vehicle

Abstract

To provide a vehicle which can change a direction of outside air to improve introduction efficiency when the outside air is introduced from an opening as cooling air.SOLUTION: A vehicle includes: an opening which is provided at a position offset from a tangential direction of main flow of outside air introduced into the vehicle to introduce outside air; and a plasma actuator for changing a direction of the outside air.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a technology capable of controlling the flow of air (outside air) around a vehicle, and more specifically, to a vehicle capable of improving the introduction efficiency by changing the direction of the outside air when introducing the outside air as cooling air through an opening using a plasma actuator. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, a technique has been proposed for introducing wind generated by a vehicle's movement into the vehicle interior to cool the engine and other components. For example, Patent Document 1 discloses a technology in which a cooling air intake structure is equipped with an air duct, and the opening of the air duct's intake narrows in the width direction toward the rear, but the part connecting to the running air passage widens in the height direction, making it possible to efficiently transport the running air taken in through the large opening to an intercooler or the like (cooled component) at the rear.

[0003] Patent Document 2 also discloses a configuration in which an air intake scoop is formed on the top surface of the hood of a vehicle to guide the wind from traveling toward the engine, and a notched window is formed at the rear end of the air intake scoop to allow the wind to pass through almost horizontally, thereby increasing the cooling effect of the supercharged air and improving the air intake efficiency of the engine.

[0004] Patent document 3 discloses a technology in which the front end of a flat air duct extending toward the front of the vehicle is positioned in the gap between the top of a frame member and the front of the hood, the portion of the frame member where the front end of the air duct is located is recessed downward, and the lower half of the front end of the air duct is disposed in the recess, thereby improving the cooling ability of the intake air by the intercooler.

[0005] Patent Document 4 discloses an openable and closable engine hood for an automobile equipped with an intercooler cooling air introduction device.

[0006] Meanwhile, according to Patent Document 5, it is possible to rectify the airflow around a vehicle using plasma generated by a PA (plasma actuator). More specifically, for example, Patent Document 5 proposes that a PA be installed on the A-pillar or fender of a vehicle, and that the PA be driven to suppress (rectify) the separation of airflow around the vehicle. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0007] [Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2015-006837 [Patent Document 2] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 02-277921 [Patent Document 3] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-097598 [Patent Document 4] Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 03-011118 [Patent Document 5] US Patent No. 9821862 Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0008] Existing technologies, including those in the above-mentioned patent documents, cannot be said to adequately meet market needs with regard to technology for taking in running wind through openings such as air intakes for cooling purposes, and the following issues exist. In other words, existing technologies, including those mentioned in the patent documents, and combinations thereof, have not been able to efficiently introduce outside air from the air intake as described above, and there has been a demand for efficient introduction of running wind to improve driving efficiency, regardless of the vehicle exterior design.

[0009] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned problems as an example, and aims to provide a vehicle that can improve the cooling efficiency of vehicle parts such as the engine by using a plasma actuator to improve the efficiency of introducing cooling air. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In order to solve the above-mentioned problems, a vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention is a vehicle including: (1) an opening disposed at a position offset from the tangential direction of a main flow of outside air from the vehicle, for introducing the outside air into the vehicle in the direction of a member to be cooled; and a plasma actuator for changing the direction of the outside air introduced from the opening, the vehicle having a lower wall portion of the opening, a rear lower wall portion disposed closer to the member to be cooled than the lower wall portion, and a lower lower wall portion extending from the rear lower wall portion to the front side of the vehicle and below the lower wall portion, the plasma actuator being disposed between the lower wall portion and the lower lower wall portion, and the vehicle further having a speed increasing means for increasing the speed of the outside air whose direction has been changed, the speed increasing means being a gap narrower than the width between the lower wall portion and the rear lower wall portion, the gap is provided in a flow path from the opening to the cooled member, The jet generated by the plasma actuator , which joins with the outside air introduced from the opening, changes the direction of the outside air, and The cooling water is ejected from the gap toward the member to be cooled.

[0012] Also (1) above In (2) The opening is preferably located in the front hood of the vehicle.

[0013] Also, (1) above or (2) In (3) It is further preferable that the vehicle further comprises a driving condition detection unit that detects a driving condition value of the vehicle, and a control device that controls the plasma actuator in accordance with the driving condition value obtained by the driving condition detection unit.

[0014] Also, the above (3) In (4) It is further preferable that the vehicle further comprises a vehicle environment detection unit that detects a vehicle environment value of the vehicle, and the control device controls the plasma actuator in accordance with the vehicle environment value obtained by the vehicle environment detection unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0015] According to the present invention, it is possible to provide a vehicle that can improve the introduction efficiency by changing the direction of outside air when the outside air is introduced through an opening as cooling air. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0016] [Figure 1] 1 is a front perspective view of a vehicle with a cooling air introduction function according to an embodiment, as viewed from the front. [Figure 2] 2 is a cross-sectional view showing an opening for introducing cooling air in a vehicle with a cooling air introduction function according to an embodiment. FIG. [Figure 3] 1 is a functional block diagram of a vehicle with a cooling air introduction function according to an embodiment; [Figure 4] 10 is a flowchart illustrating a method for controlling the introduction of cooling air using a plasma actuator according to an embodiment. [Figure 5] FIG. 10 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional cooling air intake structure for a vehicle. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0017] Next, preferred embodiments for carrying out the present invention will be described. It should be noted that, for example, for portions of the plasma actuator drive mechanism other than those described in this embodiment, known plasma actuator mechanisms, including those described in the above-mentioned patent documents, may be used. Furthermore, vehicle configurations other than those described in detail in this embodiment may be supplemented with known vehicle-related elemental technologies and mechanisms.

[0018] [Vehicle 100] First, a vehicle 100 according to this embodiment will be described with reference to Figures 1 to 3. As shown in the figures, the vehicle 100 according to this embodiment is preferably a four-wheeled vehicle, but may be applied to other known vehicles, such as two-wheeled vehicles, as long as it has a structure for introducing cooling air through an opening. Furthermore, as a four-wheeled vehicle, for example, in addition to a gasoline-powered vehicle, a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle equipped with various types of secondary batteries can be applied.

[0019] The vehicle 100 of this embodiment has a cooling air introduction function to improve the introduction efficiency when introducing outside air as cooling air from an opening 10, such as an air intake, provided in the front hood 11 of the vehicle, and is configured to include at least a plasma actuator 20.

[0020] ≪Aperture 10≫ In the present embodiment, the opening 10 in the vehicle 100 is preferably located in the approximate center of the front hood 11 of the vehicle. However, the present embodiment is not limited thereto, and the opening 10 may be located, for example, in the side sill or under the bumper, as long as it is possible to introduce outside air W into the vehicle. As shown in FIG. 2 , in this embodiment, the opening 10 is located at a position offset from the direction of the tangent CW of the main stream of the airflow (outside air W) flowing along the vehicle body. Therefore, the main stream W1 flows rearward along the vehicle body, and a portion of the outside air (W2) is introduced through the opening 10. The portion W2 of the outside air introduced through the opening 10 is deflected by the plasma actuator 20 by blowing or suppressing separation, as described below, and reaches the cooled member.

[0021] In the vehicle 100 of this embodiment, the member (member to be cooled) cooled by the outside air W introduced from the opening will be described below as an intercooler for a supercharged engine. However, the member to be cooled is not limited to this, and may be, for example, a radiator or a structure into which outside air is introduced to cool a battery.

[0022] <Plasma Actuator 20> The plasma actuator 20 of this embodiment has the function of introducing and blowing, as cooling air, a portion of the airflow (outside air W) flowing along the upper surface of the front hood 11 from the above-mentioned opening 10 into the engine compartment of the vehicle 100. More specifically, the plasma actuator 20 of this embodiment has the function of preventing a portion of the outside air W introduced from opening 10 in the front hood while the vehicle 100 is moving from separating from the upper surface of the front hood 11 and stagnating inside opening 10, and of transporting the air to a member to be cooled (e.g., an intercooler) located at the back of opening 10.

[0023] 5, in a typical vehicle, the outside air W introduced through the opening 10 may form a vortex at the back of the opening 10, causing the outside air to stagnate as a subsequent cooling airflow. In this case, the problem occurs that the target member is not efficiently cooled. This problem is particularly likely to occur in vehicles with a short front hood depth, because the short depth of the front hood imposes a constraint on the exterior design, forcing the cooling airflow path from opening 10 to the intercooler to have a sharp curve.

[0024] On the other hand, according to the vehicle 100 of this embodiment, even if the cooling air flow path from the opening 10 to the intercooler has a sharp curve, the above-mentioned plasma actuator 20 can assist in blowing air to prevent separation and deflection, thereby preventing stagnation of the cooling air and enabling the cooling air to be delivered to the cooled component.

[0025] A specific structure of the plasma actuator 20 is a known plasma actuator such as that disclosed in Patent Document 5, and in this embodiment, a dielectric barrier discharge (DBD) type plasma actuator can be applied. Note that the plasma actuator 20 of this embodiment is not limited to the DBD plasma actuator described above, and other known PAs may also be applied, such as a sliding discharge (SD) type plasma actuator that has been improved to increase the plasma generation area.

[0026] Specifically, plasma actuator 20 in this embodiment is installed between opening 10 and the member to be cooled in vehicle 100. Specific installation locations for plasma actuator 20 include, as shown in Fig. 2, lower wall portion 13 of air intake 12 provided in front hood 11 as opening 10, rear lower wall portion 14 installed closer to the member to be cooled than lower wall portion 13, or lower lower wall portion 15 extending from rear lower wall portion 14 to the front of the vehicle and below lower wall portion 13. However, the installation location is not limited to this, and plasma actuator 20 may be installed in any position where it can deliver a portion of outside air W introduced through opening 10 to the member to be cooled.

[0027] Figure 2 shows the plasma actuators 20 as follows: PA1, which is mounted between the lower wall portion 13 and the lower lower wall portion 15 on the lower wall portion 13 side; PA2, which is mounted between the lower wall portion 13 and the lower lower wall portion 15 on the lower lower wall portion 15 side; and PA3, which is mounted on the rear lower wall portion 14.

[0028] 2 is provided between the lower wall portion 13 and the rear lower wall portion 14. For example, if a plasma actuator is provided at position PA1 or PA2, a jet can be generated and ejected from the gap 25 toward the rear of the vehicle 100. Because the gap 25 is narrower than the width between the lower wall portion 13 and the rear lower wall portion 14, the velocity of the jet increases when it ejects from the gap 25. When the jet from the gap 25 joins with the outside air W2 introduced from the opening 10, it is possible to increase the flow velocity to the cooled member at the back of the opening 10.

[0029] In other words, the gap 25 functions as a speed increasing means for the outside air introduced from the opening 10. Such speed increasing means is not limited to the gap 25, and it is also possible to install other known means such as a blower.

[0030] In vehicle 100 of this embodiment, plasma actuator 20 may be provided as at least one of the three plasma actuators (PA1 to PA3) installed in the positions described above, or may be provided as four or more plasma actuators (PA4, PA5, ...) although not shown. In this case, plasma actuator 20 can be attached to upper wall 16 or rear upper wall portion 17. The number of plasma actuators to be driven can be increased or decreased depending on the driving condition values ​​and vehicle environment values ​​described below.

[0031] <30 sensors> 3, the vehicle 100 of this embodiment may be configured to include sensors 30 that detect driving condition values. Here, the driving condition values ​​in this embodiment are values ​​that represent the state of the vehicle while it is traveling, and examples thereof include vehicle speed, steering angle, and lateral acceleration. As an example, the vehicle is configured to include sensors that detect the above-mentioned driving condition values, such as a vehicle speed sensor 301, a steering angle sensor 302, and a lateral acceleration sensor 303.

[0032] Of these, vehicle speed sensor 301 can be, for example, a known sensor that can measure the speed of vehicle 100 while it is traveling. This enables control device 40 to control the drive of plasma actuator 20 in accordance with the vehicle speed obtained from vehicle speed sensor 301.

[0033] A known sensor capable of detecting the steering angle while the vehicle 100 is traveling can be applied as the steering angle sensor 302. Specifically, the steering angle sensor is installed at an arbitrary location near the steering shaft of the steering device, and has the function of detecting the steering angle of the steering wheel by outputting a signal corresponding to the rotation angle of the steering shaft at the installation position.

[0034] Lateral acceleration sensor 303 can be, for example, a known sensor capable of measuring the speed of vehicle 100 while it is moving. This enables control device 40 to control the drive of plasma actuator 20 in accordance with the vehicle speed obtained from lateral acceleration sensor 303.

[0035] Furthermore, the sensors 30 of the embodiment may be configured to include a sensor that detects a vehicle environmental value. Here, the vehicle environmental value in the present embodiment is a value that indicates the influence that the vehicle receives from the outside (environment outside the vehicle cabin) while traveling, and examples of sensors that detect the vehicle environmental value include a wind speed sensor 306, a temperature sensor 307, and a humidity sensor 308.

[0036] The wind speed sensor 306 serves to detect the wind speed around the vehicle when it is stopped. This wind speed sensor 306 can be installed at any position outside the vehicle body. Furthermore, instead of installing a wind speed sensor 306 that directly measures the wind speed around the vehicle when it is stopped, an external wind speed measurement device that can acquire wind speed information within the vehicle via a known external communication device CS may function as the wind speed sensor 306.

[0037] A known thermometer or the like capable of detecting the temperature outside the vehicle can be used as the temperature sensor 307, and can be installed anywhere on the vehicle. Also, instead of providing a temperature sensor 307 that directly measures the temperature around the vehicle, an external outside temperature measuring device that can acquire outside temperature information inside the vehicle via an external communication device CS mounted on the vehicle may function as the temperature sensor 307.

[0038] A known hygrometer capable of detecting the humidity around the vehicle can be applied as the humidity sensor 308, and can be installed anywhere in the vehicle. Also, instead of providing a humidity sensor 308 that directly measures the humidity around the vehicle, an external humidity measuring device that can acquire outside air humidity information inside the vehicle via an external communication device CS mounted on the vehicle may function as the humidity sensor 308.

[0039] <Control device 40> The control device 40 has the function of controlling the plasma actuator 20 to transport a portion of the outside air W introduced through the opening 10 in the front hood of a moving vehicle 100 to a cooled member installed at the back of the opening 10. A specific example of this control device 40 is a known integrated circuit (control IC) that is powered by a battery (not shown), such as a known lithium ion secondary battery or nickel-metal hydride battery, mounted on the vehicle 100. The control device 40 of this embodiment may also include a memory (not shown) that stores a control program that can execute a rectification method, which will be described later.

[0040] Such control device 40 has the function of generating high-frequency signals that drive each of the above-described plasma actuators 20 (plasma actuators PA1 to PA3). As a more specific example, control device 40 of this embodiment is configured to include a known inverter element that converts the DC voltage of the battery described above into AC voltage.

[0041] The battery described above has the function of supplying the power required for the plasma actuator 20 and the sensors 30. The battery of this embodiment may be any other known battery, such as a lead-acid battery or a nickel-metal hydride battery, as long as it is capable of boosting the voltage to the drive voltage of the plasma actuator.

[0042] Furthermore, the control device 40 of this embodiment preferably includes a boost circuit that boosts the voltage from the battery to a voltage that can drive the plasma actuator. More specifically, the boost circuit of this embodiment can be, for example, a known transformer that can boost the voltage (12 V or 24 V) of the car battery to several hundred volts. Note that the plasma actuator 20 of this embodiment is a known plasma actuator that can be driven at several thousand to several tens of thousands of volts, but the boost rate provided by the boost circuit 50 can be changed as appropriate depending on the drive voltage value of the plasma actuator.

[0043] More specifically, as shown in FIG. 3, the control device 40 of this embodiment includes a driving condition detection unit 41, a vehicle environment detection unit 42, a determination unit 43, a PA drive control unit 44, and a presentation unit 45. Of these, the driving condition detection unit 41 has a function of receiving information about the driving condition from the sensors 30 that detect the driving condition values ​​described above. The vehicle environment detection unit 42 also has a function of receiving information about the vehicle environment from the sensors 30 that detect the vehicle environment.

[0044] As will be described later, the determination unit 43 has a function of determining whether or not the plasma actuator needs to be driven, depending on conditions such as a driving condition value or a combination of a driving condition value and a vehicle environment value.

[0045] PA drive control section 44 has the function of controlling the drive of plasma actuators 20 (PA1 to PA3) via the above-mentioned boost circuit, etc. In addition to this embodiment, the drive control of plasma actuator 20 may also use a known control mechanism for plasma actuators.

[0046] The presentation unit 45 presents setting screens for various equipment installed in the vehicle 100 via the presentation device DS described below, and also has the function of presenting the driving status and behavior control status of the above-mentioned plasma actuator 20 to the occupants.

[0047] The external communication device CS may be, for example, a known communication device that can perform various types of information communication with the outside world using packet communication using the above-mentioned smartphone or next-generation automotive wireless communication technology represented by connected services.

[0048] The storage device MR can be, for example, a known recording device / storage device such as a hard disk drive or non-volatile memory, and is a means capable of recording various information such as the state and conditions of plasma actuators that have been driven in the past.

[0049] The navigation device NS can be exemplified by a known navigation system equipped with a GPS function, and is capable of detecting position information of the vehicle 100 in cooperation with the above-mentioned control device 40. Furthermore, the navigation device NS stores map information (not shown), and the control device 40 can detect the absolute position of the vehicle by referring to the map information.

[0050] In this embodiment, the presentation device DS includes a publicly known speaker SP and display DP mounted on a vehicle. The display DP may also serve as a monitor for the navigation device NS. The presentation device DS of this embodiment may be configured to be capable of short-range wireless communication with a portable device such as a smartphone carried by a passenger.

[0051] [Method for controlling plasma actuators when introducing cooling air into a vehicle] Next, with further reference to FIG. 4, a method for controlling the plasma actuator by the control device 40 when introducing cooling air into the vehicle in this embodiment will be described.

[0052] 4, in step 1-A, a driving condition value of the vehicle 100 is detected. Specifically, the vehicle speed is detected by the vehicle speed sensor 301. Next, in step 1-B, the vehicle environment value is detected. Specifically, the wind speed outside the vehicle is detected by the wind speed sensor 306.

[0053] Note that the above steps 1-A and 1-B are not essential steps and can be omitted as appropriate. That is, step 1-A may be performed first and step 1-B may be omitted, or conversely, step 1-A may be omitted and step 1-B may be performed. Alternatively, both step 1-A and step 1-B may be omitted.

[0054] In addition, if both step 1-A for detecting driving condition values ​​and step 1-B for detecting vehicle environment values ​​are provided, it is possible to control the operation of plasma actuator 20 according to the combination pattern of the driving condition values ​​detected in step 1-A and the vehicle environment values ​​detected in step 1-B.

[0055] Next, in step 2, control device 40 determines whether the value detected in at least one of step 1-A and step 1-B is equal to or greater than a predetermined value. As a result, for example, if the detected value in step 1-A indicates high vehicle speed, or if the detected value in step 1-B indicates high wind speed from the front of the vehicle, the outside air from opening 10 will not be able to be deflected toward the member to be cooled. Therefore, by actively driving plasma actuator 20, it is possible to promote the deflection of the outside air toward the member to be cooled. On the other hand, if the wind speed from the front of the vehicle is slow, the driving of plasma actuator 20 can be stopped, for example, to conserve battery energy.

[0056] It should be noted that if step 1-A and step 1-B are omitted as described above, it is also possible to omit step 2. In that case, plasma actuator 20 may be started at the same time that the engine of vehicle 100 is started, and plasma actuator 20 may be driven continuously until the engine stops running.

[0057] It should be noted that the "predetermined values" of the vehicle speed and wind speed outside the vehicle in step 2 described above can be set to various values ​​depending on the type of vehicle 100, the region in which it is traveling, etc. As an example, in this embodiment, a vehicle speed of 60 km / h or a wind speed outside the vehicle of 20 m / s is set as the predetermined value, and in this case, plasma actuator 20 is driven when either the vehicle speed is 60 km / h or higher or the wind speed outside the vehicle is 20 m / s or higher is met.

[0058] Furthermore, the control device 40 may refer to map information from the navigation device NS and vary the "predetermined value" depending on the current location of the vehicle 100. This makes it possible to adjust the "predetermined value" depending on the location, for example, when traveling on a highway or in an area prone to relatively strong winds, such as a valley or basin, and more easily improve the efficiency of introducing outside air. In other words, the control device 40 can vary the above-mentioned predetermined value depending on the location of the vehicle 100.

[0059] If the current driving condition value is determined to be "PA operation required" (Yes in step 2) in step 2, control device 40 refers to the outside air intake control table stored in the memory or storage device MR and controls the output of the plasma actuator at a predetermined position in the following step 3. At this time, as shown in FIG. 2 etc., the plasma actuator is positioned so that the introduced outside air is transported to a cooled member (e.g., an intercooler) installed at the back of opening 10 in vehicle 100 while the vehicle is running. The above-mentioned control table can be generated in advance by simulation, experiment, or the like and stored in the above-mentioned memory or storage device MR.

[0060] Next, in step 4, it is determined whether the engine of vehicle 100 is turned off. If it is turned off (Yes in step 4), the series of steps ends, and if it is not turned off (No in step 4), the process is repeated again from step 1.

[0061] Although the preferred embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the accompanying drawings, the present invention is not limited to these examples. It is clear that a person skilled in the art to which the present invention pertains may attempt further modifications to these embodiments and variations within the scope of the technical ideas set forth in the claims, and it is understood that these modifications also naturally fall within the technical scope of the present invention.

[0062] For example, in the above-described embodiment, the driving condition value is the vehicle speed, and the vehicle environment value is the wind speed around the vehicle 100. However, the present invention is not limited to this. Three types of elements may be detected: "vehicle speed," "wind speed outside the vehicle," and "temperature outside the vehicle." Plasma actuators 20 (PA1 to PA5) may be controlled based on a combination of these three types of detected values. Furthermore, plasma actuators 20 (PA1 to PA5) may be controlled appropriately based on a combination of four or more types of detected values. [Explanation of symbols]

[0063] 10 aperture 20 Plasma Actuator 30 Sensors 40 Drive unit 100 vehicles

Claims

1. an opening provided at a position shifted from a tangential direction of a main flow of outside air of the vehicle, for introducing the outside air into the vehicle in a direction toward the member to be cooled; A plasma actuator for changing the direction of the outside air introduced from the opening, a lower wall portion of the opening, a rear lower wall portion disposed closer to the member to be cooled than the lower wall portion, and a lower lower wall portion extending from the rear lower wall portion to a vehicle front side and below the lower wall portion, the plasma actuator is provided between the bottom wall portion and the lower bottom wall portion, a speed increasing means for increasing the speed of the outside air whose direction has been changed, downstream of the plasma actuator and between the lower wall portion and the rear lower wall portion; the speed increasing means is a gap narrower than a width between the lower wall portion and the rear lower wall portion, the gap is provided in a flow path from the opening to the cooled member, a jet flow generated by the plasma actuator joins with the outside air introduced from the opening to change the direction of the outside air, and the outside air is ejected from the gap so as to be directed toward the member to be cooled; vehicle.

2. The vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the opening is located in a front hood of the vehicle.

3. a driving condition detection unit for detecting a driving condition value of the vehicle; a control device that controls the plasma actuator in response to a driving condition value obtained by the driving condition detection unit; 3. A vehicle according to claim 1 or 2, comprising:

4. a vehicle environment detection unit for detecting a vehicle environment value of the vehicle; The vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein the control device controls the plasma actuator in response to a vehicle environment value obtained by the vehicle environment detection unit.

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