Heat management system

Abstract

To provide a heat management system which can be made compact by making it possible to connect modules close to each other.SOLUTION: A housing front surface 1d, as a facing-side housing surface which faces a refrigerant module in a housing 1 of a coolant module 100, forms: a pair of condenser connection ports Cy which communicates with an inflow port and an outflow port for a heat medium R2 in the condenser of the refrigerant module; and a pair of evaporator connection ports Cz which communicates with an inflow port and an outflow port for the heat medium R2 in the evaporator of the refrigerant module. A four-way valve 70 and an eight-way valve, as multi-way valves, are provided on non-facing-side housing surfaces 1c and 1e other than the housing front surface 1d as the facing-side housing surface in the housing 1. The condenser and the evaporator are arranged on the housing front surface 1d side in the refrigerant module, and are arranged side by side in a width direction D1 which intersects the facing direction of the facing-side housing surface and the refrigerant module.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 4

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a thermal management system installed in a vehicle. [Background technology]

[0002] It is generally known that vehicles such as automobiles are provided with a thermal management system that controls the temperature of on-board devices such as a battery and a motor, and controls the air conditioning inside the vehicle. This type of thermal management system is composed of a heat medium circuit through which a heat medium flows, and a refrigerant circuit as a heat pump including a compressor, a condenser, a pressure reducing device, and an evaporator.

[0003] Incidentally, this type of thermal management system, as described in Patent Document 1, for example, is generally mounted on a vehicle in a state in which the heat medium circuit portion and the refrigerant circuit portion are each modularized and connected. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] China Patent Application Publication No. 116373551 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in conventional modularized thermal management systems, when connecting a coolant module constituting a heat medium circuit and a refrigerant module constituting a refrigerant circuit, the components of each module get in the way, making the work difficult, and in some cases forcing the modules to be located at separate locations, which causes problems such as an increase in the size of the entire thermal management system.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention provides a thermal management system that is compact by enabling modules to be connected in close proximity to each other. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] A thermal management system according to one aspect of the present invention is a thermal management system that is installed in a vehicle to adjust the temperature of on-board devices and / or condition the air inside the vehicle, and includes a coolant module including a coolant module housing that forms a flow path through which a first heat medium flows, and a multi-way valve that is installed in the coolant module housing and switches a flow path of the first heat medium in the flow path, and a refrigerant module that includes a refrigerant circuit constituted by a compressor, a condenser, a pressure reducing device, and an evaporator, through which a second heat medium circulates, and the second heat medium exchanges heat with the first heat medium in the condenser and the evaporator, In the coolant module housing, the opposing housing surface facing the refrigerant module forms a pair of condenser connection ports communicating with the inlet and outlet of the first heat medium in the condenser, and a pair of evaporator connection ports communicating with the inlet and outlet of the first heat medium in the evaporator, and in the coolant module housing, the multi-way valve is provided on a non-opposing housing surface other than the opposing housing surface, and the condenser and the evaporator are arranged on the side of the opposing housing surface in the refrigerant module and are arranged side by side in a first horizontal direction intersecting the opposing direction between the opposing housing surface and the refrigerant module.

[0008] In the above-mentioned thermal management system, the multi-way valve has a valve rotation shaft and a valve body that switches a flow path of the first heat medium by rotating the valve rotation shaft, and the multi-way valve is provided on a surface of the non-opposing side housing surface that is opposite the opposing side housing surface in the opposing direction, and a rotation axis of the valve rotation shaft may extend in a direction intersecting the opposing side housing surface.

[0009] In the above thermal management system, the multi-way valve may be a valve having five or more connection ports through which the first heat medium flows.

[0010] In the above-mentioned thermal management system, the coolant module may further have a pump provided in the coolant module housing for pressurizing the first heat medium through the flow path, and the pump may be provided on one of the non-opposing housing surfaces facing in a direction intersecting the opposing direction.

[0011] In the above thermal management system, the refrigerant module further has a refrigerant module housing in which the refrigerant circuit is provided, and the refrigerant module housing forms a refrigerant module side opposing housing surface facing the opposing side housing surface in the coolant module, and a refrigerant module side non-opposing housing surface other than the refrigerant module side opposing housing surface, and the condenser and the evaporator are arranged on the side of the refrigerant module side opposing housing surface in the refrigerant module housing, and the compressor and the pressure reducing device are arranged on the side of the refrigerant module side non-opposing housing surface in the refrigerant module housing.

[0012] In the above thermal management system, the compressor in the refrigerant module may be arranged on an opposite side to the coolant module in the opposing direction relative to the condenser and the evaporator.

[0013] In the above thermal management system, the compressor in the refrigerant module may be arranged in line with the condenser and the evaporator in a second horizontal direction that intersects the opposing direction and the first horizontal direction. Effect of the Invention

[0014] According to the above-described thermal management system, modules can be connected in close proximity to each other, making it possible to achieve a compact size. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0015] [Figure 1] 1 is a circuit diagram of a thermal management system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Diagram 2]1A and 1B are overall perspective views of the thermal management system, in which FIG. 1A is a view from the front side in the depth direction of the system, and FIG. 1B is a view from the rear side in the depth direction of the system. [Diagram 3] 2 is a perspective view of the coolant module of the thermal management system as viewed from the rear side of the housing. FIG. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the coolant module as viewed from the front side of the housing. [Diagram 5] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the coolant module as viewed from the rear side of the housing, and is an exploded view showing a multi-way valve and a pump disassembled from the housing. [Figure 6] 2 is a perspective view of a refrigerant module of the thermal management system as viewed from the rear side in the system depth direction. FIG. [Figure 7] 1A and 1B are overall perspective views of a thermal management system according to a modified example of the above embodiment, where FIG. 1A is a view seen from the front side in the depth direction of the system, and FIG. [Figure 8] FIG. 11 is a perspective view of a refrigerant module of the thermal management system according to the modified example, viewed from above in the system height direction. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0016] A thermal management system 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention will now be described. As shown in FIG. 1, a thermal management system 200 of this embodiment is a device that is mounted on a vehicle such as an automobile, and that regulates the temperature of on-board equipment K that may generate heat and / or regulates the air inside the vehicle.

[0017] Specifically, the thermal management system 200 has a refrigerant circuit 50 and a heat medium circuit 60 connected to the refrigerant circuit 50. The refrigerant circuit 50 is included in a refrigerant module 150, which will be described in detail later, and the heat medium circuit 60 is included in a coolant module (coolant device) 100, which will be described in detail later.

[0018] (Refrigerant circuit) The refrigerant circuit 50 includes a compressor 51, a condenser 52, a pressure reducing device 53, an evaporator 54, and an accumulator 55, as well as a flow path C6 connecting the compressor 51, the condenser 52, the pressure reducing device 53, the evaporator 54, and the accumulator 55, and constitutes a heat pump through which a refrigerant (second heat medium) R1 circulates.

[0019] (heat medium circuit) The heat medium circuit 60 is a circuit through which a heat medium (first heat medium) R2 flows (circulates), and includes a four-way valve (first multi-way valve) 70 and an eight-way valve (second multi-way valve) 71 as multi-way valves that switch the flow path of the heat medium R2, a radiator circuit section 61 connected to the vehicle radiator 300 between the four-way valve 70 and the eight-way valve 71, a high-temperature side heat medium circuit section 62 connected to the four-way valve 70 and passing through the condenser 52 in the refrigerant circuit 50, a low-temperature side heat medium circuit section 63 connected to the eight-way valve 71 and passing through the evaporator 52 in the refrigerant circuit 50, and an in-vehicle equipment temperature control heat medium circuit section 64 connected to the eight-way valve 71 and passing through an in-vehicle equipment K.

[0020] The four-way valve 70 has four connection ports 70x through which the heat medium R2 flows in and out of the four-way valve 70. That is, the four-way valve 70 is a valve having less than five connection ports 70x. The eight-way valve 71 has eight connection ports 71x through which the heat medium R2 flows in and out of the eight-way valve 71. That is, the eight-way valve 71 is a valve having five or more connection ports 71x.

[0021] The radiator circuit section 61 has a flow path C1 that connects between the four-way valve 70 and the eight-way valve 71 and passes through the radiator 300, and the heat medium R2 flowing through the flow path C1 can exchange heat with the outside air in the radiator 300. Thus, a pair of pipes that form the flow path C1 of the radiator circuit section 61 are connected to the two connection ports 71x of the eight-way valve 71, respectively, and a pair of pipes that form the flow path C1 are connected to the two connection ports 70x of the four-way valve 70, respectively.

[0022] The high-temperature side heat medium circuit section 62 has a flow path C2 that connects the four-way valve 70, the condenser 52, and a heater core 311 in the vehicle's HVAC (Heating Ventilation and Air-Conditioning) 310, and the heat medium R2 flowing through the flow path C2 can be heat exchanged with the refrigerant R1 of the refrigerant circuit 50 in the condenser 52. The high-temperature side heat medium circuit section 62 further has a first pump 3a, which will be described in detail later, downstream of the four-way valve 70 and upstream of the condenser 52. The high-temperature side heat medium circuit section 62 also has a first reservoir tank 4a adjacent to the first pump 3a and upstream of the first pump 3a, which stores the heat medium R2. A pair of pipes that form the flow path C2 are connected to the two connection ports 70x of the four-way valve 70, respectively.

[0023] The low-temperature side heat medium circuit section 63 has a flow path C3 that connects the eight-way valve 71, the evaporator 54, and the cooler core 312 in the HVAC 310, and the heat medium R2 flowing through the flow path C3 can be heat-exchanged with the refrigerant R1 of the refrigerant circuit 50 in the evaporator 54. The low-temperature side heat medium circuit section 63 further has a second pump 3b, which will be described in detail later, downstream of the cooler core 312 and upstream of the evaporator 54. The low-temperature side heat medium circuit section 63 also has a second reservoir tank 4b that stores the heat medium R2 adjacent to the second pump 3b and upstream of the second pump 3b. The low-temperature side heat medium circuit section 63 further has a three-way valve 72 as a multi-way valve that switches the flow path of the heat medium R2 within itself. A pair of pipes that form the flow path C3 of the low-temperature side heat medium circuit section 63 are respectively connected to the two connection ports 71x of the eight-way valve 71.

[0024] The vehicle-mounted device temperature control heat medium circuit unit 64 has a flow path C4 connecting the eight-way valve 71 and the vehicle-mounted device K, and the heat medium R2 flowing through the flow path C4 can be heat-exchanged with the vehicle-mounted device K. Here, examples of the vehicle-mounted device K include a battery 320 and an ECH (Electric Coolant Heaters) 330, which are called water heaters. In the vehicle-mounted device temperature control heat medium circuit unit 64 of this embodiment, the heat medium R2 flows through the flow path C4 in the order of the eight-way valve 71, the ECH 330, and the battery 320. The vehicle-mounted device temperature control heat medium circuit unit 64 further has a third pump 3c, which will be described in detail later, downstream of the eight-way valve 71 and upstream of the ECH 330. The vehicle-mounted device temperature control heat medium circuit unit 64 also has a third reservoir tank 4c adjacent to the third pump 3c and upstream of the third pump 3c, which stores the heat medium R2. A pair of pipes that form the flow path C4 of the in-vehicle equipment temperature control heat medium circuit portion 64 are connected to the two connection ports 71x of the eight-way valve 71, respectively.

[0025] In this embodiment, in addition to the in-vehicle equipment temperature control heat medium circuit section 64, a motor passing circuit section 65 having a flow path C5 passing through a motor 340 serving as an in-vehicle equipment K is connected to the eight-way valve 71. That is, a pair of pipes forming the flow path C5 of the motor passing circuit section 65 is connected to the two connection ports 71x of the eight-way valve 71, respectively.

[0026] Next, a detailed description will be given of the coolant module 100 constituting the heat medium circuit 60 and the refrigerant module 150 constituting the refrigerant circuit 50. As shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b), the coolant module 100 and the refrigerant module 150 are integrated together to form a thermal management system 200.

[0027] (Coolant module) As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the coolant module 100 includes a housing (housing for a coolant module) 1, the above-mentioned multi-way valves (four-way valve 70, eight-way valve 71, three-way valve 72) provided in the housing 1, a plurality of pumps 3a, 3b, 3c, and a plurality of reservoir tanks 4a, 4b, 4c (not shown in Figures 3 and 4), and a portion of the above-mentioned flow paths C1 to C5 formed in the housing 1.

[0028] The housing 1 has a roughly rectangular parallelepiped shape and has a first housing side surface 1a facing one side in its own width direction (housing width direction) D1, a second housing side surface 1b facing the other side in the width direction D1, a housing back surface 1c facing one side (rear side) in its own depth direction (housing depth direction) D2 that intersects (orthogonal) with the width direction D1, a housing front surface 1d facing the other side (front side) in the depth direction D2, a housing top surface 1e facing one side (upper side) in its own height direction (housing height direction) D3 that intersects (orthogonal) with the width direction D1 and the depth direction D2, and a housing bottom surface 1f facing the other side (lower side) in the height direction D3.

[0029] The housing front surface 1d of the housing 1 is an opposing housing surface facing the refrigerant module 150 described in detail below, and the other surfaces 1a, 1b, 1c, 1e, and 1f of the housing 1 are non-opposing housing surfaces that do not face the refrigerant module 150. The housing front surface 1d, which is the opposing housing surface, is formed with a pair of condenser connection ports Cy that communicate with the inlet 52a and outlet 52b of the heat medium R2 in the condenser 52 of the refrigerant module 150 described in detail below. Furthermore, the housing front surface 1d is formed with a pair of evaporator connection ports Cz that communicate with the inlet 54a and outlet 54b of the heat medium R2 in the evaporator 54. The pair of evaporator connection ports Cz are arranged at approximately the same position in the width direction D1 with an interval in the height direction D3, and are arranged on the side of the second housing side surface 1b in the width direction D1 with respect to the pair of condenser connection ports Cy.

[0030] 2(a) and 2(b), in the thermal management system 200, the coolant module 100 is arranged with its depth direction D2 coinciding with the depth direction (system depth direction Dy) of the entire thermal management system 200 and its height direction D3 coinciding with the height direction (system height direction Dz) of the entire thermal management system 200. That is, the coolant module 100 is connected to the refrigerant module 150, which will be described in detail later, facing it from the rear side in the system depth direction Dy.

[0031] As shown in Fig. 5, the eight-way valve 71 has a valve rotation shaft 71a, a valve drive unit 71b that rotates the valve rotation shaft 71a, and a valve body 71c that is operated by the rotation of the valve rotation shaft 71a to switch the flow path of the heat medium R2 in the heat medium circuit 60. The valve rotation shaft 71a rotates around a rotation axis O1 that extends in the depth direction D2. In other words, the valve rotation shaft 71a extends in the depth direction D2. The valve body 71c is formed with the above-mentioned eight connection ports 71x through which the heat medium R2 flows (flows in and out). The eight-way valve 71 is provided on the housing back surface 1c, which is the non-opposing housing surface of the housing 1 (see Fig. 3).

[0032] The four-way valve 70, like the eight-way valve 71, has a valve rotary shaft 70a, a valve drive unit 70b that rotates the valve rotary shaft 70a, and a valve body 70c that switches the flow path of the heat medium R2 in the heat medium circuit 60 by the rotation of the valve rotary shaft 70a. The valve rotary shaft 70a rotates around a rotation axis O2 that extends in the height direction D3. That is, the valve rotary shaft 70a extends in the height direction D3. The valve body 70c is formed with the above-mentioned four connection ports 70x through which the heat medium R2 flows (flows in and out of). The four-way valve 70 is provided on the housing top surface 1e, which is the non-opposing housing surface of the housing 1 (see FIG. 3).

[0033] Therefore, in the four-way valve 70 and the eight-way valve 71 which are the multi-way valves in this embodiment, the rotation axes O1, O2 of the valve rotation shafts 70a, 71a extend in a direction intersecting the width direction D1.

[0034] Returning to Fig. 3, in this embodiment, a first pump 3a, a second pump 3b, and a third pump 3c are provided as a plurality of pumps. These pumps 3a, 3b, and 3c are configured to pump the heat medium R2 of different temperature ranges from each other in the heat medium circuit 60. That is, the first pump 3a pumps the heat medium R2 with the highest temperature, the second pump 3b pumps the heat medium R2 with the lowest temperature, and the third pump 3c pumps the heat medium R2 with any temperature between the temperature of the heat medium R2 pumped by the first pump 3a and the temperature of the heat medium R2 pumped by the second pump 3b.

[0035] 5, the first pump 3a has a pump rotation shaft 30a that rotates about a rotation axis O3a extending in the width direction D1, a pump drive unit 31a that rotates the pump rotation shaft 30a, and an impeller 32a that is operated by the rotation of the pump rotation shaft 30a to pump the heat medium R2. The first pump 3a is provided on the first housing side surface 1a, which is a surface facing the width direction D1 intersecting the depth direction D2 among the non-opposing housing surfaces, with its own pump rotation shaft 30a extending in the width direction D1 (see FIG. 8).

[0036] Similarly, the second pump 3b has a pump rotation shaft 30b that rotates around a rotation axis O3b extending in the width direction D1, a pump drive unit 31b that rotates the pump rotation shaft 30b, and an impeller 32b that is operated by the rotation of the pump rotation shaft 30b to pump the heat medium R2. The second pump 3b is provided on the second housing side surface 1b, which is a surface facing the width direction D1 intersecting the depth direction D2, of the non-opposing housing surface, so that the pump rotation shaft 30b extends in the width direction D1 (see FIG. 7). Here, the three-way valve 72 as a multi-way valve is provided on the second housing side surface 1b, parallel to the second pump 3b in the height direction D3, on the other side (lower side) of the second pump 3b in the height direction D3.

[0037] Similarly, the third pump 3c has a pump rotation shaft 30c that rotates around a rotation axis O3c extending in the width direction D1, a pump drive unit 31c that rotates the pump rotation shaft 30c, and an impeller 32c that is operated by the rotation of the pump rotation shaft 30c to pump the heat medium R2. The third pump 3c is provided on the first housing side surface 1a, which is the surface facing the width direction D1 intersecting with the depth direction D2, of the non-opposing housing surface, with its own pump rotation shaft 30a extending in the width direction D1. The third pump 3c is provided on the first housing side surface 1a, side by side with the first pump 3a in the height direction D3, on the other side (lower side) of the first pump 3a in the height direction D3.

[0038] A plurality of reservoir tanks 4a, 4b, 4c (see FIG. 1) are integrally provided in a tank housing not shown and are arranged, for example, above a four-way valve 70 on the top surface 1e of the housing and are connected to a tank heat medium inlet / outlet Ct formed on the top surface 1e of the housing.

[0039] (Refrigerant module) Next, the refrigerant module 150 constituting the refrigerant circuit 50 will be described in detail. Returning to Figures 2(a) and 2(b), the refrigerant module 150 includes a housing (housing for refrigerant module) 5, the above-mentioned compressor 51, condenser 52, pressure reducing device 53 (see Figure 1), evaporator 54, and accumulator 55 provided in the housing 5, and the above-mentioned flow path C6 (see Figure 1) formed in the housing 5.

[0040] 6, the housing 5 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape similar to the housing 1 in the coolant module 100, and has the flow path C6 inside itself through which the refrigerant R1, which constitutes a refrigerant circuit together with the compressor 51, the condenser 52, the pressure reducing device 53, the evaporator 54, and the accumulator 55, flows. The housing 5 has a first housing side surface 5a facing one side in the width direction D1, a second housing side surface 5b facing the other side in the width direction D1, a housing upper surface 5c facing the upper side in the system height direction Dz, a housing lower surface 5d facing the lower side in the system height direction Dz, a housing front surface 5e facing one side (near side) in the system depth direction Dy, and a housing back surface 5f facing the other side (rear side) in the system depth direction Dy. The housing back surface 5f is disposed opposite the housing front surface 1d of the housing 1 in the coolant module 100 in the system depth direction Dy.

[0041] In other words, the rear surface 5f of the housing 5 is the housing surface facing the refrigerant module side that faces the housing front surface 1d of the coolant module 100, and the other surfaces 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, and 5e of the housing 5 are housing surfaces not facing the refrigerant module side that do not face the coolant module 100.

[0042] The compressor 51 compresses the refrigerant R1 to a high-temperature, high-pressure state. The compressor 51 is disposed on the side of the housing front surface 5e, which is the housing surface of the housing 5 that does not face the refrigerant module side.

[0043] The condenser 52 dissipates heat from the refrigerant R1 compressed by the compressor 51 and brought into a high-temperature, high-pressure state, and condenses the refrigerant R1 into a low-temperature, high-pressure state. The condenser 52 is provided on the side of the housing back surface 5f (close to the housing back surface 5f), which is the housing surface facing the refrigerant module side, in the housing 5, and a part of it is exposed from the housing back surface 5f. The condenser 52 is further provided with an inlet 52a that is connected to a condenser connection port Cy formed on the housing front surface 1d of the coolant module 100, and that allows the heat medium R2 from the coolant module 100 to flow into the condenser 52, and an outlet 52b that allows the heat medium R2 to flow out from the condenser 52 toward the coolant module 100. In this embodiment, the inlet 52a is provided on the side of the housing bottom surface 5d, and the outlet 52b is provided on the side of the housing top surface 5c.

[0044] The pressure reducing device 53 is an expansion valve in this embodiment, and reduces the pressure of the refrigerant R1 that has been brought to a low-temperature, low-pressure state by the condenser 52. The pressure reducing device 53 is provided on the side of the housing top surface 5c, which is the housing surface not facing the refrigerant module side.

[0045] The evaporator 54 absorbs heat from the refrigerant R1, which has been brought into a low-temperature, low-pressure state by the pressure reducing device 53, and evaporates the refrigerant R1 to a high-temperature, low-pressure state. The evaporator 54 is provided on the side of the housing back surface 5f (close to the housing back surface 5f), which is the housing surface facing the refrigerant module side, in the housing 5, and a part of it is exposed from the housing back surface 5f. The evaporator 54 is also arranged on the side of the second housing side surface 5b in the width direction (first horizontal direction) D1 intersecting with the system depth direction Dy (D2) with respect to the condenser 52. The evaporator 54 is further provided with an inlet 54a that is connected to an evaporator connection port Cz formed on the housing front surface 1d of the coolant module 100, and that allows the heat medium R2 from the coolant module 100 to flow into the evaporator 54, and an outlet 54b that allows the heat medium R2 to flow out from the evaporator 54 toward the coolant module 100. In this embodiment, the inlet 54a is provided on the side of the housing top surface 5c, and the outlet 54b is provided on the side of the housing bottom surface 5d.

[0046] The accumulator 55 separates the heat medium R2 into gas and liquid on the upstream side of the compressor 51. In this embodiment, the accumulator 55 is disposed on the side of the second housing side surface 5b which is the housing surface not facing the refrigerant module side, that is, on the side of the second housing side surface 5b in the width direction D1 with respect to the condenser 52 and the evaporator 54, and on the front side of the housing back surface 5f in the system depth direction Dy.

[0047] Therefore, the compressor 51 is disposed in the system depth direction Dy on the opposite side of the coolant module 100 from the evaporator 54 and the condenser 52. When the inlet 52a and the outlet 52b are connected to the condenser connection port Cy and the inlet 54a and the outlet 54b are connected to the evaporator connection port Cz, the housing front surface 1d and the housing rear surface 5f come into contact at least partially, and the refrigerant module housing 5 is integrated with the coolant module housing 1.

[0048] (Action and effect) According to the heat management system 200 of the present embodiment described above, the condenser 52 and the evaporator 54 of the refrigerant module 150 are disposed adjacent to or facing the housing front surface 1d of the coolant module 100, and a condenser connection port Cy is formed on the housing front surface 1d, which is connected to the condenser 52 and through which the heat medium R2 flows between the condenser 52, and an evaporator connection port Cz is formed on the housing front surface 1d, which is connected to the evaporator 54 and through which the heat medium R2 flows between the evaporator 54. As a result, when connecting the coolant module 100 and the refrigerant module 150, the components of the coolant module 100 and the refrigerant module 150 do not get in the way, and the coolant module 100 and the refrigerant module 150 can be connected adjacent to each other to easily integrate the modules 100 and 150. As a result, the entire heat management system 200 can be made compact.

[0049] In particular, in this embodiment, the eight-way valve 71 serving as a multi-way valve is provided on the housing back surface 1c opposite the housing front surface 1d in the depth direction D2, and in particular, in this embodiment, the rotation axis O2 of the eight-way valve 71 extends in the depth direction D2 intersecting with the housing front surface 1d. Therefore, the eight-way valve 71 does not get in the way when connecting the coolant module 100 and the refrigerant module 150, and the coolant module 100 and the refrigerant module 150 can be disposed close to each other, and sufficient installation space can be secured for the eight-way valve 71, which tends to have a large diameter due to having many connection ports 71x, and therefore the flow path of the heat medium R2 in the heat medium circuit 60 can be made more complicated.

[0050] Furthermore, the pumps 3a and 3c are provided on the first housing side surface 1a facing the width direction D1 intersecting the depth direction D2, and the pump 3b is provided on the second housing side surface 1b. Thus, the pumps 3a to 3c are provided on a surface of the housing 1 other than the housing front surface 1d, and the pumps 3a to 3c are provided on a surface different from the four-way valve 70 and eight-way valve 71 that serve as multi-way valves. Therefore, when connecting the coolant module 100 and the refrigerant module 150, the pumps 3a to 3c do not get in the way, allowing the coolant module 100 and the refrigerant module 150 to be disposed close to each other, and also ensuring sufficient space for installing the four-way valve 70 and eight-way valve 71 that serve as multi-way valves.

[0051] In the refrigerant module 150, the condenser 52 and the evaporator 54 are disposed on the side of the housing rear surface 5f, and the compressor 51 and the pressure reducing device 53 are disposed on the side of the housing 5 other than the housing rear surface 5f. Therefore, the compressor 51 and the pressure reducing device 53 are provided at a position that does not face the housing front surface 1d of the coolant module 100, and the compressor 51 and the pressure reducing device 53 do not get in the way when the coolant module 100 and the refrigerant module 150 are connected.

[0052] Furthermore, by connecting the modules 10, 150 facing each other in the system depth direction Dy, the dimension of the thermal management system 200 in the system height direction Dz can be reduced.

[0053] The first pump 3a and the third pump 3c are provided on the first housing side surface 1a of the housing 1, the second pump 3b is provided on the second housing side surface 1b opposite the first housing side surface 1a in the width direction D1, and the valve rotation shafts 70a, 71a of the multi-way valves (four-way valve 70, eight-way valve 71) are arranged so that the extending directions of the rotation axes O1, O2 intersect with the width direction D1, and in this embodiment, the eight-way valve 71, which is the multi-way valve, is provided on the housing back surface 1c. Therefore, compared to the case where the pumps 3a to 3c are arranged on a surface facing the same direction as the extending directions of the rotation axes O1, O2 of the multi-way valves, the dimension of the housing 1 in the extending direction of the rotation axes O1, O2 of the multi-way valves can be reduced, and the coolant module 100 can be made compact.

[0054] Furthermore, by positioning the eight-way valve 71 so that the extension direction of the rotation axis O2 of the eight-way valve 71 intersects the width direction D1, even if the eight-way valve 71 having a relatively large diameter dimension is provided as a multi-way valve by having eight connection ports 71x, interference between the multi-way valve and the pumps 3a to 3c can be avoided, and many switching patterns for the flow path of the heat transfer medium R2 can be set, making it possible to accommodate an increase in the complexity of the flow path.

[0055] In addition, by providing the first pump 3a and the third pump 3c on the first housing side surface 1a of the housing 1 and providing the second pump 3b on the second housing side surface 1b opposite the first housing side surface 1a in the width direction D1, it is possible to achieve weight balance in the coolant module 100 in the width direction D1.

[0056] Furthermore, by providing the first pump 3a and the second pump 3b, which pump the heat medium R2 of different temperature zones, on different sides of the casing 1, and providing the second pump 3b and the third pump 3c on different sides of the casing 1, it is possible to prevent the heat medium R2 of different temperature zones from being thermally affected by each other between the first pump 3a and the second pump 3b, and between the second pump 3b and the third pump 3c.

[0057] In particular, in this embodiment, the high-temperature side heat medium circuit section 62 of the heat medium circuit 60 constituting the heat management system 200 has a first pump 3a, and the first pump 3a of the multiple pumps 3a to 3c pumps the heat medium R2 with the highest temperature. On the other hand, the low-temperature side heat medium circuit section 63 of the heat medium circuit 60 constituting the heat management system 200 has a second pump 3b, and the second pump 3b of the multiple pumps 3a to 3c pumps the heat medium R2 with the lowest temperature. In this respect, in this embodiment, the first pump 3a through which the high-temperature heat medium R2 flows and the second pump 3b through which the low-temperature heat medium R2 flows are provided on opposite sides of the housing 1 in the width direction D1, thereby minimizing the thermal influence of each other.

[0058] In this embodiment, eight-way valve 71 as a multi-way valve is provided on housing front surface 1c facing one side in depth direction D2 intersecting width direction D1, and four-way valve 70 as a multi-way valve is provided on housing top surface 1e facing one side in height direction D3 intersecting width direction D1. In other words, pumps 3a to 3c, four-way valve 70, and eight-way valve 71 are arranged on different surfaces of housing 1, so that the size of each surface of housing 1 can be kept small, and the entire coolant module 100 can be made even more compact.

[0059] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications can be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the relative positions of the coolant module 100 and the refrigerant module 150 are not limited to the above. Specifically, as shown in Fig. 7(a) and Fig. 7(b), the housing upper surface 5c of the refrigerant module 150 may be disposed facing the housing front surface 1d of the coolant module 100. That is, the modules 100 and 150 may be disposed facing each other in the system height direction Dz. In this case, the compressor 51 is disposed on the opposite side of the coolant module 100 to the condenser 52 and the evaporator 54 in the system depth direction (second horizontal direction) Dy. In this case, as shown in Fig. 8, the inlet 52a for introducing the heat medium R2 from the coolant module 100 into the condenser 52 and the outlet 52b for discharging the heat medium R2 from the condenser 52 toward the coolant module 100 are formed on the housing upper surface 5c, and the inlet 54a for introducing the heat medium R2 from the coolant module 100 into the evaporator 54 and the outlet 54b for discharging the heat medium R2 from the evaporator 54 toward the coolant module 100 are also formed on the housing upper surface 5c. The inlet 52a is provided on the back side of the system depth direction Dy and the outlet 52b is provided on the front side, the inlet 54a is provided on the front side of the system depth direction Dy and the outlet 54b is provided on the back side. In this way, the thermal management system 200 shown in Figs. 7(a), 7(b), and 8 can reduce the dimension in the system depth direction Dy.

[0060] Furthermore, the third pump 3c may be provided on the second housing side surface 1b instead of the first housing side surface 1a, as long as at least the first pump 3a and the second pump 3b are provided on surfaces of the housing 1 facing opposite directions.

[0061] Furthermore, the installation positions of the four-way valve 70 and the eight-way valve 71 may be reversed from that described above, and the installation positions of the three-way valve 72 and the four-way valve 70 may be reversed from that described above.

[0062] Furthermore, the configuration of the heat medium circuit 60 is not limited to the above, and it is sufficient if the flow path of the heat medium R2 can be switched so as to adjust the temperature and / or air conditioning of the in-vehicle equipment K. [Industrial Applicability]

[0063] According to the thermal management system of the present invention, modules can be connected in close proximity to each other, thereby making it possible to achieve a compact size. [Explanation of symbols]

[0064] 1…Housing for coolant module 1a…First housing side 1b…Second housing side 1c…Rear side of the case 1d…Front of the case 1e…Top of the case 1f…Bottom surface of the housing 3a…First pump 3b…Second pump 3c…Third pump 5…Refrigerant module housing 5a…First housing side 5b…Second housing side 5c…Top of the case 5d…Bottom surface of the housing 5e…Front of the case 5f…Rear side of the case 30a, 30b, 30c...Pump rotating shaft 31a, 31b, 31c...Pump drive section 32a, 32b, 32c...Impeller 50…Refrigerant circuit 51...Compressor 52…Condenser 52…Evaporator 52a...Inlet 52b…Outlet 53... Pressure reducing device 54…Evaporator 54a...Inlet 54b…Outlet 55…Accumulator 60…Heating medium circuit 61...Radiator circuit section 62…High temperature side heat medium circuit section 63...Low temperature side heat medium circuit section 64…In-vehicle equipment temperature control heat medium circuit section 65...Motor passing circuit section 70...Four-way valve 70a...Valve rotating shaft 71...Eight-way valve 71a...Valve rotating shaft 100…Coolant module 150…Refrigerant module 200…Heat management system C1~C6…flow path Cy…Condenser connection port Cz…Evaporator connection port D1…width direction D2: Depth direction D3: Height direction Dy…System depth direction Dz: System height direction K...In-vehicle equipment R1: Refrigerant (second heat transfer medium) R2: Heat medium (first heat medium)

Claims

1. A thermal management system provided in a vehicle for controlling the temperature of an in-vehicle device and / or controlling the air conditioner inside the vehicle, a coolant module including a housing for a coolant module that forms a flow path through which a first heat medium flows, and a multi-way valve that is provided in the housing for the coolant module and that switches a flow path of the first heat medium in the flow path; a refrigerant module including a refrigerant circuit including a compressor, a condenser, a pressure reducing device, and an evaporator through which a second heat medium circulates, the second heat medium exchanging heat with the first heat medium in the condenser and the evaporator; Equipped with a pair of condenser connection ports communicating with an inlet and an outlet of the first heat medium in the condenser, and a pair of evaporator connection ports communicating with an inlet and an outlet of the first heat medium in the evaporator, on an opposing housing surface of the coolant module housing facing the refrigerant module; the multi-way valve is provided on a non-opposing side housing surface other than the opposing side housing surface in the coolant module housing, A thermal management system in which the condenser and the evaporator are arranged on the opposing housing surface side of the refrigerant module and are arranged side by side in a first horizontal direction that intersects the opposing direction between the opposing housing surface and the refrigerant module.

2. The multi-way valve is A valve rotation shaft; a valve body that switches a flow path of the first heat medium by rotation of the valve rotation shaft; having the multi-way valve is provided on a surface of the non-opposing side housing surface that is opposite to the opposing side housing surface in the opposing direction, The thermal management system according to claim 1 , wherein the rotation axis of the valve rotation shaft extends in a direction intersecting the opposing housing surface.

3. 3. The thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein the multi-way valve is a valve having five or more connection ports through which the first heat medium flows.

4. The coolant module further includes a pump provided in the coolant module housing for pumping the first heat medium through the flow path, The thermal management system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the pump is provided on one of the non-opposing housing surfaces, the pump being disposed on a surface facing a direction intersecting the opposing direction.

5. The refrigerant module further includes a refrigerant module housing in which the refrigerant circuit is provided, the refrigerant module housing defines a refrigerant module side opposing housing surface that faces the opposing housing surface of the coolant module, and a refrigerant module side non-opposing housing surface other than the refrigerant module side opposing housing surface, the condenser and the evaporator are disposed on a side of the casing facing the refrigerant module in the casing for the refrigerant module, 3. The thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein the compressor and the pressure reducing device are arranged on a side of the casing surface not facing the refrigerant module in the refrigerant module casing.

6. 3 . The thermal management system according to claim 1 , wherein the compressor in the refrigerant module is disposed on an opposite side to the coolant module with respect to the condenser and the evaporator in the opposing direction.

7. 3. The thermal management system of claim 1, wherein the compressor in the refrigerant module is arranged in line with the condenser and the evaporator in a second horizontal direction that intersects the opposing direction and the first horizontal direction.

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