Vehicle air conditioning system

Abstract

To provide a vehicle air conditioning system which is small and can perform humidity control in various forms.SOLUTION: A vehicle air conditioning system A includes: a blower 51 which is rotated by driving force of a motor M and suctions outdoor air; a heat exchanger 52 which exchanges heat between outdoor air and a fluid and can cool or heat the outdoor air; and a dehumidification rotor 53 which can rotate around a rotary shaft 65 and adsorbs moisture from the outdoor air. The heat exchanger 52 exchanges heat between the outdoor air and the fluid and can generate air for cooling a vehicle cabin or air for heating the vehicle cabin. The dehumidification rotor 53 is configured to be rotatable by rotational energy of the motor M.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to vehicle air conditioning systems. [Background technology]

[0002] Conventionally, a temperature control system that performs cooling and dehumidification operation or heating and humidification operation in a room with high efficiency is known (for example, Patent Document 1). Patent Document 1 discloses a temperature control system (a desiccant air conditioning system in Patent Document 1) that includes a first passage for exhausting indoor air to the outside, a second passage for supplying outdoor air into the room, a condenser and a heating means disposed in the first passage, an evaporator disposed in the second passage, a dehumidification rotor disposed across the first passage and the second passage, a compressor disposed outside the first passage and the second passage, and an expansion valve disposed between the condenser and the evaporator. In the temperature control system, the outdoor air becomes dry air by adsorbing moisture contained in the outdoor air flowing through the second passage to the dehumidification rotor and removing it, and the dry air is cooled by the evaporator and supplied to the room. In addition, the air discharged from the room is heated by the condenser and the heating means in the first passage to become exhaust air, and the exhaust air removes moisture adsorbed by the dehumidification rotor to regenerate (desorb, dry) the dehumidification rotor. The dehumidification rotor, condenser, evaporator, compressor, and expansion valve constitute a compression type air conditioner. The heating means is waste heat from the cooling water of the solid polymer fuel cell. The dehumidification rotor is filled with adsorbents such as silica gel and activated carbon, and rotates at a low speed to alternately face the first and second passages. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0003] [Patent Document 1] JP 2003-279069 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0004] When the desiccant air conditioning system disclosed in Patent Document 1 is installed in a vehicle, it is necessary to provide a motor for rotating the dehumidifying rotor and a heating means for regenerating the dehumidifying rotor, which may lead to an increase in size and pressure loss. In addition, the desiccant air conditioning system disclosed in Patent Document 1 cannot perform a dehumidifying heating operation in which outside air is dehumidified and then heated, so when installed in a vehicle, for example, dehumidified heated air cannot be supplied when the defroster function is used in winter, etc.

[0005] Therefore, there is a demand for a vehicle air conditioning system that is compact and capable of performing a variety of humidity control functions. [Means for solving the problem]

[0006] One embodiment of the vehicle air conditioning system of the present invention comprises a blower that rotates by the driving force of a motor to draw in outside air, a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the outside air and a fluid and is capable of cooling or heating the outside air, and a dehumidification rotor that is rotatable about a rotation axis and adsorbs moisture from the outside air, wherein the heat exchanger exchanges heat between the outside air and the fluid and is capable of generating air for cooling or heating the passenger compartment, and the dehumidification rotor is configured to be rotatable by the rotational energy of the motor.

[0007] According to this configuration, in the vehicle air conditioning system, the dehumidifying rotor adsorbs moisture contained in the moisture-containing air to generate dry air, and the heat exchanger exchanges heat between the dry air and a fluid to generate air for cooling the vehicle compartment or air for heating the vehicle compartment. As a result, when cooling the vehicle compartment, the dry air can be cooled to generate air for cooling the vehicle compartment, and when heating the vehicle compartment, the dry air can be heated to generate air for heating the vehicle compartment, making it possible to perform dehumidification and heating. As a result, a variety of humidity control operations are possible.

[0008] In addition, since the dehumidifying rotor is configured to be rotatable by the rotational energy of the motor, a separate drive source for rotating the dehumidifying rotor is not required. This allows the vehicle air conditioning system to have a simple configuration and thus be compact. In this way, the vehicle air conditioning system is compact and capable of performing a variety of humidity control functions. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0009] [Figure 1] FIG. 2 is a circuit configuration diagram of a vehicle air conditioning system. [Diagram 2] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing the layout of a vehicle air conditioning system. [Diagram 3] FIG. 4 is a diagram showing the flow of coolant in a first state. [Figure 4] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the flow of coolant in a second state. [Diagram 5] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the layout of a vehicle air conditioning system according to a second embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 11 is a diagram showing the layout of a vehicle air conditioning system according to a third embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0010] The vehicle air conditioning system according to the present invention is configured to cool and heat the vehicle interior. The vehicle air conditioning system according to the present embodiment will be described below. However, the vehicle air conditioning system is not limited to the following embodiment, and various modifications are possible without departing from the gist of the invention.

[0011] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a circuit configuration of a vehicle air conditioning system A. The vehicle air conditioning system A is mounted on a vehicle, and as shown in FIG. 1, includes a refrigerant module B, a coolant module C, and an HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air Conditioning) unit D. The refrigerant module B is provided with a refrigerant flow path B1 and configured as a refrigerant manifold. The coolant module C is provided with a coolant flow path C1 and configured as a coolant manifold. Here, the manifold is a flow path housing in which a plate member is laminated and sealed on a housing main body in which the coolant flow path C1 and the refrigerant flow path B1 are formed. The flow path housing is formed of a metal material having high thermal conductivity, including aluminum.

[0012] A refrigerant such as hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) or hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) flows through the refrigerant flow path B1, and a coolant (an example of a fluid) consisting of cooling water such as antifreeze or long-life coolant mainly composed of ethylene glycol or the like, or insulating oil such as paraffin flows through the coolant flow path C1. FIG. 2 shows the arrangement of the refrigerant module B, the coolant module C, and the HVAC unit D in the vehicle air conditioning system A. FIG. 2(A) is a plan view, and FIG. 2(B) is a side view of the HVAC unit D. In FIG. 2, the front side in the traveling direction of the vehicle in the state where the vehicle air conditioning system A is mounted on the vehicle is indicated as F, and the rear side in the traveling direction is indicated as R. The coolant module C is provided with a separate port (not shown) for introducing and discharging the coolant.

[0013] 1 and 2, the refrigerant flow path B1 circulates the refrigerant between the water-cooled condenser 12 and the chiller 14. The refrigerant module B is configured to allow the refrigerant to flow between the accumulator 10, the compressor 11, the water-cooled condenser 12, the expansion valve 13, and the chiller 14 via the refrigerant flow path B1.

[0014] The accumulator 10 stores a liquid refrigerant and separates the stored refrigerant into gas and liquid. The gas refrigerant separated by the accumulator 10 flows through a first refrigerant passage 21 and is sent to the compressor 11.

[0015] The compressor 11 compresses the refrigerant from the accumulator 10. This causes the refrigerant to become a high-temperature compressed gas. The compressor 11 sends the refrigerant that has become a high-temperature compressed gas to the water-cooled condenser 12 via the second refrigerant passage 22. Thus, the compressor 11 pressure-feeds the refrigerant from the accumulator 10 to the water-cooled condenser 12.

[0016] The refrigerant that has passed through the compressor 11 flows through the water-cooled condenser 12. The water-cooled condenser 12 is configured such that, in addition to the refrigerant pumped from the compressor 11, the cooling liquid flows in through the first cooling liquid flow path 31 and flows out through the second cooling liquid flow path 32. The first cooling liquid flow path 31 and the second cooling liquid flow path 32 are configured separately from the second cooling liquid path 22. The refrigerant from the second cooling liquid path 22 is condensed and liquefied in the water-cooled condenser 12 as a result of heat being absorbed by the cooling liquid. The refrigerant liquefied in the water-cooled condenser 12 is sent to the third cooling liquid path 23. Like the second cooling liquid path 22, the third cooling liquid path 23 is also configured separately from the first cooling liquid flow path 31 and the second cooling liquid flow path 32.

[0017] In the expansion valve 13 arranged in the middle of the third refrigerant passage 23, the refrigerant (liquefied refrigerant) flowing through the third refrigerant passage 23 is expanded and turned into a low-temperature, low-pressure mist. The refrigerant turned into a mist by the expansion valve 13 is sent to the fourth refrigerant passage 24.

[0018] The refrigerant flows through the chiller 14 via the fourth refrigerant passage 24. As described above, the refrigerant expanded by the expansion valve 13 and turned into a low-temperature, low-pressure mist flows through the fourth refrigerant passage 24, and this mist is sent to the chiller 14. The chiller 14 is configured such that the coolant that has undergone heat exchange in the heat exchanger 52 flows into the chiller 14 from the third coolant passage 33, and the coolant flows out from the fourth coolant passage 34. The third coolant passage 33 and the fourth coolant passage 34 are configured separately from the fourth coolant passage 24. In the chiller 14, the mist-formed refrigerant removes heat from the coolant and evaporates. The refrigerant that has evaporated and been vaporized by the chiller 14 flows through the fifth refrigerant passage 25 to the accumulator 10.

[0019] Further, the coolant flow path C1 passes through the coolant which exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the water-cooled condenser 12 and the chiller 14. The coolant module C is configured such that the coolant can be circulated through the coolant flow path C1 among the water-cooled condenser 12, the chiller 14, the switching valve 42, the radiator 43, and the heat exchanger 52 by the first pump P1 and the second pump P2.

[0020] As described above, the water-cooled condenser 12 is configured so that the coolant flows in through the first coolant flow path 31 and flows out through the second coolant flow path 32. The first coolant flow path 31 is provided with a first pump P1, and the coolant is sent out toward the water-cooled condenser 12 by this first pump P1.

[0021] The switching valve 42 is configured to allow the flow of cooling liquid from the water-cooled condenser 12 and the chiller 14. The cooling liquid is sent to the switching valve 42 from the water-cooled condenser 12 via the second cooling liquid flow path 32, and the cooling liquid is sent from the chiller 14 via the fourth cooling liquid flow path 34. A second pump P2 is provided in the fourth cooling liquid flow path 34, and the second pump P2 sends the cooling liquid from the chiller 14 to the switching valve 42. The switching valve 42 is configured to allow the cooling liquid to be sent to the fifth cooling liquid flow path 35 and the sixth cooling liquid flow path 36.

[0022] The coolant sent from the switching valve 42 to the fifth coolant flow path 35 flows through the heat exchanger 52. The coolant sent to the heat exchanger 52 is configured to be capable of being sent to the water-cooled condenser 12 via the first coolant flow path 31, and is also configured to be capable of being sent to the chiller 14 via the third coolant flow path 33.

[0023] The coolant sent from the switching valve 42 to the sixth coolant flow path 36 flows through the radiator 43. In the radiator 43, heat exchange with outside air occurs, and the coolant is cooled. After the heat exchange in the radiator 43, the coolant is sent to the first coolant flow path 31 via the seventh coolant flow path 37.

[0024] The HVAC unit D includes a blower 51, a heat exchanger 52, a desiccant 53 (a drying material, an example of a "dehumidifying rotor"), and an electric heater 54. The blower 51 draws in outside air and sends the drawn-in outside air to the heat exchanger 52. The blower 51 has a motor M (see FIG. 2) and is rotated by using the motor M as a drive source.

[0025] The heat exchanger 52 exchanges heat between air (outside air) and a coolant (fluid) for cooling or heating the vehicle interior. The air is the outside air sucked in by the blower 51. As described above, the coolant is introduced into the heat exchanger 52 through the fifth coolant flow path 35, and the coolant is sent to one or both of the first coolant flow path 31 and the third coolant flow path 33. Therefore, in the heat exchanger 52, heat exchange is performed between the outside air sent from the blower 51 and the coolant supplied through the fifth coolant flow path 35, and the air after the heat exchange is introduced into the vehicle interior. Specifically, when the outside air is cooled in the heat exchanger 52, cold air is introduced into the vehicle interior, and when the outside air is heated in the heat exchanger 52, warm air is introduced into the vehicle interior. This makes it possible to cool or heat the vehicle interior.

[0026] The desiccant 53 adsorbs moisture contained in the moisture-containing air to generate heated dry air. The desiccant 53 functions as an adsorption section that adsorbs moisture, and can be configured using an adsorbent such as zeolite, silica gel, or activated carbon. The desiccant 53 is cylindrical as shown in FIG. 2, and is divided into two sections, for example, in a semicircular shape, with one section facing the blower 51, and is filled with an adsorbent. One side is placed on the side of the air supply passage, and the two sections divided into semicircular shapes are switched by slowly rotating the desiccant 53. In the example shown in FIG. 2, the desiccant 53 is provided upstream of the blower 51 and the heat exchanger 52. Therefore, the outside air sucked in by the blower 51 flows from the desiccant 53 toward the heat exchanger 52, and is discharged after heat exchange with the heat exchanger 52.

[0027] The electric heater 54 evaporates the moisture adsorbed in the desiccant 53 to generate humidified air. The electric heater 54 functions as a heating unit that evaporates the moisture adsorbed in the desiccant 53. As shown in FIG. 1, the electric heater 54 is attached to the desiccant 53, for example. In this case, the desiccant 53 is heated by the electric heater 54, so that the moisture adsorbed in the desiccant 53 evaporates. The electric heater 54 may be provided at a position upstream of the desiccant 53 and spaced apart from the desiccant 53, without being attached to the desiccant 53. In this case, the air heated by the electric heater 54 is supplied to the desiccant 53, so that the moisture adsorbed in the desiccant 53 evaporates. In this way, the moisture adsorbed in the desiccant 53 evaporates, so that the desiccant 53 is regenerated and becomes capable of absorbing moisture. In addition, the air supplied to the desiccant 53 at this time can be humidified by the moisture evaporated from the desiccant 53. The heating unit that evaporates the moisture adsorbed in the desiccant 53 may be an air heating device other than the electric heater 54.

[0028] 2B, a shutter S is provided upstream of the desiccant 53. The shutter S is formed, for example, in a door shape, and is configured to be able to switch between a flow path that supplies outside air to the heat exchanger 52 via the desiccant 53 and a flow path that supplies outside air to the heat exchanger 52 without passing through the desiccant 53.

[0029] Here, the desiccant 53 is configured to be rotatable by the rotational energy of the motor M. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2, the blower 51 is configured to be rotatable by the rotational force of a first output shaft 61, which is the output shaft of the motor M. A first reduction gear 62 having a circular shape in a plan view (FIG. 2(A)) is connected to the first output shaft 61. A second output shaft 63 extending downward from the center of the first reduction gear 62 is provided in the first reduction gear 62. A second reduction gear 64 having a circular shape in a side view (FIG. 2(B)) is connected to the second output shaft 63. Furthermore, the center of the second reduction gear 64 is connected to an input shaft 65 (an example of a rotation shaft) of the desiccant 53 extending from the center of the desiccant 53 in the left-right direction of the vehicle.

[0030] As a result, the rotational energy of the motor M is transmitted in sequence to the first output shaft 61, the first reduction gear 62, the second output shaft 63, the second reduction gear 64, and the input shaft 65. As a result, the desiccant 53 can rotate slowly by decelerating the rotational energy of the motor M.

[0031] When moisture-containing air is supplied from the blower 51 to the desiccant 53 in a state where moisture is not adsorbed to the desiccant 53, the desiccant 53 adsorbs the moisture in the moisture-containing air to reduce the humidity of the moisture-containing air. As a result, the moisture-containing air supplied to the desiccant 53 becomes dry air dehumidified by the desiccant 53 and is discharged to the heat exchanger 52.

[0032] On the other hand, when the desiccant 53 is heated by the electric heater 54 or when high-temperature air from the blower 51 is supplied to the desiccant 53 while moisture is adsorbed in the desiccant 53, the desiccant 53 desorbs the adsorbed moisture, and the air is humidified by the desorbed moisture. As a result, the air supplied to the desiccant 53 becomes moist air humidified by the desiccant 53, and the desiccant 53 is regenerated. The moist air may be circulated toward the heat exchanger 52 or may be discharged from the HVAC unit D to the outside.

[0033] The heat exchanger 52 exchanges heat between the heated dry air or the cooled humidified air and the coolant to generate air for cooling the vehicle interior or air for heating the vehicle interior. Thus, the heat exchanger 52 exchanges heat between the dry air and the coolant introduced through the fifth coolant flow path 35 to generate air for cooling the vehicle interior (see FIG. 4). The heat exchanger 52 also exchanges heat between the humidified air and the coolant introduced through the fifth coolant flow path 35 to generate air for heating the vehicle interior (see FIG. 3). Furthermore, the heat exchanger 52 can also exchange heat between the dry air and the coolant introduced through the fifth coolant flow path 35 to generate air for heating the vehicle interior (see FIG. 3). In this case, for example, when using a defroster function in winter, dehumidified heated air can be supplied to the vehicle interior. By introducing such air for cooling the vehicle interior or air for heating the vehicle interior into the vehicle interior, it is possible to adjust the humidity in the vehicle interior.

[0034] As described above, the switching valve 42 is configured to allow the flow of the coolant from the water-cooled condenser 12 and the coolant from the chiller 14. When the coolant from the water-cooled condenser 12 is compared with the coolant from the chiller 14, the temperature of the coolant from the water-cooled condenser 12 is relatively higher than the temperature of the coolant from the chiller 14. Therefore, when heating the vehicle interior, the switching valve 42 is set to a first state (FIG. 3) in which the coolant is circulated to the water-cooled condenser 12, and when cooling the vehicle interior, the switching valve 42 is set to a second state (FIG. 4) in which the coolant is circulated to the chiller 14.

[0035] In this embodiment, the switching valve 42 is configured to be able to change the opening degree so as to simultaneously realize the first state and the second state. Therefore, in the switching valve 42, it is possible to mix the relatively high-temperature coolant from the water-cooled condenser 12 and the relatively low-temperature coolant from the chiller 14 and send the mixed mixture to the fifth coolant flow path 35.

[0036] In this embodiment, as shown in FIG. 2, the refrigerant module B and the coolant module C are integrated with the HVAC unit D. Here, "integration" means that the refrigerant module B and the coolant module C are fixed to the HVAC unit D with bolts or the like. This "integration" also includes forming the same case by combining the materials of the HVAC unit D, the refrigerant module B, and the coolant module C. Specifically, as shown in FIG. 2A, when the HVAC unit D is mounted on a vehicle, the refrigerant module B is provided on the front side of the HVAC unit D in the traveling direction of the vehicle. As a result, as shown in FIG. 2A and FIG. 2B, the water-cooled condenser 12, the expansion valve 13, and the chiller 14 can be disposed in the front of the vehicle, so that the traveling wind can be blown to the water-cooled condenser 12, the expansion valve 13, and the chiller 14 as the vehicle travels. Therefore, it is possible to prevent condensation on the water-cooled condenser 12, the expansion valve 13, and the chiller 14.

[0037] As shown in FIG. 2B, when the HVAC unit D is mounted on the vehicle, the coolant module C is provided on the left side of the HVAC unit D.

[0038] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment of the vehicle air conditioning system A will be described. The second embodiment differs from the first embodiment in that the desiccant 53 is not gear-connected to the output shaft of the motor M. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0039] As shown in FIG. 5, in the second embodiment, the desiccant 53 is disposed apart from the blower 51. The desiccant 53 is provided with an input shaft 71 (an example of a rotating shaft) on the upstream side (the vehicle exterior side), and the blade portion 72 is assembled to the input shaft 71. The blade portion 72 is, for example, disk-shaped and has a plurality of blades 72a on its outer periphery. The plurality of blades 72a are distributed around the outer periphery of the blade portion 72, and the blade portion 72 is configured to be rotatable by receiving the outside air sucked in by the rotation of the blower 51. The plurality of blades 72a are provided in an inclined position with respect to the flow direction of the outside air so that the outside air imparts a rotational force to the blade portion 72. In this embodiment as well, the rotational energy of the motor M is converted into the outside air sucked in by the rotation of the blower 51, and the desiccant 53 is configured to be rotatable.

[0040] Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment of the vehicle air conditioning system A will be described. In the above embodiment, an example has been shown in which the vehicle air conditioning system A is configured by arranging an electric heater 54 as a heating section in the HVAC unit D. The third embodiment differs from the above embodiment in that the HVAC unit D does not have an electric heater 54. The other configurations are the same as those of the first embodiment.

[0041] 6, in the third embodiment, the vehicle air conditioning system A is configured by arranging a return path 75 in the HVAC unit D. The return path 75 is formed to allow outside air heated by the heat exchanger 52 to flow toward the desiccant 53. In the HVAC unit D, the return path 75 is configured by, for example, a pipe, and an opening / closing valve 76 (an example of a switching mechanism) is provided in the return path 75. The opening / closing valve 76 enables the vehicle air conditioning system A to be switched between a flow state in which the return path 75 allows outside air to flow to the desiccant 53, and a blocking state in which the return path 75 blocks the flow of outside air to the desiccant 53.

[0042] Other embodiments (a) In the first and third embodiments, the rotational energy of the motor M is transmitted to the input shaft 65 of the desiccant 53 via two reduction gears 62, 64, but the number of reduction gears may be one or three or more. In addition, a configuration other than gears may be used to directly transmit the rotational energy of the motor M to the input shaft 65 of the desiccant 53.

[0043] (b) In the above-described embodiment, heat exchanger 52 exchanges heat between the cooling liquid and air, but heat exchanger 52 may also exchange heat between a refrigerant (one example of a fluid) and air, or between a cooling liquid or a refrigerant and air depending on whether the application is cooling or heating.

[0044] (c) In the above embodiment, an example was shown in which the heat exchanger 52 is configured as one unit, but two heat exchangers, one for heating and one for cooling, may be provided.

[0045] [Summary of the above embodiment] Hereinafter, in the above-described embodiment, the following configurations are envisioned. <1> One embodiment of the vehicle air conditioning system (A) includes a blower (51) that rotates by the driving force of a motor (M) to draw in outside air, a heat exchanger (52) that exchanges heat between the outside air and a fluid and can cool or warm the outside air, and a dehumidification rotor (53) that can rotate around a rotating shaft (65, 71) and adsorb moisture from the outside air, wherein the heat exchanger (52) exchanges heat between the outside air and a fluid and can generate air for cooling or heating the passenger compartment, and the dehumidification rotor (53) is configured to be rotatable by the rotational energy of the motor (M).

[0046] According to the present embodiment, in the vehicle air-conditioning system (A), the dehumidifying rotor (53) adsorbs moisture contained in the moisture-containing air to generate dry air, and the moisture adsorbed by the dehumidifying rotor (53) evaporates to generate humidified air. The heat exchanger (52) exchanges heat between the dry air or the humidified air and a fluid to generate air for cooling the vehicle compartment or air for heating the vehicle compartment. In this way, when cooling the vehicle compartment, the dry air can be cooled to generate air for cooling the vehicle compartment, and when heating the vehicle compartment, the humidified air can be heated to generate air for heating the vehicle compartment. Furthermore, when heating the vehicle compartment, the dry air can be heated to generate air for heating the vehicle compartment, thereby enabling dehumidification and heating. As a result, various humidity adjustments are possible.

[0047] In addition, since the dehumidifying rotor (53) is configured to be rotatable by the rotational energy of the motor (M), a separate drive source for rotating the dehumidifying rotor (53) is not required. This allows the vehicle air conditioning system (A) to have a simple configuration and thus be compact. In this way, the vehicle air conditioning system (A) is compact and capable of performing a variety of humidity control operations.

[0048] <2> It is preferable that the vehicle air conditioning system (A) further includes a return passage (75) through which the outside air heated in the heat exchanger (52) can flow toward the dehumidification rotor (53).

[0049] According to this configuration, since outside air can flow from the heat exchanger (52) toward the dehumidification rotor (53), the dehumidification rotor (53) can be heated by the outside air heated by the heat exchanger (52). As a result, the dehumidification rotor (53) does not require a heating means such as an electric heater for regeneration, and the vehicle air conditioning system (A) can be configured more simply.

[0050] <3> It is preferable that the vehicle air conditioning system (A) further includes a switching mechanism (76) that can switch between a flow state that allows outside air to flow through the dehumidification rotor (53) and a blocking state that blocks the flow of outside air through the dehumidification rotor (53).

[0051] According to this configuration, outside air can be circulated from the heat exchanger (52) to the dehumidification rotor (53) only when the dehumidification rotor (53) needs to be regenerated. This makes it possible to efficiently regenerate the dehumidification rotor (53), and efficiently utilize the outside air heated by the heat exchanger (52).

[0052] <4> In the vehicle air conditioning system (A), it is preferable that an output shaft (61) of the motor (M) and a rotating shaft (65) of the dehumidification rotor (53) are connected to each other through reduction gears (62, 64).

[0053] The rotation speed required for the dehumidifying rotor (53) is significantly smaller than the rotation speed of the output shaft (61) of the blower (51). Therefore, in this configuration, the output shaft (61) of the blower (51) and the rotating shaft (65) of the dehumidifying rotor (53) are connected via reduction gears (62, 64). In this manner, the rotation speed of the blower (51) can be appropriately reduced to impart a rotational force to the dehumidifying rotor (53), so that the dehumidifying rotor (53) can be rotated at an appropriate rotation speed. [Industrial Applicability]

[0054] The present invention can be widely used in vehicle air conditioning systems. [Explanation of symbols]

[0055] 51: blower, 52: heat exchanger, 53: desiccant (dehumidification rotor), 61: output shaft, 62: first reduction gear, 64: second reduction gear, 65, 71: input shaft (rotating shaft), 75: return path, 76: opening / closing valve (switching mechanism), A: vehicle air conditioning system, M: motor

Claims

1. A blower that rotates by the driving force of a motor to draw in outside air; a heat exchanger capable of exchanging heat between the outside air and a fluid and cooling or heating the outside air; a dehumidifying rotor that is rotatable about a rotation axis and that adsorbs moisture from the outside air; The heat exchanger is capable of exchanging heat between the outside air and the fluid to generate air for cooling a vehicle interior or air for heating a vehicle interior, The dehumidification rotor is configured to be rotatable by rotational energy of the motor.

2. 2. The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 1, further comprising a return passage through which the outside air heated by the heat exchanger can flow toward the dehumidification rotor.

3. 2. The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 1, further comprising a switching mechanism capable of switching between a flow state in which the outside air is permitted to flow through the dehumidification rotor and a blocking state in which the outside air is blocked from flowing through the dehumidification rotor.

4. 4. The vehicle air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein an output shaft of the motor and the rotating shaft of the dehumidification rotor are connected via a reduction gear.

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