manifold

Abstract

To provide a manifold that enables miniaturization of heat exchange systems. [Solution] The manifold 100 includes a flow path housing 105 having first flow paths 71, 72, 73 for circulating a first cooling fluid and second flow paths 41, 42, 48, 49 for circulating a second cooling fluid. In the flow path housing 105, heat exchange is performed between the first cooling fluid circulating in the first flow paths 71, 72, 73 and the second cooling fluid circulating in the second flow paths 41, 42, 48, 49. A heat exchanger having an inlet 111 for the inflow of the first cooling fluid and an outlet 112 for the outflow of the first cooling fluid is fixed to the flow path housing 105 by joining the first flow path 73 to the inlet 111 and the first flow path 71 to the outlet 112, respectively.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a manifold.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, automobiles equipped with a motor as a driving power source (hybrid electric vehicles (HEV), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEV), battery electric vehicles (BEV), fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEV), etc.) have become widespread. These automobiles (hereinafter collectively referred to as "electric vehicles") are equipped with a battery for driving the motor. In electric vehicles, there are many devices that require cooling, such as a motor (including internal combustion engines such as engines), a battery, an air conditioner, an ECU, etc., and a cooling circuit for circulating cooling water or refrigerant is configured to cool these devices. However, the appropriate operating temperatures of these devices may differ individually. In such a case, in order to change the temperature of the circulating cooling water or refrigerant for each device with a different operating temperature, heat exchange is performed through a heat exchanger such as a chiller or a water-cooled condenser, and the temperature control of the cooling water or refrigerant is performed.

[0003] In the heat exchange system disclosed in Patent Document 1, a heat pump cycle, a high-temperature water circuit, and a low-temperature water circuit are provided. Heat exchange is performed between the heat pump cycle and the high-temperature water circuit by a water-cooled condenser, and heat exchange is performed between the heat pump cycle and the low-temperature water circuit by a chiller and an internal heat exchanger.

[0004] Furthermore, the heat exchange system disclosed in Patent Document 2 includes a heat pump cycle. The heat pump cycle consists of a compressor (compressor in Patent Document 2), an indoor radiator, an electric expansion valve, a first heat exchanger, a solenoid valve, an evaporator (evaporator in Patent Document 2), and auxiliary equipment such as an accumulator. The heat pump cycle is a thermal cycle for heating or cooling the interior of a vehicle.

[0005] Furthermore, Patent Document 3 describes a vehicle air conditioning system for cooling a battery that supplies power to an electric motor for vehicle propulsion. The refrigerant circuit in this vehicle air conditioning system includes a heat absorber, a heat radiator, a compressor, an expansion valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, and an internal heat exchanger, which are connected by piping. The internal heat exchanger is configured to perform heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing into the heat absorber and the refrigerant flowing out of the heat absorber. [Prior art documents] [Patent Documents]

[0006] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-192965 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2013-139251 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Publication No. 2020-11615 [Overview of the Initiative] [Problems that the invention aims to solve]

[0007] In the heat exchange system disclosed in Patent Document 1, the heat exchange is limited to the water-cooled condenser, chiller, and internal heat exchanger (hereinafter collectively referred to as "heat exchanger"). Therefore, in order to improve the performance (efficiency) of heat exchange, it is necessary to use a large heat exchanger. As a result, it occupies the limited space in the vehicle's engine compartment. Furthermore, if the size of the heat exchanger is reduced, there is a risk that the desired cooling performance cannot be obtained.

[0008] Furthermore, in the heat exchange system disclosed in Patent Document 2, auxiliary components such as the compressor, indoor radiator, electric expansion valve, first heat exchanger, solenoid valve, evaporator, and accumulator are arranged as separate devices. These auxiliary components are usually fixed to the vehicle body with bolts or the like. As a result, the heat exchange system occupies limited space in the vehicle's engine compartment, leaving room for improvement.

[0009] Furthermore, when installing the system in a vehicle, miniaturization is desirable from the standpoint of piping layout and weight reduction. In the vehicle air conditioning system described in Patent Document 3, as mentioned above, each part of the refrigerant circuit is connected by piping, so it is necessary to provide points for connecting the piping, which makes the refrigerant circuit large. In addition, it is large because it has an internal heat exchanger, and there is room for improvement in terms of miniaturization.

[0010] Therefore, there is a need for a manifold that can miniaturize the heat exchange system. [Means for solving the problem]

[0011] The characteristic configuration of the manifold according to the present invention is that it comprises a flow path housing having a first flow path for a first cooling fluid and a second flow path for a second cooling fluid, and that heat exchange takes place in the flow path housing between the first cooling fluid flowing through the first flow path and the second cooling fluid flowing through the second flow path.

[0012] With this configuration, sufficient cooling performance can be obtained even with a small heat exchanger by performing heat exchange between the first cooling fluid flowing through the first channel and the second cooling fluid flowing through the second channel, both located within the manifold's flow path housing. Furthermore, since heat exchange can be performed within the flow path housing, the manifold can be made smaller compared to cases where the heat exchanger is externally mounted to the flow path housing. Moreover, both the cooling of the first cooling fluid flowing through the first channel and the heating of the second cooling fluid flowing through the second channel can be performed within the flow path housing. By performing heat exchange between fluids within this flow path housing, it is possible to improve the coefficient of performance of components such as compressors and expansion valves. Therefore, since heat exchange can be performed without miniaturizing or separately installing an internal heat exchanger for cooling and heating the fluids, the manifold can be made smaller. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0013] [Figure 1] This is a circuit diagram of a cooling system having a manifold according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] This is a schematic diagram of the manifold configuration. [Figure 3] This diagram shows the relationship between the first internal refrigerant passage and the eighth internal flow path according to the first embodiment, and the other flow paths. [Figure 4] This diagram shows the flow path configuration of the manifold according to the second embodiment. [Figure 5] This diagram shows the flow path configuration of a manifold according to a modified example of the second embodiment. [Figure 6] This diagram shows the flow path configuration of a manifold according to another modification of the second embodiment. [Figure 7] This is a cross-sectional view showing a method for fixing a chiller to a flow path housing according to a third embodiment. [Figure 8] This is a schematic diagram of the manifold according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 9] This is a cross-sectional view showing the configuration of the chiller within the flow path housing according to the fourth embodiment. [Figure 10]It is a circuit configuration diagram of a cooling system having a manifold according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 11] It is a schematic configuration diagram of a manifold according to the fifth embodiment. [Figure 12] It is a diagram showing the relationship between the second refrigerant flow path and the fourth refrigerant flow path according to the fifth embodiment and other flow paths. [Figure 13] It is a Mollier diagram showing a heat cycle. [Figure 14] It is a diagram showing a high-temperature flow path and a low-temperature flow path according to other embodiments. [Figure 15] It is a diagram showing a high-temperature flow path and a low-temperature flow path according to other embodiments. [Figure 16] It is a diagram showing a high-temperature flow path and a low-temperature flow path according to other embodiments.

Embodiments for Carrying Out the Invention

[0014] Hereinafter, embodiments of the manifold according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the drawings. The embodiments described below are examples for explaining the present invention, and the present invention is not limited only to these embodiments. Therefore, the present invention can be implemented in various forms without departing from the gist thereof.

[0015] 〔First Embodiment〕 〔Configuration of Cooling System〕 As shown in Figure 1, the cooling system A, including the manifold 100 according to this embodiment, is broadly composed of a cooling water circuit B and a refrigerant circuit C. Cooling water (an example of a second cooling fluid, coolant) such as antifreeze mainly composed of ethylene glycol or long-life coolant flows through the cooling water circuit B, and refrigerant (an example of a first cooling fluid) such as hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) flows through the refrigerant circuit C. In Figure 1, the portion enclosed by the dashed line is the manifold 100 according to this embodiment. The manifold 100 includes a flow path housing 105 and auxiliary equipment including a chiller 110 (an example of an evaporator), a water-cooled condenser 120 (an example of a condenser), a first electric pump 4, a rotary valve 5 consisting of a four-way valve, a second electric pump 7, a switching valve 10 consisting of a three-way valve, a third electric pump 11, a first expansion valve 23, and a second expansion valve 26. In Figure 1, the auxiliary equipment is depicted as being inside the flow path housing 105, but as shown in Figure 2, it is actually mounted on the outside of the flow path housing 105. Figure 2 shows a schematic diagram of the manifold 100. However, in Figure 2, auxiliary equipment (e.g., pumps and valves) other than the chiller 110 and water-cooled condenser 120 are not depicted. In this embodiment, the flow path housing 105 is made of a metal material with high thermal conductivity, including aluminum, and the flow paths constituting the cooling water circuit B and the refrigerant circuit C are formed by directly drilling holes in the flow path housing 105. In this embodiment, as an example of a coolant, an antifreeze mainly composed of ethylene glycol or the like, or a long-life coolant is used, but a coolant composed of insulating oil such as paraffin may also be used. Furthermore, the refrigerant may be a hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) or the like. These are the same in all embodiments described later.

[0016] First, let's describe the cooling water circuit B. Cooling water circuit B is the flow path to the right of the chiller 110 and the water-cooled condenser 120 in Figure 1. Cooling water circuit B has a first external flow path 31 outside the flow path housing 105. The first external flow path 31 is connected to a first internal flow path 41 (an example of a second flow path, a cooling flow path) and a second internal flow path 42 (an example of a second flow path, a cooling flow path) formed inside the flow path housing 105. A radiator 1 is located in the middle of the first external flow path 31. The cooling water flows in the following order: second internal flow path 42, first external flow path 31, radiator 1, first external flow path 31, and first internal flow path 41. Hereinafter, the upstream and downstream sides with respect to the direction of cooling water flow in cooling water circuit B will also be simply referred to as the upstream side and the downstream side.

[0017] Downstream of the radiator 1 in the first external passage 31 and upstream of the first internal passage 41, the first external passage 31 branches into a second external passage 32 and a third external passage 33. Downstream, the second external passage 32 is connected to the third internal passage 43 formed inside the passage housing 105. Downstream, the third internal passage 43 is connected to the second internal passage 42. The cooling water that branches from the first external passage 31 to the second external passage 32 flows through the second external passage 32, cooling the charger 2 and the DC-DC converter 3 before flowing into the third internal passage 43. The cooling water is pressurized by the first electric pump 4 in the third internal passage 43 before flowing into the second internal passage 42.

[0018] Upstream of the first electric pump 4 in the third internal passage 43, the fourth internal passage 44 branches off from the third internal passage 43. In the state shown in Figure 1, the fourth internal passage 44 is connected to the fifth internal passage 45 via the rotary valve 5. The downstream side of the fifth internal passage 45 is connected to the second internal passage 42.

[0019] The third external passage 33 is connected to the sixth internal passage 46 formed inside the passage housing 105 on the downstream side. The sixth internal passage 46 is connected to the seventh internal passage 47 via the rotary valve 5. A second electric pump 7 is located in the middle of the seventh internal passage 47. Cooling water that branches off from the first external passage 31 to the third external passage 33 flows through the third external passage 33, cools the e-axle inverter 6, and flows into the sixth internal passage 46. In the state shown in Figure 1, the cooling water is pressurized by the second electric pump 7 in the seventh internal passage 47 via the rotary valve 5 and then flows out to the outside of the passage housing 105. The e-axle inverter 6 is a unit that houses a rotating electric machine, a reduction gear, and a differential gear mechanism in a housing, and the inverter is provided integrally with the unit. By rotating the rotary valve 5, the fourth internal passage 44 and the sixth internal passage 46 can be connected, and the fifth internal passage 45 and the seventh internal passage 47 can be connected.

[0020] The seventh internal passage 47 is connected to the fourth external passage 34 outside the passage housing 105. The fourth external passage 34 is connected downstream to the eighth internal passage 48 (second passage, an example of a cooling passage) formed inside the passage housing 105. Cooling water flowing out of the seventh internal passage 47 flows through the fourth external passage 34, is cooled by the first heater core 8, then cools and warms the battery 9, and flows into the eighth internal passage 48. The eighth internal passage 48 is connected downstream to the chiller 110. The downstream side of the chiller 110 is connected to the second internal passage 42. Cooling water flowing through the eighth internal passage 48 flows into the chiller 110, where it is cooled by the atomized refrigerant flowing in from the third internal refrigerant passage 73 (first passage, an example of a refrigerant passage), which will be described later, and then flows through the second internal passage 42. Cooling water flowing through the second internal passage 42 flows into the first external passage 31, which is connected outside the passage housing 105.

[0021] The first internal passage 41, connected to the first external passage 31, is connected to the water-cooled condenser 120 downstream. A switching valve 10 and a third electric pump 11 are arranged in that order along the first internal passage 41. The downstream side of the water-cooled condenser 120 is connected to the ninth internal passage 49 (an example of a second passage, a cooling passage). Cooling water flowing into the first internal passage 41 is pressurized by the third electric pump 11 and flows into the water-cooled condenser 120. Within the water-cooled condenser 120, it absorbs heat from the refrigerant, which is in a high-temperature compressed gas state and has flowed in from the second internal refrigerant passage 72 (an example of a first passage, a refrigerant passage), and is then heated before flowing through the ninth internal passage 49 and out of the passage housing 105.

[0022] The ninth internal passage 49 is connected to the fifth external passage 35 outside the passage housing 105. The fifth external passage 35 is connected downstream to the tenth internal passage 50 formed inside the passage housing 105. The tenth internal passage 50 is connected downstream to the sixth internal passage 46. Cooling water flowing out of the ninth internal passage 49 flows through the fifth external passage 35, is cooled by the second heater core 12, and flows into the tenth internal passage 50. Cooling water flowing through the tenth internal passage 50 flows into the sixth internal passage 46.

[0023] A switching valve 10 located in the first internal passage 41 switches the direction of flow of the cooling water between the first internal passage 41 and the eleventh internal passage 51 formed inside the passage housing 105. The eleventh internal passage 51 is connected to the tenth internal passage 50 downstream. When the switching valve 10 is switched so that the cooling water flows through the eleventh internal passage 51, the cooling water flows from the first internal passage 41 through the eleventh internal passage 51 into the tenth internal passage 50, and then into the sixth internal passage 46.

[0024] Next, the refrigerant circuit C will be described. The refrigerant circuit C is the flow path to the left of the chiller 110 and the water-cooled condenser 120 in Figure 1. The refrigerant circuit C is formed inside the flow path housing 105, and the refrigerant flows through it. Downstream of the chiller 110 in the direction of refrigerant flow (hereinafter, the upstream and downstream sides in the direction of refrigerant flow in the refrigerant circuit C will also be simply referred to as the upstream and downstream sides), there is a first internal refrigerant passage 71 (first flow path, an example of a refrigerant flow path). The first internal refrigerant passage 71 is connected to a first external refrigerant passage 61 formed outside the flow path housing 105. An accumulator 21 and a compressor 22 are arranged in this order along the first external refrigerant passage 61. Downstream of the first external refrigerant passage 61, it is connected to a second internal refrigerant passage 72 formed inside the flow path housing 105. Downstream of the second internal refrigerant passage 72, it is connected to the water-cooled condenser 120. Downstream of the water-cooled condenser 120, it is connected to a third internal refrigerant passage 73 formed inside the flow path housing 105. The third internal refrigerant passage 73 is connected to the chiller 110 via a first expansion valve 23 located in the middle of it. In other words, in the flow path housing 105, the water-cooled condenser 120 is installed at a position upstream of the refrigerant flow direction in the third internal refrigerant passage 73, and the chiller 110 is installed at a position downstream of the refrigerant flow direction.

[0025] Upstream of the first expansion valve 23 in the third internal refrigerant passage 73, the fourth internal refrigerant passage 74 branches off from the third internal refrigerant passage 73. The second expansion valve 26 is located in the middle of the fourth internal refrigerant passage 74. The fourth internal refrigerant passage 74 is connected to the second external refrigerant passage 62, which is formed outside the flow path housing 105. The evaporator 24 and the check valve 25 are located in the middle of the second external refrigerant passage 62 in that order. The second external refrigerant passage 62 is connected to the fifth internal refrigerant passage 75, which is formed inside the flow path housing 105. The fifth internal refrigerant passage 75 is connected to the first internal refrigerant passage 71 downstream.

[0026] Next, the flow of refrigerant in refrigerant circuit C will be explained. The refrigerant, which flows through the first external refrigerant passage 61 and becomes a high-temperature compressed gas in the compressor 22, flows through the first external refrigerant passage 61 and flows into the water-cooled condenser 120 from the second internal refrigerant passage 72. In the water-cooled condenser 120, the refrigerant condenses and liquefies as heat is absorbed by the cooling water flowing in from the first internal passage 41. Of the liquefied refrigerant, the portion used for air conditioning in the vehicle leaves the water-cooled condenser 120 and flows through the third internal refrigerant passage 73 and then the fourth internal refrigerant passage 74, where it is expanded in the second expansion valve 26 to become a low-temperature, low-pressure mist, which then flows out from the passage housing 105 and is sent to the evaporator 24 via the second external refrigerant passage 62. The mist refrigerant evaporates in the evaporator 24 by absorbing heat from the air introduced from the outside. Conversely, the air is cooled by the heat absorbed by the refrigerant and is sent into the vehicle as cold air. The evaporated and vaporized refrigerant flows into the fifth internal refrigerant passage 75 through the check valve 25 located in the second external refrigerant passage 62, and flows out of the flow path housing 105 from the first internal refrigerant passage 71. The vaporized refrigerant then flows through the first external refrigerant passage 61 and is sent to the accumulator 21. In the accumulator 21, if the vaporized refrigerant contains liquid, the liquid is separated from the vaporized refrigerant. After that, the vaporized refrigerant flows through the first external refrigerant passage 61 and recirculates to the compressor 22, where it is compressed again to become a high-temperature compressed gas.

[0027] Of the refrigerant liquefied in the water-cooled condenser 120, the portion not used for air conditioning in the vehicle leaves the water-cooled condenser 120 and flows through the third internal refrigerant passage 73, where it is expanded in the first expansion valve 23 to become a low-temperature, low-pressure atomized refrigerant before being sent to the chiller 110. In the chiller 110, the atomized refrigerant absorbs heat from the cooling water flowing in from the eighth internal passage 48 and evaporates. The evaporated and vaporized refrigerant flows out of the passage housing 105 through the first internal refrigerant passage 71. The vaporized refrigerant then flows through the first external refrigerant passage 61 and is sent to the accumulator 21. Because there is a check valve 25 in the second external refrigerant passage 62, the refrigerant does not flow into the evaporator 24. In the accumulator 21, if the vaporized refrigerant contains liquid, the liquid refrigerant is separated. After that, the vaporized refrigerant flows through the first external refrigerant passage 61 and recirculates to the compressor 22, where it is compressed again to become a high-temperature compressed gas.

[0028] Normally, heat exchange between cooling water and refrigerant is performed only in heat exchangers such as the chiller 110 and water-cooled condenser 120. However, in this embodiment, by bringing the flow path of the cooling water circuit B and the flow path of the refrigerant circuit C into close proximity, heat exchange is performed not only in the chiller 110 and water-cooled condenser 120, but also between the flow paths.

[0029] Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, the arrangement of the flow paths connected to the chiller 110 is such that, in the flow path housing 105, the eighth internal flow path 48 of the cooling water circuit B flowing into the chiller 110 and the first internal refrigerant passage 71 of the refrigerant circuit C flowing out of the chiller 110 are arranged parallel and close together, and the second internal flow path 42 of the cooling water circuit B flowing out of the chiller 110 and the third internal refrigerant passage 73 of the refrigerant circuit C flowing into the chiller 110 are arranged parallel and close together. At this time, the flow direction of the cooling water flowing through the eighth internal flow path 48 is opposite to the flow direction of the refrigerant flowing through the first internal refrigerant passage 71, and the flow direction of the cooling water flowing through the second internal flow path 42 is opposite to the flow direction of the refrigerant flowing through the third internal refrigerant passage 73. In addition, in the flow path housing 105, the eighth internal flow path 48 and the first internal refrigerant passage 71 exchange heat at an L-shaped section, and the second internal flow path 42 and the third internal refrigerant passage 73 exchange heat at a straight section. With this configuration, heat exchange occurs not only within the chiller 110, but also between the cooling water flowing through the eighth internal passage 48 and the refrigerant flowing through the first internal refrigerant passage 71, as well as between the cooling water flowing through the second internal passage 42 and the refrigerant flowing through the third internal refrigerant passage 73. In this way, heat exchange also occurs between the internal passages outside the chiller 110 and the internal refrigerant passages, so sufficient cooling performance can be obtained even if a small chiller 110 is used.

[0030] Furthermore, the arrangement of the flow paths connected to the water-cooled condenser 120 is as follows: Specifically, as shown in Figure 2, in the flow path housing 105, the first internal flow path 41 of the cooling water circuit B flowing into the water-cooled condenser 120 and the third internal refrigerant passage 73 of the refrigerant circuit C flowing out from the water-cooled condenser 120 are arranged parallel and close together, and the ninth internal flow path 49 of the cooling water circuit B flowing out from the water-cooled condenser 120 and the second internal refrigerant passage 72 of the refrigerant circuit C flowing into the water-cooled condenser 120 are arranged parallel and close together. At this time, the flow direction of the cooling water flowing through the first internal flow path 41 is opposite to the flow direction of the refrigerant flowing through the third internal refrigerant passage 73, and the flow direction of the cooling water flowing through the ninth internal flow path 49 is opposite to the flow direction of the refrigerant flowing through the second internal refrigerant passage 72. In addition, in the flow path housing 105, the first internal flow path 41 and the third internal refrigerant passage 73 exchange heat at a point where they are formed in a straight line, and the ninth internal flow path 49 and the second internal refrigerant passage 72 exchange heat at a point where they are formed in an L-shape. With this configuration, heat exchange occurs not only within the water-cooled condenser 120, but also between the cooling water flowing through the first internal passage 41 and the refrigerant flowing through the third internal refrigerant passage 73, as well as between the cooling water flowing through the ninth internal passage 49 and the refrigerant flowing through the second internal refrigerant passage 72. In this way, heat exchange also occurs between the internal passages outside the water-cooled condenser 120 and the internal refrigerant passages, so sufficient cooling performance can be obtained even when using a small water-cooled condenser 120.

[0031] Figure 3 is a diagram showing the relationship between the first internal refrigerant passage 71 and the eighth internal passage 48 according to this embodiment and other passages. As shown in Figure 3, the first internal refrigerant passage 71, through which refrigerant flows out of the chiller 110, and the eighth internal passage 48, through which cooling water flows into the chiller 110, are provided at a shorter interval than the intervals between other passages provided in the passage housing 105. The first internal refrigerant passage 71 is a refrigerant passage through which refrigerant flows from the chiller 110 to the accumulator 21. The eighth internal passage 48 is a cooling passage through which cooling water flows from the battery 9 to the chiller 110. Other passages provided in the passage housing 105 include the first internal passage 41 through which cooling water flowing into the water-cooled condenser 120 flows, the ninth internal passage 49 through which cooling water flowing out of the water-cooled condenser 120 flows, the third internal refrigerant passage 73 through which refrigerant flowing out of the water-cooled condenser 120 flows, and the second internal refrigerant passage 72 through which refrigerant flowing into the water-cooled condenser 120 flows. Therefore, the first internal refrigerant passage 71 and the eighth internal passage 48 are provided at a shorter distance than the distance between the first internal passage 41 and the third internal refrigerant passage 73, and the distance between the ninth internal passage 49 and the second internal refrigerant passage 72. In other words, the eighth internal passage 48 is configured to be closer to the first internal refrigerant passage 71 than the first internal passage 41, the second internal passage 42, and the ninth internal passage 49.

[0032] Furthermore, it is preferable to configure the ninth internal passage 49 to be closer to the second internal refrigerant passage 72 than the first internal passage 41, the second internal passage 42, and the eighth internal passage 48 in the vicinity of the water-cooled condenser 120, and to configure the first internal passage 41 to be closer to the third internal refrigerant passage 73 than the second internal passage 42, the eighth internal passage 48, and the ninth internal passage 49. Moreover, it is preferable to configure the second internal passage 42 to be closer to the third internal refrigerant passage 73 than the first internal passage 41, the eighth internal passage 48, and the ninth internal passage 49 in the vicinity of the chiller 110.

[0033] [Second Embodiment] Next, a manifold 100 according to the second embodiment will be described. In this embodiment, the shapes of the eighth internal passage 48 and the first internal refrigerant passage 71, the second internal passage 42 and the third internal refrigerant passage 73, the first internal passage 41 and the third internal refrigerant passage 73, and the ninth internal passage 49 and the second internal refrigerant passage 72, which are arranged parallel and close to each other in the flow path housing 105, differ from those of the first embodiment. The other configurations are the same as in the first embodiment, so a detailed explanation of the similar configurations will be omitted. Hereinafter, the eighth internal passage 48, the portion of the second internal passage 42 that is arranged parallel and close to the third internal refrigerant passage 73, the portion of the first internal passage 41 that is arranged parallel and close to the third internal refrigerant passage 73, and the ninth internal passage 49 will be collectively referred to as the parallel internal passage 81. Also, the first internal refrigerant passage 71, the portion of the third internal refrigerant passage 73 that is arranged parallel and close to the second internal passage 42 and the first internal passage 41, and the second internal refrigerant passage 72 will be collectively referred to as the parallel internal refrigerant passage 82.

[0034] As shown in Figure 4, in this embodiment, multiple closed internal passages 83 (an example of a second passage) branch off from the parallel internal passage 81 in a direction perpendicular to the direction of extension of the passage. Also, multiple closed internal refrigerant passages 84 (an example of a first passage) branch off from the parallel internal refrigerant passage 82 in a direction perpendicular to the direction of extension of the passage. The closed internal passages 83 have closed ends and extend in a direction toward the parallel internal refrigerant passage 82. Similarly, the closed internal refrigerant passages 84 have closed ends and extend in a direction toward the parallel internal passage 81. The closed internal passages 83 and the closed internal refrigerant passages 84 are arranged parallel to each other and in close proximity. Furthermore, both the closed internal passages 83 and the closed internal refrigerant passages 84 have the same cross-sectional shape as the parallel internal passages 81 and 82, and their cross-sectional areas are also equal. The flow direction of the cooling water flowing through the parallel internal passage 81 is opposite to the flow direction of the refrigerant flowing through the parallel internal refrigerant passage 82.

[0035] With this configuration, the manifold 100 can perform heat exchange between the cooling water and the refrigerant not only between the parallel internal passage 81 and the parallel internal refrigerant passage 82, but also between the closed internal passage 83 and the closed internal refrigerant passage 84. As a result, even if the distance between the parallel internal passage 81 and the parallel internal refrigerant passage 82 is the same as in the manifold 100 of the first embodiment, sufficient cooling performance can be obtained using a water-cooled condenser 120 that is even smaller than that of the first embodiment. Note that there may be one closed internal passage 83 and one closed internal refrigerant passage 84 instead of multiple (the same applies to the following modifications).

[0036] If it is difficult to directly drill holes in the flow path housing 105 to form the closed internal flow path 83 and the closed internal refrigerant passage 84, the flow path housing 105 may be configured as two housings (not shown) joined together. In this case, grooves constituting the parallel internal flow path 81, the parallel internal refrigerant passage 82, the closed internal flow path 83, and the closed internal refrigerant passage 84 can be formed in the flow path housing 105 by forming grooves on the joining surfaces of the two housings and then joining the two housings.

[0037] [Modified example of the second embodiment] Next, a modified version of the second embodiment of the manifold 100 will be described. In this modified version, the closed internal flow path 83 and the closed internal refrigerant passage 84 differ from those in the second embodiment. The other configurations are the same as in the second embodiment, so a detailed explanation of the similar configurations will be omitted.

[0038] In this modified example, as shown in Figure 5, the direction of extension of the closed internal passage 83 to the parallel internal passage 81 is not perpendicular, but extends in the direction of a branch angle θ (an example of an acute angle) that is acute with respect to the direction of flow of the cooling water. Similarly, the direction of extension of the closed internal refrigerant passage 84 to the parallel internal refrigerant passage 82 is not perpendicular, but extends in the direction of a branch angle θ that is acute with respect to the direction of flow of the refrigerant.

[0039] Since the closed internal passage 83 branches off at an acute angle θ relative to the flow direction of the cooling water in the parallel internal passage 81, and the closed internal refrigerant passage 84 branches off at an acute angle θ relative to the flow direction of the refrigerant in the parallel internal refrigerant passage 82, the closed internal passage 83 and the closed internal refrigerant passage 84 are arranged parallel to each other and in close proximity. With this configuration, even if the distance between the parallel internal passage 81 and the parallel internal refrigerant passage 82 is the same as in the second embodiment, the lengths of the closed internal passage 83 and the closed internal refrigerant passage 84 can be made longer than in the second embodiment. As a result, heat exchange between the closed internal passage 83 and the closed internal refrigerant passage 84 can be performed more efficiently than in the second embodiment, so that sufficient cooling performance can be obtained even if an even smaller water-cooled condenser 120 is used. In addition, since the closed internal passage 83 and the closed internal refrigerant passage 84 branch off at an acute angle relative to the flow direction of the cooling water and refrigerant, the pressure loss of the cooling water and refrigerant when they flow into the closed internal passage 83 and the closed internal refrigerant passage 84 can be minimized.

[0040] [Other variations of the second embodiment] Next, a manifold 100 relating to another modification of the second embodiment will be described. In this modification, the closed internal flow path 83 and the closed internal refrigerant passage 84 differ from those of the second embodiment and its modifications. The other configurations are the same as in the second embodiment, so a detailed explanation of the similar configurations will be omitted.

[0041] As shown in Figure 6, in this modified example, both the closed internal flow path 83 and the closed internal refrigerant passage 84 have a right-angled triangular shape in plan view, and are composed of the hypotenuse and its adjacent side. The other adjacent side is part of the parallel internal flow path 81. The portion of the closed internal flow path 83 corresponding to the hypotenuse of the right-angled triangle extends in the direction of a branching angle θ that is acute with respect to the cooling water flow direction, and the portion corresponding to the adjacent side is perpendicular to the cooling water flow direction. Similarly, the portion of the closed internal refrigerant passage 84 corresponding to the hypotenuse of the right-angled triangle extends in the direction of a branching angle θ that is acute with respect to the refrigerant flow direction, and the portion corresponding to the adjacent side is perpendicular to the refrigerant flow direction. In other words, in this modified example as well, the portions of the closed internal flow path 83 and the closed internal refrigerant passage 84 corresponding to the hypotenuse and adjacent sides are arranged parallel and in close proximity to each other.

[0042] The portion of the closed internal passage 83 corresponding to the hypotenuse branches off at an acute angle θ relative to the flow direction of the cooling water in the parallel internal passage 81, and the portion of the closed internal refrigerant passage 84 corresponding to the hypotenuse branches off at an acute angle θ relative to the flow direction of the refrigerant in the parallel internal refrigerant passage 82. Therefore, the portions of the closed internal passage 83 and the closed internal refrigerant passage 84 corresponding to the hypotenuses and adjacent sides are all arranged parallel and in close proximity. By configuring the closed internal passage 83 and the closed internal refrigerant passage 84 in this way, even if the distance between the parallel internal passage 81 and the parallel internal refrigerant passage 82 is the same as in the second embodiment, the length of the closed internal passage 83 and the closed internal refrigerant passage 84 (the sum of the length of the hypotenuse and the length of adjacent sides in a plan view) can be made longer than in the second embodiment. As a result, heat exchange between the closed internal passage 83 and the closed internal refrigerant passage 84 can be performed more efficiently than in the second embodiment, so that sufficient cooling performance can be obtained even when using an even smaller water-cooled condenser 120. Furthermore, the points corresponding to the hypotenuses of the closed internal passage 83 and the closed internal refrigerant passage 84 branch off at an acute angle to the direction of flow of the cooling water and refrigerant, while the points corresponding to the adjacent sides of the closed internal passage 83 and the closed internal refrigerant passage 84 branch off perpendicular to the direction of flow of the cooling water and refrigerant. This minimizes the pressure loss of the cooling water and refrigerant when they flow into and out of the closed internal passage 83 and the closed internal refrigerant passage 84.

[0043] [Another embodiment of the first and second embodiments] In the first and second embodiments described above, the flow directions of the cooling water and refrigerant for heat exchange within the flow path housing 105 were opposite, but the flow directions may be the same. In this case, the chiller 110 may be provided on the upstream side and the water-cooled condenser 120 on the downstream side.

[0044] In the first and second embodiments described above, the heat exchange channel within the flow path housing 105 was straight or L-shaped, but is not limited to these. By making the heat exchange channel as long as possible while still being machined, the chiller 110 and water-cooled condenser 120 can be made smaller. The heat exchange channel may also be in the form of heat exchange using a plate member.

[0045] [Third Embodiment] [Cooling system configuration] The cooling system A, including the manifold 100 according to the third embodiment, is the same as the cooling system A according to the first embodiment shown in Figure 1. The schematic configuration of the manifold 100 is also the same as in Figure 2.

[0046] The method of fixing the chiller 110 to the flow path housing 105 will be explained below with reference to Figures 2 and 7. The chiller 110 is fixed to the flow path housing 105 by being directly connected to the third internal refrigerant passage 73, the first internal refrigerant passage 71, the eighth internal flow path 48, and the second internal flow path 42. The chiller 110 has a refrigerant inlet 111 through which refrigerant flows in, a refrigerant outlet 112 through which refrigerant flows out, a cooling water inlet (an example of a "coolant inlet") 113 through which cooling water flows in, and a cooling water outlet (an example of a "coolant outlet") 114 through which cooling water flows out. The third internal refrigerant passage 73 and the refrigerant inlet 111, the first internal refrigerant passage 71 and the refrigerant outlet 112, the eighth internal flow path 48 and the cooling water inlet 113, and the second internal flow path 42 and the cooling water outlet 114 are joined by brazing using brazing material 116. Brazing has the advantage of high joint strength because it joins the components at a temperature near the melting point of the brazing material 116, which has a lower melting point than the housings of the flow channel housing 105 and chiller 110, thus minimizing changes in the shape and material of each housing. In addition, since the joining is performed by filling with brazing material 116, the joint has excellent airtightness and liquid tightness.

[0047] Conventionally, chillers were fixed to the flow path housing 105 with bolts or the like, requiring multiple bolts, piping to connect the flow path and the heat exchanger, and sealing materials to prevent leakage of refrigerant and cooling water. This increased the number of parts and man-hours required to fix the chiller, and also increased the volume of the chiller. However, in this embodiment, by joining the inlet and outlet of the flow path and chiller 110 by brazing, it is possible to fix the chiller 110 to the flow path housing 105 without bolts or the like (high joint strength and miniaturization), to communicate the flow path and the chiller 110 (no piping required), and to ensure airtightness and watertightness of the joint (no sealing material required) at the same time. Therefore, by reducing the number of parts and man-hours, a small and low-cost manifold 100 can be realized.

[0048] The flow path housing 105 in this embodiment is constructed by joining an upper housing 105a and a lower housing 105b. As shown in Figure 2, the third internal refrigerant passage 73, the first internal refrigerant passage 71, the eighth internal flow path 48, and the second internal flow path 42 penetrate the upper housing 105a from the interface between the upper housing 105a and the lower housing 105b. After positioning the inlet and outlet of the chiller 110 in these penetrating flow paths, brazing material 116 is applied to the respective boundaries of the third internal refrigerant passage 73 and the refrigerant inlet 111, the first internal refrigerant passage 71 and the refrigerant outlet 112, the eighth internal flow path 48 and the cooling water inlet 113, and the second internal flow path 42 and the cooling water outlet 114. Then, a brazing tool is inserted from the lower surface of the upper housing 105a (the interface with the lower housing 105b) into the third internal refrigerant passage 73, the first internal refrigerant passage 71, the eighth internal flow path 48, and the second internal flow path 42, and brazing is performed. In this case, the thinner the upper housing 105a, the easier it is to insert the brazing tool, thus facilitating brazing.

[0049] [Fourth Embodiment] Next, the manifold 100 according to the fourth embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 8 and 9. In this embodiment, the chiller 110 is located inside the flow path housing 105. Specifically, a flow path having the heat exchange function of the chiller 110 is formed inside the flow path housing 105. The other configurations are the same as those of the third embodiment. Therefore, in the description of this embodiment, the same reference numerals are used for parts with the same configuration as in the third embodiment, and detailed explanations of similar configurations are omitted.

[0050] The flow path housing 105 is constructed by joining an upper housing 105a and a lower housing 105b. A heat exchange flow path 117 (an example of a stacked flow path) is formed inside the flow path housing 105, extending from the upper housing 105a to the lower housing 105b. The heat exchange flow path 117 is constructed by alternately stacking multiple heat exchange refrigerant flow paths 117a (an example of a stacked flow path) and multiple heat exchange cooling water flow paths 117b (an example of a stacked flow path). The multiple heat exchange cooling water flow paths 117b are connected to the eighth internal flow path 48 and the second internal flow path 42, respectively. In Figure 9, the multiple heat exchange refrigerant flow paths 117a are depicted as independent flow paths, but in reality, they are connected to the third internal refrigerant passage 73 and the first internal refrigerant passage 71, respectively. The flow path wall 118 that separates the heat exchange refrigerant flow path 117a and the heat exchange cooling water flow path 117b is supported by the flow path housing 105.

[0051] In this way, by arranging the chiller 110 inside the flow path housing 105, the manifold 100 can be made smaller compared to when the chiller 110 is attached externally to the flow path housing 105.

[0052] [Other embodiments of the third and fourth embodiments] (1) In the third and fourth embodiments described above, the chiller 110 was fixed to the flow path housing 105 by brazing, but this is not the only way. Any method other than brazing, such as welding, can be used to join the chiller 110 to the flow path housing 105, as long as the joining strength, airtightness, liquid tightness, etc., of the chiller 110 to the flow path housing 105 can be ensured.

[0053] (2) In the third and fourth embodiments described above, the joining and fixing of the chiller 110 to the flow path housing 105 were described, but the same can be applied to the water-cooled condenser 120 and other heat exchangers.

[0054] [Fifth Embodiment] Figure 10 is a diagram showing the circuit configuration of the cooling system 300 including the manifold 201 of this embodiment. Figure 11 is a diagram showing the schematic configuration of the manifold 201 of this embodiment. The manifold 201 is configured with a refrigerant circuit through which a refrigerant such as hydrofluorocarbon (HFC) or hydrofluoroolefin (HFO) flows.

[0055] The manifold 201 is configured with a flow path housing 210. The flow path housing 210 is formed using a metallic material that includes a material with high thermal conductivity, such as aluminum, and has a first refrigerant flow path (an example of the "first flow path") 211, a second refrigerant flow path (an example of the "first flow path") 212, a third refrigerant flow path (an example of the "second flow path") 213, and a fourth refrigerant flow path (an example of the "second flow path") 214 formed by drilling holes in such metallic material. An on-off valve (not shown) is provided upstream of the first expansion valve 235, which will be described later, in the third refrigerant flow path 213. For example, when the manifold 201 is installed in a vehicle, the on-off valve is opened when the vehicle is using air conditioning, and closed when the vehicle is not using air conditioning.

[0056] As shown in Figure 11, the flow path housing 210 has an accumulator 220, a compressor (an example of a "compressor") 225, a water-cooled condenser (an example of a "condenser") 230, a first expansion valve (an example of an "expansion valve") 235, a second expansion valve 240, an evaporator (an example of an "evaporator") 245, a check valve 250, and a chiller (an example of an "evaporator") 255 mounted on its exterior. In this embodiment, the water-cooled condenser 230, evaporator 245, check valve 250, and chiller 255 are integrated with the flow path housing 210. The auxiliary equipment integrated with the flow path housing 210 is arbitrary and not particularly limited.

[0057] The first refrigerant passage 211 is a passage through which refrigerant (an example of the "first cooling fluid") flows between the compressor 225 and the water-cooled condenser 230. The second refrigerant passage 212 is a passage through which refrigerant (an example of the "first cooling fluid") flows between the water-cooled condenser 230 and the first expansion valve 235 and / or the second expansion valve 240. The third refrigerant passage 213 is a passage through which refrigerant (an example of the "second cooling fluid") flows between the first expansion valve 235 and the second expansion valve 240 and the evaporator 245 and the chiller 255, respectively. The fourth refrigerant passage 214 is a passage through which refrigerant (an example of the "second cooling fluid") flows between the evaporator 245 and / or the chiller 255 and the compressor 225.

[0058] The accumulator 220 is a gas-liquid separator that stores liquid refrigerant and performs gas-liquid separation of the refrigerant. The gaseous refrigerant separated by the accumulator 220 flows through the fourth refrigerant flow path 214 and is sent to the compressor 225.

[0059] The compressor 225 compresses the gaseous refrigerant from the accumulator 220. This increases the pressure and temperature ("T1") of the refrigerant. The high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant is then sent to the water-cooled condenser 230 via the first refrigerant flow path 211.

[0060] Cooling water flows through the water-cooled condenser 230 via a cooling water channel 231, which is different from the first refrigerant channel 211 and the second refrigerant channel 212. The high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant sent to the water-cooled condenser 230 has its heat absorbed by the cooling water. As a result, the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant condenses into a medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant. That is, the temperature of the refrigerant decreases from T1 to T2. The medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant is sent to the first expansion valve 235 and / or the second expansion valve 240 via the second refrigerant channel 212.

[0061] The first expansion valve 235 is configured such that its flow area narrows sharply compared to the second refrigerant flow path 212, allowing only a small amount of refrigerant to flow through it. This causes a decrease in refrigerant pressure, and as the pressure decreases, the temperature of the refrigerant also decreases, causing gaseous refrigerant to mix with the liquid refrigerant. The refrigerant, now at low temperature and low pressure, is sent to the evaporator 245 via the third refrigerant flow path 213. Here, we assume that the temperature of the refrigerant has dropped to T3.

[0062] In the evaporator 245, outside air is drawn in, and heat exchange takes place between the outside air and the refrigerant, which has become low temperature and low pressure. As a result, the temperature of the refrigerant rises and it changes into a gaseous state, and the outside air is cooled and used for indoor cooling. The medium temperature and low pressure gaseous refrigerant is sent to the accumulator 220 via the check valve 250 and the fourth refrigerant flow path 214. Let T4 be the temperature of the refrigerant sent out from the evaporator 245 at this time. T4 is higher than T3 and lower than T2.

[0063] The refrigerant condensed by the water-cooled condenser 230 is partially or entirely branched off from the second refrigerant flow path 212 and sent to the second expansion valve 240. In the second expansion valve 240, similar to the first expansion valve 235, the medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant is converted into a low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant. This low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant is sent to the chiller 255 via the third refrigerant flow path 213.

[0064] Chiller 255 receives cooling water through a cooling water channel 256, which is different from the third refrigerant channel 213 and the fourth refrigerant channel 214. The low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant sent to chiller 255 cools the cooling water and is heated. This changes it into a medium-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant. The gaseous refrigerant is sent to accumulator 220 via the fourth refrigerant channel 214. The refrigerant sent from chiller 255 via the fourth refrigerant channel 214 does not flow to evaporator 245 due to check valve 250.

[0065] As described above, high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant (refrigerant at temperature T1) is supplied from the compressor 225 to the first refrigerant flow path 211, and medium-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant (refrigerant at temperature T2) is supplied from the water-cooled condenser 230 to the second refrigerant flow path 212. In addition, low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant (refrigerant at temperature T3) is supplied from the first expansion valve 235 to the third refrigerant flow path 213, and medium-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant (refrigerant at temperature T4) is supplied from the evaporator 245 and / or chiller 255 to the fourth refrigerant flow path 214. Here, T1 > T2 > T4 > T3. That is, in this embodiment, the temperature T2 of the refrigerant supplied to the second refrigerant flow path 212 is higher than the temperature T4 of the refrigerant supplied to the fourth refrigerant flow path 214. Therefore, in manifold 201, the first refrigerant flow path 211 and the second refrigerant flow path 212 correspond to the high-temperature flow path 201H, and the third refrigerant flow path 213 and the fourth refrigerant flow path 214 correspond to the low-temperature flow path 201L.

[0066] The flow path housing 210 is configured to perform heat exchange between the high-temperature flow path 201H and the low-temperature flow path 201L. In this embodiment, heat exchange takes place between the second refrigerant flow path 212, which is the high-temperature flow path 201H, and the fourth refrigerant flow path 214, which is the low-temperature flow path 201L. The second refrigerant flow path 212 and the fourth refrigerant flow path 214 are provided in the flow path housing 210 parallel to each other and in close proximity. In this embodiment, the second refrigerant flow path 212, through which refrigerant flows from the water-cooled condenser 230 toward the first expansion valve 235 and / or the second expansion valve 240, and the fourth refrigerant flow path 214, through which refrigerant flows from the evaporator 245 toward the accumulator 220 via the check valve 250, are provided parallel to each other across X1 and X2 along the X direction. Furthermore, in order to improve the heat exchange efficiency, the distance Y1 in the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction is shortened. This interval Y1 should be set based on the machining accuracy when constructing the second refrigerant flow path 212 and the fourth refrigerant flow path 214 by drilling (it is better to make them closer together). Also, the refrigerant flow paths for heat exchange should be constructed on the cut surfaces of the flow path housing 210.

[0067] Between X1 and X2, the refrigerant flows from X2 to X1 in the second refrigerant flow path 212, and from X1 to X2 in the fourth refrigerant flow path 214. Therefore, in this embodiment, the flow directions of the refrigerant in the high-temperature flow path 201H and the low-temperature flow path 201L are opposite to each other. As a result, the refrigerant flowing in the second refrigerant flow path 212 exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing in the fourth refrigerant flow path 214, and the refrigerant flowing in the fourth refrigerant flow path 214 exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing in the second refrigerant flow path 212. The temperature of the refrigerant flowing in the high-temperature flow path 201H gradually decreases as it flows in the first direction (from X2 to X1), and the temperature of the refrigerant flowing in the low-temperature flow path 201L gradually increases as it flows in the second direction (from X1 to X2), which is opposite to the first direction. In other words, the temperature difference between the high-temperature channel 201H and the low-temperature channel 201L in the heat exchange region becomes equal, which increases the heat exchange efficiency. Therefore, efficient heat exchange becomes possible.

[0068] In this embodiment, a second refrigerant flow path 212 through which refrigerant flows from the water-cooled condenser 230 toward the second expansion valve 240, and a third refrigerant flow path 213 through which refrigerant flows from the second expansion valve 240 toward the chiller 255, are provided parallel to each other across X3 and X4 along the X direction. Furthermore, in order to improve heat exchange efficiency, the distance Y2 in the Y direction perpendicular to the X direction is made shorter. This distance Y2 should be set based on the machining accuracy when constructing the second refrigerant flow path 212 and the third refrigerant flow path 213 by drilling (it is better to make them closer together). In addition, the refrigerant flow paths that exchange heat should be constructed on the cut surfaces of the flow path housing 210.

[0069] Between X3 and X4, the refrigerant flows from X4 to X3 in the second refrigerant flow path 212, and from X3 to X4 in the third refrigerant flow path 213. Therefore, here too, the directions of refrigerant flow in the high-temperature flow path 201H and the low-temperature flow path 201L are configured to be opposite to each other. As a result, the refrigerant flowing in the second refrigerant flow path 212 exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing in the third refrigerant flow path 213, and the refrigerant flowing in the third refrigerant flow path 213 exchanges heat with the refrigerant flowing in the second refrigerant flow path 212. The temperature of the refrigerant flowing in the high-temperature flow path 201H gradually decreases as it flows in the first direction (from X4 to X3), and the temperature of the refrigerant flowing in the low-temperature flow path 201L gradually increases as it flows in the second direction opposite to the first direction (from X3 to X4). In other words, the temperature difference between the high-temperature channel 201H and the low-temperature channel 201L in the heat exchange region becomes equal, which increases the heat exchange efficiency. Therefore, efficient heat exchange becomes possible.

[0070] Figure 12 is a diagram showing the relationship between the second refrigerant flow path 212 and the fourth refrigerant flow path 214 according to this embodiment and other flow paths. As shown in Figure 12, the second refrigerant flow path 212, which circulates refrigerant between the water-cooled condenser 230 and the first expansion valve 235, and the fourth refrigerant flow path 214, which circulates refrigerant between the evaporator 255 and the compressor 225, are provided at a shorter interval than the intervals between other flow paths provided in the flow path housing 210. The second refrigerant flow path 212 is a refrigerant flow path through which refrigerant flows from the water-cooled condenser 230 to the first expansion valve 235. The fourth refrigerant flow path 214 is a refrigerant flow path through which refrigerant flows from the evaporator 245 to the compressor 225 via the accumulator 220. Other flow paths provided in the flow path housing 210 include the first refrigerant flow path 211 through which refrigerant flows from the compressor 225 to the water-cooled condenser 230, and the third refrigerant flow path 213 through which refrigerant flows from the first expansion valve 235 to the evaporator 245. Therefore, the second refrigerant flow path 212 and the fourth refrigerant flow path 214 are provided at a shorter interval than the interval between the first refrigerant flow path 211 and the third refrigerant flow path 213.

[0071] In other words, in the vicinity of the evaporator 245, the fourth refrigerant flow path 214 is configured to be closer to the second refrigerant flow path 212 than the first refrigerant flow path 211 and the third refrigerant flow path 213.

[0072] Figure 13 is a Mollier diagram showing the thermal cycle in cooling system 300. In Figure 13, the horizontal axis represents the specific enthalpy of the refrigerant, and the vertical axis represents the pressure of the refrigerant. In a Mollier diagram, depending on the combination of specific enthalpy and pressure, the refrigerant is divided into three regions: region R1 where the refrigerant exists as a supercooled state (liquid state), region R2 where the refrigerant exists as a wet vapor (gas-liquid mixture), and region R3 where the refrigerant exists as a superheated vapor (gas state). The boundary between the supercooled state and the wet vapor state is the saturated liquid line L1, and the boundary between the wet vapor state and the superheated vapor state is the saturated vapor line L2. The boundary point between the saturated liquid line L1 and the saturated vapor line L2 corresponds to the critical point CP.

[0073] When the refrigerant is pressurized (compressed) by the compressor 225, its specific enthalpy increases, and the medium-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant shown in Figure 13(a) becomes the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant shown in Figure 13(b). The high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant shown in Figure 13(b) is sent to the water-cooled condenser 30, where it condenses, and its specific enthalpy decreases under isobaric conditions. This results in the medium-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant shown in Figure 13(c). The medium-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant shown in Figure 13(c) expands in the first expansion valve 235, and its pressure decreases. Therefore, it becomes the low-temperature, low-pressure gas-liquid mixture refrigerant shown in Figure 13(d). The low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant shown in Figure 13(d) evaporates in the evaporator 245, and its specific enthalpy increases under isobaric conditions. This results in the medium-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant shown in Figure 13(a).

[0074] As in this embodiment, in the flow path housing 210, the refrigerant to be pressurized by the compressor 225 can be preheated by performing heat exchange between the second refrigerant flow path 212, which is the high-temperature flow path 201H, and the fourth refrigerant flow path 214, which is the low-temperature flow path 201L. This increases the specific enthalpy of the refrigerant before pressurization, and the refrigerant produced by the compressor 225 is compressed along the dashed lines shown from (e) to (f). On the other hand, the refrigerant condensed in the water-cooled condenser 230 can be precooled by the heat exchange between the second refrigerant flow path 212, which is the high-temperature flow path 201H, and the fourth refrigerant flow path 214, which is the low-temperature flow path 201L. This reduces the specific enthalpy of the refrigerant before it is expanded in the first expansion valve 235, and the refrigerant expands in the first expansion valve 235 along the dashed lines shown from (g) to (h).

[0075] In this way, by performing heat exchange between the second refrigerant flow path 212, which is the high-temperature flow path 201H, and the fourth refrigerant flow path 214, which is the low-temperature flow path 201L, in the flow path housing 210, the refrigerant pressurized by the compressor 225 becomes more superheated vapor, and the refrigerant sent to the first expansion valve 235 becomes more subcooled. Therefore, it is possible to improve the coefficient of performance with a compact configuration.

[0076] [Other embodiments of the fifth embodiment] In the above embodiment, it was explained that heat exchange takes place in the flow path housing 210 between the second refrigerant flow path 212, which is a high-temperature flow path 201H, and the fourth refrigerant flow path 214, which is a low-temperature flow path 201L. For example, it is also possible to configure the flow path housing 210 to perform heat exchange between the first refrigerant flow path 211, which is a high-temperature flow path 201H, and the third refrigerant flow path 213, which is a low-temperature flow path 201L. Alternatively, it may be configured to perform heat exchange between the first refrigerant flow path 211, which is a high-temperature flow path 201H, and the fourth refrigerant flow path 214, which is a low-temperature flow path 201L, or between the second refrigerant flow path 212, which is a high-temperature flow path 201H, and the third refrigerant flow path 213, which is a low-temperature flow path 201L. Furthermore, the system may be configured to perform heat exchange between the first refrigerant flow path 211 and the second refrigerant flow path 212, which are high-temperature flow paths 201H, and the third refrigerant flow path 213, which is a low-temperature flow path 201L, or it may be configured to perform heat exchange between the first refrigerant flow path 211 and the second refrigerant flow path 212, which are high-temperature flow paths 201H, and the fourth refrigerant flow path 214, which is a low-temperature flow path 201L. Of course, the system may be configured to perform heat exchange between the first refrigerant flow path 211, which is high-temperature flow path 201H, and the third refrigerant flow path 213 and the fourth refrigerant flow path 214, which are low-temperature flow paths 201L, or it may be configured to perform heat exchange between the second refrigerant flow path 212, which is high-temperature flow path 201H, and the third refrigerant flow path 213 and the fourth refrigerant flow path 214, which are low-temperature flow paths 201L.

[0077] In the fifth embodiment described above, the high-temperature channel 201H and the low-temperature channel 201L were described as being parallel to each other and located close together. However, the high-temperature channel 201H and the low-temperature channel 201L may be located close together but not parallel to each other, or they may be arranged so as to intersect. Furthermore, the shape in which the high-temperature channel 201H and the low-temperature channel 201L are arranged parallel to each other and located close together may be, for example, a meandering channel, and is not particularly limited.

[0078] In the fifth embodiment described above, the flow directions of the refrigerant in the high-temperature flow path 201H and the low-temperature flow path 201L were described as being opposite to each other. However, the flow directions of the refrigerant in the high-temperature flow path 201H and the low-temperature flow path 201L may be the same.

[0079] In Figure 11 of the fifth embodiment described above, the high-temperature channel 201H and the low-temperature channel 201L are shown extending along a predetermined direction (X direction). Each of the high-temperature channel 201H and the low-temperature channel 201L may have a comb-shaped portion 260 that protrudes from one side toward the other. Figure 14 shows a high-temperature channel 201H and a low-temperature channel 201L with such a comb-shaped portion 260. As shown in Figure 14, the high-temperature channel 201H is provided with a comb-shaped portion 260 (specifically, comb-shaped portion 260H) that protrudes from the high-temperature channel 201H toward the low-temperature channel 201L, and the low-temperature channel 201L is provided with a comb-shaped portion 260 (specifically, comb-shaped portion 260L) that protrudes from the low-temperature channel 201L toward the high-temperature channel 201H. As shown in Figure 14, the comb-shaped portions 260H and 260L are configured such that the comb-shaped portion 260H is positioned between the two comb-shaped portions 260L, and the comb-shaped portion 260L is positioned between the two comb-shaped portions 260H. This increases the area where the high-temperature flow path 201H and the low-temperature flow path 201L are in close proximity (the area contributing to heat exchange), thereby improving heat exchange efficiency.

[0080] Furthermore, in the example shown in Figure 14, the comb-shaped portion 260 is formed to protrude from the high-temperature flow path 201H and the low-temperature flow path 201L, respectively, along directions perpendicular to the high-temperature flow path 201H and the low-temperature flow path 201L. However, as shown in Figure 15, it may be configured to have an obtuse angle with respect to the above-mentioned perpendicular direction, or the comb-shaped portion 260 may protrude in an arc shape. Also, as shown in Figure 16, the comb-shaped portion 260 may be configured to have a triangular shape in plan view. In this case, for example, it may be configured to have a triangular shape with a side that is obtuse on the upstream side with respect to the flow direction of the refrigerant flowing through the high-temperature flow path 201H and the low-temperature flow path 201L, and a side that is perpendicular to the flow direction of the refrigerant flowing through the high-temperature flow path 201H and the low-temperature flow path 201L on the downstream side. Of course, the downstream side may be configured to have a side that is acute on the downstream side with respect to the flow direction of the refrigerant flowing through the high-temperature flow path 201H and the low-temperature flow path 201L. By using such a configuration, it is possible to facilitate the entry of refrigerant into the comb-shaped portion 260. Therefore, it becomes possible to bring the high-temperature channel 201H and the low-temperature channel 201L closer together without obstructing the flow of refrigerant in the high-temperature channel 201H and the low-temperature channel 201L.

[0081] In the fifth embodiment described above, the flow path in the flow path housing 210 was described as being formed by drilling, but it can also be done by casting, forging, or other methods.

[0082] [Summary of the above embodiment] The following describes the outline of manifolds 100 and 201 as explained above.

[0083] (1) The manifolds 100 and 201 are equipped with flow path housings 105 and 210 having first flow paths 71, 72, and 73 for circulating a first cooling fluid and second flow paths 41, 42, 48, and 49 for circulating a second cooling fluid, and the flow path housings 105 and 210 are configured to perform heat exchange between the first cooling fluid circulating in the first flow paths 71, 72, and 73 and the second cooling fluid circulating in the second flow paths 41, 42, 48, and 49.

[0084] According to this configuration, sufficient cooling performance can be obtained even with a small heat exchanger by performing heat exchange between the first cooling fluid flowing through the first flow channels 71, 72, 73 and the second cooling fluid flowing through the second flow channels 41, 42, 48, 49 provided in the flow channel housings 105, 210 of the manifolds 100, 201. Furthermore, since heat exchange can be performed within the flow channel housings 105, 210, the manifolds 100, 201 can be made smaller compared to when the heat exchanger is attached externally to the flow channel housings 105, 210. Moreover, the cooling of the first cooling fluid flowing through the first flow channels 71, 72, 73 and the heating of the second cooling fluid flowing through the second flow channels 41, 42, 48, 49 can be performed within the flow channel housings 105, 210. By performing heat exchange between fluids within these flow channel housings 105, 210, it is possible to improve the coefficient of performance of, for example, the compressors 22, 225 and the expansion valves 26, 235, 240. Therefore, since the internal heat exchanger that cools and heats the fluid can be miniaturized or heat exchange can be performed without providing a separate one, it is possible to miniaturize the manifolds 100 and 201.

[0085] (2) The manifold 100 described in (1) preferably has first passages 71, 72, 73 which are refrigerant passages for circulating a refrigerant as a first cooling fluid between the evaporator 110 and the condenser 120, and second passages 41, 42, 48, 49 which are cooling passages for circulating a coolant as a second cooling fluid to at least the battery 9.

[0086] With this configuration, heat exchange occurs not only between the heat exchangers, namely the evaporator 110 and condenser 120, but also between the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path provided in the flow path housing 105 of the manifold 100 and the coolant flowing through the cooling flow path. This allows the necessary cooling performance to be obtained even when using small evaporators 110 and condenser 120. Therefore, a manifold 100 can be provided that can achieve sufficient cooling performance even when using small heat exchangers.

[0087] (3) In the manifold 100 described in (2), it is preferable that the flow path housing 105 has a water-cooled condenser 120 as a condenser 120 for the refrigerant mounted on the upstream side with respect to the direction of refrigerant flow, and a chiller 110 as an evaporator 110 for the refrigerant mounted on the downstream side with respect to the direction of refrigerant flow.

[0088] In this configuration, by positioning the water-cooled condenser 120 as a condenser 120 upstream of the refrigerant flow direction, the refrigerant condensed in the water-cooled condenser 120 can be circulated to transfer heat to the low-temperature coolant, thus allowing any refrigerant that was not completely condensed in the water-cooled condenser 120 to be condensed as well. Furthermore, by positioning the chiller 110 as an evaporator 110 downstream of the refrigerant flow direction, the refrigerant can be circulated before it flows into the chiller 110 to remove heat from the high-temperature coolant, thus allowing some of the refrigerant to evaporate before it flows into the chiller 110.

[0089] (4) The manifold 201 described in (1) preferably has a first flow path which is a first refrigerant flow path 211 that circulates a refrigerant as a first cooling fluid between the compressor 225 and the condenser 230, or a second refrigerant flow path 212 that circulates a refrigerant between the condenser 230 and the expansion valve 235, and a second flow path which is a third refrigerant flow path 213 that circulates a refrigerant as a second cooling fluid which is at a lower temperature than the first cooling fluid between the expansion valves 235, 240 and the evaporators 245, 255, or a fourth refrigerant flow path 214 that circulates a refrigerant between the evaporators 245, 255 and the compressor 225.

[0090] With this configuration, cooling of the refrigerant flowing through at least one of the first refrigerant flow path 211 and the second refrigerant flow path 212, and heating of the refrigerant flowing through at least one of the third refrigerant flow path 213 and the fourth refrigerant flow path 214 can be performed within the flow path housing 210. By performing heat exchange between the refrigerants within this flow path housing 210, it is possible to improve the coefficient of performance of the compressor 225 and the expansion valves 235 and 240. Therefore, since heat exchange can be performed without miniaturizing or separately installing an internal heat exchanger for cooling and heating the refrigerants, the heat exchange system can be miniaturized.

[0091] (5) The manifold 100 described in (1) is preferably such that the first flow paths 71, 72, 73 are refrigerant flow paths for circulating a refrigerant as a first cooling fluid through the heat exchanger, and the second flow paths 41, 42, 48, 49 are cooling flow paths for circulating a coolant as a second cooling fluid through the heat exchanger, and the heat exchanger has a refrigerant inlet 111 through which the refrigerant flows in, a refrigerant outlet 112 through which the refrigerant flows out, a coolant inlet 113 through which the coolant flows in, and a coolant outlet 114 through which the coolant flows out, and the heat exchanger is preferably fixed to the flow path housing 105 by joining the refrigerant flow path to the refrigerant inlet 111, the refrigerant flow path to the refrigerant outlet 112, the cooling flow path to the coolant inlet 113, and the cooling flow path to the coolant outlet 114, respectively.

[0092] With this configuration, the heat exchanger can be fixed to the flow path housing 105 without using bolts or the like, eliminating the need to provide flanges for attaching bolts to the heat exchanger, and thus the heat exchanger can be made smaller. As a result, a small and low-cost manifold 100 can be realized.

[0093] The manifold 100 described in (6)(5) preferably has a heat exchanger with a stacked flow path 117.

[0094] This configuration allows the manifold 100 to incorporate the necessary functions of a heat exchanger.

[0095] In the manifolds 100, 201 described in any of (7)(1) to (6), it is preferable that the first flow paths 71, 72, 73 and the second flow paths 41, 42, 48, 49 are located in close proximity to each other.

[0096] This configuration facilitates heat exchange between the first channels 71, 72, and 73 and the second channels 41, 42, 48, and 49, thereby improving heat exchange efficiency. Furthermore, the arrangement of the first channels 71, 72, and 73 and the second channels 41, 42, 48, and 49 is simplified, allowing for miniaturization of the manifolds 100 and 201.

[0097] (8) The manifold 201 described in any of (1) to (7) preferably has a comb-shaped portion 260 formed in each of the first and second flow channels, which protrudes from one side of the first and second flow channels toward the other side.

[0098] With this configuration, heat exchange between the first cooling fluid and the second cooling fluid can occur not only between the first and second flow channels, but also in the comb-shaped section 260. Furthermore, the comb-shaped section 260 increases the area in which the first and second flow channels are in close proximity. Therefore, it becomes possible to further improve the heat exchange efficiency. As a result, sufficient cooling performance can be obtained even when using a smaller heat exchanger.

[0099] In the manifold 201 described in (9)(7), it is preferable that the flow path for circulating refrigerant between the condenser 230 and the expansion valves 235, 240, and the flow path for circulating refrigerant between the evaporators 245, 255 and the compressor 225 are provided at a shorter interval than the intervals between other flow paths provided in the flow path housing 210.

[0100] With this configuration, heat exchange can be performed between the refrigerant flow path between the condenser 230 and the expansion valves 235, 240, and between the refrigerant flow path between the evaporators 245, 255 and the compressor 225. For example, by making the flow direction of the refrigerant in the flow path between the condenser 230 and the expansion valves 235, 240 and the flow direction of the refrigerant in the flow path between the evaporators 245, 255 and the compressor 225 opposite (reverse direction), the temperature difference between the flow path between the condenser 230 and the expansion valves 235, 240 and the flow path between the evaporators 245, 255 and the compressor 225 becomes equal, thereby increasing the heat exchange efficiency. Therefore, efficient heat exchange becomes possible.

[0101] In the manifold 100 described in (10)(7), it is preferable that the refrigerant passage through which the refrigerant, as the first cooling fluid, flows out of the evaporator 110, and the cooling passage through which the coolant, as the second cooling fluid, flows into the evaporator 110, are arranged at a shorter interval than the interval between other passages provided in the passage housing 105.

[0102] With this configuration, heat exchange can be performed between the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant channel from the evaporator 110 and the coolant flowing through the cooling channel to the evaporator 110. As a result, sufficient cooling performance can be obtained even when a small evaporator 110 is used. [Industrial applicability]

[0103] The technology described herein can be used in a manifold. [Explanation of symbols]

[0104] [First Embodiment] 9: Battery, 41: First internal passage (second passage, cooling passage, cooling pipe), 42: Second internal passage (second passage, cooling passage, cooling pipe), 48: Eighth internal passage (second passage, cooling passage, cooling pipe), 49: Ninth internal passage (second passage, cooling passage, cooling pipe), 71: First internal refrigerant passage (first passage, refrigerant passage, refrigerant pipe), 72: Second internal refrigerant passage (first passage, refrigerant passage, refrigerant pipe), 73: Third internal refrigerant passage (first passage, refrigerant passage) , refrigerant pipe), 81: Parallel internal flow path (second flow path, cooling flow path, cooling pipe), 82: Parallel internal refrigerant path (first flow path, refrigerant flow path, refrigerant pipe), 83: Closed internal flow path (second flow path, closed cooling flow path, cooling flow path, cooling pipe), 84: Closed internal refrigerant path (first flow path, closed refrigerant flow path, refrigerant flow path, refrigerant pipe), 100: Manifold, 105: Flow path housing, 110: Chiller (evaporator), 120: Water-cooled condenser (condenser, heat exchanger)

[0105] [Second Embodiment] 111: Refrigerant inlet, 112: Refrigerant outlet, 113: Cooling water inlet, 114: Cooling water outlet, 117: Heat exchange channel (layered channel), 117a: Heat exchange refrigerant channel (layered channel), 117b: Heat exchange cooling water channel (layered channel)

[0106] [Third Embodiment] 201: Manifold, 201H: High-temperature flow path, 201L: Low-temperature flow path, 210: Flow path housing, 211: First refrigerant flow path, 212: Second refrigerant flow path, 213: Third refrigerant flow path, 214: Fourth refrigerant flow path, 225: Compressor, 230: Water-cooled condenser, 235: First expansion valve, 240: Second expansion valve, 245: Evaporator, 255: Chiller, 260: Comb-shaped section, 260H: Comb-shaped section, 260L: Comb-shaped section

Claims

1. A first flow path through which the first cooling fluid flows, A flow path housing having a second flow path through which a second cooling fluid flows, In the flow path housing, heat exchange is performed between the first cooling fluid flowing through the first flow path and the second cooling fluid flowing through the second flow path. A manifold in which a heat exchanger having an inlet for the first cooling fluid to flow in and an outlet for the first cooling fluid to flow out is fixed to the flow path housing by joining the first flow path to the inlet and the first flow path to the outlet, respectively.

2. The first flow path is a refrigerant flow path that circulates the refrigerant, which is the first cooling fluid, through the heat exchanger. The manifold according to claim 1, wherein the second flow path is a cooling flow path for circulating the coolant as the second cooling fluid through the heat exchanger.

3. The heat exchanger includes a condenser and an evaporator. The first cooling fluid is a refrigerant that flows into and out of the condenser. The manifold according to claim 1, wherein the second cooling fluid is a refrigerant that flows into and out of the evaporator.

4. The manifold according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the heat exchanger has a stacked flow channel.

5. The manifold according to any one of claims 1 to 3, wherein each of the first channel and the second channel has a comb-like portion that protrudes from one side toward the other side of the first channel and the second channel.

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