Wire cooling device

Abstract

This technology provides an efficient way to circulate refrigerant in order to cool electrical wires that generate heat. [Solution] The wire cooling device 30 includes a cooling control unit 31 that controls the cooling unit 11, a switching unit 32 provided between the power supply unit 20 and the load 21, and a current control unit 33 that controls the switching unit 32. The switching unit 32 switches between an allowable state that permits current to flow from the power supply unit 20 to the load 21 via the wire 22, and a shut-off state that prevents current from flowing from the power supply unit 20 to the load 21 via the wire 22. When the supply start condition is met, the current control unit 33 switches the switching unit 32 to the allowable state and issues a cooling instruction to the cooling control unit 31. When the cooling control unit 31 receives a cooling instruction, it causes the cooling unit 11 to perform a cooling operation.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The present disclosure relates to an electric wire cooling device.

BACKGROUND ART

[0002] Patent Document 1 discloses an electric wire cooling device. This electric wire cooling device includes a clamp body positioned between a pair of electric wires. The clamp body has a flow passage for circulating a coolant to cool heat of each electric wire. The flow passage is provided to extend in the same direction as each electric wire.

PRIOR ART DOCUMENTS

PATENT DOCUMENTS

[0003]

PATENT DOCUMENT 1

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

PROBLEMS TO BE SOLVED BY THE INVENTION

[0004] The configuration of Patent Document 1 does not describe at what timing the coolant is circulated through the flow passage, and there is room for improvement in this respect.

[0005] The present disclosure aims to provide a technology capable of efficiently circulating a coolant from the perspective of cooling a heat-generating electric wire.

MEANS FOR SOLVING THE PROBLEMS

[0006] The electric wire cooling device of the present disclosure is An electric wire cooling device provided in a vehicle that includes a cooling unit that performs a cooling operation of supplying cooled coolant to a cooling pipe among pipes through which the coolant circulates, an electric wire arranged along the cooling pipe, a power supply unit, and a load to which electric power from the power supply unit is supplied via the electric wire, the electric wire cooling device comprising: a cooling control unit that controls the cooling unit; and a switching unit provided between the power supply unit and the load; and The system includes a current control unit that controls the switching unit, The switching unit switches between an allowable state, which permits current to flow from the power supply unit to the load via the wire, and an interrupted state, which prevents current from flowing from the power supply unit to the load via the wire. When the supply start condition is met, the current control unit switches the switching unit to the allowable state and issues a cooling instruction to the cooling control unit. When the cooling control unit receives a cooling instruction, it causes the cooling unit to perform the cooling operation. [Effects of the Invention]

[0007] According to the technology disclosed herein, the circulation of refrigerant can be efficiently performed in terms of cooling the heat-generating electrical wires. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0008] [Figure 1] Figure 1 is a diagram showing the configuration of a vehicle equipped with a wire cooling device according to the first embodiment. [Figure 2] Figure 2 is a flowchart of the processing performed by the current control unit of the first embodiment. [Figure 3] Figure 3 is a flowchart of the processing performed by the cooling control unit of the first embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0009] [Description of Embodiments in this Disclosure] First, the embodiments of this disclosure will be listed and described.

[0010] [1] A wire cooling device provided in a vehicle, comprising: a cooling unit that performs a cooling operation by supplying cooled refrigerant to a cooling pipe among the piping through which the refrigerant circulates; electric wires arranged along the cooling pipes; a power supply unit; and a load to which power is supplied from the power supply unit via the electric wires, A cooling control unit that controls the cooling unit, A switching unit is provided between the power supply unit and the load, The system includes a current control unit that controls the switching unit, The switching unit switches between an allowable state, which permits current to flow from the power supply unit to the load via the wire, and an interrupted state, which prevents current from flowing from the power supply unit to the load via the wire. When the supply start condition is met, the current control unit switches the switching unit to the allowable state and issues a cooling instruction to the cooling control unit. When the cooling control unit receives the cooling instruction, it causes the cooling unit to perform the cooling operation. Wire cooling device.

[0011] With this configuration, the cooling unit can perform a cooling operation at the same time that power is supplied from the power supply unit to the load via the wires, thereby cooling the wires. In other words, since the cooling operation starts at the same time that current flows through the wires and generates heat, the circulation of the refrigerant can be performed efficiently from the perspective of cooling the heat-generating wires.

[0012] [2] When the supply start condition is met, the current control unit checks whether the cooling unit is performing the cooling operation, and if it determines that the cooling operation is not being performed, it issues the cooling instruction to the cooling control unit. The wire cooling device described in [1].

[0013] With this configuration, at the moment when power is supplied from the power supply unit to the load via the power lines, it is possible to confirm that the cooling unit is not performing a cooling operation, and then initiate the cooling operation of the cooling unit.

[0014] [Details of the embodiments of this disclosure] 1. First Embodiment 1-1. Configuration of Vehicle 1 FIG. 1 shows a vehicle 1 provided with a wire cooling device 30 according to a first embodiment. The vehicle 1 includes a pipe 10 and a cooling unit 11. The pipe 10 has an annular shape. A refrigerant circulates inside the pipe 10. The cooling unit 11 has a compressor 12, a heat radiating unit 13, an expansion valve 14, and an evaporator 15. The compressor 12, the heat radiating unit 13, the expansion valve 14, and the evaporator 15 are provided on the pipe 10. The compressor 12, the heat radiating unit 13, the expansion valve 14, and the evaporator 15 are arranged in sequence in the direction in which the refrigerant flows.

[0015] The compressor 12 supplies the compressed refrigerant to the heat radiating unit 13 side. The heat radiating unit 13 is, for example, a radiator. The heat radiating unit 13 dissipates the heat of the refrigerant supplied from the compressor 12 to the outside. The refrigerant that has passed through the heat radiating unit 13 is cooled and vaporized by expanding at the expansion valve 14. The evaporator 15 cools an object 16 to be cooled by utilizing latent heat generated when the refrigerant vaporizes. The refrigerant cooled by the evaporator 15 is supplied to the compressor 12 side.

[0016] The pipe 10 includes cooling pipes 10A, 10B to which the cooled refrigerant is supplied. The cooling pipe 10A is a pipe between the expansion valve 14 and the evaporator 15. The cooling pipe 10B is a pipe between the evaporator 15 and the compressor 12. The cooling unit 11 performs a cooling operation of supplying the cooled refrigerant to the cooling pipes 10A, 10B by causing the compressor 12 to perform an operation of compressing and supplying the refrigerant.

[0017] Vehicle 1 comprises a power supply unit 20, a load 21, an electric wire 22, and a fixing member 23. The power supply unit 20 is, for example, a battery or an alternator. The load 21 is, for example, a body ECU. The electric wire 22 is provided between the power supply unit 20 and the load 21. One end of the electric wire 22 is connected to the power supply unit 20. The other end of the electric wire 22 is connected to the load 21. Power from the power supply unit 20 is supplied to the load 21 via the electric wire 22. The electric wire 22 is, for example, a wire harness. At least a portion of the electric wire 22 is arranged along the cooling pipe 10B. The electric wire 22 is fixed to the cooling pipe 10B using a fixing member 23. The fixing member 23 is, for example, a cable tie.

[0018] 1-2. Configuration of the wire cooling device 30 The wire cooling device 30 is a device that cools the wire 22 using the cooling pipe 10B. The wire cooling device 30 comprises a cooling control unit 31, a switching unit 32, and a current control unit 33.

[0019] The cooling control unit 31 is configured to include, for example, a microcomputer. The cooling control unit 31 includes, for example, a processor such as a CPU and memory such as ROM or RAM. The cooling control unit 31 controls the cooling unit 11 (specifically, the compressor 12). When the cooling control unit 31 determines that the cooling start condition has been met, it causes the cooling unit 11 to perform a cooling operation. The cooling start condition is, for example, that the user has initiated the operation to start the air conditioning. When the cooling control unit 31 determines that the cooling stop condition has been met, it stops the cooling operation by the cooling unit 11. The cooling stop condition is, for example, that the user has initiated the operation to stop the air conditioning.

[0020] The switching unit 32 is provided between the power supply unit 20 and the load 21. The switching unit 32 is provided on the electric wire 22. The switching unit 32 switches between an allowable state, which permits current to flow from the power supply unit 20 to the load 21 via the electric wire 22, and a cutoff state, which prevents current from flowing from the power supply unit 20 to the load 21 via the electric wire 22. The switching unit 32 may be configured, for example, by a DC-DC converter or by a switch.

[0021] The current control unit 33 is provided separately from the cooling control unit 31. The current control unit 33 is configured to include, for example, a microcomputer. The current control unit 33 includes, for example, a processor such as a CPU and memory such as ROM or RAM. The current control unit 33 controls the switching unit 32. The current control unit 33 can communicate with the cooling control unit 31. When the current control unit 33 determines that the supply start condition has been met, it switches the switching unit 32 to the allow state and issues a cooling instruction to the cooling control unit 31. The supply start condition is, for example, a condition that is met when it becomes necessary to supply power to the load 21. When the current control unit 33 determines that the supply start condition has been met, it communicates with the cooling unit 11 to confirm whether the cooling unit 11 is performing a cooling operation. Then, when the current control unit 33 determines that the cooling unit 11 is not performing a cooling operation, it issues a cooling instruction to the cooling control unit 31.

[0022] 1-3. Operation of the current control unit 33 The current control unit 33 performs the process shown in Figure 2, for example. At the start of the process shown in Figure 2, the current control unit 33 controls the switching unit 32 to the off state. First, the current control unit 33 determines whether the supply start condition has been met (step S11). If the current control unit 33 determines that the supply start condition has not been met (No in step S11), it returns to the process in step S11. In other words, the current control unit 33 repeatedly performs the process in step S11 until it determines that the supply start condition has been met. During this time, the current control unit 33 controls the switching unit 32 to the off state.

[0023] If the current control unit 33 determines that the supply start condition has been met (Yes in step S11), it sends a confirmation signal to the cooling control unit 31 (step S12). The confirmation signal is used to confirm whether or not the cooling unit 11 is performing a cooling operation.

[0024] After transmitting a confirmation signal, the current control unit 33 determines whether or not it has received a stopped signal (step S13). The stopped signal is a signal indicating that the cooling operation by the cooling unit 11 is stopped. If the current control unit 33 determines that it has not received a stopped signal (No in step S13), it determines whether or not it has received an operating signal (step S14). The operating signal is a signal indicating that the cooling unit 11 is performing a cooling operation. If the current control unit 33 determines that it has not received an operating signal (No in step S14), it returns to the process in step S13. In other words, the current control unit 33 repeatedly performs the processes in steps S13 and S14 until it receives a stopped signal or an operating signal.

[0025] If the current control unit 33 determines that it has received a stop signal (Yes in step S13), it sends a cooling instruction to the cooling control unit 31 (step S15), and then switches the switching unit 32 to the allow state (step S16). This allows the cooling unit 11 to perform its cooling operation while current is supplied from the power supply unit 20 to the load 21 via the wire 22. As a result, the wire 22, which generates heat when energized, is cooled by the cooling pipe 10B.

[0026] If the current control unit 33 determines that it has received an operation signal (Yes in step S14), it switches the switching unit 32 to the allow state (step S16). As a result, current is supplied from the power supply unit 20 to the load 21 via the wire 22. Since the cooling unit 11 is in the process of cooling, the wire 22, which generates heat when energized, is cooled by the cooling pipe 10B.

[0027] After switching the switching unit 32 to the allowable state, the current control unit 33 determines whether the supply stop condition has been met (step S17). The supply stop condition is, for example, a condition that is met when it is no longer necessary to supply power to the load 21. If the current control unit 33 determines that the supply stop condition has not been met (No in step S17), it returns to the process in step S17. In other words, the current control unit 33 repeatedly performs the process in step S17 until it determines that the supply stop condition has been met. During this time, the current control unit 33 controls the switching unit 32 to the allowable state.

[0028] If the current control unit 33 determines that the supply stop condition has been met (Yes in step S17), it switches the switching unit 32 to the interrupted state (step S18) and proceeds to the process in step S11.

[0029] 1-4. Operation of the cooling control unit 31 The cooling control unit 31 performs the process shown in Figure 3, for example. At the start of the process shown in Figure 3, the cooling control unit 31 stops the cooling operation by the cooling unit 11.

[0030] The cooling control unit 31 first determines whether the cooling start condition has been met (step S21). If the cooling control unit 31 determines that the cooling start condition has not been met (No in step S21), it determines whether it has received a confirmation signal from the current control unit 33 (step S22). If the cooling control unit 31 determines that it has not received a confirmation signal (No in step S22), it returns to the process in step S21. In other words, the cooling control unit 31 repeatedly performs the processes in steps S21 and S22 until the cooling start condition is met or a confirmation signal is received.

[0031] If the cooling control unit 31 determines that the cooling start condition has been met (Yes in step S21), it causes the cooling unit 11 to perform the cooling operation (step S25).

[0032] If the cooling control unit 31 determines that it has received a confirmation signal (Yes in step S22), it sends a stop signal to the current control unit 33 (step S23) and determines whether or not it has received a cooling instruction (step S24). If the cooling control unit 31 determines that it has not received a cooling instruction (No in step S24), it returns to the process in step S24. In other words, the cooling control unit 31 remains in a standby state until it receives a cooling instruction. If the cooling control unit 31 determines that it has received a cooling instruction (Yes in step S24), it causes the cooling unit 11 to perform a cooling operation (step S25).

[0033] After the cooling unit 11 performs a cooling operation in step S25, the cooling control unit 31 determines whether the cooling stop condition has been met (step S26). If the cooling control unit 31 determines that the cooling stop condition has not been met (No in step S26), it determines whether it has received a confirmation signal from the current control unit 33 (step S27). If the cooling control unit 31 determines that it has not received a confirmation signal (No in step S27), it returns to the process in step S26. In other words, the cooling control unit 31 repeatedly performs the processes in steps S26 and S27 until the cooling stop condition is met or a confirmation signal is received.

[0034] If the cooling control unit 31 determines that it has received a confirmation signal (Yes in step S27), it sends an operation signal to the current control unit 33 (step S28) and returns to the process in step S26. If the cooling control unit 31 determines that the cooling stop condition has been met (Yes in step S28), it stops the cooling operation by the cooling unit 11 (step S29) and returns to the process in step S21.

[0035] 1-5. Operation and Effects of the First Embodiment When the supply start condition is met, the current control unit 33 switches the switching unit 32 to the allow state and issues a cooling instruction to the cooling control unit 31. Upon receiving the cooling instruction, the cooling control unit 31 causes the cooling unit 11 to perform a cooling operation. With this configuration, the cooling unit 11 can perform a cooling operation at the timing when power is supplied from the power supply unit 20 to the load 21 via the wire 22, thereby cooling the wire 22. In other words, since the cooling operation starts at the timing when current flows through the wire 22 and heat is generated, the circulation of the refrigerant can be performed efficiently in terms of cooling the heat-generating wire 22.

[0036] The current control unit 33 checks whether the cooling unit 11 is performing a cooling operation when the supply start condition is met, and if it determines that the cooling operation is not being performed, it issues a cooling instruction to the cooling control unit 31. With this configuration, at the timing when power is supplied from the power supply unit 20 to the load 21 via the electric wire 22, it is possible to confirm that the cooling unit 11 is not performing a cooling operation and then cause the cooling unit 11 to perform a cooling operation.

[0037] <Other Embodiments> This disclosure is not limited to the embodiments described above and in the drawings. For example, any combination of the features of the embodiments described above or below is possible as long as it does not contradict each other. Furthermore, any feature of the embodiments described above or below may be omitted unless explicitly stated as essential. In addition, the embodiments described above may be modified as follows.

[0038] In the first embodiment described above, the current control unit 33 was configured to send a cooling instruction to the cooling control unit 31 after confirming that the cooling unit 11 was not performing a cooling operation when it determined that the supply start condition had been met. In contrast, the current control unit 33 may send a cooling instruction to the cooling control unit 31 regardless of whether the cooling unit 11 was performing a cooling operation or not.

[0039] In the first embodiment described above, the electric wire 22 was arranged along the cooling pipe 10B, but it may also be arranged along the cooling pipe 10A.

[0040] The embodiments disclosed herein should be considered in all respects to be illustrative and not restrictive. The scope of the present invention is not limited to the embodiments disclosed herein, but is indicated by the claims, and all modifications within the meaning and scope equivalent to the claims are intended to be included. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0041] 1…Vehicle 10... Piping 10A…Cooling pipe 10B…Cooling pipe 11…Cooling section 12... Compressor 13...Heat radiation part 14…Expansion valve 15... Evaporator 16…Items to be cooled 20…Power supply section 21... Load 22...Electric wire 23… Fixing member 30…Wire cooling device 31…Cooling Control Unit 32…Switching section 33...Current Control Unit

Claims

1. A wire cooling system for a vehicle comprising: a cooling unit that performs a cooling operation by supplying cooled refrigerant to a cooling pipe among the piping through which the refrigerant circulates; electric wires arranged along the cooling pipes; a power supply unit; and a load to which power is supplied from the power supply unit via the electric wires, A cooling control unit that controls the cooling unit, A switching unit is provided between the power supply unit and the load, The system includes a current control unit that controls the switching unit, The switching unit switches between an allowable state, which permits current to flow from the power supply unit to the load via the wire, and an interrupted state, which prevents current from flowing from the power supply unit to the load via the wire. When the supply start condition is met, the current control unit switches the switching unit to the allowable state and issues a cooling instruction to the cooling control unit. When the cooling control unit receives the cooling instruction, it causes the cooling unit to perform the cooling operation. Wire cooling device.

2. When the current start condition is met, the current control unit checks whether the cooling unit is performing the cooling operation, and if it determines that the cooling operation is not being performed, it issues a cooling instruction to the cooling control unit. The wire cooling device according to claim 1.

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