Temperature control device for vehicle batteries

Abstract

To provide a temperature control device of a vehicular battery which can inhibit increase of a battery temperature while reducing the frequency of an operation of a fan for introducing outside air into an engine room.SOLUTION: A temperature control device 50 of a vehicular battery includes: a battery unit 6 disposed in an engine room 3 and including a battery body 11 and a housing 12; a shutter unit 10 including a shutter 10a which opens or closes an outside air introduction port 7a of the engine room 3 and a shutter drive part 10b; a first fan 9 which sends outside air to the engine room 3; and a controller 21 which controls operations of the shutter unit 10 and the first fan 9 based on a battery temperature. The controller 21 controls the shutter unit 10 and the first fan 9 so as to open the shutter 10a and cause the first fan 9 to operate when the battery temperature is higher than a predetermined cooling request temperature at the time when the vehicle is stopped and close the shutter 10a and cause the first fan 9 to stop when the battery temperature is lower than or equal to the cooling request temperature.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to a temperature management device for a vehicle battery. [Background technology]

[0002] In gasoline-powered vehicles and other such vehicles, vehicle batteries such as 12V lead-acid batteries are generally placed in the engine compartment because they are used as power sources for the engine's starter motor, spark plugs, control microcomputers, etc.

[0003] As a measure to protect the battery from heat damage, the vehicle described in Patent Document 1 opens the grill shutter and operates the radiator fan when the temperature inside the engine compartment in which the battery is located rises above a certain level while the vehicle is stopped. This allows outside air to be introduced into the engine compartment to cool the battery. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-98650 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] However, in the case of the above-mentioned control in which the grill shutter is opened and the radiator fan is operated, there are cases in which it is necessary to operate the radiator fan every time the vehicle is stopped, which increases the amount of power consumption.

[0006] Instead of cooling the battery by operating the radiator fan, a method of housing the battery body in a housing and introducing outside air into the housing is considered. This method can efficiently cool the battery, and it is thought that the air insulation by the air inside the housing can suppress the rise in battery temperature for a certain period of time even if the radiator fan is not operated when the vehicle is stopped. However, even with this method, the temperature of the housing may gradually rise due to natural convection of the air in the engine room, and the battery temperature may rise accordingly, so further improvement is required.

[0007] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above-mentioned circumstances, and aims to provide a temperature management device for a vehicle battery that can suppress natural convection in the engine compartment when the vehicle is stopped, thereby suppressing the rise in battery temperature, while reducing the frequency of operation of the fan for introducing outside air into the engine compartment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0008] In order to solve the above problems, the temperature management device for a vehicle battery of the present invention is disposed in an engine compartment that communicates with the outside of the vehicle through an outside air inlet, and includes a battery unit including a battery main body and a housing that houses the battery main body, a shutter unit that opens and closes the outside air inlet and a shutter drive unit that drives the shutter, a first fan that sends outside air into the engine compartment through the outside air inlet, and a battery temperature sensor that detects the battery temperature, which is the temperature of the battery main body, an outer wall temperature sensor that detects a housing outer wall temperature, which is the temperature of the housing outer wall; and a convection velocity sensor that detects a convection velocity of air in the engine compartment; The battery temperature , the housing outer wall temperature, and the convection velocity and a control device that controls operations of the shutter unit and the first fan based on the result of the control device detecting when the battery temperature is higher than a predetermined cooling required temperature when the vehicle is stopped. and when the housing outer wall temperature is higher than the requested cooling temperature, the shutter is opened and the first fan is operated, and when the battery temperature is higher than the requested cooling temperature and the housing outer wall temperature is equal to or lower than the requested cooling temperature, the shutter is opened and the first fan is stopped, and when the battery temperature is equal to or lower than the requested cooling temperature and the housing outer wall temperature is equal to or lower than a temperature that would cause thermal damage to the engine room interior device that is higher than the requested cooling temperature, the battery temperature is higher than a requested hot air exhaust temperature that is lower than the requested cooling temperature, and the convection speed is higher than a speed at which heat transfer becomes significant due to collision of air particles in the engine room, the shutter is closed and the first fan is stopped. The shutter unit and the first fan are controlled.

[0009] According to this configuration, when the vehicle is stopped, the battery temperature is higher than a predetermined cooling required temperature. And the temperature of the outer wall of the case is higher than the required cooling temperature.In this case, the shutter of the shutter unit is opened and the first fan is operated to introduce outside air into the engine compartment and cool the battery body of the battery unit together with the housing. The temperature of the outer wall of the case is equal to or lower than the temperature that would cause thermal damage to the devices in the engine room, which is higher than the required cooling temperature, the battery temperature is higher than the required hot air exhaust temperature, which is lower than the required cooling temperature, and the convection speed is higher than the speed at which heat transfer becomes noticeable due to the collision of air particles in the engine room. In this case, the shutter is closed to stop the first fan from introducing outside air into the engine room. This makes it possible to suppress natural convection in the engine room and to suppress the rise in temperature of the housing outer wall. As a result, it is possible to suppress the rise in battery temperature while reducing the operation frequency of the first fan for introducing outside air into the engine room.

[0010] In the above vehicle battery temperature management device, the control device is configured to detect a hot air exhaust required temperature that is lower than the cooling required temperature. and when the temperature of the outer wall of the housing is equal to or lower than a temperature that causes thermal damage to devices in the engine room, which is higher than the required cooling temperature, the battery temperature is higher than a required hot air exhaust temperature that is lower than the required cooling temperature, and the convection speed is equal to or lower than a speed at which heat transfer becomes significant due to collision of air particles in the engine room, the shutter is opened and the first fan is stopped. , the shutter unit and the first fan It is preferable to control

[0011] According to this configuration, the battery temperature is lower than the hot air exhaust required temperature. When the temperature of the exterior wall of the case is below the temperature at which heat damage to the equipment in the engine room occurs, the battery temperature is higher than the required hot air exhaust temperature, which is lower than the required cooling temperature, and the convection speed is below the speed at which heat transfer becomes noticeable due to the collision of air particles in the engine room. In this case, the shutter can be opened by prioritizing the exhaust of hot air from the engine compartment over lowering the battery temperature, thereby improving the performance of exhausting hot air from the engine compartment.

[0012] In the above-mentioned temperature management device for a vehicle battery, it is preferable that the battery unit further includes an inlet passage that connects the inside of the housing with the outside of the engine compartment and is capable of introducing air from outside the engine compartment into the inside of the housing, and an exhaust passage that is capable of exhausting air from inside the housing.

[0013] With this configuration, the battery body inside the housing can be cooled by introducing air from outside the engine compartment into the housing through the inlet passage, and at the same time, the air inside the housing that has received heat from the battery body can be exhausted through the exhaust passage, thereby further suppressing the rise in battery temperature.

[0014] In the vehicle battery temperature management device described above, it is preferable that the battery unit further includes an on-off valve that opens and closes the introduction path.

[0015] According to this configuration, it becomes possible to control the air flow inside the housing by opening and closing the introduction passage with the on-off valve, and it becomes possible to control both the promotion and suppression of heat transfer from the housing to the air inside the housing.

[0016] In the vehicle battery temperature management device, it is preferable that the introduction path has an introduction port communicating with the interior of the vehicle compartment.

[0017] The air inside the vehicle cabin is relatively cooler than the air inside the engine compartment, and its temperature does not fluctuate as much as the air outside the vehicle. Therefore, with the above-mentioned configuration, the air inside the vehicle cabin is introduced into the housing through the inlet port and the inlet passage, so that the increase in the battery temperature can be reliably suppressed.

[0018] In the above vehicle battery temperature management device, it is preferable that the discharge path has a discharge port disposed at a position outside the engine compartment where negative pressure occurs while the vehicle is running.

[0019] This configuration makes it possible to suppress the effect of air convection in the engine compartment on the space inside the housing. Moreover, the negative pressure generated while the vehicle is running allows the air in the exhaust passage to be exhausted to the outside of the engine compartment and air to be introduced into the housing from the inlet passage, eliminating the need for a fan to introduce air into the housing. Effect of the Invention

[0022] According to the vehicle battery temperature management device of the present invention, it is possible to suppress natural convection in the engine compartment when the vehicle is stopped while reducing the frequency with which the fan for introducing outside air into the engine compartment is operated, thereby suppressing an increase in battery temperature. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0023] [Figure 1]1 is an explanatory diagram showing in a simplified manner the main configuration of a vehicle to which a temperature management device for a vehicle battery according to a first embodiment of the present invention is applied; [Diagram 2] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the battery unit of FIG. 1. [Diagram 3] 1 is a graph showing the relationship between reference wind speed and convective heat conductivity in an engine compartment. [Figure 4] 4 is a flowchart showing control of a radiator fan, a grille shutter, and an electromagnetic opening / closing valve during idling stop of the vehicle in FIG. 1. [Diagram 5] 2 is a flowchart showing control of a radiator fan, a grill shutter, and an electromagnetic opening / closing valve while the vehicle in FIG. 1 is traveling. [Figure 6] 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the grill shutter and the radiator fan when cooling is required while the vehicle of FIG. 1 is running or stopped. [Figure 7] 4 is an explanatory diagram showing the operation of the grill shutter and the radiator fan when the vehicle in FIG. 1 is stopped and cooling is not required. FIG. [Figure 8] This is a time chart of the radiator fan ON-OFF, opening and closing of the grill shutter, battery temperature, air temperature inside the casing, and exterior wall temperature of the casing in Figure 1. [Figure 9] FIG. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing in a simplified manner the main configuration of a vehicle to which a temperature management device for a vehicle battery according to a second embodiment of the present invention is applied. [Figure 10] FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the battery unit of FIG. 1. [Figure 11] 10 is a flowchart showing control of a battery-dedicated fan, a radiator fan, a grille shutter, and an electromagnetic opening / closing valve during idling stop of the vehicle in FIG. 9. [Figure 12] 10 is a flowchart showing the control of a battery-dedicated fan, a radiator fan, a grille shutter, and an electromagnetic opening / closing valve while the vehicle in FIG. 9 is running. [Figure 13] Graphs (a) to (c) show the changes over time in temperature of the outer wall of the casing, the inner wall of the casing, the space inside the casing, the battery surface, and the inside of the battery when the environmental temperature outside the casing of the battery unit is set differently. [Figure 14] Graphs (a) to (c) show the change over time in temperature of the outer wall of the housing, the inner wall of the housing, the space inside the housing, the battery surface, and the inside of the battery when the convection thermal conductivity in the engine compartment outside the housing of the battery unit is changed. [Figure 15] Graphs (a) to (c) show the change over time in temperature of the outer wall of the housing, the inner wall of the housing, the space inside the housing, the battery surface, and the inside of the battery when the convection thermal conductivity of the space inside the housing of the battery unit is changed. [Figure 16] Graphs (a) to (c) show the change over time in temperature of the outer wall of the housing, the inner wall of the housing, the space inside the housing, the battery surface, and the inside of the battery when the volume of the housing of the battery unit (specifically, the distance between the housing wall and the battery body) is changed. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0024] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0025] (First embodiment) 1 as a first embodiment of the present invention, an example of a vehicle to which a vehicle battery temperature management device 50 of the present invention is applied, has an engine room 3 disposed on the front side X1 of a passenger compartment 4 of a vehicle body 2, and has a battery unit 6 housed inside the engine room 3 together with an engine 5 for driving wheels, such as a gasoline engine. The battery unit 6 includes a battery body 11 as a vehicle battery, such as a 12V lead-acid battery, and is used as a power source for the starter motor of the engine 5, the ignition plug, a control microcomputer, etc.

[0026] The front side X1 of the engine room 3 includes a cylindrical shroud 7 having an outside air inlet 7a that opens to the front side X1 of the vehicle, and a shutter unit 10 having a grill shutter 10a, a radiator 8, and a radiator fan 9 (first fan), each of which is disposed inside the shroud 7. The engine room 3 communicates with the outside of the vehicle 1 through the outside air inlet 7a. The operations of the shutter unit 10 and the radiator fan 9 are controlled by a control device 21.

[0027] As shown in Figures 1 and 2, the battery unit 6 comprises a battery body 11, a housing 12 having a space 12a for accommodating the battery body 11, an inlet pipe 13 which serves as an air inlet path to the housing 12, an exhaust pipe 14 which serves as an air exhaust path from the housing 12, an electromagnetic on-off valve 15 provided on the inlet pipe 13, and an insulating material 16 such as a foam material (e.g., foamed resin) which is accommodated in the space 12a of the housing 12 and provides insulation between the underside of the battery body 11 and the housing 12.

[0028] The inlet pipe 13 communicates between the inside of the housing 12 and the outside of the engine room 3, and functions as an inlet passage that can introduce air from the outside of the engine room 3 into the inside of the housing 12. In this embodiment, the inlet pipe 13 has an inlet port 13a that communicates with the inside of the vehicle interior 4.

[0029] The exhaust pipe 14 functions as an exhaust path capable of exhausting air inside the housing 12. In this embodiment, the exhaust pipe 14 has an exhaust port 14a disposed at a position outside the engine room 3 where negative pressure occurs while the vehicle is running (for example, a position above the engine room 3 in the vehicle body 2 as shown in FIG. 1).

[0030] The electromagnetic on-off valve 15 is disposed inside the introduction pipe 13, and is an on-off valve that opens and closes the flow path (introduction path) inside the introduction pipe 13. The electromagnetic on-off valve 15 opens and closes the valve by electromagnetic force based on a signal from a control device 21, which will be described later. Note that in the present invention, in addition to the above-mentioned electromagnetic on-off valve 15, an on-off valve that uses air, hydraulic pressure, or the like can also be used as the on-off valve for the introduction path.

[0031] The shutter unit 10 includes a grill shutter 10a (shutter) that opens and closes the outside air inlet 7a of the shroud 7, and a shutter driver 10b that drives the grill shutter 10a to open and close. The shutter driver 10b may be disposed outside the shroud 7.

[0032] The radiator fan 9 (first fan) sends outside air into the engine compartment 3 through the outside air inlet 7a of the shroud 7, and cools the radiator 8 with the air. The radiator fan 9 is not limited to a propeller fan, and may be any of various types of air blowing means.

[0033] In this embodiment, the shutter unit 10 having the grill shutter 10a arranged together with the radiator 8 inside the shroud 7 and the radiator fan 9 have been described as an example of the shutter unit and first fan of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited to this. For example, the shutter unit and the first fan of the present invention may be provided in an air intake path to the engine room 3 that is provided separately from the grill shutter 10a and the radiator fan 9 related to cooling the radiator 8.

[0034] As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle 1 of this embodiment is provided with the following multiple sensors 23 to 26 in order to detect the temperature and air flow speed in the battery unit 6 and the engine compartment 3.

[0035] The battery temperature sensor 23 is a sensor that detects the battery temperature, which is the temperature of the battery main body 11 , and is attached to the battery main body 11 .

[0036] The outer wall temperature sensor 24 is a sensor that detects the temperature of the outer wall of the housing 12 , and is attached to the outer wall of the housing 12 .

[0037] The vehicle interior temperature sensor 25 is a sensor that detects the temperature inside the vehicle interior 4, and is attached inside the vehicle interior 4.

[0038] The convection velocity sensor 26 is a sensor that detects the convection velocity of the air inside the engine room 3 , and is attached inside the engine room 3 .

[0039] The control device 21 controls the operations of the shutter unit 10 and the radiator fan 9 based on at least the battery temperature detected by the battery temperature sensor 23. In this embodiment, the control device 21 controls the operations of the shutter unit 10, the radiator fan 9, and the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15 based on the four parameters detected by the above-mentioned sensors 23 to 26, that is, the battery temperature, the housing outer wall temperature, the vehicle interior temperature, and the convection speed.

[0040] The vehicle battery temperature management device 50 in the vehicle 1 of this embodiment configured as described above mainly comprises a battery unit 6, a shutter unit 10, a radiator fan 9 (first fan), and a control device 21 that controls the operation of the shutter unit 10 and the radiator fan 9 based on the battery temperature.

[0041] Here, the relationship between the air flow in the engine compartment 3 and the convection heat transfer coefficient will be examined with reference to the graph in FIG.

[0042] When the vehicle is stopped, air flows inside the engine compartment 3 with the grill shutter 10a open and the radiator fan 9 operating. As shown in FIG. 3, when air flows inside the engine compartment 3 at a wind speed of 0 to 10 m / s, the convection heat conductivity increases or decreases almost in proportion to the wind speed. Even if the radiator fan 9 is stopped, there is still some air flowing in and out of the engine compartment 3 when the grill shutter 10a is open, so that the convection heat conductivity is 10 W / (m 2 A small amount of natural convection of less than K) exists in the engine room 3. Therefore, heat generated from heat sources such as the engine 5 in the engine room 3 is easily transferred to the housing 12 of the battery unit 6 via natural convection, making it difficult to suppress an increase in the outer wall temperature of the housing 12 and making it impossible to reduce the operation frequency of the radiator fan 9.

[0043] Therefore, the inventors conducted extensive research to overcome this problem, and as a result, in order to suppress the rise in battery temperature while reducing the operating frequency of the radiator fan 9, the temperature management device 50 of this embodiment has a configuration that suppresses natural convection in the engine compartment 3 to suppress the rise in battery temperature when the battery temperature is below the required cooling temperature when the vehicle is stopped.

[0044] Specifically, when the vehicle is stopped, if the battery temperature is higher than a predetermined cooling required temperature, the control device 21 opens the grill shutter 10a and operates the radiator fan 9 (steps S3 to S5 of the flow chart in FIG. 4 and operation mode S100 described later). <1> If the battery temperature is equal to or lower than the required cooling temperature, the shutter unit 10 and the radiator fan 9 are controlled to close the grill shutter 10a and stop the radiator fan 9 (see Operation Mode in the Case of No in Step S3). <3> , <5> , <6> This makes it possible to suppress an increase in battery temperature while reducing the operating frequency of the radiator fan 9.

[0045] Furthermore, in this embodiment, the control device 21 controls the shutter unit 10 to open the grill shutter 10a when the battery temperature is equal to or lower than the hot air exhaust required temperature, which is lower than the cooling required temperature (see the flow of steps S8, S11, and S12 of the flowchart in FIG. 4 and the operation mode <4> As a result, it is possible to improve the performance of discharging hot air from the engine compartment 3.

[0046] (Operation description) Next, referring to the flowcharts of Figures 4 and 5, the operation of the vehicle battery temperature management device 50 of the first embodiment will be explained, with reference to the control of the radiator fan 9, the shutter unit 10 having the grill shutter 10a, and the solenoid opening / closing valve 15 of this embodiment in two cases: when the vehicle 1 is idling stop and when it is running.

[0047] <Control during idling stop> First, the control of the radiator fan 9, the shutter unit 10, and the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15 in the temperature management device 50 during idling stop of the vehicle 1 will be described.

[0048] As shown in step S1 of the flowchart in Figure 4, first, the battery temperature Tb, the housing outer wall temperature To, the passenger compartment temperature Ti, and the convection velocity V in the engine compartment 3 are measured using the battery temperature sensor 23, the exterior wall temperature sensor 24, the passenger compartment temperature sensor 25, and the convection velocity sensor 26.

[0049] Next, in step S2, the control device 21 determines whether the engine 5 is in an idling stop state.

[0050] If the vehicle is idling-stopped, the process proceeds to step S3. If the vehicle is not idling-stopped, that is, if the vehicle is moving, the process proceeds to the flowchart of FIG. 5 for when the vehicle is moving and the process proceeds to step S16.

[0051] In step S3, the control device 21 determines whether the battery temperature Tb is higher than a predetermined cooling request temperature T1 (i.e., whether Tb>T1). If Tb>T1, the process proceeds to step S4, and if Tb>T1 is not satisfied, i.e., if Tb≦T1, the process proceeds to step S7.

[0052] In step S4, the control device 21 determines whether the housing outer wall temperature To is higher than the cooling request temperature T1 (i.e., whether To>T1). If To>T1, the process proceeds to step S5, and if To>T1 is not satisfied, i.e., if To≦T1, the process proceeds to step S6.

[0053] In step S5, the operation mode <1> As a result, the control device 21 controls the radiator fan 9, the shutter unit 10, and the electromagnetic on-off valve 15 to operate the radiator fan 9 (RADIFAN operation), open the grill shutter 10a, and close the electromagnetic on-off valve 15. As a result, when both the battery temperature Tb and the housing outer wall temperature To are higher than the cooling request temperature T1, outside air is introduced into the engine room 3 to cool the engine room 3, and at the same time, it is possible to quickly cool both the battery main body 11 and the housing 12 of the battery unit 6 inside the engine room 3 (see FIG. 6).

[0054] On the other hand, in step S6, the operation mode <2> As a result, the control device 21 controls the radiator fan 9, the shutter unit 10, and the electromagnetic on-off valve 15 to stop the radiator fan 9 (RAD FAN STOP), open the grill shutter 10a, and close the electromagnetic on-off valve 15. As a result, in a state in which the battery temperature Tb is higher than the cooling request temperature T1 and the housing outer wall temperature To is equal to or lower than T1, by stopping the radiator fan 9 and opening the grill shutter 10a, it is possible to cool the battery main body 11 and the housing 12 while radiating heat from the engine room 3 to the outside (see FIG. 7).

[0055] In step S7, the control device 21 judges whether the housing outer wall temperature To is higher than the temperature T0 that causes thermal damage to the devices in the engine room 3 (i.e., whether To>T0). If To>T0, the process proceeds to the above step S5 and the above operation mode is selected. <1> If To>T0 is not satisfied, that is, if To≦T0, the process proceeds to step S8.

[0056] In step S8, the control device 21 determines whether the battery temperature Tb is higher than a predetermined hot air exhaust required temperature T2 that is lower than the cooling required temperature T1 (i.e., whether Tb>T2). If Tb>T2, the process proceeds to step S9, and if Tb>T2 is not satisfied, i.e., if Tb≦T2, the process proceeds to step S11.

[0057] In step S9, the control device 21 determines whether the E-room flow velocity V is higher than a velocity V1 at which heat transfer becomes significant due to collisions of air particles in the engine room 3 (i.e., whether V>V1). If V>V1, the process proceeds to step S10, and if V>V1 is not satisfied, i.e., if V≦V1, the process proceeds to step S12.

[0058] In step S10, the operation mode <3> As the operation mode, the control device 21 controls the radiator fan 9, the shutter unit 10, and the electromagnetic on-off valve 15 so as to stop the radiator fan 9 (RAD FAN STOP), close the grill shutter 10a, and close the electromagnetic on-off valve 15. <3> In this case, since the battery temperature Tb is between the cooling requirement temperature T1 and the hot air exhaust requirement temperature T2 (T1>Tb>T2), there is no need to immediately cool the battery body 11. However, since the E-room flow velocity V is higher than the velocity V1 at which heat transfer becomes significant due to the collision of air particles, by stopping the radiator fan 9 and closing the grill shutter 10a, the air flow in the engine room 3 can be reduced, preventing natural convection from occurring and suppressing the rise in battery temperature (see Figure 1).

[0059] In step S11, the control device 21 determines whether the battery temperature Tb is higher than the temperature (warm-up required temperature) T3 (i.e., whether Tb>T3) at which the battery main body 11 needs to be warmed up. If Tb>T3, the process proceeds to step S12, and if Tb>T3 is not satisfied, i.e., if Tb≦T3, the process proceeds to step S13.

[0060] In step S12, the operation mode <4> As a result, the control device 21 controls the radiator fan 9, the shutter unit 10, and the electromagnetic on-off valve 15 to stop the radiator fan 9 (RAD FAN STOP), open the grill shutter 10a, and close the electromagnetic on-off valve 15. As a result, as in the flow of steps S8, S11, and S12, when the battery temperature Tb is equal to or lower than the hot air exhaust request temperature T2 that is lower than the cooling request temperature T1, there is a margin for battery cooling, so it is possible to stop the radiator fan 9 and open the grill shutter 10a by prioritizing exhausting the hot air in the engine room 3 over lowering the battery temperature Tb (see FIG. 7). Also, as in the flow of steps S8, S9, and S12, even when the battery temperature Tb is higher than the hot air exhaust request temperature T2 but the E-room flow velocity V is equal to or lower than the velocity V1 at which heat transfer becomes noticeable due to collision of air particles, it is possible to dissipate heat from the engine room 3 to the outside by opening the grill shutter 10a.

[0061] In addition, the above operation mode <1> ~ <4> In this case, the electromagnetic on-off valve 15 is closed to prevent heat transfer from the housing 12 to the air inside the housing 12 due to air flow.

[0062] In step S13, the control device 21 determines whether the housing outer wall temperature To is higher than the battery temperature Tb (i.e., whether To>Tb). If To>Tb, the process proceeds to step S15, and if To>Tb is not satisfied, i.e., if To≦Tb, the process proceeds to step S14.

[0063] In step S14, the operation mode <5> As a result, the control device 21 controls the radiator fan 9, the shutter unit 10, and the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15 to stop the radiator fan 9 (RAD FAN STOP), close the grill shutter 10a, and close the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15. As a result, when the battery temperature Tb is equal to or lower than the warm-up required temperature T3 (flow of steps S11 and S13) and the housing outer wall temperature To is equal to or lower than the battery temperature Tb, the radiator fan 9 is stopped and the grill shutter 10a is closed, thereby making it possible to reduce the air flow in the engine room 3 (see FIG. 1). Moreover, by closing the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15, heat transfer from the housing 12 to the air inside the housing 12 due to the air flow is prevented, so that the transfer of heat from the battery main body 11 to the housing 12 that is cooler than the battery main body 11 is suppressed, and the battery main body 11 can be warmed up.

[0064] In step S15, the operation mode <6> As a result, the control device 21 controls the radiator fan 9, the shutter unit 10, and the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15 to stop the radiator fan 9 (RAD FAN STOP), close the grill shutter 10a, and open the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15. As a result, when the battery temperature Tb is equal to or lower than the warm-up required temperature T3 (flow of steps S11 and S13) and the housing outer wall temperature To is higher than the battery temperature Tb, the radiator fan 9 is stopped and the grill shutter 10a is closed, thereby making it possible to reduce the air flow in the engine room 3 (see FIG. 1). At the same time, by opening the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15, it is possible to promote the heat transfer from the housing 12 to the air inside the housing 12 by the air flow, and to warm up the battery main body 11 by utilizing the heat of the housing 12.

[0065] <Control during driving> Following the above-mentioned control during idling stop, the control of the radiator fan 9, the shutter unit 10, and the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15 in the temperature management device 50 while the vehicle 1 is running will be described.

[0066] As described above, if the idling stop is not performed in step S3 of FIG. 4, that is, if it is determined that the vehicle is moving, the process moves to the flowchart of FIG. 5 for the case where the vehicle is moving, and proceeds to step S16.

[0067] 5, in the same manner as in step S3 above, the control device 21 determines whether Tb>T1. If Tb>T1, the process proceeds to step S17, and if Tb>T1 is not true (if Tb≦T1), the process proceeds to step S19.

[0068] In step S17, similarly to step S4 above, the control device 21 judges whether To>T1. If To>T1, the process proceeds to step S18, and if To>T1 is not true (if To≦T1), the process proceeds to step S20.

[0069] In step S18, the operation mode <7> As a result, when both the battery temperature Tb and the housing outer wall temperature To are higher than the cooling request temperature T1, the control device 21 controls the radiator fan 9, the shutter unit 10, and the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15 to stop the radiator fan 9 (RAD FAN STOP), open the grille shutter 10a, and open the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15. As a result, when the battery temperature Tb and the housing outer wall temperature To are higher than the cooling request temperature T1, the grille shutter 10a is opened to introduce the traveling wind into the engine room 3 and the air in the vehicle interior 4 into the housing 12, so that even if the radiator fan 9 is stopped, it is possible to cool the engine room 3 and simultaneously quickly cool both the battery body 11 and the housing 12 of the battery unit 6 in the engine room 3 (see FIG. 6). Furthermore, the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15 is opened and the air in the vehicle interior 4 is introduced into the housing 12 by utilizing the negative pressure generated at the exhaust port 14a during driving, thereby making it possible to further cool the battery body 11.

[0070] In step S19, the control device 21 determines whether Tb>T3, similarly to step S11 above. If Tb>T3, the process proceeds to step S20, and if Tb>T3 is not true (if Tb≦T3), the process proceeds to step S21.

[0071] In step S20, the operation mode <8> As a result, the control device 21 controls the radiator fan 9, the shutter unit 10, and the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15 to stop the radiator fan 9 (RAD FAN STOP), close the grill shutter 10a, and open the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15. As a result, when the battery temperature Tb is between the cooling required temperature T1 and the warm-up required temperature T3 (when T1>Tb>T3 (flow of steps S19 and S20)), it is possible to reduce the air flow in the engine room 3 by stopping the radiator fan 9 and closing the grill shutter 10a (see FIG. 1). At the same time, by opening the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15, heat transfer from the housing 12 to the air inside the housing 12 due to the air flow is promoted. As a result, it is possible to maintain the battery main body 11 at an appropriate temperature. Also, when the battery temperature Tb is higher than the cooling request temperature T1 but the housing outer wall temperature To is lower than the cooling request temperature T1 (flow of steps S17, S20), it is possible to reduce the air flow in the engine room 3 and maintain the battery main body 11 at an appropriate temperature, as described above.

[0072] In step S21, the control device 21 determines whether the vehicle interior temperature Ti is higher than the battery temperature Tb (i.e., whether Ti>Tb). If Ti>Tb, the process proceeds to step S20, and if Ti>Tb is not satisfied, i.e., if Ti≦Tb, the process proceeds to step S22.

[0073] In the case of the flow of steps S21 and S20, the operation mode <9> As a result, the control device 21 controls the radiator fan 9, the shutter unit 10, and the electromagnetic on-off valve 15 to stop the radiator fan 9 (RAD FAN STOP), close the grill shutter 10a, and open the electromagnetic on-off valve 15. By stopping the radiator fan 9 and closing the grill shutter 10a, it is possible to reduce the air flow in the engine room 3 (see FIG. 1). At the same time, by opening the electromagnetic on-off valve 15, it is possible to introduce air in the vehicle compartment 4 into the housing 12 through the introduction pipe 13, and to warm up the battery main body 11 by utilizing the heat in the vehicle compartment 4 that is higher than that of the battery main body 11.

[0074] In step S22, the operation mode <10> As a result, the control device 21 controls the radiator fan 9, the shutter unit 10, and the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15 to stop the radiator fan 9 (RAD FAN STOP), close the grill shutter 10a, and close the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15. As a result, in the case where the battery temperature Tb is equal to or lower than the warm-up required temperature T3 (flow of steps S19 and S21), but the vehicle interior temperature Ti is equal to or lower than the battery temperature Tb, it is possible to reduce the air flow in the engine compartment 3 by stopping the radiator fan 9 and closing the grill shutter 10a (see FIG. 1). Moreover, by closing the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15, it is possible to suppress a drop in the temperature of the battery main body 11 due to the cold air in the vehicle interior 4, and to warm up the battery main body 11.

[0075] <Explanation about the time chart> Next, a description will be given of a time chart of FIG. 8 showing the ON-OFF of the radiator fan 9, the opening and closing of the grill shutter 10a, the battery temperature I, the air temperature inside the casing II, and the outer wall temperature III of the casing.

[0076] First, as a prerequisite for the battery temperature, as shown in the graph of FIG. 13, the battery temperature tends to be highly sensitive to the environmental temperature outside the housing 12 (i.e., the temperature inside the engine room 3). FIGS. 13(a) to (c) are graphs showing the temporal changes in the temperatures of the housing outer wall, housing inner wall, housing inner space, battery surface, and inside the battery when the environmental temperature outside the housing 12 of the battery unit 6 is set differently. In FIG. 13, T1: housing outer wall temperature, T2: housing inner wall temperature, T3: housing inner space temperature, T4: battery surface temperature, T5: battery internal temperature, and battery upper limit temperature TA are shown. In FIGS. 13(a) to (c), as the environmental temperature rises to 70° C., 80° C., and 90° C., the battery surface and internal temperatures T4 and T5 reach the battery upper limit temperature TA earlier.

[0077] Similarly, as shown in the graphs of Figures 14 and 15, the battery temperature also tends to be highly sensitive to air convection outside and inside the housing 12 (i.e., as the assumed convection heat transfer coefficient increases, the battery surface and internal temperatures T4 and T5 quickly reach the battery upper limit temperature TA.) Note that, as shown in the graph of Figure 16, the battery temperature tends to be very insensitive to the volume inside the housing (specifically, the distance between the housing wall and the battery body).

[0078] Therefore, taking the above tendency into consideration, the battery temperature I in FIG. 8 is affected by both the housing internal air temperature II and the housing external wall temperature III (=the temperature of the air in the engine compartment 3).

[0079] In the vehicle battery temperature management device 50 of the present embodiment, as shown in FIG. 8, the operation mode of step S12 in FIG. 4 is maintained until the battery temperature I reaches the hot air exhaust request temperature T2 (before time point t1). <4> As shown in FIG. 1, the radiator fan 9 is stopped and the grill shutter 10a is open, giving priority to heat dissipation from the engine compartment 3 over cooling the battery temperature. Prior to time t1, the battery temperature I rises, and the housing internal air temperature II and housing external wall temperature III also rise.

[0080] Incidentally, since there is a large temperature difference between the air temperature II inside the housing and the temperature inside the vehicle interior 4, and natural convection occurs due to the exchange of air, the solenoid opening / closing valve 15 is kept closed at all times.

[0081] When the battery temperature I becomes equal to or higher than the hot air exhaust request temperature T2 (between time points t1 and t2), the operation mode of step S13 in FIG. <3> In this manner, the grill shutter 10a is closed to suppress natural convection inside the engine room 3, thereby suppressing the temperature rise of the battery main body 11 and the housing 12 of the battery unit 6. At this time, the radiator fan 9 is not yet operated. Between times t1 and t2, the gradients of rise in the battery temperature I, the air temperature inside the housing II, and the housing outer wall temperature III become gentle.

[0082] Furthermore, when the battery temperature I becomes equal to or higher than the cooling request temperature T1 (after time t2), the operation mode of step S5 in FIG. <1> As described above, by opening the grill shutter 10a and operating the radiator fan 9, outside air is introduced into the engine room 3 to cool the engine room 3, and at the same time, it is possible to quickly cool both the battery body 11 and the housing 12 of the battery unit 6 inside the engine room 3. As a result, it is possible to prevent the battery temperature I from reaching the upper battery limit temperature, which is the operating limit of the battery.

[0083] On the other hand, if some abnormality occurs inside the engine room 3 and the housing outer wall temperature III (= the air temperature inside the engine room 3) reaches a temperature T0 that causes thermal damage to the devices in the engine room 3 (see curve III' and time t3), the grill shutter 10a is opened and the radiator fan 9 is operated (see the flow of steps S3, S7, and S5 in FIG. 4) before time t2 when the battery temperature I reaches the cooling request temperature T1. This allows outside air to be introduced into the engine room 3, enabling it to be cooled quickly.

[0084] (Features of the first embodiment) (1) The vehicle battery temperature management device 50 of the first embodiment is arranged in an engine room 3 that communicates with the outside of the vehicle 1 through an outside air inlet 7a, and is equipped with a battery unit 6 that has a battery main body 11 and a housing 12 that houses the battery main body 11, a shutter unit 10 that has a grill shutter 10a (shutter) that opens and closes the outside air inlet 7a and a shutter drive unit 10b that drives the grill shutter 10a, a radiator fan 9 (first fan) that sends outside air into the engine room 3 through the outside air inlet 7a, a battery temperature sensor 23 that detects the battery temperature, which is the temperature of the battery main body 11, and a control device 21 that controls the operation of the shutter unit 10 and the radiator fan based on the battery temperature.

[0085] When the vehicle is stopped, if the battery temperature is higher than a predetermined cooling required temperature, the control device 21 opens the grill shutter 10a and operates the radiator fan 9 (steps S3 to S5 of the flow chart in FIG. 4 and operation mode <1> If the battery temperature is equal to or lower than the required cooling temperature, the shutter unit 10 and the radiator fan 9 are controlled to close the grill shutter 10a and stop the radiator fan 9 (see Operation Mode in the Case of No in Step S3). <3> , <5> , <6> reference).

[0086] According to this configuration, when the battery temperature is higher than a predetermined cooling required temperature while the vehicle is stopped, the grill shutter 10a of the shutter unit 10 is opened and the radiator fan 9 is operated to introduce outside air into the engine room 3 and cool the battery body 11 of the battery unit 6 together with the housing 12. On the other hand, when the battery temperature is equal to or lower than the cooling required temperature, the grill shutter 10a is closed and the radiator fan 9 is stopped to stop the introduction of outside air into the engine room 3. This makes it possible to suppress natural convection in the engine room 3 and suppress an increase in the temperature of the outer wall of the housing 12. As a result, it is possible to suppress an increase in the battery temperature while reducing the frequency of operation of the radiator fan 9 for introducing outside air into the engine room 3.

[0087] (2) In the vehicle battery temperature management device 50 of the first embodiment, the control device 21 controls the shutter unit 10 to open the grill shutter 10a when the battery temperature is equal to or lower than the hot air exhaust required temperature, which is lower than the cooling required temperature (see the flow of steps S8, S11, and S12 in FIG. 4 and the operation mode <4> reference).

[0088] According to this configuration, when the battery temperature is equal to or lower than the hot air exhaust required temperature, which is lower than the cooling required temperature, there is a margin for battery cooling, so it is possible to open the grill shutter 10a by prioritizing exhausting hot air from the engine compartment 3 over lowering the battery temperature. This makes it possible to improve the hot air exhaust performance from the engine compartment 3.

[0089] (3) In the first embodiment of the vehicle battery temperature management device 50, the battery unit 6 further includes an inlet pipe 13 (inlet path) that connects the inside of the housing 12 with the outside of the engine room 3 and is capable of introducing air from outside the engine room 3 into the inside of the housing 12, and an exhaust pipe 14 (exhaust path) that is capable of exhausting air from inside the housing 12.

[0090] According to this configuration, the air outside the engine room 3 is introduced into the housing 12 through the inlet pipe 13 to cool the battery main body 11 inside the housing 12, and at the same time, the air inside the housing 12 that has received heat from the battery main body 11 can be exhausted through the exhaust pipe 14. As a result, it is possible to further suppress the rise in the battery temperature.

[0091] For example, when the vehicle is running and the electromagnetic on-off valve 15 is open (steps S18 and S20 in FIG. 5 and operation mode <7> ~ <9> 1, the air in the vehicle compartment 4 outside the engine room 3 is introduced into the housing 12 through the introduction pipe 13 by utilizing the negative pressure generated at the exhaust port 14a of the exhaust pipe 14 in Fig. 1, thereby cooling the battery main body 11 inside the housing 12, and at the same time, the air inside the housing 12 that has received heat from the battery main body 11 can be exhausted through the exhaust pipe 14. In addition, when the vehicle is stopped, the air that is lower in temperature (than the inside of the engine room 3) that was introduced into the housing 12 while the vehicle was running remains inside the housing 12, thereby making it possible to suppress an increase in the battery temperature.

[0092] In this embodiment, the battery unit 6 includes an inlet pipe 13 (inlet passage) and an outlet pipe 14 (outlet passage), but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the inlet pipe 13 (inlet passage) and the outlet pipe 14 (outlet passage) may not be included. That is, the battery unit of the present invention only needs to include a battery body and a housing as essential components. Also, in order to cool the inside of the housing 12, a means for cooling the battery body 11 (such as a water jacket or a Peltier element) may be provided instead of the inlet pipe 13 (inlet passage) and the outlet pipe 14 (outlet passage).

[0093] (4) In the vehicle battery temperature management device 50 of the first embodiment, the battery unit 6 further includes an electromagnetic on-off valve 15 (on-off valve) that opens and closes the inlet pipe 13.

[0094] With this configuration, it becomes possible to control the air flow within the housing 12 by opening and closing the inlet pipe 13 using the electromagnetic on-off valve 15, making it possible to control both the promotion and suppression of heat transfer from the housing 12 to the air within the housing 12.

[0095] (5) In the vehicle battery temperature management device 50 of the first embodiment, the inlet pipe 13 (inlet passage) has an inlet 13a that communicates with the interior of the vehicle compartment 4.

[0096] The air inside the vehicle compartment 4 is relatively cooler than the air inside the engine compartment 3, and its temperature does not fluctuate as much as the air outside the vehicle. Therefore, according to the above-described configuration, the air inside the vehicle compartment 4 is introduced into the housing 12 from the inlet 13a via the inlet pipe 13, thereby making it possible to reliably suppress an increase in the battery temperature.

[0097] (6) In the vehicle battery temperature management device 50 of the first embodiment, the exhaust pipe 14 (exhaust path) has an exhaust port 14a that is arranged at a position outside the engine compartment 3 where negative pressure occurs while the vehicle is running.

[0098] This configuration makes it possible to suppress the effect of air convection in the engine compartment 3 on the space inside the housing 12. Moreover, due to the negative pressure generated while the vehicle is running, the air inside the exhaust pipe 14 is exhausted to the outside of the engine compartment 3 and air can be introduced into the housing 12 from the inlet pipe 13, making a fan for introducing air into the housing 12 unnecessary.

[0099] Second embodiment As a second embodiment of a temperature management device 50 for a vehicle battery of the present invention, the temperature management device 50 shown in Figures 9-10 differs from the temperature management device 50 of the first embodiment shown in Figures 1-2 in that it further includes a battery-dedicated fan 27 as a second fan that generates an air flow from the inlet pipe 13 (inlet path) through the housing 12 to the outlet pipe 14 (outlet path), and in that the control device 21 controls the battery-dedicated fan 27, the shutter unit 10, and the radiator fan 9 differently, but the configuration is otherwise the same.

[0100] Specifically, in the second embodiment, the battery fan 27 is disposed, for example, in the exhaust pipe 14, and is capable of generating a series of air flows to the inlet pipe 13, the housing 12, and the exhaust pipe 14. Note that the battery fan 27, which is the second fan of the present invention, only needs to be able to generate a series of air flows to the inlet pipe 13, the housing 12, and the exhaust pipe 14, and may be disposed in a location other than the exhaust pipe 14, for example, in the inlet pipe 13.

[0101] In the second embodiment, the control device 21 controls the second fan, the shutter unit 10, and the radiator fan 9 so as to operate the second fan when the battery temperature is higher than the requested cooling temperature, and to open the grill shutter 10a and operate the radiator fan 9 when the battery temperature does not fall below the requested cooling temperature after the second fan is operated (S33 to S36 of the flow chart in FIG. 11 and the operation mode <1> reference).

[0102] According to the configuration of the temperature management device 50 of the second embodiment, when the battery temperature is higher than the required cooling temperature, the battery dedicated fan 27 is first operated to generate an air flow passing through the inlet pipe 13, the housing 12, and the exhaust pipe 14 of the battery unit 6, thereby sending air from outside the engine room 3 into the housing 12 through the inlet pipe 13 to cool the battery main body 11. Then, if the battery temperature does not drop below the required cooling temperature after the battery dedicated fan 27 is operated, the grill shutter 10a of the shutter unit 10 is opened to operate the radiator fan 9, thereby introducing outside air into the engine room 3 to cool the battery main body 11 of the battery unit 6 together with the housing 12. This makes it possible to further reduce the frequency of operation of the radiator fan 9 and further suppress power consumption.

[0103] (Operation description) Next, with reference to the flowcharts of Figures 11 and 12, the operation of the vehicle battery temperature management device 50 of the second embodiment will be explained, including the control of the battery-dedicated fan 27, the radiator fan 9, the shutter unit 10, and the solenoid valve 15 in two cases: when the vehicle 1 is idling stop and when the vehicle 1 is running.

[0104] <Control during idling stop> When the vehicle 1 is idling stopped, first, as shown in step S31 of the flowchart in FIG. 11, similar to step S1 in FIG. 1, the battery temperature Tb, the housing outer wall temperature To, the passenger compartment temperature Ti, and the convection velocity V in the engine compartment 3 are measured using the battery temperature sensor 23, the exterior wall temperature sensor 24, the passenger compartment temperature sensor 25, and the convection velocity sensor 26.

[0105] Next, in the same manner as in step S2, in step S32, the control device 21 determines whether the engine 5 is in an idling stop state.

[0106] If the vehicle is idling-stopped, the process proceeds to step S33. If the vehicle is not idling-stopped, that is, if the vehicle is moving, the process proceeds to the flowchart in FIG. 12 for when the vehicle is moving and proceeds to step S49.

[0107] In step S33, similarly to step S3, the control device 21 judges whether Tb>T1. If Tb>T1, the process proceeds to step S34, and if Tb≦T1, the process proceeds to step S38.

[0108] In step S34, the control device 21 activates the battery fan 27, opens the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15, draws air from the vehicle compartment 4 into the housing 12, and cools the battery main body 11.

[0109] Next, in step S35, it is determined whether the battery temperature Tb falls below a predetermined temperature (for example, T1) even after a predetermined time has elapsed. If the battery temperature does not fall, the process proceeds to step S36, and if it does fall, the process proceeds to step S37.

[0110] In step S36, the operation mode <1> As a result, the control device 21 controls the radiator fan 9 and the shutter unit 10 to operate the radiator fan 9 (RADIFAN operation) and open the grill shutter 10a while maintaining the operation of the battery-dedicated fan 27 and the open state of the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15. As a result, when the battery temperature Tb is higher than the required cooling temperature T1, outside air is introduced into the engine room 3 to cool the engine room 3, and at the same time, the housing 12 of the battery unit 6 inside the engine room 3 is cooled. Furthermore, since the inside of the housing 12 is in a state of air flow and the convection heat transfer coefficient is high, the battery main body 11 can be cooled quickly.

[0111] On the other hand, in step S37, the operation mode <2> As such, the control device 21 controls the radiator fan 9 and the shutter unit 10 to stop the radiator fan 9 (RAD FAN STOP) and open the grill shutter 10a while maintaining the operation of the battery-dedicated fan 27 and the open state of the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15. As a result, by stopping the radiator fan 9 and opening the grill shutter 10a when the battery temperature Tb is higher than the required cooling temperature T1, the housing 12 is cooled while dissipating heat from the engine room 3 to the outside. Furthermore, since the inside of the housing 12 is in an air flow state and the convection heat transfer coefficient is high, the battery main body 11 can be cooled quickly.

[0112] In step S38, similarly to step S7 in FIG. 1, the control device 21 judges whether To>T0. If To>T0, the process proceeds to step S36 and the above operation mode is selected. <1> If To≦T0, the process proceeds to step S39.

[0113] In step S39, similarly to step S8, the control device 21 determines whether Tb>T2 is satisfied. If Tb>T2, the process proceeds to step S40, and if Tb≦T2, the process proceeds to step S42.

[0114] In step S40, similarly to step S9, the control device 21 judges whether V>V1. If V>V1, the process proceeds to step S41, and if V≦V1, the process proceeds to step S43.

[0115] In step S41, the operation mode <3> As the operation mode, the control device 21 controls the radiator fan 9, the shutter unit 10, the battery-only fan 27, and the electromagnetic on-off valve 15 so as to stop the radiator fan 9 (RAD FAN STOP), close the grill shutter 10a, stop the battery-only fan 27, and close the electromagnetic on-off valve 15. <3> In this example, since the battery temperature Tb is between the cooling requirement temperature T1 and the hot air exhaust requirement temperature T2 (T1>Tb>T2), there is no need to immediately cool the battery body 11, but since the E-room flow velocity V is higher than the velocity V1 at which heat transfer becomes noticeable due to the collision of air particles, the radiator fan 9 is stopped and the grill shutter 10a is closed to reduce the air flow in the engine room 3 and prevent natural convection from occurring in the engine room 3. Furthermore, the battery dedicated fan 27 is stopped and the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15 is closed to prevent natural convection from occurring inside the housing 12. This makes it possible to suppress the rise in the battery temperature.

[0116] In step S42, similarly to step S11, the control device 21 judges whether Tb>T3 is satisfied. If Tb>T3, the process proceeds to step S43, and if Tb≦T3 is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S44.

[0117] In step S43, the operation mode <4> As a result, the control device 21 controls the radiator fan 9, the shutter unit 10, the battery dedicated fan 27, and the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15 to stop the radiator fan 9 (RAD FAN STOP), open the grill shutter 10a, stop the battery dedicated fan 27, and close the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15. As a result, as in the flow of steps S39, S42, and S43, when the battery temperature Tb is equal to or lower than the hot air exhaust request temperature T2 that is lower than the cooling request temperature T1, there is a margin for battery cooling, so it is possible to stop the radiator fan 9 and open the grill shutter 10a by prioritizing exhausting the hot air in the engine room 3 over lowering the battery temperature Tb. Also, as in the flow of steps S39, S40, and S43, when the battery temperature Tb is higher than the hot air exhaust request temperature T2 but the E-room flow velocity V is equal to or lower than the velocity V1 at which heat transfer becomes noticeable due to collision of air particles, it is possible to dissipate heat from the engine room 3 to the outside by opening the grill shutter 10a.

[0118] In addition, the above operation mode <3> ~ <4> In this case, the electromagnetic on-off valve 15 is closed to prevent heat transfer from the housing 12 to the air inside the housing 12 due to air flow.

[0119] In step S44, the control device 21 determines whether Ti>Tb, similarly to step S21 in Fig. 5. If Ti>Tb, the process proceeds to step S45, and if Ti≦Tb, the process proceeds to step S46.

[0120] In step S45, the operation mode <5> As a result, the control device 21 controls the radiator fan 9, the shutter unit 10, the battery dedicated fan 27, and the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15 to stop the radiator fan 9 (RAD FAN STOP), close the grille shutter 10a, operate the battery dedicated fan 27, and open the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15. In this way, when the battery temperature Tb is equal to or lower than the warm-up required temperature T3 (flow of steps S42 and S44) and the vehicle interior temperature Ti is higher than the battery temperature Tb, the radiator fan 9 is stopped and the grille shutter 10a is closed, thereby making it possible to reduce the air flow in the engine compartment 3. At the same time, by opening the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15 and operating the battery dedicated fan 27, the air in the vehicle interior 4 is sent into the housing 12, and the battery main body 11 can be warmed up by utilizing the heat in the vehicle interior 4.

[0121] In step S46, similarly to step S13, the control device 21 judges whether To>Tb. If To>Tb, the process proceeds to step S48, and if To≦Tb, the process proceeds to step S47.

[0122] In step S47, the operation mode <6> As a result, the control device 21 controls the radiator fan 9, the shutter unit 10, the battery dedicated fan 27, and the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15 to stop the radiator fan 9 (RAD FAN STOP), close the grille shutter 10a, stop the battery dedicated fan 27, and close the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15. In this way, when the battery temperature Tb is equal to or lower than the warm-up required temperature T3 (flow of steps S42, S44, and S46) and the housing outer wall temperature To is equal to or lower than the battery temperature Tb, the radiator fan 9 is stopped and the grille shutter 10a is closed, thereby making it possible to reduce the air flow in the engine room 3. Moreover, by closing the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15 and stopping the battery dedicated fan 27, heat transfer from the housing 12 to the air inside the housing 12 due to the air flow is prevented, so that the transfer of heat from the battery main body 11 to the housing 12, which is colder than the battery main body 11, is suppressed, and the battery main body 11 can be warmed up.

[0123] In step S48, the operation mode <7> As a result, the control device 21 controls the radiator fan 9, the shutter unit 10, the battery dedicated fan 27, and the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15 to stop the radiator fan 9 (RAD FAN STOP), close the grille shutter 10a, stop the battery dedicated fan 27, and open the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15. In this way, when the battery temperature Tb is equal to or lower than the warm-up required temperature T3 (flows of steps S42, S44, and 46) and the housing outer wall temperature To is higher than the battery temperature Tb, the radiator fan 9 is stopped and the grille shutter 10a is closed, thereby making it possible to reduce the air flow in the engine room 3. At the same time, by opening the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15, it is possible to promote the heat transfer from the housing 12 to the air inside the housing 12 by the air flow, and to warm up the battery main body 11 by utilizing the heat of the housing 12.

[0124] <Control during driving> Following the above-mentioned control during idling stop, the control of the battery dedicated fan 27, the radiator fan 9, the shutter unit 10, and the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15 in the temperature management device 50 while the vehicle 1 is running will be described.

[0125] As described above, if the idling stop is not performed in step S32 of FIG. 11, that is, if it is determined that the vehicle is moving, the process moves to the flowchart of FIG. 12 for the case where the vehicle is moving, and proceeds to step S49.

[0126] 5, the battery fan 27 is stopped. If the vehicle is running, even if the battery fan 27 is stopped, the negative pressure generated at the exhaust port 14a can cause air in the vehicle compartment 4 to be introduced into the housing 12 through the intake pipe 13, thereby cooling the battery main body 11.

[0127] Next, in step S50, the control device 21 determines whether Tb>T1, similarly to step S16 in Fig. 5. If Tb>T1, the process proceeds to step S51, and if Tb≦T1, the process proceeds to step S53.

[0128] In step S51, similarly to step S17, the control device 21 judges whether To>T1. If To>T1, the process proceeds to step S52, and if To≦T1, the process proceeds to step S54.

[0129] In step S52, the operation mode <8> As a result, when both the battery temperature Tb and the housing outer wall temperature To are higher than the cooling request temperature T1, the control device 21 controls the radiator fan 9, the shutter unit 10, and the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15 to stop the radiator fan 9 (RAD FAN STOP), open the grill shutter 10a, and open the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15. As a result, when the battery temperature Tb and the housing outer wall temperature To are higher than the cooling request temperature T1, the grill shutter 10a is opened to introduce the traveling wind into the engine room 3 and the air in the passenger compartment 4 into the housing 12, so that even if the radiator fan 9 is stopped, it is possible to cool the engine room 3 and simultaneously quickly cool both the battery main body 11 of the battery unit 6 and the housing 12 inside the engine room 3.

[0130] In step S53, similarly to step S19, the control device 21 judges whether Tb>T3 is satisfied. If Tb>T3, the process proceeds to step S54, and if Tb≦T3 is satisfied, the process proceeds to step S55.

[0131] In step S54, the operation mode <9> As a result, the control device 21 controls the radiator fan 9, the shutter unit 10, and the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15 to stop the radiator fan 9 (RAD FAN STOP), close the grill shutter 10a, and open the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15. As a result, when the battery temperature Tb is between the cooling request temperature T1 and the warm-up required temperature T3 (when T1>Tb>T3 (flow of steps S50 and S53)), the radiator fan 9 is stopped and the grill shutter 10a is closed, thereby making it possible to reduce the air flow in the engine room 3. At the same time, by opening the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15, the heat transfer from the housing 12 to the air in the housing 12 due to the air flow is promoted. As a result, the battery main body 11 can be maintained at an appropriate temperature. Also, when the battery temperature Tb is higher than the cooling request temperature T1 but the housing outer wall temperature To is equal to or lower than the cooling request temperature T1 (flow of steps S51 and S54), it is possible to reduce the air flow in the engine room 3 and maintain the battery main body 11 at an appropriate temperature, as described above.

[0132] In step S55, similarly to step S21, the control device 21 judges whether Ti>Tb. If Ti>Tb, the process proceeds to step S54, and if Ti≦Tb, the process proceeds to step S56.

[0133] In the case of the flow of steps S55 and S54, the operation mode <10> As a result, the control device 21 controls the radiator fan 9, the shutter unit 10, and the electromagnetic on-off valve 15 to stop the radiator fan 9 (RAD FAN STOP), close the grill shutter 10a, and open the electromagnetic on-off valve 15. By stopping the radiator fan 9 and closing the grill shutter 10a, it is possible to reduce the air flow in the engine room 3. At the same time, by opening the electromagnetic on-off valve 15, it is possible to introduce air in the vehicle compartment 4 into the housing 12 through the introduction pipe 13, and to warm up the battery main body 11 by utilizing the heat in the vehicle compartment 4 that is higher than that of the battery main body 11.

[0134] In step S56, the operation mode <11> As a result, the control device 21 controls the radiator fan 9, the shutter unit 10, and the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15 to stop the radiator fan 9 (RAD FAN STOP), close the grill shutter 10a, and close the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15. In this way, when the battery temperature Tb is equal to or lower than the warm-up required temperature T3 (flow of steps S53 and S55), but the vehicle interior temperature Ti is equal to or lower than the battery temperature Tb, it is possible to reduce the air flow in the engine compartment 3 by stopping the radiator fan 9 and closing the grill shutter 10a. Moreover, by closing the electromagnetic opening / closing valve 15, it is possible to suppress a drop in the temperature of the battery main body 11 due to the cold air in the vehicle interior 4, and to warm up the battery main body 11. [Explanation of symbols]

[0135] 1 vehicle 2. Body 3. Engine Room 4 Cabin 5 Engine 6 Battery unit 7. Shroud 7a Outside air intake 9 Radiator fan (first fan) 10 Shutter unit 10a Crystal Shutter 10b Shutter drive unit 11 Battery body 12. Chassis 13 Inlet pipe (inlet passage) 13a Introduction 14 Exhaust pipe (exhaust passage) 14a Outlet 15 Solenoid valve (on-off valve) 21 Control device 23 Battery temperature sensor 24 Exterior wall temperature sensor 25 Vehicle interior temperature sensor 26 Convection velocity sensor 27 Battery-only fan

Claims

1. A temperature management device for a vehicle battery, a battery unit that is disposed in an engine compartment that communicates with the outside of the vehicle through an outside air inlet, the battery unit including a battery body and a housing that houses the battery body; a shutter unit including a shutter that opens and closes the outside air inlet and a shutter drive unit that drives the shutter; A first fan that sends outside air into the engine compartment through the outside air inlet; a battery temperature sensor for detecting a battery temperature, which is the temperature of the battery body; an outer wall temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the outer wall of the housing; a convection velocity sensor for detecting a convection velocity of air in the engine compartment; a control device that controls operations of the shutter unit and the first fan based on the battery temperature, the housing outer wall temperature, and the convection speed; Equipped with the control device opens the shutter and operates the first fan when the battery temperature is higher than a predetermined cooling required temperature and the housing outer wall temperature is higher than the cooling required temperature while the vehicle is stopped; when the battery temperature is higher than the required cooling temperature and the housing outer wall temperature is equal to or lower than the required cooling temperature, the shutter is opened and the first fan is stopped; When the battery temperature is equal to or lower than the cooling request temperature and the housing outer wall temperature is equal to or lower than a temperature that causes thermal damage to the engine room device and is higher than the cooling request temperature, the battery temperature is higher than a hot air exhaust request temperature that is lower than the cooling request temperature, and the convection speed is higher than a speed at which heat transfer becomes significant due to collision of air particles in the engine room, the shutter unit and the first fan are controlled to close the shutter and stop the first fan. A temperature management device for a vehicle battery.

2. 2. The vehicle battery temperature management device according to claim 1, the control device controls the shutter unit and the first fan to open the shutter and stop the first fan when the battery temperature is equal to or lower than the cooling request temperature, the housing outer wall temperature is equal to or lower than a temperature that would cause thermal damage to the engine room equipment higher than the cooling request temperature, the battery temperature is higher than a hot air exhaust request temperature that is lower than the cooling request temperature, and the convection speed is equal to or lower than a speed at which heat transfer becomes significant due to collision of air particles in the engine room. A temperature management device for a vehicle battery.

3. 3. The vehicle battery temperature management device according to claim 1, The battery unit includes: an introduction passage that communicates between an inside of the housing and an outside of the engine room and is capable of introducing air outside the engine room into the inside of the housing; An exhaust path capable of exhausting air inside the housing; Further comprising: A temperature management device for a vehicle battery.

4. 4. The vehicle battery temperature management device according to claim 3, The battery unit further includes an on-off valve that opens and closes the introduction path. A temperature management device for a vehicle battery.

5. 5. The vehicle battery temperature management device according to claim 3, The introduction path has an introduction port communicating with the interior of the vehicle compartment. A temperature management device for a vehicle battery.

6. The temperature management device for a vehicle battery according to any one of claims 3 to 5, The exhaust passage has an exhaust port disposed at a position outside the engine compartment where negative pressure occurs while the vehicle is running. A temperature management device for a vehicle battery.

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