of multiple functional products. The number of functional product control units is smaller than the number of functional products.

According to this, by dividing the electronic control unit into the main control unit and the functional product control unit, the calculation load of the main control unit can be reduced. By collectively arranging a plurality of functional products in the passage forming portion, the electrical wiring between the functional product control unit and the functional products can be shortened as much as possible. By making the number of functional product control units smaller than the number of functional products, it is possible to minimize the increase in signal lines and the complication of control that accompany separation into the main control unit and the functional product control unit.

The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description with reference to the accompanying drawings.
1 is a schematic cross-sectional view of a vehicle equipped with a refrigerating cycle functional product module according to a first embodiment; FIG. It is a block diagram showing an electric control part of the vehicle air conditioner of the first embodiment. 1 is a cross-sectional view showing a refrigerating cycle functional module according to a first embodiment; FIG. FIG. 4 is a sectional view along IV-IV in FIG. 3; 4 is a block diagram showing control processing executed by the functional product control unit of the first embodiment; FIG. 4 is a time chart showing an operation example of control processing for preventing liquid refrigerant from returning to the compressor in the first embodiment; 5 is a time chart for explaining a method of determining failure of an expansion valve in the first embodiment; 4 is a time chart showing an operation example of recovery operation in the first embodiment; It is a side view which shows the functional component module for refrigerating cycles of 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view taken along the line XX of FIG. 9; FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view showing a functional component module for a refrigerating cycle according to a second embodiment; 12 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the first expansion valve in FIG. 11; FIG. FIG. 12 is a cross-sectional view taken along line XIII-XIII of FIG. 11; 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of the first expansion valve in FIG. 13; FIG. 14 is an enlarged cross-sectional view of a third expansion valve in FIG. 13; FIG. It is explanatory drawing explaining the assembly procedure regarding a 1st expansion valve, a 2nd expansion valve, and a 3rd expansion valve among the functional goods modules for refrigerating cycles of 2nd Embodiment. FIG. 17 is a view in the direction of arrow XVII of FIG. 16; FIG. 17 is a view in the direction of arrow XVIII of FIG. 16; FIG. 11 is a cross-sectional view showing a functional component module for a refrigeration cycle in a modified example of the second embodiment;

A plurality of modes for carrying out the present disclosure will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, portions corresponding to items described in the preceding embodiment may be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted. When only part of the configuration is described in each embodiment, the other embodiments previously described can be applied to other portions of the configuration. Not only the combination of the parts that are specifically stated that the combination is possible in each embodiment, but also the embodiments can be partially combined even if it is not specified unless there is a particular problem with the combination. It is possible.

(First embodiment)
The refrigerating cycle functional product module 70 of this embodiment will be described. The functional product module 70 of this embodiment is applied to a vehicle air conditioner mounted on the electric vehicle 1 shown in FIG. In FIG. 1 , front and rear arrows indicate front and rear directions of the electric vehicle 1 .

The electric vehicle 1 is a vehicle that obtains driving force for running from an electric motor. The vehicle air conditioner air-conditions the interior of the passenger compartment 1a, which is the space to be air-conditioned, and cools the vehicle-mounted equipment. Therefore, the vehicle air conditioner can be called an air conditioner with an in-vehicle equipment cooling function or an in-vehicle equipment cooling equipment with an air conditioning function.

More specifically, the vehicle air conditioner cools the battery 80 . The battery 80 is a secondary battery that stores power to be supplied to a plurality of in-vehicle devices that operate electrically. The battery 80 is an assembled battery formed by electrically connecting a plurality of stacked battery cells in series or in parallel. The battery cell of this embodiment is a lithium ion battery. In this embodiment, the battery 80 is arranged in the rear part of the vehicle interior 1a.

The battery 80 generates heat during operation (that is, during charging and discharging). The battery 80 has a characteristic that the output tends to decrease when the temperature becomes low, and the deterioration tends to progress when the temperature becomes high. Therefore, the temperature of the battery 80 must be maintained within an appropriate temperature range (15° C. or higher and 55° C. or lower in this embodiment). Therefore, in the vehicle air conditioner of this embodiment, the battery 80 is cooled when the temperature of the battery 80 rises.

The vehicle air conditioner includes a refrigeration cycle, an indoor air conditioning unit 30, a low temperature side heat medium circuit, a control unit 61 shown in the main drawing 2, and the like. The functional product module 70 is a component that integrates a plurality of components that form a refrigeration cycle and the functional product control unit 62 shown in FIG. 2 .

The refrigeration cycle is a vapor compression refrigeration cycle device that adjusts the temperature of the air blown into the compartment 1a, the battery 80, and the low temperature side heat medium circulating in the low temperature side heat medium circuit. Furthermore, the refrigerating cycle uses refrigerant in accordance with various operation modes for air conditioning in the passenger compartment 1a, cooling of the battery 80, and absorption of heat from the drive system equipment (the electric motor 50 and the inverter 51 for traveling in this example). The circuit is configured to be switchable.

The refrigeration cycle uses an HFO-based refrigerant (specifically, R1234yf) as the refrigerant. The refrigerating cycle constitutes a subcritical refrigerating cycle in which the pressure of the high pressure side refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 does not exceed the critical pressure of the refrigerant. Refrigerant oil for lubricating the compressor 11 is mixed in the refrigerant. Refrigerating machine oil is PAG oil having compatibility with the liquid phase refrigerant. Some of the refrigerating machine oil circulates through the cycle together with the refrigerant.

The refrigeration cycle includes a condenser that condenses the high-pressure side refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11. The heat radiated by the condenser is used for heating the air blown into the compartment 1a or released to the outside air, as required.

The refrigeration cycle is equipped with an expansion valve group that reduces the pressure of the condensed high pressure side refrigerant. In this example, the expansion valve group includes a first expansion valve 13a, a second expansion valve 13b, a third expansion valve 13c, a fourth expansion valve 13d, a fifth expansion valve 13e, a sixth expansion valve 13f, and a seventh expansion valve 13g. Prepare.

The refrigeration cycle is equipped with an indoor evaporator that evaporates the depressurized low-pressure side refrigerant, a battery cooler, and a chiller.

The indoor evaporator is a cooling heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the low-pressure side refrigerant decompressed by the first expansion valve 13a and the air blown into the vehicle interior 1a. The indoor evaporator cools the air by evaporating the low-pressure side refrigerant and exerting an endothermic action. The indoor evaporator is housed inside the indoor air conditioning unit 30 .

The battery cooler is a cooling heat exchanger that cools the battery 80 with the low-pressure side refrigerant decompressed by the second expansion valve 13b. The battery cooler cools the battery 80 by evaporating the low-pressure side refrigerant to exhibit heat absorption.

The chiller is a low-temperature side water-refrigerant heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the low-pressure side refrigerant depressurized by the third expansion valve 13c and the low-temperature side heat medium circulating in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit. In the chiller, the low-temperature side heat medium flowing through the heat medium passage is cooled by evaporating the low-pressure side refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant passage and exerting an endothermic action. The chiller is arranged in the drive unit room 1b of the electric vehicle 1. As shown in FIG.

The compressor 11 sucks, compresses, and discharges the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle. Compressor 11 is arranged in drive unit room 1 b of electric vehicle 1 . The drive device chamber 1b forms a space in which at least a part of a device for generating a drive amount for running (for example, the electric motor 50 for running) is arranged.

The compressor 11 is an electric compressor in which an electric motor drives a fixed displacement type compression mechanism with a fixed displacement. The compressor 11 has its rotation speed (that is, refrigerant discharge capacity) controlled by a control signal output from the compressor control unit 63 .

The first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, the third expansion valve 13c, the fourth expansion valve 13d, the fifth expansion valve 13e, the sixth expansion valve 13f, and the seventh expansion valve 13g reduce the pressure of the refrigerant and It is a decompression part that adjusts the flow rate of the refrigerant that flows out to the side.

The first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, the third expansion valve 13c, the fourth expansion valve 13d, the fifth expansion valve 13e, the sixth expansion valve 13f, and the seventh expansion valve 13g have a refrigerant pressure reducing function in the refrigeration cycle. And it is a functional product that exerts the function of adjusting the flow rate of the refrigerant.

The first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, the third expansion valve 13c, the fourth expansion valve 13d, the fifth expansion valve 13e, the sixth expansion valve 13f, and the seventh expansion valve 13g can change the throttle opening. It is an electric variable throttling mechanism comprising a configured valve body and an electric actuator that changes the opening degree of the valve body. In this example, a brushless motor is used as the electric actuator. A stepping motor may be used as the electric actuator.

The operations of the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, the third expansion valve 13c, the fourth expansion valve 13d, the fifth expansion valve 13e, the sixth expansion valve 13f and the seventh expansion valve 13g are controlled by the functional product control unit 62. is controlled by the drive current supplied by the

In the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, the third expansion valve 13c, the fourth expansion valve 13d, the fifth expansion valve 13e, the sixth expansion valve 13f, and the seventh expansion valve 13g, the valve body portion defines the throttle passage. When fully opened, it has a fully open function that functions as a mere refrigerant passage without exhibiting a flow rate adjusting action and a refrigerant depressurizing action. Therefore, the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, the third expansion valve 13c, the fourth expansion valve 13d, the fifth expansion valve 13e, the sixth expansion valve 13f, and the seventh expansion valve 13g serve as refrigerant circuit switching units. It has the functions of

As shown in FIG. 1, the functional product module 70 is arranged in the drive device chamber 1b of the electric vehicle 1. As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, in the functional product module 70, among the components of the refrigeration cycle, the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, the third expansion valve 13c, the fourth expansion valve 13d, the The 5th expansion valve 13e, the 6th expansion valve 13f, the 7th expansion valve 13g, the on-off valve 17 and the like are integrated. These constituent devices are integrated by being attached to a channel box 71 that is an attachment member.

The channel box 71 is the main body of the functional module 70. The channel box 71 is a channel forming portion that forms a coolant channel therein. A plurality of coolant inlets/outlet ports 71 a formed on the outer surface of the channel box 71 communicate with coolant passages formed inside the channel box 71 .

Each refrigerant inlet/outlet 71a is connected to the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, the third expansion valve 13c, the fourth expansion valve 13d, the fifth expansion valve 13e, the third It communicates with the entrance/exit of one of the 6th expansion valve 13f and the 7th expansion valve 13g.

The refrigerant outlet side of the condenser, the refrigerant inlet side of the indoor evaporator, the refrigerant inlet side of the battery cooler, and the refrigerant inlet side of the chiller are connected to these refrigerant inlets and outlets 71 a via refrigerant pipes 75 .

The on-off valve 17 is an electromagnetic valve that opens and closes the refrigerant passage formed inside the flow path box 71 . The opening/closing operation of the opening/closing valve 17 is controlled by a control voltage or drive current output from the functional product control unit 62 .

The on-off valve 17 can switch the refrigerant circuit by opening and closing the refrigerant passage. Therefore, the on-off valve 17 is a refrigerant circuit switching unit. The on-off valve 17 is a functional item that exhibits a function of opening and closing a refrigerant passage in the refrigeration cycle.

Next, the low temperature side heat medium circuit will be explained. The low temperature side heat medium circuit is a circuit that circulates the low temperature side heat medium. In the low temperature side heat medium circuit, an ethylene glycol aqueous solution is used as the low temperature side heat medium. A water passage of a chiller, a low-temperature radiator, an electric motor 50 for traveling shown in FIG.

The low temperature radiator is a heat medium outside air heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the low temperature side heat medium and the outside air.

The traveling electric motor 50 is a driving force generator that generates traveling driving force from the AC power supplied from the inverter 51 . The operation of the traveling electric motor 50 is controlled by a control voltage output from the driving system control unit 92 . Since the traveling electric motor 50 generates heat during operation, it is cooled by the low temperature side heat medium of the low temperature side heat medium circuit. In other words, the exhaust heat of the traveling electric motor 50 is absorbed and recovered by the low temperature side heat medium of the low temperature side heat medium circuit.

The inverter 51 is a power conversion device that converts the DC power supplied from the battery 80 into AC power and outputs the AC power to the electric motor 50 for traveling. The operation of inverter 51 is controlled by a control voltage output from drive system control unit 92 . Since the inverter 51 generates heat during operation, it is cooled by the low temperature side heat medium of the low temperature side heat medium circuit. In other words, the exhaust heat of the inverter 51 is recovered by being absorbed by the low temperature side heat medium of the low temperature side heat medium circuit.

The low-temperature side pump 52 is a low-temperature side heat medium pumping section that sucks and pumps the low-temperature side heat medium. The low temperature side pump 52 pressure-feeds the low temperature side heat medium to the inlet side of the heat medium passage of the chiller. The low temperature side pump 52 is an electric water pump whose number of revolutions (that is, pumping capacity) is controlled by a control voltage output from the drive system control unit 92 .

A low-temperature radiator, an electric motor 50 for traveling, and an inlet side of an inverter 51 are connected to the outlet of the heat medium passage of the chiller. The suction port side of a low temperature side pump 52 is connected to the outlets of the low temperature radiator, the electric motor 50 for running, and the inverter 51 .

Next, the indoor air conditioning unit 30 will be explained. The interior air-conditioning unit 30 shown in FIG. 1 integrates a plurality of components in order to blow out air adjusted to an appropriate temperature for air-conditioning the vehicle interior 1a to appropriate locations within the vehicle interior 1a. is a unit. The indoor air-conditioning unit 30 is arranged inside the dashboard (instrument panel) at the foremost part in the passenger compartment 1a.

The indoor air conditioning unit 30 is formed by housing the indoor blower 32, the indoor evaporator, etc. shown in FIG. 2 in an air conditioning case forming an air passage. An inside/outside air switching device 33 is arranged on the most upstream side of the air flow of the air conditioning case. The inside/outside air switching device 33 switches and introduces inside air (that is, vehicle interior air) and outside air (that is, vehicle exterior air) into the air conditioning case. The operation of the inside/outside air switching device 33 is controlled by a control signal output from the main control unit 61 .

An indoor fan 32 is arranged downstream of the inside/outside air switching device 33 in the air flow. The indoor air blower 32 blows the air sucked through the inside/outside air switching device 33 into the vehicle interior 1a. The number of revolutions (that is, the air blowing capacity) of the indoor fan 32 is controlled by the control voltage output from the main control unit 61 .

An indoor evaporator is arranged downstream of the indoor blower 32 in the air flow. An air heater that heats the air after passing through the indoor evaporator is arranged downstream of the indoor evaporator in the air flow. The air heater may be a heat exchanger that heats the air by directly using the heat of the high-pressure side refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11, or may use the heat of the high-pressure side refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 as heat. A heat exchanger that heats air using a medium or the like may be used. The air heater may be an electric heater.

Inside the air conditioning case, a cold air bypass passage is formed in which the air that has passed through the indoor evaporator bypasses the air heater.

An air mix door 34 is arranged on the air flow downstream side of the indoor evaporator in the air conditioning case and on the air flow upstream side of the air heater and the cold air bypass passage.

The air mix door 34 adjusts the air volume ratio between the air volume that passes through the air heater side and the air volume that passes through the cold air bypass passage, among the air that has passed through the indoor evaporator. Actuation of the actuator for driving the air mix door 34 is controlled by a control signal output from the main control unit 61 .

A mixing space is arranged on the air flow downstream side of the air heater and the cold air bypass passage. The mixing space is a space for mixing the air heated by the air heater and the air that has passed through the cold air bypass passage and is not heated.

Therefore, in the indoor air conditioning unit 30, the temperature of the air mixed in the mixing space and blown out into the passenger compartment 1a (that is, the conditioned air) can be adjusted by adjusting the opening degree of the air mix door 34.

A plurality of opening holes are formed in the most downstream part of the air flow of the air conditioning case for blowing out the air conditioning air toward various locations in the vehicle interior 1a. Blow-out mode doors 35 for opening and closing the respective openings are arranged in the plurality of openings. The operation of the actuator for driving the blow mode door 35 is controlled by control signals output from the main control unit 61 .

Therefore, in the indoor air conditioning unit 30, by switching the opening hole that the blowing mode door 35 opens and closes, it is possible to blow out conditioned air adjusted to an appropriate temperature to an appropriate location in the vehicle interior 1a.

Next, the outline of the electric control unit of this embodiment will be described. The main control unit 61, the functional product control unit 62, and the compressor control unit 63 shown in FIG. 2 are electronic control units having well-known microcomputers including CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and peripheral circuits. The main control unit 61, the functional product control unit 62, and the compressor control unit 63 perform various calculations and processes based on control programs stored in the ROM, and control the operation of various controlled devices connected to the output side. do.

The main control unit 61 controls the operation of the indoor blower 32 of the indoor air conditioning unit 30, the inside/outside air switching device 33, the actuator for driving the air mix door 34, the actuator for driving the blowout mode door 35, and the like. The main control unit 61 has a target capacity calculator 61a that calculates the value of the target capacity of the refrigeration cycle.

The functional product control unit 62 includes the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, the third expansion valve 13c, the fourth expansion valve 13d, the fifth expansion valve 13e, the sixth expansion valve 13f, and the seventh expansion valve of the refrigeration cycle. 13g and the operation of the on-off valve 17. The functional product control unit 62 has a microcomputer section 621 and a driver IC section 622 .

The microcomputer section 621 has a target opening calculation section 621a, a failure detection section 621b, and a timing determination section 621c.

The target opening degree calculation unit 621a calculates the values of the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, the third expansion valve 13c, the fourth expansion valve 13d, the fifth expansion valve 13e, the sixth expansion valve 13f, and the seventh expansion valve 13g. Calculate the target opening.

The failure detection unit 621b detects failures of the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, the third expansion valve 13c, the fourth expansion valve 13d, the fifth expansion valve 13e, the sixth expansion valve 13f, and the seventh expansion valve 13g. detect.

The timing determination unit 621 c determines timing for changing the rotation speed of the compressor 11 and outputs the timing for changing the rotation speed of the compressor 11 to the compressor control unit 63 .

The driver IC unit 622 applies a drive current to the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, the third expansion valve 13c, the fourth expansion valve 13d, the fifth expansion valve 13e, the sixth expansion valve 13f, and the seventh expansion valve 13g. is a drive current output unit that outputs .

The functional product control unit 62 is an electric board section formed of a so-called rigid printed circuit board. As shown in FIG. 4, the functional product control unit 62 is formed in a rectangular flat plate shape. The functional product control unit 62 is integrated as a functional product module 70 with other components of the refrigeration cycle.

As shown in FIG. 2, the compressor control unit 63 controls the operation of the compressor 11 of the refrigeration cycle. The compressor control unit 63 is integrated with the compressor 11 as a compressor module.

The input side of the main control unit 61 is connected to a sensor group for control such as an inside air temperature sensor 64a, an outside air temperature sensor 64b, a solar radiation sensor 64c, and an air conditioning air temperature sensor 64d. Detection signals from these sensors are input to the main control unit 61 . These sensors are included in the components that make up the refrigeration cycle.

The inside air temperature sensor 64a is an inside air temperature detection unit that detects the inside air temperature Tr, which is the temperature inside the vehicle compartment 1a. The outside air temperature sensor 64b is an outside air temperature detection unit that detects the outside air temperature Tam, which is the temperature outside the vehicle compartment. The solar radiation sensor 64c is a solar radiation amount detection unit that detects the solar radiation amount As irradiated into the vehicle interior 1a. The air-conditioning air temperature sensor 64d is an air-conditioning air temperature detecting section that detects the temperature TAV of the air-conditioning air blown from the indoor air-conditioning unit 30 into the vehicle interior 1a.

On the input side of the functional product control unit 62 are a high-pressure side refrigerant pressure and temperature sensor 65a, a low-pressure side refrigerant pressure and temperature sensor 65b, a battery inlet pressure and temperature sensor 65c, a battery outlet pressure and temperature sensor 65d, a chiller inlet pressure and temperature sensor 65e, and a chiller outlet. A sensor group for control such as the pressure temperature sensor 65f is connected.

The high-pressure side refrigerant pressure and temperature sensor 65a is a high-pressure side refrigerant pressure and temperature detector that detects the pressure and temperature of the high-pressure side refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11. The low-pressure refrigerant pressure and temperature sensor 65b is a low-pressure refrigerant pressure and temperature detector that detects the pressure and temperature of the low-pressure refrigerant sucked into the compressor 11 .

The battery inlet pressure and temperature sensor 65c is a battery inlet coolant pressure and temperature detector that detects the pressure and temperature of the coolant on the inlet side of the battery cooler. The battery outlet pressure and temperature sensor 65d is a battery outlet coolant pressure and temperature detector that detects the pressure and temperature of the coolant on the outlet side of the battery cooler.

The chiller inlet pressure and temperature sensor 65e is a chiller inlet refrigerant pressure and temperature detector that detects the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant on the chiller inlet side. The chiller outlet pressure and temperature sensor 65f is a chiller outlet refrigerant pressure and temperature detector that detects the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant on the outlet side of the chiller.

In the high pressure side refrigerant pressure temperature sensor 65a, the low pressure side refrigerant pressure temperature sensor 65b, the battery inlet pressure temperature sensor 65c, the battery outlet pressure temperature sensor 65d, the chiller inlet pressure temperature sensor 65e, and the chiller outlet pressure temperature sensor 65f, the pressure detector and the temperature Although a detection unit in which the detection units are integrated is adopted, of course, a pressure detection unit and a temperature detection unit configured separately may be adopted.

A high-pressure side refrigerant pressure and temperature sensor 65a, a low-pressure side refrigerant pressure and temperature sensor 65b, a battery inlet pressure and temperature sensor 65c, a battery outlet pressure and temperature sensor 65d, a chiller inlet pressure and temperature sensor 65e, and a chiller outlet pressure and temperature sensor 65f detect the state of the refrigerant. Refrigerant state detector.

A high pressure side refrigerant pressure temperature sensor 65a, a low pressure side refrigerant pressure temperature sensor 65b, a battery inlet pressure temperature sensor 65c, a battery outlet pressure temperature sensor 65d, a chiller inlet pressure temperature sensor 65e, and a chiller outlet pressure temperature sensor 65f are connected to the passage box 71. It is attached to detect the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant passage inside the flow path box 71 .

An expansion valve current/voltage sensor group 66 is connected to the input side of the functional product control unit 62 . The expansion valve current/voltage sensor group 66 includes the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, the third expansion valve 13c, the fourth expansion valve 13d, the fifth expansion valve 13e, the sixth expansion valve 13f, and the seventh expansion valve 13g. is an expansion valve current and voltage detection unit that detects the current and voltage of each of the .

The expansion valve current/voltage sensor group 66 includes the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, the third expansion valve 13c, the fourth expansion valve 13d, the fifth expansion valve 13e, the sixth expansion valve 13f, and the seventh expansion valve 13g. attached to each of the

The expansion valve current/voltage sensor group 66 employs a detection unit in which a current detection unit and a voltage detection unit are integrated. may

The main control unit 61, the functional product control unit 62, and the compressor control unit 63 are communicably connected to each other via a CAN (Controller Area Network) communication protocol or the like. Therefore, based on the detection signal or the operation signal input to one control device, the operation of the controlled device connected to the output side of the other control device can be controlled.

Similarly, the main control unit 61, the user interface 90, the battery control unit 91, and the drive system control unit 92 are communicably connected to each other via a harness using a CAN communication protocol or the like. Therefore, based on the detection signal or the operation signal input to one control device, the operation of the controlled device connected to the output side of the other control device can be controlled.

The user interface 90 is a group of devices for exchanging information with passengers. The user interface 90 is an instrument panel, an air conditioning operation panel, an accelerator pedal opening detection device, and the like.

The instrument panel is located near the front of the driver's seat in the front part of the cabin 1a. The instrument panel displays various information such as the running speed of the electric vehicle 1 and the operating state of the electric vehicle 1 . The instrument panel warns the occupant by display, sound, or the like when an abnormality or failure occurs in various devices of the electric vehicle 1 .

The air-conditioning operation panel is located near the instrument panel in the front part of the passenger compartment 1a. The controller 60 receives operation signals from various operation switches provided on the air conditioning operation panel. Examples of various operation switches provided on the air conditioning operation panel include an auto switch, an air conditioner switch, an air volume setting switch, a temperature setting switch, and the like.

The auto switch is an operation unit for the passenger to set or cancel the automatic control operation of the air conditioning in the passenger compartment 1a. The air conditioner switch is an operating part that the passenger requests to cool the air in the interior evaporator. The air volume setting switch is an operation unit for the passenger to manually set the air volume of the indoor blower 32 . The temperature setting switch is an operation unit that allows the passenger to set the set temperature Tset inside the passenger compartment 1a.

The accelerator pedal opening detection device detects the accelerator pedal opening by detecting the operating state of the accelerator pedal by the passenger.

The battery control unit 91 and drive system control unit 92 are electronic control units having well-known microcomputers including CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and peripheral circuits. The main control unit 61, the functional product control unit 62, and the compressor control unit 63 perform various calculations and processes based on control programs stored in the ROM, and control the operation of various controlled devices connected to the output side. do.

A battery 80 is connected to the output side of the battery control unit 91 . A battery control unit 91 is a battery control section that controls input/output of the battery 80 .

A sensor group related to the battery 80 such as a battery voltage sensor 93a and a battery temperature sensor 93b is connected to the input side of the battery control unit 91. The battery voltage sensor 93 a is a battery voltage detection section that detects the voltage of the battery 80 .

The battery temperature sensor 93b is a battery temperature detection unit that detects the battery temperature TB (that is, the temperature of the battery 80). The battery temperature sensor 93b of this embodiment has a plurality of temperature sensors and detects temperatures at a plurality of locations of the battery 80. FIG. Therefore, the control device 60 can detect the temperature difference between the battery cells forming the battery 80 . Furthermore, as the battery temperature TB, an average value of detection values of a plurality of temperature sensors is used.

An electric motor 50 for traveling, an inverter 51, a low temperature side pump 52, etc. are connected to the output side of the drive system control unit 92. The drive system control unit 92 is a drive system control section that controls the operation of the electric motor 50 for traveling, the inverter 51 and the low temperature side pump 52 .

Next, the detailed configuration of the functional product module 70 will be described with reference to FIGS. 3 and 4. FIG. The functional product module 70 has a channel box 71 and a cover member 72 .

The channel box 71 is made of metal (aluminum alloy in this embodiment). The channel box 71 is formed in a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape. One surface (the upper surface in this embodiment) of the flow path box 71 includes the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, the third expansion valve 13c, the fourth expansion valve 13d, the fifth expansion valve 13e, the sixth It is a mounting surface 712 to which the expansion valve 13f, the seventh expansion valve 13g and the on-off valve 17 are mounted. The mounting surface 712 includes a first expansion valve 13a, a second expansion valve 13b, a third expansion valve 13c, a fourth expansion valve 13d, a fifth expansion valve 13e, a sixth expansion valve 13f, a seventh expansion valve 13g, and an on-off valve. Mounting holes for mounting 17 are formed.

Mounting holes for mounting the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, the third expansion valve 13c, the fourth expansion valve 13d, the fifth expansion valve 13e, the sixth expansion valve 13f, the seventh expansion valve 13g, and the on-off valve 17 communicates with various refrigerant passages formed in the passage box 71 . A plurality of coolant inlet/outlets 71a are formed on a plurality of surfaces (two side surfaces in this embodiment) of the channel box 71 .

The first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, the third expansion valve 13c, the fourth expansion valve 13d, the fifth expansion valve 13e, the sixth expansion valve 13f, the seventh expansion valve 13g, and the on-off valve 17 are functional parts. It has

terminals

131 a , 131 b , 131 c , 131 d , 131 e , 131 f , 131 g , and 171 which are connection terminals electrically connected to the control unit 62 .

The first expansion valve 13 a , the second expansion valve 13 b , the third expansion valve 13 c , the fourth expansion valve 13 d , the fifth expansion valve 13 e , the sixth expansion valve 13 f , the seventh expansion valve 13 g and the on-off valve 17 Each of the

terminals

131a, 131b, 131c, 131d, 131e, 131f, 131g, and 171 protrudes in a direction perpendicular to the mounting surface 712 (vertical direction in this embodiment).

The functional product control unit 62 is attached to the mounting surface 712 of the channel box 71 via a columnar spacer 73 by means of screwing or the like. The spacers 73 are arranged near the four corners of the functional product control unit 62 when viewed from above and below. The functional product control unit 62 is attached to the mounting surface 712 so that the plate surface is parallel to the mounting surface 712 .

The spacer 73 is made of metal (stainless alloy in this embodiment). At least one spacer 73 is electrically connected to the ground line of the functional product control unit 62 . Therefore, the channel box 71 is electrically connected to the ground wire of the functional product control unit 62 via the spacer 73 .

The height dimension (that is, the axial length) of the spacer 73 is such that the

terminals

131a, 131b, 131c, 131d, 131e, 131f, 131g, and 171 are directly connected to predetermined connections formed in the functional product control unit 62, respectively. configured to be connected.

In other words, each terminal 131a, 131b, 131c, 131d, 131e, 131f, 131g, 171 has a first expansion valve 13a, a second expansion valve 13b, a third expansion valve 13c, a fourth expansion valve 13d, a fifth expansion valve 13e, the sixth expansion valve 13f, the seventh expansion valve 13g, and the on-off valve 17 are attached to the flow path box 71, and protrude in the same direction. are arranged so that they can be directly connected to

The cover member 72 is attached to the outer edge of the attachment surface 712 of the channel box 71 by means of adhesion, welding, or the like. The cover member 72 is made of metal (aluminum alloy in this embodiment).

The cover member 72 is formed in the shape of a bottomed box with one side open. The cover member 72 includes the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, the third expansion valve 13c, the fourth expansion valve 13d, the fifth expansion valve 13e, the sixth expansion valve 13f, and the seventh expansion valve 13f. A housing space for the valve 13g, the on-off valve 17 and the functional product control unit 62 is formed. A sealing member (not shown) is arranged in the gap between the cover member 72 and the flow path box 71 and in the gap between the connector 620 and the mounting hole. This prevents moisture and foreign matter from entering the accommodation space through the gap.

Next, the operation of the above configuration will be explained. The vehicle air conditioner air-conditions the vehicle interior 1a and cools the battery 80, which is an in-vehicle device. In the vehicle air conditioner, in order to air-condition the vehicle interior 1a and cool the battery 80, the refrigerant circuit of the refrigeration cycle is switched to execute various operation modes.

The operation modes of the vehicle air conditioner include an air conditioning operation mode for air conditioning the vehicle interior 1 a and a cooling operation mode for cooling the battery 80 . Operation modes for air conditioning include a cooling mode, a dehumidifying heating mode, and a heating mode.

The cooling mode is an operation mode that cools the interior of the vehicle interior 1a by cooling the air blown into the interior of the vehicle interior 1a and blowing the air into the interior of the vehicle interior 1a. The dehumidifying and heating mode is an operation mode in which dehumidifying and heating the interior of the passenger compartment 1a is performed by reheating cooled and dehumidified air and blowing it out into the passenger compartment 1a. The heating mode is an operation mode for heating the interior of the passenger compartment 1a by heating air and blowing the air into the passenger compartment 1a.

The air conditioning operation mode is determined by the air conditioning control program stored in the main control unit 61 . The control program for air conditioning is executed when the automatic control operation of air conditioning is set by the auto switch of the operation panel for air conditioning. The control program for air conditioning determines the operation mode based on detection signals detected by various sensors and operation signals from the operation panel for air conditioning.

In the air conditioning control program, the cooling mode is determined mainly when the outside temperature is relatively high, such as in summer. Also, the dehumidifying heating mode is determined mainly in spring or autumn. Also, when the outside temperature is relatively low, mainly in winter, the heating mode is determined.

Based on the operation mode for air conditioning determined by the main control unit 61, the functional product control unit 62 operates the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, the third expansion valve 13c, the fourth expansion valve 13d, and the fifth expansion valve. 13e, the sixth expansion valve 13f, the seventh expansion valve 13g, and the on-off valve 17 are controlled to switch to the air-conditioning operation mode determined by the main control unit 61. FIG.

The detailed operation of each operation mode for air conditioning is explained below.

(a) Cooling Mode In the cooling mode refrigerating cycle, the first expansion valve 13a is throttled to configure the vapor compression refrigerating cycle in which the indoor evaporator functions as an evaporator that evaporates the low-pressure side refrigerant. be.

In the cooling mode refrigeration cycle, part of the heat of the high-pressure side refrigerant is radiated to the air blown into the vehicle interior 1a, and the remaining heat of the high-pressure side refrigerant is radiated to the outside air.

In the indoor air conditioning unit 30 in the cooling mode, the air blown from the indoor blower 32 is cooled by the indoor evaporator. The air cooled by the indoor evaporator is heated by the air heater according to the opening degree of the air mix door 34 . As a result, the temperature of the air in the mixing space approaches the target blowout temperature TAO. Then, the temperature-controlled air is blown out into the passenger compartment 1a, thereby cooling the passenger compartment 1a.

The target blowout temperature TAO is the target temperature of the air blown into the vehicle interior 1a. The target air temperature TAO is calculated in the control program for air conditioning using detection signals detected by various sensors and operation signals from the operation panel.

(b) Dehumidifying and Heating Mode In the refrigeration cycle of the dehumidifying and heating mode, the first expansion valve 13a and the third expansion valve 13c are throttled so that the indoor evaporator and chiller function as evaporators that evaporate the low-pressure side refrigerant. A vapor compression refrigerating cycle is constructed.

In the dehumidification heating mode refrigeration cycle, the low-pressure side refrigerant absorbs heat from the low-temperature side heat medium in the chiller, and the heat of the high-pressure side refrigerant is released to the air blown into the compartment 1a.

In the indoor air conditioning unit 30 in the dehumidifying and heating mode, the air blown from the indoor blower 32 is cooled by the indoor evaporator. The air cooled by the indoor evaporator is heated by the air heater according to the opening degree of the air mix door 34 . As a result, the temperature of the air in the mixing space approaches the target blowout temperature TAO. Then, the temperature-controlled air is blown out into the passenger compartment 1a, thereby cooling the passenger compartment 1a.

(c) Heating Mode In the heating mode refrigerating cycle, the third expansion valve 13c is throttled to form a vapor compression refrigerating cycle in which the chiller functions as an evaporator.

In the heating mode refrigeration cycle, the low-pressure side refrigerant absorbs heat from the low-temperature side heat medium in the chiller, and the heat of the high-pressure side refrigerant is released to the air blown into the compartment 1a.

In the indoor air conditioning unit 30 in heating mode, the air blown from the indoor blower 32 passes through the indoor evaporator. The air that has passed through the indoor evaporator is heated by the air heater according to the opening of the air mix door 34 . As a result, the temperature of the air blown out from the mixing space into the compartment 1a approaches the target blowing temperature TAO. Then, the temperature-controlled air is blown out into the passenger compartment 1a, thereby heating the passenger compartment 1a.

The cooling operation mode is determined by executing a cooling control program stored in the main control unit 61 . In the cooling control program, when the battery temperature TB detected by the battery temperature sensor 93b reaches or exceeds a predetermined reference cooling temperature TB1, the cooling mode operation is determined.

The cooling control program is executed when the vehicle system is activated and when the battery 80 is being charged from the external power source, regardless of whether the passenger requests air conditioning in the passenger compartment 1a. be. Therefore, the operation modes for cooling include a cooling mode during air conditioning and a cooling mode during non-air conditioning.

When the main control unit 61 determines operation in the cooling mode, the functional product control unit 62 operates the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, the third expansion valve 13c, the fourth expansion valve 13d, the fifth expansion valve 13e, By controlling the sixth expansion valve 13f, the seventh expansion valve 13g, and the on-off valve 17, switching to the cooling operation mode is performed.

The detailed operation of the operation mode for cooling is explained below.

(d) Cooling Mode In the cooling mode refrigerating cycle, at least the second expansion valve 13b is throttled to configure a vapor compression refrigerating cycle in which at least the battery cooler functions as an evaporator. As a result, in the cooling mode refrigeration cycle during air conditioning, the battery 80 is cooled by the low-pressure side refrigerant flowing through the battery cooler.

At this time, if the first expansion valve 13a is throttled and the indoor evaporator also functions as an evaporator, the cooling mode during air conditioning is entered. It becomes cooling mode during non-air conditioning.

As described above, according to the vehicle air conditioner of the present embodiment, comfortable air conditioning in the vehicle interior 1a and cooling of the battery 80, which is an in-vehicle device, can be performed.

Next, control processing executed by the main control unit 61, the functional product control unit 62, and the compressor control unit 63 in each operation mode will be described using FIG.

The main control unit 61 outputs the target cooling capacity of the indoor evaporator, battery cooler and chiller (hereinafter referred to as each cooler) to the functional product control unit 62 . Specifically, the target cooling capacity of the indoor evaporator, the target cooling capacity of the battery cooler, and the target cooling capacity of the chiller (in other words, the target heat absorption capacity) are output to the functional product control unit 62 .

The target cooling capacity of the indoor evaporator is calculated using the target outlet temperature TAO and the like. The target cooling capacity of the battery cooler is calculated using the battery temperature TB and the like input from the battery control unit 91 . The target cooling capacity of the chiller is calculated using the operating states of the traveling electric motor 50 and the inverter 51 input from the drive system control unit 92, the target blowout temperature TAO, and the like.

The microcomputer portion 621 of the functional product control unit 62 sets the target cooling capacity of each of the expansion valves 13a to 13g based on the target cooling capacity input from the main control unit 61 and the detection signals detected by the refrigerant pressure and temperature sensors 65a to 65f. Calculate the opening.

The microcomputer section 621 of the functional product control unit 62 determines the target cooling capacity from the temperature difference of each cooler and the flow characteristic map or flow characteristic function of each expansion valve 13a to 13g stored in the functional product control unit 62 in advance. A target opening degree of each of the expansion valves 13a to 13g is calculated.

The flow characteristic map of each expansion valve 13a-13g is a map showing the relationship between the opening degree and the flow rate of each expansion valve 13a-13g. The flow rate characteristic function of each of the expansion valves 13a-13g is a function that indicates the relationship between the degree of opening and the flow rate of each of the expansion valves 13a-13g.

For example, since the cooling capacity is represented by the product of the mass flow rate of the refrigerant and the temperature difference in the cooler, the target value of the mass flow rate of the refrigerant is calculated based on the target cooling capacity and the temperature difference in the cooler, Based on the target value of the mass flow rate of the refrigerant, the target opening degrees of the expansion valves 13a-13g are calculated using the flow characteristic maps of the expansion valves 13a-13g.

The microcomputer section 621 of the functional product control unit 62 determines the current cooling capacity of each cooler and the degree of superheat of the outlet-side refrigerant of each cooler based on the detection signals detected by the refrigerant pressure temperature sensors 65a to 65f. calculate.

The microcomputer section 621 of the functional product control unit 62 calculates the time to reach the target opening of the expansion valves 13a to 13g and the change time of the opening based on the degree of superheat of the refrigerant on the outlet side of each cooler. That is, if the opening degrees of the expansion valves 13a to 13g or the rotational speed of the compressor 11 are rapidly changed, the return of the liquid refrigerant may cause a malfunction. to reach the target opening and the change time of the opening.

The microcomputer 621 of the functional product control unit 62 calculates the power supply current value based on the calculated target opening, the time to reach the target opening, and the change time of the opening, and outputs the calculated power supply current to the driver IC. Output to unit 622 . For example, the microcomputer section 621 of the functional product control unit 62 feedback-calculates the power supply current value using a transfer function.

A driver IC section 622 of the functional product control unit 62 outputs a drive current to each of the expansion valves 13a to 13g based on the power supply current value output by the microcomputer section 621. The driver IC section 622 of the functional product control unit 62 controls the expansion valves 13a to 13g so that the cooling capacity of the cooler with a large difference between the target cooling capacity and the current cooling capacity preferentially approaches the target cooling capacity. . For example, the driver IC section 622 of the functional product control unit 62 feedback-controls the drive current using a transfer function.

The functional product control unit 62 outputs the current cooling capacity of each cooler and the arrival time to the target cooling capacity to the main control unit 61 . The functional product control unit 62 outputs to the compressor control unit 63 the refrigerant pressure and temperature before and after the compressor 11 and the target change timing of the compressor rotation speed.

The compressor control unit 63 calculates the target rotation speed of the compressor 11 based on the target cooling capacity output from the main control unit 61, and follows the target change timing of the compressor rotation speed output from the functional product control unit 62. The rotation speed of the compressor 11 is changed to the target rotation speed.

FIG. 6 is a time chart showing an operation example of control processing in which the functional product control unit 62 and the compressor control unit 63 work together to prevent liquid refrigerant from returning to the compressor 11 . In the example of FIG. 6, after starting to change the opening of the expansion valve and the rotation speed of the compressor 11, before reaching the target opening and the target rotation speed, in order to prevent the liquid refrigerant from returning. The degree of opening and the number of rotations are kept constant for a predetermined period of time.

As shown in FIG. 7, the functional product control unit 62 determines whether or not each of the expansion valves 13a to 13g is out of order based on the current and voltage of each of the expansion valves 13a to 13g detected by the expansion valve current/voltage sensor group 66. To detect. Specifically, when it is detected that any one of the expansion valves 13a to 13g stops fluctuating in the drive current, it is determined that the expansion valve is out of order.

When the functional product control unit 62 detects a failure of any expansion valve, it outputs an expansion valve failure signal to the main control unit 61 and the compressor control unit 63 . In response to this, the main control unit 61 outputs an output restriction request signal to the battery control unit 91 and notifies the user interface 90 of the failure of the refrigeration cycle.

The functional product control unit 62 calculates the recovery opening and the target change timing for the recovery opening in order to perform recovery operation with other non-broken expansion valves. At this time, the compressor control unit 63 maintains the rotation speed of the compressor.

The functional product control unit 62 outputs the target change timing to the recovery opening to the compressor control unit 63 . According to this target change timing to the recovery opening, the functional product control unit 62 changes the opening of the other two expansion valves to the recovery opening, and the compressor control unit 63 changes the rotation speed of the compressor to the recovery rotation speed. do.

FIG. 8 is a time chart showing an operation example of recovery operation. FIG. 8 shows an example in which the second expansion valve 13b for cooling the battery has failed. The cooling capacity of the battery 80 is ensured by ensuring the coolant flow rate to the cooler.

The functional product control unit 62 also detects whether the on-off valve 17 is out of order. When detecting a failure of the on-off valve 17 , the functional product control unit 62 outputs a failure signal of the on-off valve 17 to the main control unit 61 and the compressor control unit 63 . In response to this, the main control unit 61 outputs an output restriction request signal to the battery control unit 91 and notifies the user interface 90 of the failure of the refrigeration cycle.

In this embodiment, since a plurality of constituent devices constituting the refrigerating cycle are integrated as the functional product module 70, both downsizing of the refrigerating cycle and improvement in productivity can be achieved.

More specifically, like the refrigeration cycle of the present embodiment, in a refrigeration cycle in which refrigerant circuits are switchable, the number of constituent devices tends to increase. Therefore, integrating a plurality of components like the functional product module 70 is effective for downsizing the refrigeration cycle.

In this embodiment, a plurality of expansion valves 13a to 13g are attached to the channel box 71 of the functional product module 70. The functional product control unit 62 calculates drive current values to be output to the plurality of expansion valves 13a to 13g based on the value of the target cooling capacity output from the main control unit 61, and drives the plurality of expansion valves 13a to 13g. A current is output and a plurality of expansion valves 13a to 13g are detected. The number of functional product control units 62 is smaller than the number of expansion valves 13a to 13g.

According to this, by dividing the electronic control unit into the main control unit 61 and the functional product control unit 62, the calculation load of the main control unit 61 can be reduced.

By collectively arranging the plurality of expansion valves 13a to 13g in the channel box 71, the electrical wiring between the functional product control unit 62 and the plurality of expansion valves 13a to 13g can be shortened as much as possible.

By making the number of the functional product control unit 62 smaller than the number of the plurality of expansion valves 13a to 13g, the increase in signal lines and the complication of control due to the separation of the main control unit 61 and the functional product control unit 62 can be minimized. can be suppressed.

In the present embodiment, the target opening degree calculator 621a of the functional product control unit 62 calculates the target opening degrees of the expansion valves 13a to 13g based on the input signals from the refrigerant pressure temperature sensors 65a to 65f and the values of the target cooling capacities. Calculate. As a result, the target opening degrees of the expansion valves 13a to 13g can be efficiently calculated by the functional product control unit 62, so that the calculation load on the main control unit 61 can be effectively reduced.

In this embodiment, the failure detection section 621b of the functional product control unit 62 detects failures of the expansion valves 13a to 13g based on input signals from the expansion valve current/voltage sensor group 66. As a result, the functional product control unit 62 can efficiently perform failure detection processing for the expansion valves 13a to 13g, so that the calculation load of the main control unit 61 can be effectively reduced.

In this embodiment, the functional product control unit 62 is communicably connected to the compressor control unit 63 . The timing determination section 621c of the functional product control unit 62 determines the change timing of the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11 in accordance with the timing at which the opening degrees of the expansion valves 13a to 13g are changed. to output

As a result, the expansion valves 13a to 13g and the compressor 11 can be controlled cooperatively by the functional product control unit 62 and the compressor control unit 63, so that the calculation load on the main control unit 61 can be effectively reduced.

In this embodiment, the main control unit 61 is communicably connected to the battery control unit 91 and the driving system control unit 92 . The main control unit 61 has a target capacity calculation section 61a that calculates the value of the target cooling capacity based on the information on the battery input from the battery control unit 91 and the information on the drive system equipment input from the drive system control unit 92. have. Thereby, the main control unit 61 can appropriately calculate the target cooling capacity of the refrigeration cycle.

In this embodiment, the functional product control unit 62 is fixed to the channel box 71 . Thereby, the functional product module 70 can be miniaturized.

(Second embodiment)
In the above embodiment, the functional product control unit 62 is attached to the mounting surface 712 so that the plate surface is parallel to the mounting surface 712. However, in the present embodiment, as shown in FIGS. The product control unit 62 is attached to the mounting surface 712 so that the plate surface is perpendicular to the mounting surface 712 .

In this embodiment, two surfaces (side surfaces in this embodiment) of the flow path box 71 serve as mounting surfaces 712, and one other surface (side surface in this embodiment) of the flow path box 71 functions as a mounting surface 712. A product control unit 62 is attached.

Also in this embodiment, it is possible to achieve the same effects as in the above embodiment.

(Third Embodiment)
In this embodiment, the functional product control unit 62 is fixed to the support plate 76, as shown in FIG. The support plate 76 has a flat plate shape overlapping the functional product control unit 62 . The support plate 76 is attached to the mounting surface 712 of the channel box 71 with screws or the like via a columnar spacer 73 together with the functional product control unit 62 . An electromagnetic valve 18 is arranged on the mounting surface 712 of the channel box 71 . The solenoid valve 18 switches the refrigerant passage inside the passage box 71 .

The first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, and the third expansion valve 13c are integrated in the functional product module 70 of this embodiment. The support plate 76 is fixed with the motor-side bearing members 301 of the motor portions 300 of the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, and the third expansion valve 13c.

A rotation angle sensor 67 is fixed to the functional product control unit 62 . The rotation angle sensor 67 is a rotation angle detection section that detects the rotation angle of each motor section 300 .

The basic structure of the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, and the third expansion valve 13c is the same. Below, the detailed structure of the first expansion valve 13a will be described based on FIG. 12, and the detailed structure of the second expansion valve 13b and the third expansion valve 13c will be omitted.

The motor section 300 has a motor-side bearing member 301 , a stator 302 , a rotor 303 and a shaft 304 . The stator 302 has stator coils. On the rotor 303, a plurality of sets of pairs of magnets each having an N pole and an S pole are arranged along the circumferential direction. Shaft 304 rotates together with rotor 303 . Stator 302 and rotor 303 output driving force for rotating shaft 304 by electromagnetic force. Rotation angle sensor 67 detects changes in the magnetic field accompanying rotation of rotor 303 .

The magnetic gear 310 includes a driving side magnet 311 , a pole piece 312 and a driven side magnet 313 . The drive-side magnet 311 rotates integrally with the shaft 304 of the motor section 300 . The pole piece 312 modulates the magnetic flux between the driving magnet 311 and the driven magnet 313 and rotates integrally with the rotating member 314 . The driven-side magnet 313 is a fixed magnet that is fixed to the main body portion 320 of the first expansion valve 13a.

The drive-side magnet 311 is cylindrical and joined to the outer peripheral surface of the rotor 303 via a bottomed cylindrical interposed member 315 . That is, the motor section 300 is arranged inside the drive-side magnet 311 . Interposed member 315 is formed of a magnetic material.

The sealing plate 330 has a disc shape with a central portion recessed downward. In other words, the sealing plate 330 has a bottomed cylindrical shape with a flange. The sealing plate 330 is a sealing member that divides the internal space of the first expansion valve 13 a into a drive-side space 331 and a driven-side space 332 and seals the driven-side space 332 . The drive-side space 331 is a space on the motor portion 300 side, and the driven-side space 332 is a space on the valve body 321 side.

The sealing plate 330 prevents the high-pressure refrigerant existing in the driven-side space 332 from leaking into the driving-side space 331 . In this example, the sealing plate 330 is made of a non-magnetic material (eg, SUS305).

The pole piece 312 is cylindrical and arranged on the outer diameter side of the sealing plate 330 . Pole piece 312 is joined to rotating member 314 . The pole piece 312 has a plurality of magnetic material portions and a plurality of non-magnetic material portions. The magnetic body part and the non-magnetic body part are fan-shaped, and the magnetic body parts are arranged at substantially equal intervals along the circumferential direction. The nonmagnetic portion is arranged between the magnetic portions. For example, the magnetic portion is made of a soft magnetic material (such as iron-based metal), and the non-magnetic portion is made of a non-magnetic material (such as stainless steel or resin).

The driven magnet 313 is cylindrical and arranged on the outer diameter side of the pole piece 312 . The driven-side magnet 313 is fitted in the body portion 320 (in other words, the housing). The driven-side magnet 313 includes a plurality of pairs of magnets, each having an N pole and an S pole, arranged at approximately equal intervals along the circumferential direction.

A valve chamber 322 is formed inside the body portion 320 . A rod-shaped valve element 321 is arranged in the valve chamber 322 . The valve body 321 is a driven member that is driven by the motor section 300 . The valve body 321 is arranged coaxially with the rotary member 314 . The end of the rotating member 314 and the end of the valve body 321 are engaged so that the rotating force of the rotating member 314 is transmitted to the valve body 321 .

The valve-side bearing member 323 is rotatably supported by the body portion 320 via the valve-side bearing member 323 . A male thread 321 a is formed on the outer peripheral surface of the valve body 321 . A male thread 321a of the valve body 321 is screwed into a female thread formed on the inner peripheral surface of the body portion 320 to constitute a screw mechanism. As a result, when the valve body 321 rotates, the valve body 321 moves in the axial direction.

Although not shown, the valve body 321 is made up of a plurality of members. Specifically, the valve body 321 includes a male screw member having a male screw 321a formed on the rotating member 314 side, a valve seat side member positioned on the valve seat side, and a male screw member and the valve seat side member. It consists of a ball placed between Since the ball is arranged between the male screw member and the valve seat side member, the valve seat side member moves in the axial direction without rotating.

A valve-seat-side member of the valve body 321, which serves as a ball receiving member, is urged by a coil spring (not shown) toward the side where the valve body 321 moves away from the valve seat in the axial direction.

As the valve body 321 moves in the axial direction, the valve body 321 moves closer to or away from the valve seat to adjust the throttle opening of the valve chamber 322, and the refrigerant flowing in the valve chamber 322 is decompressed and expanded. .

The basic structure of the second expansion valve 13b and the third expansion valve 13c is the same as the basic structure of the first expansion valve 13a. In the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b and the third expansion valve 13c, the required operating torque for the valve element 321 increases in the order of the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b and the third expansion valve 13c. ing.

That is, the required operating torque T1 for the valve body 321 of the first expansion valve 13a, the required operating torque T2 for the valve body 321 of the second expansion valve 13b, and the required operating torque T3 for the valve body 321 of the third expansion valve 13c. is T1>T2>T3.

As shown in FIGS. 13 to 15, in the first expansion valve 13a for which the required operating torque for the valve body 321 is large, the gap dimension G1 between the drive-side magnet 311 and the sealing plate 330 is set large, and the required operating torque for the valve body 321 is In the third expansion valve 13c with small operating torque, the gap dimension G3 between the drive-side magnet 311 and the sealing plate 330 is set large.

That is, the gap dimension G1 between the drive-side magnet 311 and the sealing plate 330 in the first expansion valve 13a, the gap size G2 between the drive-side magnet 311 and the sealing plate 330 in the second expansion valve 13b, and the The size relationship of the gap dimension G3 between the drive-side magnet 311 and the sealing plate 330 in the three-expansion valve 13c is G1<G2<G3.

In the first expansion valve 13a with a large required operating torque, the required operating torque can be reliably output by reducing the gap dimension G1. In the third expansion valve 13c with a small required operating torque, the required operating torque T3 can be ensured even if the gap dimension G3 is increased. In the third expansion valve 13c with a small required operating torque, the tolerance .DELTA.L between the shafts can be ensured by increasing the clearance G3, and the error in the dimension between the shafts can be absorbed.

Next, the assembly procedure for the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, and the third expansion valve 13c of the functional product module 70 of this embodiment will be described.

As shown in FIGS. 16 to 18, the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, and the third expansion valve 13c are assembled separately into a member on the functional product control unit 62 side and a member on the channel box 71 side. After that, the members on the side of the functional product control unit 62 and the members on the side of the channel box 71 are assembled integrally.

In the process of assembling the members on the functional product control unit 62 side, the functional product control unit 62 is assembled to the support plate 76 . Further, the support plate 76 is assembled with the rotation angle sensors 67 and the motor section 300 of the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b and the third expansion valve 13c.

In the process of assembling the members on the channel box 71 side, the driven magnet 313 , the valve body side bearing member 323 , the valve body 321 , the rotary member 314 , the pole piece 312 and the sealing plate 330 are first assembled to the main body part 320 . Next, the magnet 313 on the driven side, the bearing member 323 on the valve body side, the valve body 321, the rotating member 314, the main body part 320 to which the pole piece 312 and the sealing plate 330 are assembled, and the electromagnetic valve 18 are assembled on the flow path box 71. be done.

In the process of integrally assembling the members on the functional product control unit 62 side and the members on the channel box 71 side, the functional product control unit 62, the solenoid valve 18, the rotation angle The support plate 76 to which the sensor 67 and the motor section 300 are assembled, the driven side magnet 313, the valve body side bearing member 323, the valve body 321, the rotary member 314, the pole piece 312, the sealing plate 330 and the main body section 320 are assembled. It is assembled to the flow path box 71 that has been installed. This completes the assembly of the parts of the functional module 70 relating to the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, and the third expansion valve 13c.

In this embodiment, the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b and the third expansion valve 13c have a sealing plate 330 and a magnetic gear 310. The sealing plate 330 partitions the drive-side space 331 and the driven-side space 332 and prevents the refrigerant existing in the driven-side space 332 from leaking into the drive-side space 331 . The magnetic gear 310 uses magnetic force to connect the motor section 300 and the valve body 321 separated by the sealing plate 330 without contact.

According to this, a structure in which the functional product control unit 62 and the motor section 300 are arranged in the same space can be realized, so the assembly structure of the functional product control unit 62 and the motor section 300 can be simplified.

In this embodiment, in the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, and the third expansion valve 13c, the gaps G1, G2, and G3 between the drive-side magnet 311 and the sealing plate 330 meet the requirements of the valve body 321. It is set larger as the operating torque is smaller.

According to this, in the third expansion valve 13c having the valve body 321 with a small required operating torque, the drive-side magnet 311 and the sealing plate 330 are larger than the first expansion valve 13a having the valve body 321 with a large required operating torque. It is possible to set a large assembly tolerance with Therefore, the motor portion 300 and the drive-side magnet 311 in the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, and the third expansion valve 13c are assembled to the common support member 76 to reduce the number of parts, and the drive-side magnet 311 and the sealing plate 330 can be assembled accurately to ensure the required operating torque of the valve body 321 .

In this embodiment, the motor portions 300 of the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b and the third expansion valve 13c are supported by the support member 76. Accordingly, the motor units 300 of the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, and the third expansion valve 13c can be integrated via the support member 76 to simplify the configuration.

In this embodiment, the rotation angle sensor 67 is arranged on the support member 76 together with the motor section 300 . According to this, the assembly accuracy of the motor portion 300 and the rotation angle sensor 67 can be improved, so that the rotation angle detection accuracy of the rotation angle sensor 67 can be improved.

In this embodiment, the functional product control unit 62 is arranged on the support member 76 , and the rotation angle sensor 67 is arranged on the support member 76 via the functional product control unit 62 . According to this, the electrical connection configuration between the functional product control unit 62 and the rotation angle sensor 67 can be simplified.

In this embodiment, the functional product control unit 62 outputs drive currents to the motor portions 300 of the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b and the third expansion valve 13c. The support member 76, the functional product control unit 62, and the motor section 300 are stacked in this order. According to this, the electrical connection configuration between the functional product control unit 62 and the motor section 300 can be simplified.

In the modification shown in FIG. 19, the functional product control unit 62 has a plurality of

substrates

62a, 62b, 62c and 62d. A plurality of

substrates

62a, 62b, 62c, and 62d are arranged on one support plate 76, and each

substrate

62a, 62b, 62c, and 62d and each motor section 300 are positioned with reference to the support plate 76. .

According to this modification, the motor circuits of the first expansion valve 13a, the second expansion valve 13b, and the third expansion valve 13c can have the same circuit layout on the plurality of

substrates

62a, 62b, and 62c, which facilitates manufacturing. .

The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and can be variously modified as follows without departing from the scope of the present disclosure.

In the above-described embodiment, as a method for detecting failure of the expansion valve, it is determined that the expansion valve has failed when the drive current of the expansion valve stops fluctuating. can be used.

When the power supply current input to the driver IC section 622 becomes abnormally large, the functional product control unit 62 determines that the expansion valve is malfunctioning (specifically, the valve body is stuck). good.

Even if the functional product control unit 62 determines that the expansion valve is malfunctioning (specifically, the motor is stopped) when the induced voltage is no longer generated in the line voltage of the motor of the expansion valve. good.

The functional product control unit 62 may calculate a winding inductance that correlates with the rotational position of the motor, and detect failure of the expansion valve from changes in the winding inductance. For example, if the winding inductance stops fluctuating, it may be determined that the expansion valve has failed (specifically, the motor has stopped). The winding inductance may be calculated based on the current voltage of each expansion valve 13a-13g detected by the expansion valve current/voltage sensor group 66. FIG.

The mode of integration of functional product modules is not limited to the above-described embodiment. For example, any functional product may be selected as the plurality of functional products to be integrated into the functional product module. The functional product module may be integrated not only with the refrigeration cycle but also with the functional product that constitutes the low temperature side heat medium circuit.

The mounting position of each functional item in the channel box 71 is not limited to the mounting position described in the above-described embodiment. That is, the mounting positions of the expansion valves 13a to 13g and the opening/closing valve 17 may be different from those shown in FIGS. . The same applies to the arrangement of the plurality of refrigerant inlet/outlet ports 71a.

In the above-described embodiment, an example in which the channel box 71, the cover member 72, and the spacer 73 made of metal has been described. may be adopted. More specifically, the channel box 71, the cover member 72, and the spacer 73 made of a conductive material such as conductive resin, resin coated with conductive paint, or conductive carbon can be employed.

The functional product control unit 62 as the electric board section described in the above-described embodiment may be an electronic board that conducts only electrical signals for communication and control. Also, the functional product control unit 62 may be an electric circuit board through which a drive current or the like flows. Further, it may be a motherboard on which a central processing unit (that is, CPU) or the like is mounted.

The application of functional product modules is not limited to the examples disclosed in the above embodiments. For example, the in-vehicle device to be cooled by the refrigeration cycle is not limited to the battery 80 . Specifically, the in-vehicle device may be a motor generator, an inverter, a PCU, a transaxle, a control device for ADAS, or the like. Furthermore, the functional product module may be applied to an air conditioner that does not have a device cooling function.

Also, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which R1234yf is used as the refrigerant for the refrigeration pump cycle has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, R134a, R600a, R410A, R404A, R32, R407C, etc. may be employed. Alternatively, a mixed refrigerant or the like in which a plurality of these refrigerants are mixed may be adopted.

Also, an electric switching valve that switches the heat medium circuit of the low temperature side heat medium circuit may be integrated with the functional product module.

Also, in the above-described embodiment, an example in which an ethylene glycol aqueous solution is used as the low-temperature heat medium has been described, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, a solution containing dimethylpolysiloxane or a nanofluid, an antifreeze solution, a water-based liquid refrigerant containing alcohol, or a liquid medium containing oil may be used.

Also, the application of functional product modules is not limited to vehicles. For example, it may be applied to a stationary air conditioner with a temperature adjustment function that adjusts the temperature of objects to be temperature-adjusted (eg, computers, server devices, and other peripheral devices) while air-conditioning the room.

Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to examples, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to those examples or structures. The present disclosure also includes various modifications and modifications within the equivalent range. In addition, various combinations and configurations, as well as other combinations and configurations, including single elements, more, or less, are within the scope and spirit of this disclosure.

Claims

a passage forming portion (71) in which a refrigerant passage through which the refrigerant of the refrigerating cycle flows;
A plurality of functional items (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, 13e, 13f, 13g, 17) that are attached to the passage forming portion and operate when supplied with a drive current to perform predetermined functions in the refrigerating cycle. When,
Based on the value of the target capacity input from the main control unit (61) for calculating the target capacity of the refrigerating cycle, the value of the drive current to be output to the plurality of functional products is calculated and a functional product control unit (62) that outputs the drive current and detects a failure of the plurality of functional products;
A functional product module for a refrigeration cycle, wherein the number of functional product control units is smaller than the number of functional products.
at least one of the plurality of functional items is an expansion valve (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, 13e, 13f, 13g) for decompressing the refrigerant;
Refrigerant state detection units (65a, 65b, 65c, 65d, 65e, 65f) for detecting the state of the refrigerant are connected to the input side of the functional product control unit,
The functional product control unit has a target opening calculation section (621a) for calculating the target opening of the expansion valve based on the input signal from the refrigerant state detection section and the value of the target capacity. Item 2. The functional product module for a refrigeration cycle according to item 1.
at least one of the plurality of functional items is an expansion valve (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, 13e, 13f, 13g) for decompressing the refrigerant;
A current detection section (66) for detecting the current of the expansion valve is connected to the input side of the functional product control unit,
3. The functional product module for a refrigerating cycle according to claim 1, wherein the functional product control unit has a failure detection section (621b) that detects failure of the expansion valve based on an input signal from the current detection section. .
the plurality of functional items are expansion valves (13a, 13b, 13c, 13d, 13e, 13f, 13g) that reduce the pressure of the refrigerant;
The functional product control unit is
is communicatively connected to a compressor control unit (63) that controls the compressor (11) that sucks and discharges the refrigerant based on the value of the target capacity;
a timing determination unit (621c) that determines a change timing of the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor according to the timing at which the opening degree of the expansion valve is changed, and outputs the change timing to the compressor control unit; 4. The functional product module for a refrigerating cycle according to any one of claims 1 to 3.
The main control unit is
communicably connected to a battery control unit (91) that controls the input/output of the battery (80) and a drive system control unit (92) that controls the operation of the drive system devices (50, 51),
a target capacity calculation section (61a) for calculating the value of the target capacity based on information about the battery input from the battery control unit and information about the drive system equipment input from the drive system control unit; 5. The functional product module for a refrigerating cycle according to claim 1.
The functional product module for a refrigerating cycle according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the functional product control unit is fixed to the passage forming portion.
Each of the plurality of functional items includes a motor section (300) that generates a driving force by being supplied with the driving current, a driven section (321) that is driven by the driving force, and the motor section (300). A drive-side space (331), which is a space on the side of the driven part (321), and a driven-side space (332), which is a space on the side of the driven part (321). and a sealing member (330) for preventing leakage into the drive-side space (331),
7. The motor according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the motor part (300) and the driven part (321) separated by the sealing member (330) are connected in a non-contact manner using magnetic force. Functional product module for refrigeration cycle described.
The functional product module for a refrigerating cycle according to claim 7, comprising a magnetic gear (310) that non-contactly connects the motor section (300) and the driven section (321) using magnetic force.
The magnetic gear (310) has a drive-side magnet (311) arranged in the drive-side space (331) and a driven-side magnet (313) arranged in the driven-side space (332). and
The sealing member (330) has a tubular shape,
The drive-side magnet (311) is arranged inside the sealing member (330),
In the plurality of functional products, the gap dimensions (G1, G2, G3) between the drive-side magnet (311) and the sealing member (330) are such that the required operating torque of the driven part (321) is small. 9. The functional component module for a refrigerating cycle according to claim 8, which is set to be as large as possible.
The functional product module for a refrigerating cycle according to any one of claims 7 to 9, comprising a support member (76) supporting said motor part (300) in said plurality of functional products.
The refrigeration cycle functional product module according to claim 10, further comprising a rotation angle sensor (67) arranged on the support member (76) and detecting the rotation angle of the motor section (300).
The functional product control unit (62) has an electric board section (62) arranged on the support member (76) and to which a detection signal of the rotation angle sensor (67) is input,
12. The functional product module for a refrigerating cycle according to claim 11, wherein said rotation angle sensor (67) is arranged on said support member (76) via said electric substrate portion (62).
The functional product control unit (62) has an electric board section (62) that outputs the drive current to the motor section (300),
12. The functional product module for a refrigerating cycle according to claim 10, wherein said support member (76), said electric substrate section (62), and said motor section (300) overlap in this order.