Cooling module

Abstract

A cooling module comprises an intercooler 100 and an integrated heat exchanger 1 including a condenser unit 200 for cooling a refrigerant circulated in a refrigeration cycle by heat exchange between the refrigerant and air and an oil cooler unit 300 for cooling an oil higher in temperature than the refrigerant by heat exchange between the oil and air. Condenser unit 200 and oil cooler unit 300 are vertically arranged in parallel to each other, and integrated heat exchanger 1 is arranged downstream of intercooler 100 in the air flow. The vertical length of integrated heat exchanger 1 is larger than the vertical length of intercooler 100. Oil cooler unit 300 is arranged in superposition with at least a part of intercooler 100 as viewed from the direction of air flow.

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0001]1. Field of the Invention[0002]This invention relates to a cooling module comprising a heat source unit and an integrated heat exchanger having a plurality of heat exchange units.[0003]2. Description of the Related Art[0004]Vehicles such as automobiles are equipped with many heat exchangers such as an oil cooler for cooling oil in the torque converter of an automatic transmission and an oil cooler for cooling engine oil, as well as a radiator for cooling water circulating through an engine and a condenser for cooling refrigerant of an air conditioning system. A hybrid vehicle also includes a radiator for cooling electronic parts, such as an inverter for controlling the electric motor.[0005]In recent years it has been desirable to reduce the thickness and size of heat exchangers in order to safely prevent damage due to vehicle collision by reducing the installation space and assembly of heat exchangers. As a method for size reduction, an integrated he...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0007]Under these conditions, the arrangement of the condenser unit downstream of the intercooler in the air flow poses the problem that the heat exchange performance of the condenser unit is extremely reduced.

[0011]As described above, another heat exchange unit 300 for cooling another fluid higher in temperature than the refrigerant in the condenser unit 200 is arranged downstream of the heat source unit 100 in the air flow, i.e. at the area high in air temperature. Therefore, the condenser unit 200 can be arranged at an area comparatively low in air temperature. As a result, heat exchange performance of the condenser unit 200 can be secured.

[0014]In the condenser unit 200, the supercooling portion 220 which is required to be kept at a low temperature is arranged downstream of the heat source unit 100 in the air flow, i.e. at an area high in air temperature, therefore, heat exchange performance of condenser unit 200 can be secured. In the process, refrigerant which may boil at the supercooling portion 220 can be suppressed, and therefore, insufficient refrigerant flow rate which otherwise might occur in the expansion valve arranged downstream of the condenser unit 200 in the refrigerant flow can be suppressed, thereby making it possible to suppress deterioration of cooling performance. Also, since the inflow of the gas-phase refrigerant into the expansion valve can be suppressed, the generation of noise from the expansion valve can be suppressed.

[0016]In the integrated heat exchanger 1, the supercooling portion 220, the condensing portion 210 and another heat exchange unit 300 are increased in temperature in that order. By arranging another heat exchange unit 300 highest in temperature at a distance from the supercooling portion 220 lowest in temperature, heat transfer from another heat exchange unit 300 to supercooling portion 220 can be avoided. As a result, heat exchange performance of the condenser unit 200 can be more positively obtained.

Problems solved by technology

Under these conditions, the arrangement of the condenser unit downstream of the intercooler in the air flow poses the problem that the heat exchange performance of the condenser unit is extremely reduced.

As a result, the expansion valve arranged downstream of the condenser unit in the refrigerant flow runs short of refrigerant, thereby deteriorating cooling performance.

Another problem is that the gas-phase refrigerant flows into the expansion valve and noise is generated from the expansion valve.

Images