JP5724889B2 - Vehicle cooling system - Google Patents

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicular cooling device that cools a heating element of a vehicle using a refrigeration cycle for air conditioning.

  As a prior art, for example, an apparatus described in Patent Document 1 is known. The device described in Patent Document 1 includes a cooling fan in a charger case that incorporates a charger mounted on an electric vehicle. The cooling fan is disposed at a position opposite to the air suction port formed in the charger case, and air is sucked from the air suction port by the driving of the cooling fan and circulates inside the charger case to form in the charger case. Exhausted from the vented air outlet. Due to the flow of air inside the charging case, the surfaces of electronic components such as semiconductors, DC / DC converters, transformers and the like are cooled.

  In addition, as a conventional technique for cooling a heating element such as a traveling inverter or an air conditioner inverter, an apparatus described in Patent Document 2 is known. The apparatus described in Patent Document 2 is a boiling cooling apparatus used in a cooling system for an electric vehicle, and includes a refrigerant tank, a radiator, and a cooling fan. The refrigerant tank includes a refrigerant chamber formed by joining two thin members, and the refrigerant is sealed in the refrigerant chamber. The heat generating body is fixed to the refrigerant tank so that the heat radiating surface thereof is in close contact with the mounting surface of the thin member via the heat conductive grease. The cooling fan forcibly sends cooling air to the radiator.

  The heat generated from the inverter for traveling and the inverter for air conditioner during traveling of the vehicle is transmitted to the refrigerant in the refrigerant tank through the thin-walled member, and evaporates the refrigerant. The boiling refrigerant rises in the refrigerant tank and flows into the radiator, and when the evaporated refrigerant comes into contact with the inner wall surface of the heat radiating tube that is cooled by the cooling fan, the condensation latent heat is reduced. It is discharged to condense, and flows down in the heat radiating tube by its own weight and returns to the refrigerant tank again. Thus, boiling of the refrigerant and condensation heat transfer are repeated, and the heat generated from the heating element is released to the atmosphere, thereby cooling the heating element.

JP 2000-308265 A JP-A-8-86551

  In the case of the device described in Patent Document 1, it is necessary to install a cooling fan in order to cool the charger with air, and a dedicated cooling device is separately required.

  Moreover, in the case of the apparatus described in Patent Document 2, it is necessary to provide a dedicated radiator or refrigerant in order to cool the inverter. As described above, since the conventional technology requires dedicated equipment and facilities, there are problems in terms of the number of parts, mountability on the vehicle, and cost.

  The present invention has been made in view of the above problems, and provides a vehicular cooling device that uses an air-conditioning refrigeration cycle to cool a vehicle heating element without adding a dedicated system or the like. For the purpose.

In order to achieve the above object, the present invention employs the following technical means. The vehicle cooling device according to claim 1 is used for vehicle interior air conditioning, and includes at least a compressor (12), a heat dissipation heat exchanger (13), a pressure reducing device (15), and an evaporator (16). A refrigeration cycle (11), an indoor blower (17) for blowing air to the evaporator, and a refrigerant liquid reservoir (18) provided in a passage between the evaporator outlet and the compressor inlet in the refrigeration cycle. , 18A), a passage mounted between the heating element (5, 5A) mounted on the vehicle and cooled using the liquid refrigerant stored in the refrigerant liquid reservoir, and the evaporator and the refrigerant liquid reservoir. A first passage (111, 111A) through which the liquid refrigerant flows from the container toward the refrigerant liquid reservoir, and a passage connecting the evaporator and the refrigerant liquid reservoir, from the refrigerant liquid reservoir to the evaporator The second passage (112, 112A) through which the gaseous refrigerant flows Includes a loop path (110 and 110A), authorization and distribution permission device for prohibiting the circulation of liquid coolant in the first passage and (19, 19A), the including,
When the temperature of the heating element satisfies a predetermined cooling execution temperature, the flow permission / denial device permits the flow of the liquid refrigerant in the first passage and opens the loop passage, and the evaporator passes through the second passage. Then, the heat of the gaseous refrigerant is radiated by exchanging heat with the air blown into the evaporator by the indoor blower.

  According to the present invention, by utilizing the air-conditioning refrigeration cycle mounted on the vehicle, the evaporator functions as a radiator, and the refrigerant evaporated by the heat generated by the heating element is liquefied again. Heat can be released into the passenger compartment. That is, the permission operation of the distribution permission / prohibition device prompts the flow of the liquid refrigerant from the evaporator to the refrigerant liquid reservoir through the first passage, and the liquid refrigerant in the refrigerant liquid reservoir is vaporized by the heat generated by the heating element. It returns to an evaporator through 2 passages, and also liquefies with an evaporator. Thereby, the heat of a heat generating body can be heat-transferred in order of a liquid refrigerant, vaporization of a refrigerant, liquefaction of a refrigerant, and room air. Therefore, it is possible to obtain a vehicular cooling device that enables cooling of a heating element of the vehicle without adding a dedicated system or the like.

  According to a second aspect of the invention, in the first aspect of the invention, the liquid level detection device (30) for detecting the liquid level position of the liquid refrigerant accumulated in the refrigerant liquid reservoir is provided and detected by the liquid level detection device. When the liquid level is equal to or lower than a predetermined value, the compressor is driven and the indoor air blower is not operated.

  According to this invention, when it is determined that the liquid refrigerant is insufficient in the refrigerant liquid reservoir, the refrigerant flow in the refrigeration cycle can be controlled so that the liquid refrigerant is poured into the evaporator. As a result, it is possible to shift to a state in which the refrigerant entrained in the evaporator is stored in the refrigerant liquid reservoir, and a state in which the heating element cannot be cooled can be avoided.

According to invention of Claim 3, in the invention of Claim 1 or Claim 2, the heat exchanger for heat radiation is arrange | positioned outside the vehicle interior, and the outdoor air blower which ventilates air to the heat exchanger for heat radiation ( 14) and an occupant detection device (33) for detecting the presence or absence of an occupant in the passenger compartment,
When the occupant detection device detects an occupant, heat exchange for heat radiation is performed by exchanging heat between the refrigerant taken into the heat exchanger for heat radiation and the air blown to the heat exchanger for heat radiation by the outdoor air blower. The heat is dissipated in the vessel.

  In some cases, an occupant may be present in the passenger compartment when the heating element is cooled. However, according to the present invention, when the occupant is present in the passenger compartment, the vehicle is not connected to the passenger compartment via the heat dissipation heat exchanger. Heat is dissipated outside the room. Thereby, it can suppress that a passenger | crew feels uncomfortable by the waste heat of a heat generating body. Therefore, it is possible to provide a cooling system for a heating element in consideration of passenger comfort.

  According to the invention of claim 4, in the invention of claim 3, the room temperature detecting device (31) for detecting the passenger compartment temperature is provided, and even when the occupant detecting device detects the occupant, the room temperature detecting device detects it. When the vehicle interior temperature is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature, the gas refrigerant taken into the evaporator through the second passage is subjected to heat exchange with the air blown to the evaporator by the indoor blower, Heat is dissipated in the evaporator.

  According to this invention, even when an occupant is present in the passenger compartment, heat is radiated into the passenger compartment via the evaporator when it is determined that the temperature in the passenger compartment is low. As a result, even if the waste heat of the heating element is released into the vehicle interior, heat is released into the vehicle interior so as not to lower the vehicle interior temperature by setting the state below the predetermined temperature so that the passenger does not feel uncomfortable. Energy can be used. Therefore, the waste heat of the heating element can be effectively used, and the energy efficiency of the vehicle can be improved.

  According to the invention of claim 5, in the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 4, a charger (5) for controlling charging of external power to the power storage device (1) mounted on the vehicle The heating element is a semiconductor element (50) mounted on a charger.

  According to the present invention, by utilizing the air-conditioning refrigeration cycle mounted on the vehicle, the evaporator functions as a radiator, and the refrigerant vaporized by the heat generated by the semiconductor element is liquefied again. Heat can be released into the passenger compartment. Thereby, a vehicular cooling device that enables cooling of the charger without adding a dedicated system or the like can be obtained.

  According to the invention of claim 6, in the invention of claim 5, when the temperature of the semiconductor element is lower than the first determination temperature set in advance, it is determined that the cooling execution temperature is not satisfied, and the distribution permission device is The circulation of the liquid refrigerant in the passage 1 is prohibited to close the loop passage, and the indoor air blower does not operate.

  According to this invention, when the temperature of the semiconductor element does not satisfy the above cooling execution temperature, the prohibition operation of the flow permission / denial device prevents the liquid refrigerant from flowing into the refrigerant liquid reservoir and does not drive the indoor air blower. Therefore, the semiconductor element is not cooled. Thereby, since the useless cooling implementation is suppressed, the energy in the vehicle can be effectively used.

  According to the invention of claim 7, in the invention of claim 6, the second judgment temperature in which the temperature of the semiconductor element is equal to or higher than the first judgment temperature and higher than the first judgment temperature. When it is below, it is characterized by satisfying the cooling execution temperature.

  According to the present invention, when the temperature of the semiconductor element is in a range satisfying the above cooling execution temperature, the liquid refrigerant from the evaporator to the refrigerant liquid reservoir through the first passage by the permission operation of the flow permission / denial device. While encouraging inflow, the liquid refrigerant in the refrigerant liquid reservoir is vaporized by heat generation of the semiconductor element, returned to the evaporator through the second passage, and further liquefied by the evaporator. Thereby, the temperature of the semiconductor element can be managed in a predetermined allowable temperature range.

  According to the invention of claim 8, in the invention of claim 7, when the temperature of the semiconductor element exceeds the second determination temperature, charging the power storage device (1) by the charger is prohibited. To do. According to this invention, when the temperature of the semiconductor element exceeds the second determination temperature, the charging operation is stopped instead of cooling the charger using the refrigerant. This eliminates the situation where the semiconductor element generates heat and avoids damage to the semiconductor element.

  According to the invention of claim 9, in the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the connection site between the evaporator and the first passage is between the refrigerant liquid reservoir and the first passage. It is set to a position higher than the connection site, and the distribution permission / rejection device is a valve (19) for opening and closing the first passage.

  According to this invention, the liquid refrigerant of the evaporator can be caused to flow down to the refrigerant liquid reservoir by utilizing the gravity action. Thereby, since an on-off valve can be employed as the distribution permission / rejection device, the configuration of the device can be simplified.

  According to the invention of claim 10, in the invention according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the distribution permission / rejection device supplies the liquid refrigerant from the evaporator toward the refrigerant liquid reservoir in the first passage. The pump (19A) is forced to flow. According to this invention, by using the driving force of the pump, the liquid refrigerant of the evaporator can be forced to flow down to the refrigerant liquid reservoir. As a result, it is possible to provide a highly flexible device that is not easily restricted by the positional relationship between the evaporator, the refrigerant liquid reservoir, and the loop passage.

  In addition, the code | symbol in the bracket | parenthesis of each said means shows the corresponding relationship with the specific means of embodiment description later mentioned, it is only an example and does not limit the range of patent invention.

It is a lineblock diagram showing the cooling device for vehicles concerning a 1st embodiment to which the present invention is applied. It is a schematic diagram which shows the principal part of the cooling device for vehicles of 1st Embodiment. It is a 1st flowchart explaining the cooling control in the cooling device for vehicles of 1st Embodiment. It is a 2nd flowchart explaining the cooling control in the cooling device for vehicles of 1st Embodiment. It is a schematic diagram which shows the principal part of the cooling device for vehicles of 2nd Embodiment to which this invention is applied. It is a 1st flowchart explaining the cooling control in the cooling device for vehicles of 2nd Embodiment. It is a 2nd flowchart explaining the cooling control in the cooling device for vehicles of 2nd Embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the cooling device for vehicles which concerns on 3rd Embodiment to which this invention is applied. It is a block diagram which shows the cooling device for vehicles which concerns on 4th Embodiment to which this invention is applied. It is a flowchart explaining the cooling control in the cooling device for vehicles of 4th Embodiment.

  A plurality of modes for carrying out the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, parts corresponding to the matters described in the preceding embodiment may be denoted by the same reference numerals, and redundant description may be omitted. When only a part of the configuration is described in each mode, the other modes described above can be applied to the other parts of the configuration. Not only combinations of parts that clearly indicate that the combination is possible in each embodiment, but also a combination of the embodiments even if they are not clearly specified unless there is a problem with the combination. It is also possible.

(First embodiment)
Hereinafter, a vehicle cooling device 20 according to a first embodiment to which the present invention is applied will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram showing a vehicular cooling device 20, and FIG.

  The vehicle cooling device 20 includes an air-conditioning refrigeration cycle 11, a travel motor 3 as a travel drive source, a storage battery 1 that is charged from external power and supplied to electric parts such as the travel motor 3, and a heating element. 1 is a device that cools a heating element mounted on a vehicle mounted on a plug-in hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle. The heating elements cooled by the vehicle cooling device 20 are, for example, the charger 5 that generates heat during charging, the traveling motor 3 and the inverter device for driving the starter, the storage battery 1, the converter, and the like. In the case of an electric vehicle, the driving motor 3 rotates the driving wheel of the vehicle using the electric power charged in the storage battery 1 as a driving source for driving. In the case of a hybrid vehicle, the engine functions as a driving source for driving. In this case, the driving wheel of the vehicle is rotated, and when it functions as a power generation source for traveling, power used by the traveling motor 3 is supplied.

  The storage battery 1 is a power storage device that stores external power supplied by the commercial power source 6 and supplies the stored power to various electric parts in addition to the traveling motor 3. The storage battery 1 is arrange | positioned, for example in the vehicle interior except an engine room. The storage battery 1 is composed of, for example, a nickel metal hydride secondary battery, a lithium ion secondary battery, an organic radical battery, or the like, and is composed of a battery assembly in which a plurality of battery cells are connected to be energized. The plurality of battery cells are controlled to be charged, discharged, and controlled in temperature.

  As an example of the electrical parts to which the storage battery 1 supplies power, there are an inverter device 21 for air conditioning that drives the electric compressor 12 in the refrigeration cycle 11, and a charger 5 that controls charging and discharging of the storage battery 1. When the storage battery 1 supplies power to various electric parts, for example, the high voltage of the storage battery 1 is stepped down by a converter or the like and supplied to a low voltage battery, and the power of the low voltage battery is supplied to a fan or headlight mounted on a vehicle. And supply to various electric parts such as wipers.

  The power receiving unit 61 is a power receiving unit that receives power from the commercial power source 6, and is formed as a power line including, for example, a plug that can be connected to an outlet of the commercial power source 6 on one end side, a connector that can be connected to the commercial power source 6, and the like. ing. The other end side of the power line is connected to the charger 5. In the case of a hybrid vehicle, the charger 5 supplies power to the traveling motor 3 when starting, accelerating, etc., and stores the regenerated power generated during deceleration.

  The traveling motor 3 is controlled by the inverter device 2 when, for example, an ignition switch or a start switch of the vehicle is turned on and the vehicle can travel, and power is supplied to the traveling motor 3 and driven. The The drive of the inverter device 2 is controlled by the control device 10.

  The refrigeration cycle 11 includes an electric compressor 12, a condenser 13, an expansion valve 15, which is a decompression device, an evaporator 16, an accumulator 18, an electromagnetic valve 19, and the like. Cycle. The control device 10 performs air conditioning control and cooling control of the charger 5 by operation control of the inverter device 21 and the charger 5, operation control of the outdoor fan device 14 and indoor fan device 17, and operation control of the electromagnetic valve 19.

  The electric compressor 12 is a fluid machine that sucks the gaseous refrigerant flowing out from the evaporator 16 from the suction port, compresses the refrigerant to high temperature and high pressure by the internal compression mechanism 12a, and then discharges the refrigerant toward the condenser 13. The compression mechanism 12a employs, for example, a scroll type compression mechanism having a fixed scroll and a turning scroll. In the scroll-type compression mechanism, the rotary shaft of the motor unit 12b is connected to the orbiting scroll, and the orbiting scroll is rotated with respect to the fixed scroll by the operation of the motor unit 12b. The expansion and contraction of the chamber) are repeated, and the refrigerant is sucked, compressed, and discharged.

  The motor unit 12 b includes a rotor 121 fixed to the rotating shaft in a cylindrical housing 120, and a stator 122 disposed on the outer peripheral side of the rotor 121 and fixed to the inner peripheral surface of the housing 120. Yes. In the motor unit 12b, when the stator 122 is energized, the rotor rotates with the rotating shaft to drive the orbiting scroll. An outer case of the inverter device 21 is integrated with the metal housing 120, and both are configured to be capable of heat transfer. With this configuration, the electric compressor 12 is an inverter device-integrated compressor in which the inverter device 21 for vehicle interior air conditioning and the compressor body are integrated.

  The inverter device 21 includes a plurality of switching elements and a control circuit accommodated in the outer case. The switching element is composed of an IGBT (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor) which is a kind of semiconductor element. The switching element has a plurality of (for example, six) switch units, and converts the DC power applied from the low-voltage battery into three-phase AC power by the operation of switching between ON and OFF, and the motor unit 12b. Is supplied as driving power. The control circuit of the inverter device 21 includes various electronic components related to the switching operation of the switching element, and the operation is controlled by the control device 10.

  For example, the condenser 13 cools the refrigerant discharged from the electric compressor 12 in a heat exchange section including a plurality of tubes that are stacked and in which the refrigerant flows, and corrugated fins interposed between the tubes. It is a heat exchanger for heat dissipation which becomes a liquid refrigerant. The condenser 13 is disposed outside the passenger compartment, and cooling of the refrigerant is promoted by the cooling air blown by the outdoor air blower 14 in the condenser 13. The outdoor air blower 14 is controlled by the control device 10 and driven by electric power supplied from a low voltage battery.

  The expansion valve 15 is a decompression device that decompresses and expands the liquid refrigerant flowing out of the condenser 13 to a low temperature and a low pressure. The expansion valve 15 is a fixed opening degree throttle valve. The expansion valve 15 may be constituted by an electromagnetic opening degree adjusting valve. In this case, the opening degree of the valve is adjusted by the control device 10. When the refrigeration cycle 11 is operated, the opening degree of the expansion valve 15 is reduced so that the high pressure side between the electric compressor 12 and the expansion valve 15 and the low pressure side between the expansion valve 15 and the evaporator 16 are obtained. Is set large, and the refrigerant on the low pressure side becomes low temperature. On the contrary, when the valve opening degree of the expansion valve 15 is increased, the pressure difference between the high pressure side and the low pressure side is reduced.

  The evaporator 16 is disposed in the air passage of the vehicle air conditioning unit 7, and similarly to the condenser 13, for example, a plurality of stacked tubes and a plurality of tubes through which refrigerant flows, and corrugated fins interposed between the tubes. And an upper tank 160 and a lower tank 161 to which both ends of the plurality of tubes are connected. The evaporator 16 is a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the liquid refrigerant that flows out of the evaporator 16 and the air-conditioning air that is blown into the vehicle interior by the indoor air blower 17 in the heat exchanger. Therefore, in the evaporator 16, the air-conditioning air is cooled by the low-temperature liquid refrigerant that circulates inside. The indoor air blower 17 is controlled by the control device 10, and the motor is driven by the electric power supplied from the low voltage battery.

  The accumulator 18 is a gas-liquid separator that is provided in a passage between the outlet of the evaporator 16 and the inlet of the electric compressor 12 and separates the gas-liquid refrigerant flowing out of the evaporator 16. The accumulator 18 is formed, for example, from an elongated container body in the vertical direction, and the refrigerant that flows out of the evaporator 16 flows into the internal space. In the internal space of the outer case 180 of the accumulator 18, the gas refrigerant having a low density accumulates upward, and the liquid refrigerant having a high density accumulates downward, whereby gas-liquid separation is performed.

  The loop passage 110 is a passage that connects the evaporator 16 and the accumulator 18 in a ring shape, and includes a first passage 111 and a second passage 112. The first passage 111 is a passage connecting the evaporator 16 and the accumulator 18, and the liquid refrigerant flows from the evaporator 16 toward the accumulator 18. The second passage 112 is a passage connecting the evaporator 16 and the accumulator 18, and the gaseous refrigerant flows from the accumulator 18 toward the evaporator 16.

  One end of the first passage 111 is connected to the bottom of the lower tank 161 of the evaporator 16, the other end is connected to the upper part of the exterior case 180 of the accumulator 18, and one end is higher than the other end. Has been placed. The second passage 112 has one end connected to the upper part of the outer case 180 of the accumulator 18, the other end connected to the upper tank 160 of the evaporator 16, and the other end arranged at a position higher than the one end. ing.

  The first passage 111 is provided with a solenoid valve 19 as a flow permission / denial device that permits and prohibits the flow of the liquid refrigerant in the first passage 111. The electromagnetic valve 19 can be opened and closed by the control device 10 to open and close the first passage 111 to permit and prohibit the flow of the liquid refrigerant. Therefore, when normal air conditioning is performed while the vehicle is running, for example, when the electric compressor 12 is driven and the electromagnetic valve 19 is closed, heat is absorbed from the air blown by the evaporator 16, and this heat is absorbed by the condenser 13. To dissipate heat to outdoor air. Further, at this time, a part of the refrigerant is retained as a liquid refrigerant in the lower tank 161 of the evaporator 16, but the first passage 111 is closed, so that the refrigerant does not move to the accumulator 18 and remains in the lower tank 161.

  When the solenoid valve 19 is opened, the first passage 111 is opened, and the liquid refrigerant stopped in the lower tank 161 of the evaporator 16 descends the first passage 111 due to gravity and flows into the accumulator 18. And then accumulate at the bottom. The liquid refrigerant stored in the accumulator 18 is an example of a liquid level detection device, and the liquid level position is detected by a liquid level sensor 30 attached to the accumulator 18. Information on the detected liquid surface position is input to the control device 10.

  The upper part in the accumulator 18 and the upper part in the housing 120 of the electric compressor 12 are connected by a refrigerant pipe 8. The gaseous refrigerant that has flowed into the accumulator 18 flows into the upper portion of the electric compressor 12 through the refrigerant pipe 8.

  A pressure sensor that detects the pressure of the refrigerant and a temperature sensor that detects the temperature of the refrigerant are provided on the refrigerant discharge side of the evaporator 16. The pressure signal and temperature signal detected by each sensor are output to the control device 10.

  The control device 10 is an electronic control device that controls operations of the refrigeration cycle 11, the charger 5, devices related to cooling control of the charger, and the like. The control device 10 may be a vehicle control ECU configured to be communicable with various ECUs, for example. The control device 10 has a control program and a map that are set in advance or that can be updated related to the cooling control of the charger, and store these in a ROM, a RAM, or the like as a storage unit.

  In addition, the control device 10 drives the electric compressor 12 by operating the motor unit 12b by controlling the operation of the inverter device 21 based on an air conditioning request by a passenger or the like. Further, the control device 10 operates the indoor air blower 17 and the outdoor air blower 14, the pressure signal from the pressure sensor on the outlet side of the evaporator 16, the temperature signal from the temperature sensor, and the vehicle interior temperature signal from the room temperature sensor 31. The output of the electric compressor 12 is adjusted accordingly.

  When the refrigeration cycle 11 is activated during air conditioning in the passenger compartment, the refrigerant discharged from the electric compressor 12 is cooled by the condenser 13 and reduced to low temperature and low pressure by the expansion valve 15, and the low temperature and low pressure refrigerant is supplied by the evaporator 16. Thus, the air-conditioning air blown into the vehicle compartment by the indoor blower 17 is cooled. At this time, the rotation speed of the electric compressor 12 is controlled so that the temperature of the air-conditioning air becomes the required temperature required by the occupant. The refrigerant flowing out of the evaporator 16 is sucked into the electric compressor 12 through the refrigerant pipe 8. When the expansion valve 15 is an electronic control valve whose opening degree can be adjusted, the control device 10 controls the valve opening degree of the expansion valve 15 based on the refrigerant pressure and the refrigerant temperature on the outlet side of the evaporator 16.

  The charger 5 converts AC power from the commercial power supply 6 into DC power and charges the storage battery 1. The charger 5 is controlled by the control device 10 based on the charge request of the occupant and the like to the storage battery 1 when the ignition switch, the start switch, etc. of the vehicle are turned off and the vehicle stops the traveling function, for example. Charge the battery. The charger 5 includes a plurality of switching elements 50, a control circuit 51, and a substrate 52 that are accommodated in the exterior case. The switching element 50 is mounted on the substrate 52. The substrate 52 is disposed so as to be in close contact with the outer case 180 of the accumulator 18 provided in the refrigeration cycle 11 via the heat dissipation plate 53. The heat radiating plate 53 is made of a material having good thermal conductivity, and is, for example, a metal such as aluminum or copper.

  The switching element 50 is composed of an IGBT which is a kind of semiconductor element. The switching element 50 has a plurality of switch units, and converts AC power from a commercial power source into DC power and supplies power to the battery by an operation of switching between ON and OFF. The control circuit 51 includes various electronic components related to the switching operation of the switching element 50, and the operation is controlled by the control device 10. Note that the control circuit 51 may be configured integrally with the control device 10.

  The charger 5 is configured integrally with the outer case 180 of the accumulator 18 so as to be capable of heat transfer. For example, as described above, the two are integrally configured so as to be capable of heat transfer, and the heat of the switching element 50 of the charger 5 is configured to be heat-transferable to the outer case 180 through the radiator plate 53, The outer case of the charger 5 which is a separate part is brought into contact with and fixed to the unit 180, and the outer case 180 and the outer case of the charger 5 are formed of a single part and united. .

  Since the switching element 50 generates heat due to power loss, it is a component that requires cooling. The generated heat is transmitted to the outer case 180 of the accumulator 18 via the substrate 52 and the heat radiating plate 53, and is further transferred to the liquid refrigerant inside the accumulator 18.

  Further, when both the outer case 180 of the accumulator 18 and the outer case of the charger 5 are formed of a heat conductive material (for example, a metal material such as aluminum, copper, or iron), the charger 5 and the accumulator 18 are used. It is comprised so that the thermal resistance of a contact part may fall. With such a configuration, the heat generated from the charger 5 is transmitted to the liquid refrigerant inside the accumulator 18 via the outer case of the charger 5 and the outer case 180 of the accumulator 18. In addition, instead of the heat radiating plate 53, a member that increases thermal conductivity such as thermal conductive grease may be provided between the substrate 52 and the outer case 180 of the accumulator 18.

  The control device 10 cools the charger 5 by controlling the solenoid valve 19 to open when the temperature of the heat generating part, for example, the switching element 50 in the charger 5 satisfies a predetermined cooling execution temperature. The temperature of the switching element 50 is detected by the element temperature sensor 32, and the temperature signal is input to the control device 10.

  For example, when the battery 5 is charged by the charger 5, when the temperature of the switching element 50 is high and the cooling execution temperature is satisfied, the electromagnetic valve 19 is opened and the indoor air blower 17 is driven. At this time, a part of the liquid refrigerant stored in the accumulator 18 configured to be capable of heat transfer is vaporized by the heat radiation of the switching element 50, and the switching element 50 is cooled.

  On the other hand, the indoor blower 17 is further driven to dissipate heat from the evaporator 16. As a result, part of the gas refrigerant inside the evaporator 16 is liquefied and the internal pressure is reduced, so that the gas refrigerant inside the accumulator 18 passes through the second passage 112 and passes through the upper tank 160 of the evaporator 16. (Refer to FIG. 2), and heat is radiated by the evaporator 16 to liquefy. At this time, the air supplied to the passenger compartment is heated by the indoor air blower 17, but normally, the passenger is not present in the passenger compartment during charging, so that the passenger does not feel uncomfortable.

  The liquid refrigerant liquefied by the evaporator 16 stops in the lower tank 161 and then flows down to the accumulator 18 through the first passage 111. Thus, in the accumulator 18, the evaporator 16, and the loop passage 110, a loop heat pipe is configured, and the charger 5 is cooled.

  Next, the cooling control of the charger will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 3 is a first flowchart illustrating cooling control in the vehicular cooling device 20. FIG. 4 is a second flowchart for explaining the cooling control. Each flowchart is executed based on a command from the control device 10 in principle. As shown in FIG. 3, it is determined in step 100 whether or not a charging condition is satisfied. The establishment of the charging condition is that the vehicle is turned off, that the power receiving unit 61 and the commercial power source 6 are in a chargeable state using a charging cable or the like.

  If the charging condition is satisfied, it is determined in step 102 whether or not the liquid level detected by the liquid level sensor 30 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. If it is determined in step 102 that the liquid refrigerant is equal to or greater than the predetermined value and the liquid refrigerant has accumulated in the accumulator 18 to a level at which the charger 5 can be cooled, the process proceeds to step 103 and the storage battery 1 is charged. At this time, the control device 10 controls the charger 5 to convert the AC power of the commercial power source 6 into DC power and charge the storage battery 1. The operation of the charger 5 causes the switching element 50 to generate heat.

  If it is determined in step 102 that the liquid refrigerant is less than the predetermined value and the liquid refrigerant has not accumulated in the accumulator 18 to a level at which the charger 5 can be cooled, the process proceeds to step 200 in FIG. The process which does not drive the air blower 17 is performed. Next, in step 201, while driving the electric compressor 12, the process which drives the outdoor air blower 14 is performed. By this process, the refrigeration cycle 11 for air conditioning is operated. Here, although the outdoor blower 14 is driven to radiate heat to the outside of the vehicle compartment, the indoor blower 17 is not driven and therefore does not absorb heat from the air supplied to the passenger compartment. For this reason, the refrigerant | coolant which accumulates in the evaporator 16 as a liquid refrigerant | coolant increases, and a liquid refrigerant | coolant can be stored earlier than the time of normal air conditioning operation | movement.

  Next, in step 202, it is determined whether or not a charging condition is satisfied. If the storage battery 1 becomes fully charged in the middle, or if the charging cable is disconnected from the power receiving unit and becomes unchargeable, it is determined in step 202 that the charging condition is not satisfied, and electric compression is performed in step 203. While the machine 12 is stopped, the process which does not drive the outdoor air blower 14 is performed. By this process, the refrigeration cycle 11 is stopped. In step 204, a charge stop process is executed, and this flowchart is terminated.

  If it is determined in step 202 that the charging condition is satisfied, it is next determined in step 205 whether or not the liquid level detected by the liquid level sensor 30 is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. If it is determined in step 205 that the liquid refrigerant has accumulated to a level at which the charger 5 can be cooled in the accumulator 18, the process proceeds to step 206 where the electric compressor 12 is stopped and the outdoor The process which does not drive the air blower 14 is performed. By this process, the refrigeration cycle 11 is stopped. Then, the process proceeds to step 103 in FIG.

  If it is less than the predetermined value in step 205 and it is determined that the liquid refrigerant has not accumulated in the accumulator 18 to a level at which the charger 5 can be cooled, the process returns to step 201.

  When it is determined in step 102 that the value is equal to or greater than the predetermined value, or after the process of step 206 is executed, the process proceeds to step 103, and the storage battery 1 is charged. Next, in step 104, it is determined whether or not the temperature of the switching element 50 is equal to or higher than the first determination temperature T1. For example, the first determination temperature T1 is set to 80 ° C., a temperature set to be lower by 30 ° C. or more than an allowable upper limit temperature at which the switching element can be damaged. If it is determined in step 104 that the temperature is less than T1, it is not a temperature that impairs the life or function of the device, and it is not necessary to cool the charger 5. Therefore, in step 105, the electromagnetic valve 19 is closed and the indoor blower 17 The process that does not drive is executed, and the process proceeds to Step 107. By not driving the indoor air blower 17 by the process of step 105, power consumption, noise, etc. can be suppressed. Further, while the indoor air blower 17 is stopped, the charger 5 is slightly cooled by heat radiation from the outer case 180 of the accumulator 18.

  If it is determined in step 104 that the temperature is equal to or greater than T1, a certain thermal load is applied to the device, and the charger 5 needs to be cooled. Therefore, in step 106, the electromagnetic valve 19 is opened and the indoor air blower 17 is driven. Execute the process. By this process, the switching element 50 is cooled as described above. If it is determined in step 104 that the temperature is T1 or higher, it is determined that the cooling execution temperature is satisfied.

  After step 105 or step 106, in step 107, it is determined whether or not the temperature of the switching element 50 is equal to or higher than the second determination temperature T2. The second determination temperature T2 is a temperature that can affect the lifetime of the element, and is set to a temperature lower than the allowable upper limit temperature of the switching element, for example, 120 ° C. If it determines with it being less than T2 in step 107, while continuing a charge driving | operation, it returns to step 100 and performs the above-mentioned process. If it is determined in step 107 that it is T2 or more, it is a state related to the lifetime of the element, so the charging operation is stopped and the process returns to step 100 to execute the above-described processing.

  When the storage battery 1 is in a fully charged state, when the charging cable is disconnected from the power receiving unit and becomes unchargeable, etc., it is determined in step 100 that the charging condition is not satisfied, and charging is stopped in step 101. To end the present flowchart. As described above, in the cooling control of the charger, cooling is performed when the temperature of the charger 5 (for example, the temperature of the semiconductor element) is high during the charging operation. In the charger cooling control, a predetermined temperature related to the charger is monitored until it is determined in step 100 that the charging condition is not satisfied, and it is determined whether or not the charger 5 needs to be cooled depending on whether or not the cooling execution temperature is satisfied. Then, the temperature of the switching element is managed.

  The effects brought about by the vehicle cooling device 20 of the present embodiment will be described below. The loop passage 110 connects the evaporator 16 and the accumulator 18, connects the first passage 111 through which the liquid refrigerant flows from the evaporator 16 toward the accumulator 18, and the evaporator 16 and the accumulator 18. And a second passage 112 through which a gaseous refrigerant flows from the accumulator 18 toward the evaporator 16. When the temperature of the switching element 50 of the charger 5 satisfies a predetermined cooling execution temperature, the solenoid valve 19 allows the liquid refrigerant to flow in the first passage 111 and opens the loop passage 110, and the evaporator 16. Radiates the heat of the gaseous refrigerant by exchanging heat between the gaseous refrigerant taken in through the second passage 112 and the air blown to the evaporator 16 by the indoor blower 17.

  According to this, the inflow of the liquid refrigerant from the evaporator 16 to the accumulator 18 is urged through the first passage 111 by the opening operation of the electromagnetic valve 19. Further, the liquid refrigerant of the accumulator 18 is vaporized by the heat generated by the switching element 50 and returned to the evaporator 16 through the second passage 112, and further liquefied by the evaporator 16 by the blow of the indoor blower 17. Thereby, the heat of the charger 5 is thermally transferred in the order of the liquid refrigerant in the accumulator 18, the vaporization of the refrigerant, the liquefaction of the refrigerant in the evaporator 16, and the heat radiation of the room air. That is, the evaporator 16 in the air-conditioning refrigeration cycle 11 mounted on the vehicle can function as a radiator. Specifically, the refrigerant vaporized by the heat generated by the charger 5 is liquefied again in the evaporator 16, so that heat can be radiated from the evaporator 16 to the blown air into the vehicle interior. Thereby, the cooling device 20 for vehicles which enables cooling of the heat generating body (for example, charger 5) of a vehicle can be provided, without adding a dedicated system etc.

  The vehicle cooling device 20 drives the electric compressor 12 and does not operate the indoor air blower 17 when the liquid refrigerant level detected by the liquid level sensor 30 is less than a predetermined value. Processing is performed (step 200, step 201).

  According to this control, when it is determined that the liquid refrigerant is insufficient in the accumulator 18, the refrigerant flow in the refrigeration cycle 11 can be controlled so that the liquid refrigerant is poured into the evaporator 16. That is, the operation of the refrigeration cycle 11 is controlled so that the refrigerant is stored in the refrigerant liquid reservoir. Therefore, it becomes possible to shift to a state in which the refrigerant entrained in the evaporator 16 is stored in the accumulator 18, and a state where the charger 5 cannot be cooled can be avoided.

  In addition, when the temperature of the switching element 50 is lower than the predetermined first determination temperature T1, the vehicle cooling device 20 determines that the cooling execution temperature is not satisfied, and the electromagnetic valve 19 is liquid in the first passage 111. The circulation of the refrigerant is prohibited to close the loop passage 110, and the indoor air blower 17 performs a process that does not operate (step 105).

  According to this control, when the temperature of the switching element 50 is less than the first determination temperature T1 that does not satisfy the cooling execution temperature, the flow of liquid refrigerant to the accumulator 18 is prevented by the flow prohibition operation by the electromagnetic valve 19. The switching element 50 is not cooled by not driving the indoor air blower 17. Thereby, the apparatus which can suppress useless cooling implementation can be provided.

  Further, in the vehicular cooling device 20, when the temperature of the switching element 50 is equal to or higher than the first determination temperature T1 and equal to or lower than the second determination temperature T2 set to be higher than the first determination temperature T1. Performs a process that satisfies the cooling execution temperature (step 106).

  According to this control, when the temperature of the switching element 50 is in a range not lower than the first determination temperature T1 satisfying the cooling execution temperature and not higher than the second determination temperature T2, the first flow permission operation by the electromagnetic valve 19 causes the first While encouraging the inflow of the liquid refrigerant from the evaporator 16 to the accumulator 18 through the passage 111, the liquid refrigerant in the accumulator 18 is vaporized by the heat generated by the switching element 50 and returned to the evaporator 16 through the second passage 112. Further, it is liquefied by the evaporator 16. Thereby, the temperature of the switching element 50 can be managed so as to be within a predetermined allowable temperature range.

  When the temperature of the switching element 50 exceeds the second determination temperature T2, a process for prohibiting charging of the storage battery 1 by the charger 5 is performed (step 108). According to this control, when the temperature of the switching element 50 exceeds the second determination temperature T2, the charging operation is stopped instead of cooling the charger 5 using the above-described liquid refrigerant. Thereby, since the situation where the switching element 50 generates heat can be removed, damage to the element can be avoided and measures for extending the life of the apparatus can be provided.

  In the vehicular cooling device 20, the connection portion between the evaporator 16 and the first passage 111 is set at a position higher than the connection portion between the accumulator 18 and the first passage 111. The distribution permission / rejection device includes an electromagnetic valve 19 that opens and closes the first passage 111.

  According to this configuration, it is possible to send the liquid refrigerant in the evaporator 16 to the accumulator 18 by using the gravity action. Thereby, simplification of the cooling device 20 for vehicles can be implemented by adoption of the electromagnetic valve 19.

(Second Embodiment)
2nd Embodiment is another embodiment with respect to 1st Embodiment about the structure of the cooling device for vehicles, and the cooling control of the charger 5. FIG. FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram showing a main part of the vehicle cooling device of the second embodiment. FIG. 6 is a first flowchart illustrating cooling control of the charger 5 in the second embodiment. FIG. 7 is a second flowchart for explaining the cooling control. The vehicle cooling device shown in FIG. 5 differs from the first embodiment in that a pump 19A is provided as a distribution permission / rejection device. Only the parts different from the first embodiment will be described below.

  The loop passage 110A is a passage that connects the evaporator 16 and the accumulator 18 in an annular shape, and includes a first passage 111A and a second passage 112A. The first passage 111 </ b> A is a passage connecting the evaporator 16 and the accumulator 18, and the liquid refrigerant flows from the evaporator 16 toward the accumulator 18. The second passage 112 </ b> A is a passage connecting the evaporator 16 and the accumulator 18, and the gaseous refrigerant flows from the accumulator 18 toward the evaporator 16.

  One end of the first passage 111 </ b> A is connected to the bottom of the lower tank 161 of the evaporator 16, and the other end is connected to the outer case 180 of the accumulator 18. One end of the second passage 112 </ b> A is connected to the upper part of the outer case 180 of the accumulator 18, and the other end is connected to the upper tank 160 of the evaporator 16.

  The first passage 111A is provided with a pump 19A as a distribution permission / rejection device that permits and prohibits the flow of the liquid refrigerant in the first passage 111A. The pump 19A is driven by the control device 10 to forcibly move the liquid refrigerant from the evaporator 16 side to the accumulator 18 side in the first passage 111A. Therefore, when normal air conditioning is performed during traveling of the vehicle, etc., when the electric compressor 12 is driven and the pump 19A is stopped, heat is absorbed from the air blown by the evaporator 16, and this heat is absorbed by the condenser 13. To dissipate heat to outdoor air. Further, at this time, a part of the refrigerant stays in the lower tank 161 of the evaporator 16 as a liquid refrigerant. However, since the circulation of the liquid refrigerant is not permitted, the refrigerant does not move to the accumulator 18 and remains in the lower tank 161.

  When the pump 19A is driven, the liquid refrigerant retained in the lower tank 161 of the evaporator 16 is forcibly moved through the first passage 111A and flows into the accumulator 18 and flows downward. Accumulate. The liquid refrigerant stored in the accumulator 18 is an example of a liquid level detection device, and the liquid level position is detected by a liquid level sensor 30 attached to the accumulator 18. Information on the detected liquid surface position is input to the control device 10.

  The control device 10 drives the pump 19 </ b> A to cool the charger 5 when the temperature of the heat generating portion in the charger 5, for example, the temperature of the switching element 50 satisfies a predetermined cooling execution temperature. For example, when the battery 5 is charged by the charger 5, when the temperature of the switching element 50 is high and the cooling execution temperature is satisfied, the pump 19 </ b> A is driven and the indoor air blower 17 is driven. At this time, a part of the liquid refrigerant stored in the accumulator 18 configured to be capable of heat transfer is vaporized by the heat radiation of the switching element 50, and the switching element 50 is cooled.

  On the other hand, the indoor blower 17 is further driven to dissipate heat from the evaporator 16. As a result, part of the gas refrigerant inside the evaporator 16 is liquefied and the internal pressure is reduced, so that the gas refrigerant inside the accumulator 18 passes through the second passage 112A and the upper tank 160 of the evaporator 16. (Refer to FIG. 5), and heat is radiated by the evaporator 16 to liquefy. The liquid refrigerant liquefied by the evaporator 16 stops in the lower tank 161 and then flows down to the accumulator 18 through the first passage 111A. Thus, in the accumulator 18, the evaporator 16, and the loop passage 110A, a loop heat pipe is configured, and the charger 5 is cooled.

  Next, cooling control of the charger 5 will be described with reference to FIGS. 6 and 7. Only different processes will be described with respect to the flowchart of the first embodiment. In the flowchart shown in FIG. 6, step 105A and step 106A differ from the flowchart of FIG. In the flowchart shown in FIG. 7, step 200A is different from the flowchart of FIG.

  If it is determined in step 104 of FIG. 6 that the temperature is less than T1, the temperature of the device is not impaired and the function is not impaired, and it is not necessary to cool the charger 5. Therefore, the pump 19A is not driven in step 105A. The process which does not drive the indoor air blower 17 is performed, and it progresses to step 107. By not driving the indoor air blower 17 by the process of step 105A, power consumption, noise, and the like can be suppressed. In addition, while the indoor air blower 17 is stopped, the charger 5 is slightly cooled by heat radiation from the outer case 180 of the accumulator 18.

  If it is determined in step 104 that the temperature is equal to or greater than T1, a certain thermal load is applied to the device, and the charger 5 needs to be cooled. Therefore, in step 106A, the pump 19A is driven and the indoor air blower 17 is driven. Execute the process. By this process, the switching element 50 is cooled as described above. If it is determined in step 104 that the temperature is T1 or higher, it is determined that the cooling execution temperature is satisfied.

  If it is determined in step 102 that the liquid refrigerant is less than the predetermined value and the liquid refrigerant has not accumulated in the accumulator 18 to a level at which the charger 5 can be cooled, the process proceeds to step 200A in FIG. 7 and the pump 19A is stopped. The process which does not drive the indoor air blower 17 is performed.

  Here, the capacity required for the pump 19A will be described. The latent heat of vaporization of the refrigerant (for example, HFC134a) is 165 kJ / kg at 35 ° C. when calculated from the Mollier diagram. Therefore, when the calorific value of the charger 5 is 100 W, about 0.6 g of refrigerant evaporates per second. It becomes like this. The pump 19A only needs to be capable of supplying such a level of liquid refrigerant (about 0.5 cc) into the accumulator 18, and can be realized even with a small pump.

  The effects brought about by the vehicle cooling device of the present embodiment will be described below. The distribution permission / rejection device of the present embodiment uses a pump 19 </ b> A that forcibly distributes the liquid refrigerant from the evaporator 16 toward the accumulator 18 in the first passage 111. According to this configuration, the liquid refrigerant in the evaporator 16 can be forcibly sent to the accumulator 18 by utilizing the driving force of the pump 19A. As a result, it is possible to design a product with a high degree of freedom that is not easily affected by the positional relationship between the evaporator 16, the accumulator 18, and the loop passage 110, and to improve vehicle mountability.

(Third embodiment)
3rd Embodiment is another embodiment with respect to 1st Embodiment about the structure of 20 A of cooling devices for vehicles. FIG. 8 is a schematic diagram showing a vehicle cooling device 20A of the third embodiment. Only the parts different from the first embodiment will be described below.

  The vehicle cooling device 20A shown in FIG. 8 is provided with an air conditioner inverter integrated charger 5A in which the inverter device of the electric compressor 12 and the charger are integrated with respect to the first embodiment, and in the accumulator 18B. The point which is provided with the communicating path 8B which connects the lower part of this and the lower part in the housing 120 of the electric compressor 12 is different. That is, a refrigerant liquid reservoir portion in which the liquid refrigerant stored in the accumulator 18B flows and the liquid refrigerant is stored is provided in the lower part of the housing 120. Furthermore, the air conditioner inverter-integrated charger 5A is integrally mounted on the bottom of the housing 120 of the electric compressor 12, and is thus cooled by the liquid refrigerant sent from the accumulator 18B into the housing 120 through the communication path 8B. .

  Further, the accumulator 18B is provided in the vicinity of the electric compressor 12 or integrally with the housing 120. For this reason, the communication path 8A that communicates the upper part in the accumulator 18B and the upper part in the housing 120 constitutes a shorter path than the refrigerant pipe 8 of the first embodiment. With the above configuration, the vehicular cooling device 20A provides a compact system configuration.

(Fourth embodiment)
4th Embodiment is another embodiment with respect to 1st Embodiment about the cooling control of the vehicle cooling device 20 and the charger 5. FIG. FIG. 9 is a configuration diagram illustrating the vehicle cooling device 20 according to the fourth embodiment. FIG. 10 is a flowchart for explaining cooling control in the vehicular cooling device 20B. The vehicle cooling device 20B shown in FIG. 9 is different from the first embodiment in that it includes an occupant detection sensor 33 that is an example of an occupant detection device. Only the parts different from the first embodiment will be described below.

  The occupant detection sensor 33 is provided in a seating seat portion 102 on which a occupant's buttocks and the like in the seat 101 disposed in the vehicle interior 100 is placed. The occupant detection sensor 33 detects a seated state of the occupant by detecting a pressure equal to or higher than a predetermined value. The control device 10 acquires a detection signal from the occupant detection sensor 33.

  Next, cooling control of the charger 5 will be described with reference to FIG. This flowchart is executed based on a command from the control device 10 in principle. As shown in FIG. 10, it is determined in step 300 whether or not the charging condition is satisfied. The establishment of the charging condition is that the vehicle is turned off, that the power receiving unit 61 and the commercial power source 6 are in a chargeable state using a charging cable or the like. If it is determined in step 301 that the charging condition is not satisfied, a charging stop process is executed in step 301, and this flowchart is terminated.

  If the charging condition is satisfied in step 300, it is determined in step 302 whether or not an occupant is seated on the seating seat portion 102 based on a detection signal detected by the occupant detection sensor 33. If it is determined in step 302 that the presence of an occupant is not detected, the process proceeds to step 102 of the first embodiment or the second embodiment, and the subsequent processing shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is performed according to the description of the first embodiment.

  If it is determined in step 302 that the presence of an occupant has been detected, the process proceeds to step 303, where it is determined whether the vehicle interior temperature detected by the room temperature sensor 31 is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature Tr. The predetermined temperature Tr is set to, for example, the passenger compartment temperature in a state where the passenger passenger feels uncomfortable hot air when the evaporator 16 dissipates heat when the passenger is present in the passenger compartment 100. Is done. The predetermined temperature Tr can be set to 15 ° C., for example.

  If it is determined in step 303 that the vehicle interior temperature is equal to or lower than the predetermined temperature Tr, the vehicle interior temperature is low, and even if the heat radiation from the evaporator 16 is supplied to the vehicle interior 100, a level that causes discomfort to the passengers. The process proceeds to step 102 of the first embodiment or the second embodiment, and the subsequent processing shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 is performed according to the description of the first embodiment. By this processing, the waste heat from the charger 5 is radiated to the vehicle interior 100 through the heat radiation of the evaporator 16 and used as heat for heating the vehicle interior 100.

  On the other hand, when it is determined in step 303 that the vehicle interior temperature exceeds the predetermined temperature Tr, the process proceeds to step 304 and the storage battery 1 is charged. Next, in step 305, it is determined whether or not the temperature of the switching element 50 is equal to or higher than the first determination temperature T1. The first determination temperature T1 is set to 80 ° C., for example. If it is determined in step 305 that the temperature is less than T1, it is not necessary to cool the charger 5. Therefore, in step 306, the electric compressor 12 is stopped and the outdoor blower 14 is not driven to execute the refrigeration cycle 11. Stop and go to step 308. By not driving the outdoor air blower 14 by the process of step 306, power consumption, noise, and the like can be suppressed.

  If it is determined in step 305 that the temperature is equal to or greater than T1, the charger 5 needs to be cooled, and heat radiation to the passenger compartment 100 may cause discomfort to the passenger, so the electric compressor 12 is driven in step 307. And the process which drives the outdoor air blower 14 is performed, and the waste heat of the charger 5 is discharged | emitted out of a vehicle interior. By this process, the switching element 50 is cooled as described above. If it is determined in step 305 that the temperature is T1 or more, it is determined that the cooling execution temperature is satisfied.

  After step 306 or step 307, in step 308, it is determined whether or not the temperature of the switching element 50 is equal to or higher than the second determination temperature T2. The second determination temperature T2 is a temperature that can affect the lifetime of the element, and is set to 120 ° C., for example. If it determines with it being less than T2 at step 308, while continuing a charge driving | operation, it returns to step 300 and performs the above-mentioned process. If it is determined in step 308 that T2 is equal to or greater than T2, it is in a state related to the life of the element. Therefore, in step 309, the electric compressor 12 is stopped, and the refrigeration cycle 11 is stopped by executing processing that does not drive the outdoor air blower 14. . Further, in step 310, a charge stop process is executed, and this flowchart is terminated.

  The detection of the presence or absence of an occupant may be performed by other means besides using the occupant detection sensor 33. For example, an occupant detection device that uses image processing, ultrasonic waves, or the like may be employed.

  The effects brought about by the vehicle cooling device 20B of the present embodiment will be described below. According to the present embodiment, when the occupant detection sensor 33 detects an occupant, the refrigerant taken into the condenser 13 is subjected to heat exchange with the air blown to the condenser 13 by the outdoor blower 14. Heat is dissipated in the condenser 13 (step 307).

  For example, an occupant may be present in the passenger compartment 100 when charging. In this case, if the waste heat of the charger 5 is released into the vehicle interior 100 through the heat radiation of the evaporator 16, the passenger in the vehicle interior 100 may be uncomfortable due to the waste heat. Therefore, according to the control of the present embodiment, when an occupant is present in the passenger compartment 100, heat is radiated to the outside of the passenger compartment not via the passenger compartment 100 but via the condenser 13. Thereby, since it can suppress that a passenger | crew feels uncomfortable by the waste heat of the charger 5, the system which considered the passenger | crew's comfort can be implement | achieved.

  In addition, even when the occupant detection sensor 33 detects an occupant, if the vehicle interior temperature detected by the room temperature sensor 31 is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature Tr, the interior of the evaporator 16 is provided via the second passage 112. The taken-in gas refrigerant is radiated in the evaporator 16 by exchanging heat with the air blown to the evaporator 16 by the indoor blower 17 (step 106 or step 106A).

  According to this, even when the occupant detection sensor 33 detects an occupant in the vehicle interior 100, when it is determined that the vehicle interior temperature is low and is received as a warm feeling that is not uncomfortable for the occupant, the evaporator 16 is used. Through the vehicle interior 100. Thereby, the waste heat of the charger 5 can be utilized as a heating effect that does not lower the passenger compartment temperature. Therefore, it is possible to effectively use the waste heat of the charger 5 and improve the energy efficiency of the entire vehicle.

(Other embodiments)
The preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described above, but the present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit of the present invention. The structure of the said embodiment is an illustration to the last, Comprising: The scope of the present invention is not limited to the range of these description. The scope of the present invention is indicated by the description of the scope of claims, and further includes meanings equivalent to the description of the scope of claims and all modifications within the scope.

  In the above embodiment, the target temperature determined in step 104, step 107, and the like is the temperature of the switching element 50 detected by the element temperature sensor 32, but is related to ensuring the durability and functions of other chargers 5. The temperature may be For example, the temperature of an electronic component other than the switching element 50, the temperature of the outer case of the charger 5B, the temperature of the substrate, or the like may be used.

  In each of the above embodiments, a plurality of switching elements have been described as representative examples of components that require cooling in the chargers 5 and 5A, but other electronic components mounted on a substrate, a control circuit, etc. may be used as components to be cooled. Including parts and the like.

  In each of the above embodiments, the refrigerant liquid reservoir according to the present invention is realized by the accumulators 18, 18A, 18B. However, the refrigerant liquid reservoir is not limited to the above embodiment as long as it can recirculate the gaseous refrigerant to the evaporator 16.

  In each of the above embodiments, the compressor that causes the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle 11 to flow is the electric compressor 12 having a scroll-type compression mechanism, but this form is only an example, and a mechanical compressor, Any other piston-type or rotary-type compression mechanism may be employed.

  In each of the above embodiments, the control device 10 is a single control device. However, an integrated control device that controls various devices may be adopted, and communication with each other is possible. A plurality of control devices may be employed.

  Moreover, even if the configuration of the pump 19A and the loop passage 110A of the second embodiment is applied to the third embodiment or the fourth embodiment, there is no problem.

5 ... Charger (heating element)
11 ... Refrigeration cycle 12 ... Electric compressor (compressor)
13 ... Condenser (heat exchanger for heat dissipation)
15 ... Expansion valve (pressure reducing device)
16 ... Evaporator 17 ... Indoor blower 18, 18A ... Accumulator (refrigerant reservoir)
19 ... Solenoid valve (distribution permission / rejection device)
19A ... Pump (Distribution permission / denial device)
20 ... Vehicle cooling device 111, 111A ... First passage 112, 112A ... Second passage 110, 110A ... Loop passage

Claims (10)

A refrigeration cycle (11) that is used for vehicle interior air conditioning and includes at least a compressor (12), a heat-dissipating heat exchanger (13), a decompression device (15), and an evaporator (16);
An indoor blower (17) for blowing air to the evaporator;
In the refrigeration cycle, a refrigerant liquid reservoir (18, 18A) provided in a passage between the evaporator outlet and the compressor inlet,
A heating element (5, 5A) mounted on a vehicle and cooled by using a liquid refrigerant stored in the refrigerant liquid reservoir;
A first passage (111, 111A) through which the liquid refrigerant flows from the evaporator toward the refrigerant liquid reservoir, the passage connecting the evaporator and the refrigerant liquid reservoir, and the evaporator and the A loop passage (110, 110A) including a second passage (112, 112A) for connecting the refrigerant liquid reservoir portion and a gas refrigerant flowing from the refrigerant liquid reservoir portion toward the evaporator;
A flow permission / refusal device (19, 19A) that permits and prohibits the flow of the liquid refrigerant in the first passage,
When the temperature of the heating element satisfies a predetermined cooling execution temperature, the flow permission / refusal device permits flow of the liquid refrigerant in the first passage and opens the loop passage, and the evaporator A vehicle characterized in that heat of the gaseous refrigerant is radiated by exchanging heat between the gaseous refrigerant taken in through the second passage and air blown to the evaporator by the indoor blower. Cooling device. A liquid level detection device (30) for detecting a liquid level position of the liquid refrigerant accumulated in the refrigerant liquid reservoir,
The vehicle according to claim 1, wherein when the liquid level detected by the liquid level detection device is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the compressor is driven and the indoor air blower is not operated. Cooling device. The heat dissipating heat exchanger is disposed outside the passenger compartment,
An outdoor blower (14) for blowing air to the heat exchanger for heat dissipation, and an occupant detection device (33) for detecting the presence or absence of an occupant in the passenger compartment,
When the occupant detection device detects an occupant, the refrigerant taken into the heat dissipation heat exchanger is heat exchanged with the air blown to the heat dissipation heat exchanger by the outdoor fan, The vehicle cooling device according to claim 1 or 2, wherein heat is radiated in a heat exchanger for heat radiation. A room temperature detection device (31) for detecting the temperature in the passenger compartment;
Even when the occupant detection device detects an occupant, if the passenger compartment temperature detected by the room temperature detection device is equal to or lower than a predetermined temperature, it is taken into the evaporator through the second passage. The vehicle cooling device according to claim 3, wherein the refrigerant is radiated in the evaporator by exchanging heat with the air blown to the evaporator by the indoor blower.   A battery charger (5) for controlling charging of external power to a power storage device (1) mounted on a vehicle is provided, and the heating element is a semiconductor element (50) mounted on the charger. The vehicle cooling device according to any one of claims 1 to 4.   When the temperature of the semiconductor element is lower than a predetermined first determination temperature, it is determined that the cooling execution temperature is not satisfied, and the flow permission device prohibits the flow of the liquid refrigerant in the first passage. The vehicle cooling device according to claim 5, wherein the loop passage is closed and the indoor air blower does not operate.   When the temperature of the semiconductor element is equal to or higher than the first determination temperature and equal to or lower than a second determination temperature set higher than the first determination temperature, the cooling execution temperature is satisfied. The vehicular cooling device according to claim 6, wherein   The vehicle cooling device according to claim 7, wherein when the temperature of the semiconductor element exceeds the second determination temperature, charging of the power storage device (1) by the charger is prohibited. The connection part between the evaporator and the first passage is set at a position higher than the connection part between the refrigerant liquid reservoir and the first passage,
The cooling device for vehicles according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein said distribution permission device is a valve (19) which opens and closes said 1st passage.   The said distribution permission device is a pump (19A) which forcibly distribute | circulates a liquid refrigerant from the said evaporator toward the said refrigerant | coolant liquid reservoir part in the said 1st channel | path. The vehicle cooling device according to claim 8.

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