JP7683380B2 - Vehicle Cooling System - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle cooling system.

Patent Document 1 describes a power cooling device for a hybrid vehicle that includes a first cooling water circulation passage for cooling an internal combustion engine, a second cooling water circulation passage for cooling an electric motor, a first tank that connects a core portion with the first cooling water circulation passage and the second cooling water circulation passage, and a radiator that has a second tank that separates the first cooling water circulation passage and the second cooling water circulation passage. Patent Document 1 also describes that a semi-partition plate is provided inside the first tank to separate the first cooling water circulation passage and the second cooling water circulation passage, except for a communication portion that connects the first cooling water circulation passage and the second cooling water circulation passage.

The system described in Patent Document 1 aims to standardize the radiator tank and prevent the engine cooling water from flowing into the motor cooling system even when the reserve tank is shared.

Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 10-266855

However, the technology described in Patent Document 1 was unable to sufficiently prevent the inflow of high-temperature cooling water from the first cooling water circulation passage constituting the high-temperature cooling system to the second cooling water circulation passage constituting the low-temperature cooling system, and there was a need to minimize the inflow of high-temperature cooling water.

The present invention was made in response to the above-mentioned problems, and aims to provide a vehicle cooling system that can minimize the inflow of high-temperature cooling water from the high-temperature cooling system to the low-temperature cooling system while consolidating two cooling system auxiliary components into one system.

The present invention is a vehicle cooling system that includes a single radiator having an upstream tank, a downstream tank, and a core portion that connects the upstream tank and the downstream tank, a first cooling water circulation circuit in which cooling water circulates between an engine and the radiator, and a second cooling water circulation circuit in which cooling water circulates between the radiator and an electrical device whose allowable temperature is lower than the maximum temperature of the cooling water circulating in the first cooling water circulation circuit, and that uses the single radiator to cool the cooling water circulating in the first cooling water circulation circuit and the cooling water circulating in the second cooling water circulation circuit. A first partition plate is provided to separate the cooling water circulating through the cooling water circulation circuit from the cooling water circulating through the second cooling water circulation circuit, and the downstream tank is provided with a second partition plate to separate the cooling water circulating through the first cooling water circulation circuit from the cooling water circulating through the second cooling water circulation circuit, the first partition plate has a communication hole that communicates with the first cooling water circulation circuit and the second cooling water circulation circuit, and the radiator has a return passage that returns the cooling water that has flowed from the first cooling water circulation circuit to the second cooling water circulation circuit in the upstream tank to the first cooling water circulation circuit in the downstream tank.

In this way, the present invention provides a vehicle cooling system that can consolidate two cooling system accessory components into one system while minimizing the inflow of high-temperature cooling water from the high-temperature cooling system to the low-temperature cooling system.

FIG. 1 is a configuration diagram of a vehicle equipped with a vehicle cooling system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the configuration of a radiator of a vehicle cooling system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a diagram showing the flow of cooling water in a radiator when a thermostat valve is closed in a vehicle cooling system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the flow of cooling water in a radiator when a thermostat is open in a vehicle cooling system according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a diagram showing the flow of cooling water in a radiator when the cooling water is injected into the radiator of a vehicle cooling system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

A vehicle cooling system according to one embodiment of the present invention includes a single radiator having an upstream tank, a downstream tank, and a core portion connecting the upstream tank and the downstream tank, a first cooling water circulation circuit in which cooling water circulates between the engine and the radiator, and a second cooling water circulation circuit in which cooling water circulates between the radiator and an electrical device whose allowable temperature is lower than the maximum temperature of the cooling water circulating in the first cooling water circulation circuit, and the vehicle cooling system cools the cooling water circulating in the first cooling water circulation circuit and the cooling water circulating in the second cooling water circulation circuit using the single radiator. The upstream tank is provided with a first partition plate that separates the cooling water circulating through the first cooling water circulation circuit from the cooling water circulating through the second cooling water circulation circuit, and the downstream tank is provided with a second partition plate that separates the cooling water circulating through the first cooling water circulation circuit from the cooling water circulating through the second cooling water circulation circuit, the first partition plate having a communication hole that communicates with the first cooling water circulation circuit and the second cooling water circulation circuit, and the radiator has a return passage that returns the cooling water that flows from the first cooling water circulation circuit to the second cooling water circulation circuit in the upstream tank to the first cooling water circulation circuit in the downstream tank. As a result, the vehicle cooling system according to one embodiment of the present invention can minimize the inflow of high-temperature cooling water from the high-temperature cooling system to the low-temperature cooling system while consolidating the two cooling system auxiliary components into one system.

Below, a vehicle cooling system according to one embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. Figures 1 to 5 are diagrams showing a vehicle cooling system according to one embodiment of the present invention.

First, the configuration will be described. In FIG. 1, a vehicle 1 is equipped with an engine (referred to as ENG in the drawing) 2, a transmission (referred to as T/M in the drawing) 3, and an electric motor (referred to as MGU in the drawing) 4.

Engine 2 is an internal combustion engine that uses gasoline or diesel fuel and generates driving force (engine torque) for traveling. Inside engine 2, a water jacket (not shown) is provided through which cooling water flows.

The transmission 3 is connected to the engine 2 and transmits the driving force (engine torque) generated by the engine 2. The transmission 3 is equipped with a speed change mechanism (not shown), and the rotation transmitted from the engine 2 is changed in speed by the speed change mechanism and transmitted to the driving wheels (not shown).

The electric motor 4 is electrically connected to a battery (not shown) via an inverter 5. The electric motor 4 is built into the rear part of the speed change mechanism in the transmission 3. The driving force (motor torque) for running generated by the electric motor 4 is transmitted to the drive wheels without passing through the speed change mechanism of the transmission 3.

The electric motor 4 is provided with an oil cooler (indicated as O/C in the figure) 4A, which cools the oil circulating inside the electric motor 4 by exchanging heat with the cooling water.

The vehicle 1 is equipped with one radiator 50. The radiator 50 cools the coolant by exchanging heat with the airflow while the vehicle is running. The radiator 50 is equipped with a high-temperature section 50H that cools the relatively high-temperature coolant taken in from the engine 2, and a low-temperature section 50L that cools the relatively low-temperature coolant taken in from the oil cooler 4A.

The vehicle 1 is equipped with a first coolant circulation circuit 21. The first coolant circulation circuit 21 connects the engine 2 and the radiator 50, and circulates coolant between the engine 2 and the radiator 50. The radiator 50 cools the coolant circulating through the first coolant circulation circuit 21.

The first cooling water circulation circuit 21 has a feed passage 21A that sends cooling water from the engine 2 to the radiator 50, and the feed passage 21A is connected to an upstream tank 51 of the radiator 50.

The first cooling water circulation circuit 21 has a return passage 21B that returns the cooling water cooled by the radiator 50 to the engine 2, and the return passage 21B is connected to a tank 52 downstream of the radiator 50.

The vehicle 1 is equipped with a mechanical water pump (indicated as WP in the figure) 32. The water pump 32 is provided at the end of the return passage 21B on the engine 2 side, and is driven by the engine 2 to send the cooling water sucked from the return passage 21B to the engine 2.

A thermostat 33 is provided between the engine 2 and the feed passage 21A. When the temperature of the cooling water is lower than a predetermined temperature, the thermostat 33 closes and prevents the circulation of the cooling water in the first cooling water circulation circuit 21. When the temperature of the cooling water is higher than a predetermined temperature, the thermostat 33 opens and allows the circulation of the cooling water in the first cooling water circulation circuit 21. That is, when the thermostat 33 is open, the cooling water sent to the engine 2 by the water pump 32 is discharged from the engine 2 after cooling the engine 2. The cooling water is then introduced into the radiator 50 through the feed passage 21A, and after being cooled in the radiator 50, is returned to the water pump 32 through the return passage 21B.

The vehicle 1 is equipped with an auxiliary cooling water circulation circuit 22. A heater core 31 and an EGR cooler 30 are connected to the engine 2 via the auxiliary cooling water circulation circuit 22. The heater core 31 heats the vehicle interior (not shown) by heat exchange with high-temperature cooling water introduced from the engine 2. The EGR cooler 30 cools the exhaust gas discharged from the engine 2 by heat exchange with the cooling water. The exhaust gas cooled by the EGR cooler 30 is sent to the intake path of the engine 2.

The auxiliary cooling water circulation circuit 22 has a feed passage 22A that sends cooling water from the engine 2 to the heater core 31, a feed passage 22B that sends cooling water from the engine 2 to the EGR cooler 30, and a return passage 22C that returns cooling water from the heater core 31 and the EGR cooler 30 to the engine 2. The return passage 22C is collected so that the cooling water from the heater core 31 and the cooling water from the EGR cooler 30 are joined together. The upstream ends of the feed passages 22A and 22B are connected to the engine 2 without passing through the thermostat 33. The downstream end of the return passage 22C is connected to the suction side of the water pump 32. Therefore, while the engine 2 is operating, the cooling water always circulates through the auxiliary cooling water circulation circuit 22 regardless of whether the thermostat 33 is closed or open.

The vehicle 1 is equipped with a second cooling water circulation circuit 23. The oil cooler 4A is connected to a radiator 50 via the second cooling water circulation circuit 23. The radiator 50 cools the cooling water circulating through the second cooling water circulation circuit 23.

The second cooling water circulation circuit 23 has a feed passage 23A that sends cooling water from the oil cooler 4A to the radiator 50, and a return passage 23B that returns cooling water from the radiator 50 to the oil cooler 4A. The return passage 23B is provided with an electrically operated electric water pump (referred to as EWP in the figure) 37 and an inverter (referred to as INV in the figure) 5. The cooling water circulating through the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 cools the oil in the oil cooler 4A and the inverter 5.

Therefore, in the second cooling water circulation circuit 23, the cooling water circulates between the oil cooler 4A and the inverter 5 and the radiator 50. The oil cooler 4A and the inverter 5 are electrical devices whose allowable temperature is lower than the maximum temperature of the cooling water circulating in the first cooling water circulation circuit 21.

The radiator 50 is provided with an inlet 51A for the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 and an inlet 51B for the second cooling water circulation circuit 23.

The radiator 50 is provided with an outlet 52A for the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 and an outlet 52B for the second cooling water circulation circuit 23.

In FIG. 2, the radiator 50 has an upstream tank 51 into which the cooling water enters, a downstream tank 52 from which the cooling water exits, and a core section 53 that connects the upstream tank 51 and the downstream tank 52. The upstream tank 51 and the downstream tank 52 are designed to temporarily store the cooling water, and are connected to one end and the other end of the core section 53, respectively. The core section 53 cools the cooling water by exchanging heat with the wind generated by driving. The radiator 50 is provided with a cap 55, to which a single reservoir tank 56 that stores replenishment cooling water is connected via piping.

The upstream tank 51 has an inlet 51A to the radiator 50 of the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 and an inlet 51B to the radiator 50 of the second cooling water circulation circuit 23.

The downstream tank 52 is provided with an outlet 52A of the radiator 50 for the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 and an outlet 52B of the radiator 50 for the second cooling water circulation circuit 23.

The upstream tank 51 is provided with a first partition plate 51C that separates the cooling water circulating through the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 from the cooling water circulating through the second cooling water circulation circuit 23. By providing the first partition plate 51C in the upstream tank 51, a high-temperature side space 51H in which the cooling water circulating through the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 is temporarily stored, and a low-temperature side space 51L in which the cooling water circulating through the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 is temporarily stored.

The downstream tank 52 is provided with a second partition plate 52C that separates the cooling water circulating through the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 from the cooling water circulating through the second cooling water circulation circuit 23. The downstream tank 52 is provided with the second partition plate 52C, forming a high-temperature side space 52H in which the cooling water circulating through the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 is temporarily stored, and a low-temperature side space 52L in which the cooling water circulating through the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 is temporarily stored.

The high-temperature spaces 51H, 52H in the radiator 50 and the tubes 54 communicating with them constitute the high-temperature section 50H of the radiator 50. The high-temperature section 50H also constitutes part of the first cooling water circulation circuit 21. The low-temperature spaces 51L, 52L in the radiator 50 and the tubes 54 communicating with them constitute the low-temperature section 50L of the radiator 50. The low-temperature section 50L also constitutes part of the second cooling water circulation circuit 23.

The first partition plate 51C has a communication hole 51D that communicates with the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 and the second cooling water circulation circuit 23. Note that, although one communication hole 51D is formed in the first partition plate 51C in FIG. 2, multiple communication holes 51D may be formed in the first partition plate 51C.

The core section 53 has multiple tubes 54 through which cooling water flows from the upstream tank 51 to the downstream tank 52. Fins (not shown) are provided on the surface of the tubes 54 to increase the contact area with the running wind.

In this embodiment, one radiator 50 cools the coolant circulating through the first coolant circulation circuit 21 and the coolant circulating through the second coolant circulation circuit 23. A first partition plate 51C that separates the first coolant circulation circuit 21 and the second coolant circulation circuit 23 is provided in the upstream tank 51 of the radiator 50. This makes it possible to prevent the high-temperature coolant circulating through the first coolant circulation circuit 21 and the low-temperature coolant circulating through the second coolant circulation circuit 23 from mixing.

In addition, the tank 52 downstream of the radiator 50 is provided with a second partition plate 52C that separates the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 from the second cooling water circulation circuit 23. This makes it possible to prevent the high-temperature cooling water circulating through the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 and the low-temperature cooling water circulating through the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 from mixing together.

If the first and second cooling water circulation circuits 21 and 23 are completely blocked by the first and second partition plates 51C and 52C, a reservoir tank 56 is required for each of the first and second cooling water circulation circuits 21 and 23 in the radiator 50. If the radiator 50 is provided with two reservoir tanks 56, this is undesirable because it causes the structure to become complicated and the manufacturing costs to increase. Therefore, in this embodiment, the first partition plate 51C has a communication hole 51D that communicates the first and second cooling water circulation circuits 21 and 23. This allows the flow of cooling water through the communication hole 51D, so that the reservoir tank 56 and the piping connected to the reservoir tank 56 can be unified.

On the other hand, because the first partition plate 51C has a communication hole 51D, high-temperature cooling water may flow from the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 into the second cooling water circulation circuit 23, making it impossible to sufficiently cool the oil cooler 4A and the inverter 5. Therefore, it is desirable to minimize the inflow of high-temperature cooling water from the high-temperature cooling system to the low-temperature cooling system while leaving the communication hole 51D that allows the reservoir tank 56 and its associated piping to be integrated into a single system.

Therefore, in order to minimize the inflow of high-temperature cooling water from the high-temperature cooling system to the low-temperature cooling system, the radiator 50 has a return passage 54R that returns the cooling water that has flowed from the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 to the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 in the upstream tank 51 to the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 in the downstream tank 52.

The return passage 54R is formed by some of the multiple tubes 54 that are located at the boundary between the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 and the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 in the radiator 50. In other words, some of the multiple existing tubes 54 function as the return passage 54R.

The upstream tank 51 is equipped with a guide portion 51E. The guide portion 51E is formed in a convex shape that protrudes toward the core portion 53 in the low-temperature space 51L of the upstream tank 51. Note that the convex guide portion 51E appears concave when the upstream tank 51 is viewed from the outside.

The guide portion 51E is provided between the first partition plate 51C and the inlet 51B to the radiator 50 of the second cooling water circulation circuit 23. The guide portion 51E guides the cooling water flowing from the first partition plate 51C toward the inlet 51B to the radiator 50 to the core portion 53, and also guides the cooling water flowing from the inlet 51B to the radiator 50 toward the first partition plate 51C to the core portion 53.

In more detail, the guide portion 51E has a communication hole side wall portion 51F facing the communication hole 51D, and the communication hole side wall portion 51F is inclined so as to move away from the communication hole 51D as it approaches the core portion 53. As a result, the cooling water heading toward the inlet 51B to the radiator 50 from the first partition plate 51C hits the communication hole side wall portion 51F of the guide portion 51E, changes direction, and is guided toward the core portion 53. In this embodiment, in order to guide the cooling water more smoothly, the communication hole side wall portion 51F is inclined in an arc so as to move away from the communication hole 51D as it approaches the core portion 53.

The guide portion 51E has an inlet side wall portion 51G facing the inlet 51B to the radiator 50 of the second cooling water circulation circuit 23, and the inlet side wall portion 51G is inclined so as to move away from the inlet 51B to the radiator 50 of the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 as it approaches the core portion 53. As a result, the cooling water flowing from the inlet 51B to the radiator 50 toward the first partition plate 51C hits the inlet side wall portion 51G of the guide portion 51E and changes direction, and is guided toward the core portion 53. In this embodiment, in order to guide the cooling water more smoothly, the inlet side wall portion 51G is inclined in an arc so as to move away from the inlet 51B to the radiator 50 of the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 as it approaches the core portion 53.

In this embodiment, the guide portion 51E guides the cooling water toward the core portion 53, thereby preventing the high-temperature cooling water in the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 and the low-temperature cooling water in the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 from mixing in the upstream tank 51.

The upstream tank 51 end of the tube 54 that constitutes the return passage 54R is connected to a position sandwiched between the first partition plate 51C and the guide portion 51E in the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 of the upstream tank 51.

The end of the tube 54 that constitutes the return passage 54R on the downstream tank 52 side is connected to the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 side of the downstream tank 52.

The distance L1 between the end of the guide portion 51E on the core portion 53 side and the core portion 53 is set to be less than or equal to the distance L2 between the end of the communication hole 51D on the core portion 53 side and the core portion 53.

Next, the flow of cooling water in the radiator 50 in the vehicle cooling system will be described. In FIG. 1, when the thermostat 33 is closed, the cooling water does not circulate through the first cooling water circulation circuit 21, but circulates through the second cooling water circulation circuit 23. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 3, the cooling water introduced into the low-temperature space 51L from the inlet 51B of the upstream tank 51 flows through the tube 54 of the core part 53 into the low-temperature space 52L of the downstream tank 52, and is discharged from the outlet 52B. In addition, the cooling water passes through the tube 54 of the core part 53 that communicates with both the low-temperature space 51L of the upstream tank 51 and the low-temperature space 52L of the downstream tank 52.

Here, the return passage 54R is connected to the low-temperature side space 51L of the upstream tank 51 and the high-temperature side space 52H of the downstream tank 52, and no cooling water is circulating in the first cooling water circulation circuit 21, which includes the high-temperature side space 52H. Therefore, the cooling water in the low-temperature side space 51L of the upstream tank 51 does not flow into the high-temperature side space 52H of the downstream tank 52.

1, when the thermostat 33 is open, the cooling water circulates through the first cooling water circulation circuit 21, and also through the second cooling water circulation circuit 23. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 4, the cooling water introduced into the high temperature side space 51H from the inlet 51A of the upstream tank 51 flows through the tube 54 of the core part 53 to the high temperature side space 52H of the downstream tank 52, and is discharged from the outlet 52A. In addition, the cooling water that flows from the high temperature side space 51H to the low temperature side space 51L through the communication hole 51D due to the pressure difference is returned to the high temperature side space 52H of the downstream tank 52 through the return passage 54R. In particular, in this embodiment, the cooling water that flows into the low temperature side space 51L hits the communication hole side wall part 51F of the guide part 51E and changes direction in the direction of the return passage 54R of the core part 53, so that the cooling water can be effectively returned to the high temperature side space 52H of the downstream tank 52 through the return passage 54R.

In FIG. 5, when the cooling water in the reservoir tank 56 is poured into the radiator 50 through the cap 55, the cooling water that has flowed into the high-temperature side space 51H of the upstream tank 51 flows through the tube 54 of the core part 53 into the high-temperature side space 52H of the downstream tank 52. Then, the cooling water in the high-temperature side space 52H flows through the return passage 54R into the low-temperature side space 51L of the upstream tank 51. This allows the entire inside of the radiator 50 to be filled with cooling water. In addition, air in the low-temperature side space 51L can be discharged from the inlet 51B through the communication hole 51D above the inlet 51B to the high-temperature side space 51H. In other words, the communication hole 51D can also be used for air bleeding. The air discharged into the high-temperature side space 51H accumulates near the bottom of the cap 55, so it can be easily discharged to the outside by removing the cap 55. In addition to when cooling water is being poured in, air in the low-temperature space 51L can be discharged to the high-temperature space 51H through the communication hole 51D even while the engine 2 is running.

As described above, in the vehicle cooling system of this embodiment, the upstream tank 51 is provided with a first partition plate 51C that separates the cooling water circulating through the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 from the cooling water circulating through the second cooling water circulation circuit 23, and the downstream tank 52 is provided with a second partition plate 52C that separates the cooling water circulating through the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 from the cooling water circulating through the second cooling water circulation circuit 23. The first partition plate 51C also has a communication hole 51D that communicates with the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 and the second cooling water circulation circuit 23. The radiator 50 has a return passage 54R that returns the cooling water that has flowed from the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 to the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 in the upstream tank 51 to the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 in the downstream tank 52.

In this way, in this embodiment, one radiator 50 cools the coolant circulating through the first coolant circulation circuit 21 and the coolant circulating through the second coolant circulation circuit 23, and the first partition plate 51C of the radiator 50 has a communication hole 51D that connects the first coolant circulation circuit 21 and the second coolant circulation circuit 23, so the reservoir tank 56 and the piping connected to the reservoir tank 56 can be combined into one. Therefore, two systems of cooling system accessories can be combined into one system.

In addition, in this embodiment, the upstream tank 51 is provided with a first partition plate 51C that separates the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 and the second cooling water circulation circuit 23, so that the high-temperature cooling water circulating through the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 and the low-temperature cooling water circulating through the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 can be prevented from mixing. In addition, the downstream tank 52 is provided with a second partition plate 52C that separates the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 and the second cooling water circulation circuit 23, so that the high-temperature cooling water circulating through the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 and the low-temperature cooling water circulating through the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 can be prevented from mixing.

Furthermore, in this embodiment, the upstream tank 51 has a return passage 54R that returns the cooling water that has flowed from the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 to the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 to the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 in the downstream tank 52. This makes it possible to minimize the inflow of high-temperature cooling water from the high-temperature cooling system to the low-temperature cooling system.

As a result, two cooling system auxiliary components can be combined into one system, while minimizing the inflow of high-temperature cooling water from the high-temperature cooling system to the low-temperature cooling system.

In addition, in the vehicle cooling system of this embodiment, the core portion 53 has a plurality of tubes 54 through which the cooling water flows from the upstream tank 51 to the downstream tank 52. The return passage 54R is formed by a portion of the plurality of tubes 54 that are located at the boundary between the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 and the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 in the radiator 50.

This allows the cooling water that has flowed from the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 to the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 in the upstream tank 51 to be returned to the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 in the downstream tank 52 using part of the existing tube 54, avoiding the need for a complex structure and increased manufacturing costs compared to creating a new dedicated return passage 54R.

In the vehicle cooling system of this embodiment, the upstream tank 51 is provided with a guide portion 51E between the first partition plate 51C and the inlet 51B of the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 to the radiator 50, which guides the cooling water flowing from the first partition plate 51C to the inlet 51B of the radiator 50 to the core portion 53, and guides the cooling water flowing from the inlet 51B of the radiator 50 to the first partition plate 51C to the core portion 53. The upstream tank 51 end of the tube 54 constituting the return passage 54R is connected to a position sandwiched between the first partition plate 51C and the guide portion 51E in the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 of the upstream tank 51. The downstream tank 52 end of the tube 54 constituting the return passage 54R is connected to the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 side of the downstream tank 52.

As a result, the cooling water that flows from the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 to the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 can be directed by the guide portion 51E in a direction toward the tube 54 that constitutes the return passage 54R. This makes it possible to minimize the flow of high-temperature cooling water that flows in from the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 side of the upstream tank 51 to the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 side of the downstream tank 52. In addition, it is possible to prevent low-temperature cooling water that flows in from the inlet 51B on the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 side of the upstream tank 51 from flowing toward the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 side of the downstream tank 52.

In addition, in the vehicle cooling system of this embodiment, the distance L1 between the end of the guide portion 51E on the core portion 53 side and the core portion 53 is less than the distance L2 between the end of the communication hole 51D on the core portion 53 side and the core portion 53.

As a result, all of the cooling water that flows from the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 to the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 through the communication hole 51D of the first partition plate 51C can be made to collide with the guide portion 51E and can be redirected toward the tube 54 that constitutes the return passage 54R. This makes it possible to minimize the flow of high-temperature cooling water that flows in from the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 side of the upstream tank 51 to the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 side of the downstream tank 52.

In addition, in the vehicle cooling system of this embodiment, the guide portion 51E has a communication hole side wall portion 51F that faces the communication hole 51D. The communication hole side wall portion 51F is inclined so as to move away from the communication hole 51D as it approaches the core portion 53.

This allows the cooling water that flows from the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 to the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 to be smoothly redirected toward the tube 54 that constitutes the return passage 54R. This allows the high-temperature cooling water that flows from the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 side of the upstream tank 51 to flow toward the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 side of the downstream tank 52 to be minimized.

In addition, in the vehicle cooling system of this embodiment, the communication hole side wall portion 51F is inclined in an arc away from the communication hole 51D as it approaches the core portion 53.

This allows the cooling water that flows from the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 to the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 to be redirected more smoothly toward the tube 54 that constitutes the return passage 54R. This allows the high-temperature cooling water that flows from the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 side of the upstream tank 51 to flow toward the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 side of the downstream tank 52 to be minimized.

In addition, in the vehicle cooling system of this embodiment, the guide portion 51E has an inlet side wall portion 51G that faces the inlet 51B to the radiator 50 of the second cooling water circulation circuit 23. The inlet side wall portion 51G is inclined so as to move away from the inlet 51B to the radiator 50 of the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 as it approaches the core portion 53.

This allows the low-temperature cooling water flowing in from the inlet 51B on the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 side of the upstream tank 51 to be smoothly redirected toward the core section 53. This makes it possible to prevent the low-temperature cooling water from flowing toward the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 side.

In addition, in the vehicle cooling system of this embodiment, the inlet side wall portion 51G is inclined in an arc so as to move away from the inlet 51B to the radiator 50 of the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 as it approaches the core portion 53.

This allows the low-temperature cooling water flowing in from the inlet 51B on the second cooling water circulation circuit 23 side of the upstream tank 51 to be redirected more smoothly toward the core section 53. This makes it possible to prevent the low-temperature cooling water from flowing toward the first cooling water circulation circuit 21 side.

Although an embodiment of the present invention has been disclosed, it is apparent that modifications may be made by one of ordinary skill in the art without departing from the scope of the present invention. All such modifications and equivalents are intended to be included in the following claims.

1...vehicle, 2...engine, 4A...oil cooler (electrical equipment), 5...inverter (electrical equipment), 21...first cooling water circulation circuit, 23...second cooling water circulation circuit, 50...radiator, 51...upstream tank, 51B...inlet, 51C...first partition plate, 51D...communication hole, 51E...guide portion, 51F...communication hole side wall portion, 51G...inlet side wall portion, 52...downstream tank, 52C...second partition plate, 53...core portion, 54...tube, 54R...return passage, L1...distance, L2...distance

Claims (8)

a radiator including an upstream tank, a downstream tank, and a core portion connecting the upstream tank and the downstream tank;
a first cooling water circulation circuit through which cooling water circulates between the engine and the radiator;
a second coolant circulation circuit in which coolant circulates between the radiator and an electric device having a lower allowable temperature than a maximum temperature of the coolant circulating in the first coolant circulation circuit;
Equipped with
A vehicle cooling system in which a single radiator cools a coolant circulating through the first coolant circulation circuit and a coolant circulating through the second coolant circulation circuit,
the upstream tank is provided with a first partition plate that separates the cooling water circulating through the first cooling water circulation circuit from the cooling water circulating through the second cooling water circulation circuit,
the downstream tank is provided with a second partition plate that separates the cooling water circulating through the first cooling water circulation circuit from the cooling water circulating through the second cooling water circulation circuit,
the first partition plate has a communication hole communicating with the first cooling water circulation circuit and the second cooling water circulation circuit,
a return passage for returning the cooling water that has flowed from the first cooling water circulation circuit to the second cooling water circulation circuit in the upstream tank to the first cooling water circulation circuit in the downstream tank. the core portion has a plurality of tubes through which cooling water flows from the upstream tank to the downstream tank,
2. The cooling system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the return passage is formed by a portion of the plurality of tubes located at a boundary between the first cooling water circulation circuit and the second cooling water circulation circuit in the radiator. the upstream tank includes a guide portion between the first partition plate and the inlet of the radiator of the second cooling water circulation circuit, the guide portion guiding the cooling water flowing from the first partition plate toward the inlet of the radiator to the core portion, and guiding the cooling water flowing from the inlet of the radiator toward the first partition plate to the core portion,
an end portion of the tube constituting the return passage on the upstream tank side is connected to a position of the second cooling water circulation circuit of the upstream tank between the first partition plate and the guide portion,
3. The vehicle cooling system according to claim 2, wherein an end of the tube constituting the return passage on the downstream tank side is connected to a side of the first coolant circulation circuit of the downstream tank. The vehicle cooling system according to claim 3, characterized in that the distance between the end of the guide portion on the core part side and the core part is equal to or less than the distance between the end of the communication hole on the core part side and the core part. the guide portion has a communication hole side wall portion facing the communication hole,
4. The vehicle cooling system according to claim 3, wherein the communication hole side wall portion is inclined so as to be displaced in a direction from the first partition plate toward an inlet of the second coolant circulation circuit to the radiator as it approaches the core portion. 6. The vehicle cooling system according to claim 5, wherein the communication hole side wall portion is inclined in an arc so as to be displaced in a direction from the first partition plate toward an inlet of the second cooling water circulation circuit to the radiator as it approaches the core portion. the guide portion has an inlet side wall portion facing an inlet of the second cooling water circulation circuit to the radiator,
4. The vehicle cooling system according to claim 3, wherein the inlet side wall portion is inclined so as to be displaced in a direction from the inlet of the second coolant circulation circuit to the radiator toward the first partition plate as it approaches the core portion. 8. The vehicle cooling system according to claim 7, wherein the inlet side wall portion is inclined in an arc so as to be displaced in a direction from the inlet of the second cooling water circulation circuit to the radiator toward the first partition plate as it approaches the core portion.

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