Electric vehicles

Abstract

The power supply unit is miniaturized while ensuring an appropriate supply of gas to the heat exchanger. [Solution] A vehicle 100 that receives power from a power supply device 200 has a mounting section 101 to which a power supply device is attached, the power supply device having a heat source 210 that generates heat when supplying power to the vehicle 100, and a heat exchanger 220 that exchanges heat between a heat transfer medium that cools the heat source 210 and a gas; and a fan 103 provided on the mounting section 101 that supplies gas to the heat exchanger 220 facing each other when the power supply device 200 is mounted on the mounting section 101.

Description

Technical Field

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[0001] The present invention relates to an electric vehicle to which a power supply device is mounted.

Background Art

[0002] In order to extend the travelable distance of an electric vehicle, a power supply device that is mounted on the electric vehicle and supplies power to the electric vehicle is known. Patent Document 1 discloses a power supply device including an internal combustion engine, a generator driven by the internal combustion engine, a cooling circuit through which cooling water for cooling the internal combustion engine flows, a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the cooling water and a gas, and a fan that supplies gas to the heat exchanger.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0003]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

[0007] The mounting portion may be attached to either the power supply device in which the heat source is an engine and a generator, or the power supply device in which the heat source is a battery.

[0008] The blowing unit may supply gas to the heat exchanger, of which at least a portion is exposed to the outside of the power supply device.

[0009] The air blowing unit may be provided in the mounting portion at a position facing the heat dissipation fins of the heat exchanger that are exposed to the outside when the power supply device is mounted on the mounting portion.

[0010] The device may also include: an acquisition unit that acquires identification information indicating the type of heat source and the temperature of the heat transfer medium from the power supply device attached to the mounting unit; and a blower control unit that changes the amount of gas supplied by the blower unit to the heat exchanger so that the temperature of the heat transfer medium acquired by the acquisition unit is less than or equal to a set temperature corresponding to the type of heat source indicated by the identification information acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0011] The system may also include: an acquisition unit that acquires a set temperature corresponding to the type of heat source and the temperature of the heat transfer medium from the power supply device attached to the mounting unit; and a blower control unit that changes the amount of gas supplied by the blower unit to the heat exchanger so that the temperature of the heat transfer medium acquired by the acquisition unit is less than or equal to the set temperature acquired by the acquisition unit.

[0012] The system may also include: an acquisition unit that acquires instruction information indicating the amount of gas to be supplied to the heat exchanger from the power supply device attached to the mounting unit; and a blower control unit that changes the amount of gas supplied by the blower unit to the heat exchanger so that it matches the amount indicated by the instruction information acquired by the acquisition unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0013] According to the present invention, the power supply device can be miniaturized while also being able to appropriately supply gas to the heat exchanger. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0014] [Figure 1] This is a diagram illustrating the vehicle's specifications. [Figure 2] This is a diagram illustrating the configuration of a power supply device and a blower control device. [Figure 3] This is a schematic diagram of a heat exchanger. [Figure 4] This is a schematic diagram of a power supply device according to Modification 1. [Figure 5] This flowchart shows an example of a process for controlling the temperature of a heat transfer medium. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0015] <Vehicle 100 Overview> Figure 1 is a diagram illustrating the general outline of vehicle 100. Vehicle 100 is an electric vehicle that has a storage battery and a motor driven by the power of the storage battery, and runs on the power of the motor. Vehicle 100 has a mounting section 101 to which a power supply device 200 that supplies power to vehicle 100 is attached. The mounting section 101 is provided on the vehicle body frame 102 of vehicle 100. The mounting section 101 is provided, for example, in the central part of the vehicle body frame 102, but the position in which the mounting section 101 is provided is not limited to this.

[0016] The power supply device 200 has an engine and a generator, or a battery, and supplies power to the vehicle 100. The engine, generator, and battery generate heat when supplying power to the vehicle 100. In the following description, the engine, generator, and battery may be referred to as heat sources. If the heat sources continue to generate heat, it may cause a malfunction in the power supply device 200. Therefore, it is necessary to cool the heat sources of the power supply device 200 to prevent malfunctions in the power supply device 200. However, if a fan to supply gas (air) to cool the heat sources is installed inside the power supply device 200, the power supply device 200 will become larger.

[0017] Therefore, the fan 103 for cooling the heat source of the power supply device 200 is not located inside the power supply device 200, but is installed on the mounting part 101 of the vehicle 100. The fan 103 is a blower that draws in gas (air) and supplies the drawn-in gas to the power supply device 200 mounted on the mounting part 101. The blower control device 300 is installed on the vehicle 100 and controls the operation of the fan 103. When the power supply device 200 mounted on the mounting part 101 is operating, the blower control device 300 moves the fan 103 to supply gas to the power supply device 200 to cool it.

[0018] By providing a fan 103 on the vehicle 100, it becomes unnecessary to provide a fan on the power supply device 200, thus enabling miniaturization of the power supply device 200. Furthermore, the vehicle 100 can cool the heat source of the power supply device 200 by supplying gas to the power supply device 200 from the fan 103 on the mounting part 101. Moreover, when a fan 103 is provided on the vehicle 100, a fan 103 that can supply a larger amount of gas can be provided on the mounting part 101 than a fan that can be provided inside the power supply device 200. Therefore, the vehicle 100 can supply more gas to the power supply device 200 mounted on the mounting part 101 than when a fan is provided inside the power supply device 200, thus enabling proper cooling of the power supply device 200. As a result, the risk of malfunction of the power supply device 200 due to heat from the heat source can be reduced in the vehicle 100.

[0019] The configurations of the power supply device 200 and the air supply control device 300 will be described below. FIG. 2 is a diagram for explaining the configurations of the power supply device 200 and the air supply control device 300.

[0020] [Configuration of Power Supply Device 200] The configuration of the power supply device 200 will be described. The power supply device 200 shown in FIG. 2 is a power generation unit that supplies power to the vehicle 100. The power supply device 200 includes an engine 211, a generator 212, a tank 213, a heat exchanger 220, a heat medium circuit 230, a pump 240, a temperature sensor 250, and an ECU 260.

[0021] The engine 211 is an internal combustion engine that burns and expands a mixture of fuel and intake air (air) to generate power. The engine 211 is, for example, a diesel engine, but it may also be a gasoline engine. The engine 211 generates power using the fuel in the tank 213. The generator 212 is connected to the output shaft of the engine 211. The generator 212 generates electricity by receiving power from the engine 211 via the output shaft. The generator 212 supplies the generated electricity to the vehicle 100 on which the power supply device 200 is mounted. The tank 213 stores the fuel for the engine 211. In the power supply device 200 shown in FIG. 2, the engine 211 and the generator 212 are the heat source 210.

[0022] The heat exchanger 220 exchanges heat between the heat medium for cooling the heat source 210 and a gas. The heat exchanger 220 is provided on the downstream side of the heat source 210 in the heat medium circuit 230 through which the heat medium for cooling the heat source 210 flows. The heat exchanger 220 cools the heat source 210 by exchanging heat between the heat medium and the gas. The heat medium is, for example, water or ethylene glycol, but is not limited thereto.

[0023] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the heat exchanger 220. The heat exchanger 220 has a plurality of pipes 221 and a plurality of heat dissipation fins 222. The pipes 221 are conduits through which the heat transfer medium flows. The pipes 221 are connected to the heat transfer medium circuit 230 at connection points 231 and 232. Specifically, the pipes 221 are connected to the heat transfer medium circuit 230 downstream of the heat source 210 at connection point 231 and to the heat transfer medium circuit 230 upstream of the pump 240 at connection point 232.

[0024] The pipes 221 are arranged so that the heat transfer medium flows in the x and y directions. The heat transfer medium discharged from the heat source 210 enters the pipes 221 at connection point 231 and flows in the x direction into multiple pipes 221. The heat transfer medium flows through each pipe 221 in the y direction from top to bottom in the plane of the paper. In this embodiment, there are five pipes 221 through which the heat transfer medium flows from top to bottom in the y direction, but there may be six or more or four or fewer. The heat transfer medium exits the pipes 221 at connection point 232, passes through the heat transfer medium circuit 230, and enters the pump 240.

[0025] Each of the multiple heat dissipation fins 222 is connected to a pipe 221. Each heat dissipation fin 222 is positioned to connect two pipes 221. Each heat dissipation fin 222 is positioned so that gas can pass between them. A gap is provided between each heat dissipation fin 222 and a pipe 221 through which gas can pass. The gap is the region enclosed by the heat dissipation fins 222 and the pipe 221. As the heat transfer medium flows through the pipe 221, the heat from the heat transfer medium is transferred to the heat dissipation fins 222, and heat exchange occurs between the gas flowing through the gap and the heat dissipation fins 222. The heat exchanger 220 is a so-called corrugated radiator, but other types of radiators may also be used.

[0026] At least a portion of the heat exchanger 220 is exposed to the outside of the power supply unit 200. For example, the heat exchanger 220 is exposed to the outside through an opening 282 provided in the housing 281 of the power supply unit 200. Specifically, the heat dissipation fins 222 and pipes 221 of the heat exchanger 220 are exposed to the outside of the housing 281 through the opening 282 of the housing 281. When the power supply unit 200 is mounted on the mounting unit 101, the heat dissipation fins 222 and pipes 221 face the fan 103 of the mounting unit 101. In other words, the fan 103 is positioned to face the heat dissipation fins 222 and pipes 221 that are exposed to the outside of the power supply unit 200 when the power supply unit 200 is mounted on the mounting unit 101 (see Figure 2). The fan 103 supplies gas to the heat dissipation fins 222 and pipes 221 that are exposed to the outside of the heat exchanger 220. More specifically, the fan 103 supplies gas to the heat exchanger 220 towards the gap surrounded by the heat dissipation fins 222 and the pipe 221.

[0027] Pump 240 circulates the heat transfer medium in the heat transfer circuit 230. Pump 240 takes in the heat transfer medium discharged from the heat exchanger 220 and sends it to the heat source 210. Temperature sensor 250 is a sensor that detects the temperature of the heat transfer medium. The tip of temperature sensor 250 is inserted into the heat transfer circuit 230 and detects the temperature of the heat transfer medium circulating in the heat transfer circuit 230. Temperature sensor 250 outputs the detected temperature of the heat transfer medium to ECU 260.

[0028] The ECU260 is an Electronic Control Unit that controls the power supply device 200. The ECU260 is a microcomputer that has storage media including ROM (Read Only Memory), RAM (Random Access Memory), and a hard disk, as well as computing resources including a processor such as a CPU (Central Processing Unit). The ECU260 implements the function of controlling the power supply device 200 by executing a program stored in the storage media using its computing resources. For example, when the power supply device 200 is mounted on the mounting part 101, the ECU260 operates the pump 240 to circulate a heat transfer medium to the pump 240.

[0029] The ECU 260 is wired and communicatively connected to the airflow control device 300 mounted on the vehicle 100 equipped with the power supply device 200. The ECU 260 transmits the temperature of the heat transfer medium detected by the temperature sensor 250 to the communicatively connected airflow control device 300. The ECU 260 also transmits to the airflow control device 300 a set temperature corresponding to the type of heat source 210 of the power supply device 200. The set temperature is a temperature at which no abnormality occurs in the power supply device 200. The set temperature is 80°C when the heat source 210 is the engine 211 and the generator 212.

[0030] The ECU 260 may transmit identification information indicating the type of heat source 210 instead of the set temperature to the blower control device 300 of the vehicle 100 to which the power supply device 200 is installed. If the heat source 210 is the engine 211 and the generator 212, the ECU 260 transmits first identification information indicating that the heat source 210 is the engine 211 and the generator 212 to the power supply device 200.

[0031] [Configuration of the air blower control device 300] The air blower control device 300 has a storage unit 310 and a control unit 320. The storage unit 310 is a storage medium including ROM, RAM, and hard disk. The storage unit 310 stores the program to be executed by the control unit 320.

[0032] The control unit 320 is a computing resource, including, for example, a processor such as a CPU. The control unit 320 performs the functions of the acquisition unit 321 and the blower control unit 322 by executing a program stored in the storage unit 310.

[0033] The acquisition unit 321 acquires the temperature of the heat source 210. Since the temperature of the heat source 210 is equivalent to the temperature of the heat transfer medium circulating in the heat transfer medium circuit 230, the acquisition unit 321 acquires the temperature of the heat transfer medium circulating in the heat transfer medium circuit 230 of the power supply device 200 as the temperature of the heat source 210. Specifically, the acquisition unit 321 acquires the temperature of the heat transfer medium detected by the temperature sensor 250 via the ECU 260 of the power supply device 200 mounted on the mounting unit 101. Alternatively, the acquisition unit 321 may acquire the temperature of the heat transfer medium detected by the temperature sensor 250 directly from the temperature sensor 250.

[0034] The acquisition unit 321 acquires the set temperature corresponding to the type of heat source 210 transmitted from the ECU 260. If the type of heat source 210 is an engine 211 and a generator 212, the acquisition unit 321 acquires 80°C as the set temperature from the ECU 260 mounted on the mounting unit 101.

[0035] The acquisition unit 321 may acquire the set temperature based on identification information indicating the type of heat source 210. In this case, the acquisition unit 321 acquires the identification information indicating the type of heat source 210 from the ECU 260 of the power supply device 200 mounted on the mounting unit 101. Specifically, the acquisition unit 321 acquires first identification information from the ECU 260 indicating that the heat source 210 is an engine 211 and a generator 212.

[0036] The acquisition unit 321 acquires the set temperature corresponding to the type of heat source 210 indicated by the acquired identification information. In this case, the storage unit 310 stores the identification information indicating the type of heat source 210 and the set temperature corresponding to the type of heat source 210 in association. Specifically, the storage unit 310 stores 80°C as the set temperature corresponding to the engine 211 and generator 212 in association with the first identification information indicating the engine 211 and generator 212. The acquisition unit 321 refers to the storage unit 310 and acquires the set temperature corresponding to the acquired identification information. If the acquisition unit 321 acquires the first identification information, it acquires 80°C as the set temperature corresponding to the first identification information.

[0037] The airflow control unit 322 adjusts the amount of gas supplied by the fan 103 to the heat exchanger 220 so that the acquired temperature of the heat transfer medium is below the set temperature. For example, if the set temperature is 80°C, the airflow control unit 322 adjusts the amount of gas supplied so that the acquired temperature of the heat transfer medium is below 80°C. More specifically, the airflow control unit 322 increases the amount of gas supplied as the value obtained by subtracting the temperature of the heat transfer medium from the set temperature decreases. In this way, the airflow control unit 322 supplies more gas as the temperature of the heat transfer medium is higher, i.e., the temperature of the heat source 210 is higher, so the heat source 210 can be cooled more strongly. As a result, the airflow control unit 322 can suppress the temperature of the heat transfer medium from rising above the set temperature, thereby reducing the risk of the power supply device 200 malfunctioning due to heat.

[0038] (Variation 1) The power supply device 200 in the embodiment was a power generation unit having an engine 211 and a generator 212. However, it is not limited to this, and the power supply device may also be a battery unit. Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a power supply device 400 according to Modification 1. The power supply device 400 shown in Figure 4 is a replaceable battery unit. The power supply device 400 has a battery 410 that charges and discharges power. The battery 410 is a secondary battery, for example, a lead-acid battery or a lithium-ion battery, but is not limited to these. In the power supply device 400 of Figure 4, the battery 410 is the heat source 210.

[0039] The ECU 260 of the power supply device 400 transmits 60°C as the set temperature to prevent abnormalities in the battery 410 to the airflow control device 300 of the vehicle 100 to which the power supply device 400 is installed. Alternatively, instead of the set temperature, the ECU 260 of the power supply device 400 may transmit second identification information to the airflow control device 300 indicating that the heat source 210 is the battery 410.

[0040] When the power supply device 400, which is a replaceable battery unit, is mounted on the mounting unit 101, the acquisition unit 321 acquires 60°C as the set temperature from the ECU 260 of the power supply device 400. The acquisition unit 321 may also acquire the set temperature corresponding to the second identification information transmitted from the power supply device 400. In this case, the storage unit 310 stores 60°C as the set temperature corresponding to the battery 410 in association with the second identification information. The acquisition unit 321 refers to the storage unit 310 and acquires 60°C as the set temperature corresponding to the acquired second identification information.

[0041] The airflow control unit 322 adjusts the amount of gas supplied by the fan 103 to the heat exchanger 220 so that the acquired temperature of the heat transfer medium is below the acquired set temperature. Specifically, when the power supply device 400, which is a replaceable battery unit, is installed in the mounting section 101, the airflow control unit 322 adjusts the amount of gas supplied by the fan 103 to the heat exchanger 220 so that the acquired temperature of the heat transfer medium is below the set temperature of the battery 410, which is 60°C.

[0042] (Modification 2) In the above embodiment, the airflow control unit 322 controlled the amount of gas supplied by the fan 103 to the heat exchanger 220 so that the temperature of the heat transfer medium was below a set temperature. However, the airflow control unit 322 may also control the airflow rate of the fan 103 based on instruction information transmitted from the ECU 260. In this case, the ECU 260 transmits instruction information to the airflow control device 300 indicating the amount of gas to be supplied to the heat exchanger 220 necessary to bring the temperature of the heat transfer medium below a set temperature. Specifically, the ECU 260 transmits airflow rate information indicating the airflow rate per unit time to the airflow control device 300 as instruction information indicating the amount of gas.

[0043] The acquisition unit 321 acquires instruction information transmitted from the ECU 260. The airflow control unit 322 changes the airflow of the fan 103 to match the airflow indicated by the acquired airflow information. For example, the airflow control unit 322 changes the airflow of the fan 103 by changing the rotation speed of the fan 103 to match the airflow indicated by the airflow information. Specifically, the airflow control unit 322 refers to the information stored in the storage unit 310 that associates the airflow and rotation speed of the fan 103, and sets the rotation speed of the fan 103 to the rotation speed corresponding to the airflow indicated by the instruction information. In this way, the airflow control unit 322 does not need to calculate the airflow required to lower the temperature of the heat transfer medium to below the set temperature, thus reducing the consumption of computing resources. (Variation 3) The acquisition unit 321 may acquire rotational speed information from the ECU 260, which indicates the number of fan rotations per unit time. In this case, the ECU 260 transmits rotational speed information to the blower control device 300, which indicates the number of fan rotations required to lower the temperature of the heat transfer medium to a set temperature or lower. When rotational speed information is acquired, the blower control unit 322 sets the rotational speed of the fan 103 to the number of rotations indicated by the rotational speed information. By doing so, the blower control unit 322 does not need to calculate the number of fan rotations required to lower the temperature of the heat transfer medium to a set temperature or lower, thus reducing the consumption of computing resources.

[0044] [Process for controlling the temperature of the heat transfer medium] Figure 5 is a flowchart showing an example of a process for controlling the temperature of the heat transfer medium. The process for controlling the temperature of the heat transfer medium is started when the vehicle 100 is started.

[0045] The acquisition unit 321 acquires the set temperature corresponding to the type of heat source 210 of the power supply device 200 mounted on the mounting section 101 of the vehicle 100 (step S1). Specifically, the acquisition unit 321 acquires the set temperature transmitted from the control unit of the power supply device 200 mounted on the mounting section 101.

[0046] The acquisition unit 321 acquires the temperature of the heat transfer medium that cools the heat source 210 of the power supply device 200 mounted on the mounting section 101 of the vehicle 100 (step S2). The acquisition unit 321 acquires the temperature of the heat transfer medium detected by the temperature sensor 250 of the power supply device 200 mounted on the mounting section 101 via the power supply device 200 mounted on the mounting section 101.

[0047] The airflow control unit 322 changes the amount of gas supplied so that the acquired temperature of the heat transfer medium falls below the set temperature (step S3). For example, the airflow control unit 322 increases the amount of gas supplied as the value obtained by subtracting the temperature of the heat transfer medium from the set temperature decreases. Specifically, the airflow control unit 322 increases the amount of gas supplied by the fan 103 to the heat exchanger 220 by increasing the rotation speed of the fan.

[0048] The air blower control device 300 repeats the process from step S2 to step S3 until the vehicle 100 stops. When the vehicle 100 stops, or when the air blower control device 300 receives an instruction to stop the process of controlling the temperature of the heat medium, it terminates the process of controlling the temperature of the heat medium.

[0049] [Effect of Vehicle 100] As described above, the vehicle 100 that receives power from the power supply device has a mounting section 101 on which the power supply device 200 is attached, the power supply device 200 having a heat source 210 that generates heat when supplying power to the vehicle 100, and a heat exchanger 220 that exchanges heat between a heat transfer medium that cools the heat source 210 and a gas, and a fan 103 provided on the mounting section 101 that supplies gas to the heat exchanger 220 facing each other when the power supply device 200 is mounted on the mounting section 101.

[0050] This eliminates the need to install a blower inside the power supply unit 200, allowing the power supply unit 200 to be made smaller. In addition, the vehicle 100 can cool the heat source of the power supply unit 200 by supplying gas to the heat exchanger 220 of the power supply unit 200 from a fan 103 facing the heat exchanger 220. Furthermore, the mounting section 101 of the vehicle 100 can be equipped with a fan 103 that can supply a larger amount of gas than a fan that can be installed inside the power supply unit 200, so that more gas can be supplied to the power supply unit 200 mounted on the mounting section 101. As a result, the vehicle 100 can properly cool the power supply unit 200, reducing the risk of malfunction of the power supply unit 200 due to heat from the heat source.

[0051] Although the present invention has been described above using embodiments, the technical scope of the present invention is not limited to the scope described in the above embodiments, and various modifications and changes are possible within the scope of its gist. For example, all or part of the apparatus can be configured by functionally or physically distributing and integrating in any unit. Furthermore, new embodiments resulting from any combination of multiple embodiments are also included in the embodiments of the present invention. The effects of the new embodiments resulting from the combinations are combined with the effects of the original embodiments. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0052] 100 vehicles 101 Mounting part 102 Body frame 103 Fans 200 Power supply equipment 210 Heat source 211 Engine 212 Generators 213 Tank 214 batteries 220 Heat exchanger 221 pipe 222 heat sink fins 230 Heat carrier circuit 240 pumps 250 Temperature Sensor 300 Air blower control device 310 Storage section 320 Control Unit 321 Acquisition Department 322 Air blower control unit

Claims

1. An electric vehicle that receives power from a power supply device, A mounting section is provided on which the power supply device is attached, the power supply device having a heat source that generates heat when supplying power to the electric vehicle, and a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between a heat transfer medium and a gas to cool the heat source. A blower is provided in the mounting portion and supplies gas to the heat exchangers facing each other when the power supply device is mounted in the mounting portion, A used electric vehicle.

2. The mounting portion can be attached to either the power supply device in which the heat source is an engine and a generator, or the power supply device in which the heat source is a battery. The electric vehicle according to claim 1.

3. The blowing unit supplies gas to the heat exchanger, which at least a portion of which is exposed to the outside of the power supply device. The electric vehicle according to claim 1 or 2.

4. The air blower is provided in the mounting portion at a position facing the heat dissipation fins of the heat exchanger that are exposed to the outside when the power supply device is mounted in the mounting portion. The electric vehicle according to claim 3.

5. An acquisition unit that acquires identification information indicating the type of heat source and the temperature of the heat transfer medium from the power supply device attached to the mounting part, A blower control unit that changes the amount of gas supplied by the blower unit to the heat exchanger so that the temperature of the heat transfer medium acquired by the acquisition unit is below a set temperature corresponding to the type of heat source indicated by the identification information acquired by the acquisition unit, Equipped with, The electric vehicle according to claim 1 or 2.

6. An acquisition unit that acquires a set temperature corresponding to the type of heat source and the temperature of the heat transfer medium from the power supply device attached to the mounting part, A blower control unit that changes the amount of gas supplied by the blower unit to the heat exchanger so that the temperature of the heat transfer medium acquired by the acquisition unit is less than or equal to the set temperature acquired by the acquisition unit, Equipped with, The electric vehicle according to claim 1 or 2.

7. An acquisition unit that acquires instruction information indicating the amount of gas to be supplied to the heat exchanger from the power supply device attached to the mounting unit, A blower control unit that changes the amount of gas supplied by the blower unit to the heat exchanger so that it becomes the amount indicated by the instruction information acquired by the acquisition unit, Equipped with, The electric vehicle according to claim 1 or 2.

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