Cooling device and vehicle comprising the same

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a cooling device and a vehicle including the same. According to an aspect of the present disclosure, the cooling device includes a housing portion having a first hole formed at one side thereof and a second hole formed at the other side thereof, a heat exchange portion accommodated in an inner space of the housing portion and having one side communicated with the first hole and the other side communicated with the second hole, a thermoelectric element portion disposed above the heat exchange portion, and a radiation cooling portion disposed above the thermoelectric element portion and at least partially exposed to the outside.

Description

[0001] Citations of relevant applications

[0002] This application claims priority and benefit to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2020-0189346, filed on December 31, 2020, with the Korean Intellectual Property Office, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] This disclosure relates to a cooling device and a vehicle including the cooling device. Background Technology

[0004] In the prior art, a separate cooling device is installed in the vehicle to cool the interior space, etc. Examples of cooling devices may include HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) systems.

[0005] However, in the prior art, cooling devices installed in vehicles cool the vehicle interior by dissipating heat to the outside of the vehicle while consuming separate power. This type of cooling device is undesirable in terms of energy consumption. Furthermore, it requires separate space to install cooling devices such as HVAC systems within the vehicle, which is also undesirable in terms of vehicle space utilization. Summary of the Invention

[0006] This disclosure aims to provide a cooling device for a vehicle that can perform cooling functions without using a separate power source and maximize the space utilization of the vehicle.

[0007] In one aspect, this disclosure provides a cooling device comprising: a housing portion having a first hole formed on one side thereon and a second hole formed on the other side thereon; a heat exchange portion being housed within an interior space of the housing portion and having a side communicating with the first hole and a side communicating with the second hole; a thermoelectric element portion disposed above the heat exchange portion; and a radiative cooling portion disposed above the thermoelectric element portion and at least partially exposed to the outside.

[0008] The thermoelectric element can be housed within the internal space of the housing.

[0009] The upper surface of the heat exchange section can be in close contact with the lower surface of the thermoelectric element section.

[0010] The upper surface of the thermoelectric element can be in close contact with the lower surface of the radiative cooling part.

[0011] The cooling device may also include: a cover portion disposed above the radiative cooling portion, a through hole disposed in the central region of the cover portion, and the radiative cooling portion being exposed to the outside through the through hole.

[0012] The covering portion may include a sloping area that slopes downward from the outer periphery toward the central region of the covering portion.

[0013] The inclined region can have a vertical cross-section with a straight shape.

[0014] The inclined region may have a vertical cross-section with a curved shape.

[0015] The heat exchange section may include: recessed regions, each recessed region having a recessed shape; and protruding regions, each protruding region having a protruding shape, and the recessed regions and protruding regions may be arranged alternately in a direction from the first hole toward the second hole.

[0016] The heat exchange section may also include connection regions, each of which is configured to connect a recessed region and a protruding region, and the connection regions may have flow path holes through which fluid passes.

[0017] The flow path holes are respectively set in two connecting regions facing each other in multiple connecting regions, and the flow path holes can be at different heights in the vertical direction.

[0018] Radiation cooling devices can have a membrane shape.

[0019] In another aspect, this disclosure provides a vehicle comprising: a cooling device, wherein the cooling device includes: a housing portion having a first hole formed on one side thereon and a second hole formed on the other side thereon; a heat exchange portion being housed in an interior space of the housing portion and having a side communicating with the first hole and a side communicating with the second hole; a thermoelectric element portion disposed above the heat exchange portion; and a radiative cooling portion disposed above the thermoelectric element portion and at least partially exposed to the outside.

[0020] Cooling devices can be installed on the exterior surfaces of the vehicle.

[0021] This disclosure provides a cooling device for vehicles that can perform cooling functions without using separate power and maximize the space utilization of the vehicle. Attached Figure Description

[0022] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing a cooling device according to the present disclosure.

[0023] Figure 2 This is an exploded perspective view of the cooling device according to the present disclosure.

[0024] Figure 3 This is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a cooling device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0025] Figure 4This is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a cooling device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0026] Figure 5 This is a perspective view showing a plurality of components arranged in a cooling device according to the present disclosure.

[0027] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of a vehicle including a cooling device according to the present disclosure. Detailed Implementation

[0028] In the following description, the cooling device and vehicle according to this disclosure will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0029] Cooling device

[0030] Figure 1 This is a perspective view showing the cooling device according to the present disclosure, and Figure 2 This is an exploded perspective view showing the cooling device according to the present disclosure. Additionally, Figure 3 This is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a cooling device according to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0031] The cooling device 20 according to this disclosure can be configured to cool the interior space of a vehicle.

[0032] More specifically, the cooling device 20 may include a housing portion 100. The housing portion 100 may define the main body of the cooling device 20 and serve to protect the space disposed within the cooling device 20 from the outside. As described below, multiple components of the cooling device 20 may be accommodated within the interior space of the housing portion 100.

[0033] Meanwhile, multiple holes may be provided on the side surface of the housing portion 100. The multiple holes may define the path through which cooling fluid (e.g., a refrigerant such as air) is introduced into the cooling device 20 and also define the path through which the fluid is discharged from the cooling device 20.

[0034] More specifically, the first hole 110 may be provided on one side of the housing portion 100, and the second hole 120 may be provided on the other side of the housing portion 100. Figures 1 to 3 The first hole 110 and the second hole 120 are shown to be located on one side and the other side of the housing portion 100, respectively.

[0035] Additionally, the cooling device 20 may also include a heat exchange section 200 housed within the interior space of the housing portion 100. According to this disclosure, fluid introduced into the cooling device 20 through a first hole 110 of the housing portion 100 can be cooled while passing through the heat exchange section 200, and then discharged to the outside through a second hole 120. For this purpose, as... Figure 3As shown, one side of the heat exchange section 200 can communicate with the first hole 110, and the other side of the heat exchange section 200 can communicate with the second hole 120.

[0036] Additionally, the cooling device 20 may also include a thermoelectric element portion 300 disposed above the heat exchange portion 200. The thermoelectric element portion 300 may be configured to cool the fluid using the Peltier effect. That is, according to this disclosure, when a potential difference is generated in the thermoelectric element portion 300, current flows in one direction, and therefore heat also flows in one direction. As a result, the temperature in the upper region of the thermoelectric element portion 300 may increase, and the temperature in the lower region of the thermoelectric element portion 300 may decrease. In this case, the fluid flowing in the heat exchange portion 200 exchanges heat with the lower region of the thermoelectric element portion 300, and therefore the temperature of the fluid also decreases. Similar to the heat exchange portion 200, the thermoelectric element portion 300 may also be housed within the internal space of the housing portion 100. Furthermore, the upper surface of the heat exchange portion 200 may be in close contact with the lower surface of the thermoelectric element portion 300. Therefore, the fluid flowing in the heat exchange portion 200 can smoothly exchange heat with the thermoelectric element portion 300.

[0037] refer to Figures 1 to 3 The cooling device 20 may also include a radiative cooling portion 400 disposed above the thermoelectric element portion 300 and at least partially exposed to the outside.

[0038] The radiative cooling section 400 can be configured to dissipate heat from the cooling device 20 to the outside using radiative cooling. That is, as described above, the thermal energy of the fluid flowing in the heat exchange section 200 is transferred to the thermoelectric element section 300. In this case, the thermal energy of the thermoelectric element section 300 is transferred to the radiative cooling section 400, and then the radiative cooling section 400 dissipates the thermal energy to the outside in the form of radiant heat. In this case, the upper surface of the thermoelectric element section 300 can be in close contact with the lower surface of the radiative cooling section 400. In this case, the thermal energy of the thermoelectric element section 300 can be smoothly transferred to the radiative cooling section 400 by thermal conduction. In addition, the radiative cooling section 400 can have a film shape. In this case, the volume of the cooling device can be significantly reduced compared to the cooling devices of the prior art that have heat sinks such as heat sinks.

[0039] Additionally, the cooling device 20 according to this disclosure may also include a covering portion 500 disposed above the radiant cooling portion 400. In this case, as... Figure 2 and Figure 3 As shown, a through hole 510 can be formed in the central region of the cover portion 500, and the radiative cooling portion 400 can be exposed to the outside through the through hole 510.

[0040] The covering portion 500 can have various shapes. More specifically, according to this disclosure, the covering portion 500 may include a sloped region 520 that slopes downward from the outer peripheral region toward the central region of the covering portion 500 (i.e., toward the through-hole 510). In this case, according to an embodiment of this disclosure, the sloped region 520 may have, for example... Figure 3 The vertical cross-section shown is a straight line shape.

[0041] Figure 4 This is a vertical cross-sectional view showing a cooling device according to another embodiment of the present disclosure.

[0042] According to another embodiment of this disclosure, the inclined region 520 may have the following characteristics: Figure 4 The vertical cross-sectional view of the curved shape is shown. For example, the inclined region 520 may have a shape corresponding to a portion of a parabola.

[0043] The inclined region 520 provided in the cover portion 500 can be configured to collect the radiant energy discharged from the radiant cooling portion 400 and then efficiently transfer the collected heat energy toward a position above the cover portion 500. For example, if the upper surface of the cover portion 500 is flat, a portion of the radiant energy discharged from the radiant cooling portion may not be discharged upwards but propagate horizontally and reach other adjacent radiant cooling portions, which could adversely affect the efficiency of the cooling device. However, according to this disclosure, the cover portion 500 has an inclined region 520 that prevents the radiant energy discharged from the radiant cooling portion 400 from propagating horizontally, thereby significantly improving the efficiency of the cooling device 20.

[0044] Furthermore, the heat exchange section 200 of the cooling device 20 according to this disclosure can be divided into multiple regions according to the shape of the heat exchange section. For more details, refer to... Figure 3 and Figure 4 The heat exchange section 200 may include: recessed regions 210, each recessed region having a downwardly recessed shape; protruding regions 220, each protruding region having an upwardly protruding shape; and connecting regions 230, each connecting region connecting the recessed regions and the protruding regions. More specifically, the recessed regions 210 and the protruding regions 220 may be arranged alternately in one direction. For example, Figure 3 The recessed region 210 and the protruding region 220 are shown to be arranged alternately in the direction from the first hole 110 of the housing portion 100 toward the second hole 120.

[0045] refer to Figure 3 and Figure 4The flow path hole 240 may be provided in the connection area 230 of the heat exchange section 200 and defines the path through which the fluid passes. Therefore, according to this disclosure, i) the fluid may be introduced into the cooling device 20 through the first hole 110 of the housing section 100, ii) the fluid may be cooled by exchanging heat with the thermoelectric element section 300 while flowing in the heat exchange section 200 through the flow path hole 240, and then iii) the fluid may be discharged from the cooling device 20 through the second hole 120 of the housing section 100.

[0046] Furthermore, according to this disclosure, the flow path hole 240 can be provided in each of the plurality of connecting regions 230. In this case, the flow path hole 240 is respectively provided in two connecting regions 230 facing each other, and the recessed region 210 or the protruding region 220 is inserted into the two connecting regions. The flow path holes can be at different heights in the vertical direction. Compared with the case where the plurality of flow path holes 240 have the same height, according to this disclosure, the length of the flow path through which the fluid flows in the internal space of the heat exchange section 200 increases, thereby increasing the time the fluid stays in the heat exchange section 200. Therefore, the magnitude of the heat energy transferred by the fluid to the thermoelectric element section 300 can also be increased.

[0047] Figure 5 This is a perspective view showing a plurality of components arranged in a cooling device according to the present disclosure.

[0048] At the same time, refer to Figures 1 to 5 According to this disclosure, each of the heat exchange section 200, the thermoelectric element section 300, the radiative cooling section 400, and the cover section 500 may be provided in multiples in a single housing section 100 of the cooling device 20 to increase its cooling capacity.

[0049] vehicle

[0050] Figure 6 This is a perspective view of a vehicle including a cooling device according to the present disclosure.

[0051] The vehicle 10 according to this disclosure may include a cooling device 20. In this case, the cooling device 20 may include: a housing portion 100 having a first hole 110 formed on one side thereon and a second hole 120 formed on the other side thereon; a heat exchange portion 200, housed in the interior space of the housing portion 100 and having one side communicating with the first hole 110 and the other side communicating with the second hole 120; a thermoelectric element portion 300 disposed above the heat exchange portion 200; and a radiant cooling portion 400 disposed above the thermoelectric element portion 300 and at least partially exposed to the outside.

[0052] In this exemplary embodiment, the cooling device 20 may be disposed on the external surface of the vehicle 10. For example, such as Figure 6 As shown, the cooling device 20 may be disposed on the upper surface of the vehicle 10.

[0053] This disclosure has been described with reference to limited embodiments and accompanying drawings, but is not limited thereto. This disclosure may be practiced in various forms by those skilled in the art to which it pertains, within the spirit of the disclosure and the equivalents of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A cooling device, comprising: The housing portion has a first hole formed on one side thereon and a second hole formed on the other side thereon; The heat exchange section is housed within the interior space of the housing section and has one side communicating with the first hole and the other side communicating with the second hole; The thermoelectric element portion is disposed above the heat exchange portion; A radiative cooling section is disposed above the thermoelectric element section and is at least partially exposed to the outside of the housing section; as well as The covering portion is disposed above the radiative cooling portion. The through-hole is located in the central region of the covering portion, and the radiative cooling portion is exposed to the outside through the through-hole.

2. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein, The thermoelectric element is partially housed within the interior space of the housing portion.

3. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein, The upper surface of the heat exchange section is in close contact with the lower surface of the thermoelectric element section.

4. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein, The upper surface of the thermoelectric element portion is in close contact with the lower surface of the radiative cooling portion.

5. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein, The covering portion includes a sloping region that slopes downwards from the outer peripheral region toward the central region of the covering portion.

6. The cooling device according to claim 5, wherein, The inclined region has a vertical cross-section with a straight shape.

7. The cooling device according to claim 5, wherein, The inclined region has a curved vertical cross-section.

8. The cooling device according to claim 3, wherein, The heat exchange section includes: Recessed regions, each of the recessed regions having a recessed shape; and Protruding areas, each of which has a protruding shape. The recessed area and the protruding area are alternately arranged in the direction from the first hole toward the second hole.

9. The cooling device according to claim 8, wherein, The heat exchange section further includes connection regions, each of which is configured to connect the recessed region and the protruding region, and the connection regions have flow path holes through which fluid passes.

10. The cooling device according to claim 9, wherein, The flow path holes are respectively disposed in two of the multiple connection regions facing each other, and the flow path holes are at different heights in the vertical direction.

11. The cooling device according to claim 1, wherein, The radiative cooling section has a membrane shape.

12. A vehicle comprising: Cooling device, The cooling device includes: The housing portion has a first hole formed on one side thereon and a second hole formed on the other side thereon; The heat exchange section is housed within the interior space of the housing section and has one side communicating with the first hole and the other side communicating with the second hole; The thermoelectric element portion is disposed above the heat exchange portion; A radiative cooling section is disposed above the thermoelectric element section and is at least partially exposed to the exterior of the housing section; and The covering portion is disposed above the radiative cooling portion. The through-hole is located in the central region of the covering portion, and the radiative cooling portion is exposed to the outside through the through-hole.

13. The vehicle according to claim 12, wherein, The cooling device is disposed on the external surface of the vehicle.

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