Vehicle air conditioning system

Abstract

To correspond to a cooling or temperature adjusting request of an on-vehicle apparatus not only during heating operation, but also during cooling operation, when conditioning air by using waste heat of the on-vehicle apparatus, and to correspond to an excessive cooling request of the on-vehicle apparatus in an air-conditioner using waste heat of the on-vehicle apparatus.SOLUTION: A vehicular air-conditioner 1 is equipped with an indoor air-conditioning unit 10 equipped with a heat absorbing heat exchanging portion 30 and a heat radiating heat exchanging portion 40, a heat medium circuit 80 that circulates a heat medium in series with respect to a plurality of on-vehicle apparatuses 84 and 85 to recover waste heat of the on-vehicle apparatuses, and a control portion 100 that controls the indoor air-conditioning unit and the heat medium circuit. The indoor air-conditioning unit is equipped with a plurality of ventilation channels that selectively pass through the heat absorbing heat exchanging portion and the heat radiating heat exchanging portion, and ventilation channel selecting portions 26, 28, 51 and 64 that select one or more of the plurality of ventilation channels. The control portion controls at least the selection of the ventilation channel of the ventilation channel selecting portion.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 1

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner applied to a vehicle, and particularly to a vehicle air conditioner that utilizes waste heat from a battery, a motor, etc. for air conditioning and adjusts the temperature thereof.

Background Art

[0002] In recent years, vehicles such as hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles that use a motor driven by electric power supplied from a battery as a driving power source for traveling have become widespread. In such vehicles, there are known ones that use waste heat from a battery, a motor, etc. for air conditioning in the vehicle interior.

[0003] For example, in Patent Document 1, cooling water that exchanges heat with a battery is made to flow into a radiator to exchange heat with outside air for heat dissipation, and is also made to flow into a heater core of an air conditioner to exchange heat with air blown into the vehicle interior to serve as a heat source for heating. Further, when the temperature of the battery is low, the cooling water that exchanges heat with the battery is made to exchange heat with an inverter or a motor, and the battery is heated by the waste heat of the inverter or the motor. Further, when the temperature of the battery is high and during heating, the circulation path of the cooling water is switched so that the heat of the battery and the waste heat of the inverter or the motor serve as a heat source for heating.

Prior Art Documents

Patent Documents

[0004]

Patent Document 1

Summary of the Invention

Problems to be Solved by the Invention

[0005] As described above, Patent Document 1 makes it possible to perform heating operation of the air conditioning system using waste heat from in-vehicle equipment, but it does not take into account the cooling and temperature control of in-vehicle equipment during cooling operation of the air conditioning system. If cooling operation is performed with the heat radiated from the heater core constantly heating the air inside the vehicle, a problem arises in that the heat radiated from the heater core cannot sufficiently lower the interior temperature. Furthermore, the temperature control requirements for in-vehicle equipment include the need to overcool batteries, etc. However, the conventional technology mentioned above has the problem that it cannot cope with overcooling batteries, etc., because it cools batteries, etc., by heat exchange with outside air or air inside the vehicle.

[0006] The present invention has been made in view of these circumstances, and aims to address the following issues: to enable the use of waste heat from in-vehicle equipment to provide air conditioning that can respond to the cooling and temperature control requirements of in-vehicle equipment not only during heating operation but also during cooling operation; and to enable the use of waste heat from in-vehicle equipment to respond to the requirement of overcooling of in-vehicle equipment in an air conditioning system that utilizes waste heat from in-vehicle equipment. [Means for solving the problem]

[0007] One embodiment of the present invention provides a vehicle air conditioning system comprising: an indoor air conditioning unit having a heat absorption heat exchanger and a heat dissipation heat exchanger; a heat transfer medium circuit that recovers waste heat from a plurality of in-vehicle devices by circulating a heat transfer medium in series to a plurality of in-vehicle devices via the heat dissipation heat exchanger; and a control unit that controls the indoor air conditioning unit and the heat transfer medium circuit, wherein the indoor air conditioning unit has a plurality of airflow passages that selectively pass through the heat absorption heat exchanger and the heat dissipation heat exchanger, and an airflow passage selection unit that selects one or more of the plurality of airflow passages, and the control unit controls the selection of at least the airflow passages of the airflow passage selection unit. [Effects of the Invention]

[0008] According to the present invention, when performing air conditioning using waste heat from in-vehicle equipment, it is possible to respond to the cooling and temperature control requirements of the in-vehicle equipment not only during heating operation but also during cooling operation, and in an air conditioning system that utilizes waste heat from in-vehicle equipment, it is possible to respond to the requirement of overcooling of the in-vehicle equipment. [Brief explanation of the drawing]

[0009] [Figure 1] This figure shows a schematic configuration of a vehicle air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 2] This is a block diagram illustrating the schematic configuration of an air conditioning ECU for controlling a vehicle air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 3] This figure shows the state when the battery and motor are being cooled while the air conditioning system is operating in a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 4] This figure shows the state when the battery and motor are being cooled while the air conditioning system is operating in a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 5] This figure shows the state when the battery and motor are being cooled while the air conditioning system is operating in a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 6] This figure shows the state when the battery and motor are being cooled while the air conditioning system is operating in a vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 7] This figure shows the state when the battery and motor are being cooled while heating is being performed in a vehicle air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 8] This figure shows the state when the battery and motor are being cooled while heating is being performed in a vehicle air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 9] This diagram shows the state when the battery and motor are heated while heating operation is being performed in a vehicle air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 10]This diagram shows the state when the battery and motor are heated while heating operation is being performed in a vehicle air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 11] This diagram shows the state in a vehicle air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention, where the battery is heated and the motor is cooled while heating operation is performed. [Figure 12] This diagram shows the state in a vehicle air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention, where the battery is heated and the motor is cooled while heating operation is performed. [Figure 13] This figure shows the state when rapidly cooling the battery in a vehicle air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Figure 14] This figure shows the state when the battery is rapidly heated in a vehicle air conditioning system according to an embodiment of the present invention. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0010] Embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the drawings. In the following description, the same reference numerals indicate parts with the same function, and redundant explanations in each figure will be omitted as appropriate. In this specification, a refrigerant is a circulating medium in a refrigerant circuit that involves a change of state in a heat pump (compression, condensation, expansion, evaporation), and a heat transfer medium is a medium (including water, etc.) that absorbs and releases heat through heat exchange without such a change of state.

[0011] The vehicle air conditioning system according to the embodiment of the present invention can be applied to vehicles such as electric vehicles (EVs) that do not have an engine (internal combustion engine) or so-called hybrid vehicles that use both an engine and an electric motor for driving. Such vehicles are equipped with a battery (for example, a lithium battery), and the DC power charged to the battery from an external power source is converted into AC power by an inverter and supplied to a motor unit including a driving motor to drive the motor and drive the vehicle. The vehicle air conditioning system 1 is also driven by power supplied from the battery.

[0012] The vehicle air conditioner 1 according to this embodiment includes a refrigerant circuit R and an indoor air conditioner unit 10 that forms a flow path for the blown air that exchanges heat with the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circuit R. The refrigerant circuit R is a circuit that compresses, condenses, expands, and evaporates the circulating refrigerant, and includes a compressor that compresses the refrigerant and a refrigerant circulation flow path that condenses, expands, and evaporates the refrigerant discharged from the compressor and returns it to the compressor. In the vehicle air conditioner 1, a heat pump operation using the refrigerant circuit R is performed, and the blown air that has exchanged heat with the refrigerant by the indoor air conditioner unit 10 is supplied into the vehicle interior to perform air conditioning (heating, cooling, dehumidifying, and defrosting) in the vehicle interior.

[0013] The indoor air conditioner unit 10 includes a blower flow path 20 that blows the air (air) taken in from inside and outside the vehicle into the vehicle interior, a cooler core 30 as a heat absorption heat exchange part provided on the upstream side of the blower flow path 20, and a heater core 40 as a heat radiation heat exchange part provided on the downstream side of the blower flow path 20.

[0014] The blower flow path 20 is provided with a suction port 25 including an outside air suction port and an inside air suction port on the most upstream side, and a suction switching damper 26 provided at the suction port 25. The suction switching damper 26 appropriately switches between the inside air (inside air circulation) that is the air inside the vehicle and the outside air (outside air introduction) that is the air outside the vehicle and introduces them introduces it into the blower flow path 20 from the suction port 25. On the downstream side of the blower flow path 20 of the suction switching damper 26, an indoor blower (blower fan) 27 for blowing the introduced inside air or outside air to the cooler core 30 and the heater core 40 arranged downstream of the blower flow path 20 is provided.

[0015] The blower flow path 20 includes a first blower flow path 21 that supplies the air taken into the blower flow path 20 into the vehicle interior without passing through the heater core 40, a second blower flow path 22 that passes through the heater core 40 and circulates inside and outside the vehicle, and a third blower flow path 23 that takes in outside air without passing through the cooler core 30 and passes through the heater core 40.

[0016] An air mix damper 28 is provided on the downstream side of the airflow path 20 for the cooler core 30 and on the upstream side of the airflow path 40 for the heater core 40. By controlling its opening degree, the air mix damper 28 switches the air (internal or external) in the airflow path 20 after passing through the cooler core 30 to flow through either the first airflow path 21 or the second airflow path 22, or adjusts the ratio of air flowing through the first airflow path 21 and the second airflow path 22.

[0017] In the second airflow path 22 or the third airflow path 23, an external outlet 50 is provided downstream of the heater core 40 in the airflow path 20 to blow the air that has passed through the heater core 40 out of the vehicle. The external outlet 50 is provided with a discharge damper 51 that opens and closes the external outlet 50. By opening and closing the discharge damper 51, it is possible to selectively control whether to release air outside the vehicle from the external outlet 50 or to blow air into the vehicle interior from the vehicle interior outlet 29. In other words, opening the discharge damper 51 selects the external discharge path 52, and closing the discharge damper 51 selects the vehicle interior airflow path 53. The vehicle interior airflow path 53 is provided with a PTC heater 54 that supplementarily heats the air blown into the vehicle interior.

[0018] In the airflow channel 20, an outside air inlet 63 is provided on the upstream side of the airflow channel of the heater core 40 (in this embodiment, the upstream side of the airflow channel of the heater core 40 in the second airflow channel 22), and an outside air introduction channel 60 is provided to introduce outside air through the outside air inlet 63. On the upstream side of the airflow channel of the outside air introduction channel 60, an outside air intake port 61 and an outside air introduction fan 62 are provided to supply the outside air introduced from the outside air intake port 61 through the outside air introduction channel 60 to the second airflow channel 22.

[0019] The downstream side of the outside air intake channel 60 is connected to the outside air inlet 63 located on the upstream side of the heater core 40's airflow path in the second air supply channel 22. The outside air inlet 63 is equipped with an outside air intake damper 64 that switches between introducing outside air and not introducing it. When the outside air intake damper 64 is open, the outside air intake channel 60 takes in air from the outside air intake port 61 and sends it to the second air supply channel 22 via the outside air inlet 63 by an outside air intake fan 62. In other words, the outside air intake channel 60 sends outside air to the second air supply channel 22 without passing it through the cooler core 30. Thus, in this embodiment, the outside air intake channel 60 is externally attached to the indoor air conditioning unit.

[0020] The cooler core 30 is a heat exchanger that forms part of the refrigerant circuit R and exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing in from the refrigerant circuit R and the air passing through the airflow channel 20. In the cooler core 30, during cooling and dehumidification, the air supplied to the vehicle is cooled by exchanging heat (the refrigerant absorbs heat) between the refrigerant that has circulated through the refrigerant circuit R and flowed into the cooler core 30 and the air taken in from inside or outside the vehicle through the airflow channel 20.

[0021] The heater core 40 constitutes part of the equipment temperature control circuit 80 (described later) as a heat transfer medium circuit, and is a heat exchanger that recovers waste heat from in-vehicle equipment by exchanging heat between the heat transfer medium circulating in the equipment temperature control circuit 80 and the air passing through the heater core 40. The heater core 40 exchanges heat between the heat transfer medium and air, and after the heat exchange, the heat transfer medium is returned to the equipment temperature control circuit 80 to adjust the temperature of the in-vehicle equipment which is the temperature controlled object of the equipment temperature control circuit 80, and the air heated by absorbing heat from the heat transfer medium is blown inside and outside the vehicle.

[0022] The equipment temperature control circuit 80 circulates a heat transfer medium directly or indirectly to in-vehicle equipment such as a battery, inverter, motor, and power control unit, and adjusts their temperature. As shown in Figure 1, in this embodiment, the equipment temperature control circuit 80 adjusts the temperature of the battery 84 and the motor 85, as an example.

[0023] The equipment temperature control circuit 80 is configured such that a first circulation pump 81 for circulating a heat transfer medium through the equipment temperature control circuit 80, a heater 82 as an auxiliary heating device for heating the heat transfer medium, a tank 83 for storing the heat transfer medium, a battery 84, a motor 85, a solenoid valve 86A provided between the battery 84 and the motor 85, and a solenoid valve 86B provided between the motor 85 and the first circulation pump 81 are connected in series to the heater core 40 via a heat transfer medium flow path 87.

[0024] The heat transfer fluid passage 87 is provided with a bypass passage 88A that allows heat transfer fluid flowing out of the battery 84 to flow into the first circulation pump 81, and a bypass passage 88B that allows heat transfer fluid flowing out of the heater core 40 to flow into the first circulation pump 81 without passing through the battery 84 and motor 85. A solenoid valve 86C is provided in the bypass passage 88A, and a solenoid valve 86D is provided in the bypass passage 88B. In addition, an independent passage 90 is connected to the heat transfer fluid passage 87, connecting the inlet and outlet sides of the motor 85 and independently adjusting the temperature of the motor 85. The independent passage 90 is provided with a solenoid valve 91, a second circulation pump 92, and a radiator 93 which serves as a heat exchanger to dissipate the heat of the heat transfer fluid circulating in the independent passage 90.

[0025] Thus, the equipment temperature control circuit 80 is configured such that a heat transfer medium passing through at least one of the battery 84 and the motor 85 passes through the heater core 40, and heat exchange occurs between the air passing through the heater core 40 and the heat transfer medium passing through at least one of the battery 84 and the motor 85. In addition, the independent flow path 90 is configured such that a heat transfer medium passing through the motor 85 passes through the radiator 93, and heat exchange occurs between the air passing through the radiator 93 and the heat transfer medium passing through the motor 85. As the heat transfer medium used in the equipment temperature control circuit 80 and the independent flow path 90, for example, liquids such as water, oil, refrigerants such as HFO-1234yf, coolants, and gases such as air can be used.

[0026] In the above-described equipment temperature control circuit 80, the heat transfer medium circulating in the equipment temperature control circuit 80 directly circulates inside the battery 84 and motor 85 to control the temperature of the object to be controlled. In the equipment temperature control circuit 80, for example, the heat transfer medium can also be circulated to a heat exchanger for the object to be controlled provided in the battery 84 and motor 85, and the temperature of the battery 84 and motor 85 can be controlled via the heat exchanger for the object to be controlled.

[0027] Similarly, in the independent channel 90, the heat transfer medium circulating in the independent channel 90 directly circulates inside the motor 85 to adjust the temperature of the object to be temperature controlled. In the independent channel 90, for example, the heat transfer medium can be circulated to a heat exchanger for the object to be temperature controlled provided in the motor 85, and the temperature of the motor 85 can be adjusted via the heat exchanger for the object to be temperature controlled.

[0028] Figure 2 shows a schematic configuration of the air conditioning ECU 100, which serves as the control unit for the vehicle air conditioning system 1. The air conditioning ECU 100 is connected to the vehicle controller 95, which is responsible for the overall control of the vehicle, including driving, via an in-vehicle network such as CAN (Controller Area Network) or LIN (Local Interconnect Network), enabling communication and information transmission. Both the air conditioning ECU 100 and the vehicle controller 95 can be equipped with a microcomputer, which is an example of a computer with a processor.

[0029] The following sensors and detectors are connected to the air conditioning ECU 100, and the outputs of these sensors and detectors are input to it. Note that in Figure 2 and the following description, sensors and detectors not directly related to this embodiment are not described or explained.

[0030] Specifically, the air conditioning ECU 100 is connected to an outside air temperature sensor 71 that detects the outside air temperature Tam of the vehicle, an HVAC intake temperature sensor 72 that detects the temperature of the air drawn into the airflow path 20 from the intake port 25, an inside air temperature sensor 73 that detects the temperature Tin of the air inside the vehicle, an outlet temperature sensor 74 that detects the temperature of the air blown into the vehicle from the vehicle interior outlet 29, a heater core temperature sensor 75 that detects the temperature TCI of the heater core 40, a cooler core temperature sensor 76 that detects the temperature Te of the cooler core 30, a cooler core pressure sensor 77 that detects the refrigerant pressure of the cooler core 30, a heat transfer medium temperature sensor 78 that detects the temperature Tw of the heat transfer medium circulating in the equipment temperature control circuit 80, and an air conditioning operation unit 79 for setting the set temperature and switching between air conditioning operations.

[0031] Meanwhile, the air conditioning ECU 100 is connected to the following devices: an intake switching damper 26, a blower fan 27, an air mix damper 28, an outlet damper 51, an outside air intake fan 62, an outside air intake damper 64, a first circulation pump 81, a heater 82, solenoid valves 86A~86D, 91, and a second circulation pump 92. The air conditioning ECU 100 controls these devices based on the output of each sensor, the settings input to the air conditioning control unit 79, and information from the vehicle controller 95.

[0032] [Regarding the operation of the vehicle's air conditioning system] The operation of the interior air conditioning unit of the vehicle air conditioning system 1 configured as described above will be explained below with reference to Figures 3 to 14. In this embodiment, the air conditioning ECU 100 selects one or more of the first airflow passage 21, the second airflow passage 22, and the third airflow passage 23 by controlling the intake switching damper 26, the discharge damper 51, the outside air introduction damper 64, and the air mix damper 28 to adjust their opening and closing.

[0033] Furthermore, the second airflow path 22 or the third airflow path 23 is equipped with an external discharge path 52 that discharges the air that has passed through the heater core 40 to the outside of the vehicle and an internal airflow path 53 that blows air into the vehicle interior, and by controlling the opening and closing of the discharge damper 51, it is possible to select between the external discharge path 52 or the internal airflow path 53.

[0034] Furthermore, by controlling the opening and closing of solenoid valves 86A~86D and 91 to select the flow path of the heat transfer medium, the heat transfer medium circulating in the equipment temperature control circuit 80 utilizes the waste heat from the battery 84 and motor 85 to provide air conditioning in the vehicle cabin and adjust the temperatures of the battery 84 and motor 85. Additionally, the temperature of the motor 85 is adjusted by circulating the heat transfer medium in the independent flow path 90.

[0035] In Figures 3 to 14, the cooler core 30, heater core 40, and radiator 93 are shown with hatching or shading when heat exchange is taking place, and in white when heat exchange is not taking place. Furthermore, the heater 82 is shown with hatching when it is operating, and in white when it is not operating. Additionally, the solenoid valves 86A-86D and 91 are shown in black when closed and in white when open.

[0036] {Regarding operation during cooling operation} Figures 3 to 6 show the state of the vehicle air conditioning system 1 when it is operating in cooling mode. The following describes an example of operation during cooling mode.

[0037] (1-1) Cooling operation 1 (Cooling operation and cooling of battery 84 and motor 85) Figure 3 shows the state of the vehicle air conditioning system 1, which cools the battery 84 and motor 85 while performing cooling operation. In Figure 3, the air conditioning ECU 100 controls the air mix damper 28 to select the first airflow path 21. In other words, it blocks the second airflow path 22 and allows all the air that has passed through the cooler core 30 to flow into the first airflow path 21.

[0038] The air conditioning ECU 100 controls the outside air intake damper 64 to open the outside air inlet 63, allowing outside air to be introduced through the outside air intake passage 60, thereby selecting the third airflow passage 23 that takes in outside air and passes it through the heater core 40. The air conditioning ECU 100 also controls the outlet damper 51 to open the external outlet 50, thereby selecting the external discharge passage 52. As a result, the vehicle air conditioning system 1 takes in outside air, passes it through the heater core 40, and then discharges the air outside the vehicle through the external outlet 50.

[0039] Furthermore, the air conditioning ECU 100 opens solenoid valves 86A and 86B, closes solenoid valves 86C, 86D, and 91, and drives the first circulation pump 81 to circulate the heat transfer medium through the heat transfer medium passage 87.

[0040] As a result, in the third airflow channel 23, outside air taken in via the outside air intake channel 60 and the heat transfer medium that has absorbed heat from the battery 84 and motor 85 exchange heat in the heater core 40. The air that has absorbed heat from the heat transfer medium in the heater core 40 is blown out of the vehicle through the external outlet 50.

[0041] In other words, the heat transfer medium, which circulates through the equipment temperature control circuit 80 and absorbs the waste heat from the battery 84 and motor 85, is cooled by releasing the heat from the battery 84 and motor 85 into the outside air, and then recirculates back into the heat transfer medium flow path 87 and flows into the battery 84 and motor 85. As a result, the battery 84 and motor 85 are naturally cooled. In short, the heater core 40 can function as a radiator.

[0042] Meanwhile, the air conditioning ECU 100 operates the blower fan 27 to draw in indoor or outdoor air from the intake port 25 into the first airflow path 21, and exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit R that flows into the cooler core 30. In the first airflow path 21, the air cooled by the heat exchange in the cooler core 30 is blown out from the cabin outlet 29 and used to cool the cabin.

[0043] In this way, by selecting the first airflow path 21 and the third airflow path 23 from among the multiple airflow paths, the first airflow path 21 can be used to introduce air cooled by the cooler core 30 to cool the vehicle interior, while the third airflow path 23 can be used to naturally cool the battery 84 and motor 85 with outside air. At this time, since the external discharge path 52 is selected, the air that has absorbed the waste heat from the battery 84 and motor 85 is not blown into the vehicle interior, and the battery 84 and motor 85 can be naturally cooled without affecting the cooling of the vehicle interior.

[0044] (1-2) Cooling operation 2 (Cooling operation and cooling of battery 84 and motor 85) In the vehicle air conditioning system 1, for example, as shown in Figure 3, when the temperature inside the vehicle approaches the temperature set by the user and the cooling inside the vehicle has stabilized to a certain extent, the operation can be switched as shown in Figure 4.

[0045] In other words, in Figure 4, the air conditioning ECU 100 closes the outside air intake damper 64 to prevent outside air from being taken in, selects the first airflow path 21 and the second airflow path 22, and performs cooling operation in the cooler core 30 using air that has been cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit R flowing into the cooler core 30, while cooling the battery 84 and the motor 85.

[0046] In Figure 4, the air conditioning ECU 100 controls the air mix damper 28 to select the first airflow path 21 and the second airflow path 22. In other words, it directs the air cooled by passing through the cooler core 30 into both the first airflow path 21 and the second airflow path 22.

[0047] The air conditioning ECU 100 controls the outside air intake damper 64 to close, thereby blocking the introduction of outside air from the outside air intake passage 60 to the air supply passage 20. The air conditioning ECU 100 also controls the outlet damper 51 to open the external outlet 50, thereby selecting the external discharge passage 52. As a result, the air that has passed through the second air supply passage 22, that is, the air that has passed through the cooler core 30 and then the heater core 40, is discharged to the outside of the vehicle through the external outlet 50.

[0048] Furthermore, the air conditioning ECU 100 opens solenoid valves 86A and 86B, closes solenoid valves 86C, 86D, and 91, and drives the first circulation pump 81 to circulate the heat transfer medium through the heat transfer medium passage 87.

[0049] As a result, the air cooled by passing through the cooler core 30 and the heat transfer medium that has absorbed heat from the battery 84 and motor 85 exchange heat in the heater core 40. The air that has absorbed heat from the heat transfer medium in the heater core 40 is blown out of the vehicle through the external outlet 50. In other words, the heat transfer medium that has circulated through the equipment temperature control circuit 80 and absorbed waste heat from the battery 84 and motor 85 is cooled by releasing the heat from the battery 84 and motor 85 to the heat transfer medium cooled by the cooler core 30, and then flows back into the heat transfer medium flow path 87 and into the battery 84 and motor 85. This cools the battery 84 and motor 85. In short, the heater core 40 can function as a radiator.

[0050] Meanwhile, the air conditioning ECU 100 operates the blower fan 27 to draw in indoor or outdoor air from the intake port 25 into the airflow channel 20, where it exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit R that flows into the cooler core 30. The air cooled by the heat exchange in the cooler core 30 passes through the first airflow channel 21 and is blown out from the cabin outlet 29 to be used for cooling the cabin.

[0051] In this way, by selecting the first airflow path 21 and the second airflow path 22 from among the multiple airflow paths, it is possible to use the first airflow path 21 to introduce air cooled by the cooler core 30 to cool the vehicle interior, while using the second airflow path 22 to cool the battery 84 and motor 85 with air cooled by the cooler core 30.

[0052] In this case, since the external discharge channel 52 is selected, the air that has absorbed the waste heat from the battery 84 and motor 85 is not blown into the vehicle interior, and the battery 84 and motor 85 can be cooled without affecting the air conditioning inside the vehicle.

[0053] (1-3) Cooling operation 3 (Cooling operation and cooling of battery 84 and motor 85) Figure 5 also shows the state of the vehicle air conditioning system 1, which cools the battery 84 and motor 85 while performing cooling operation. In Figure 5, the air conditioning ECU 100 controls the air mix damper 28 to select the first airflow path 21. In other words, it blocks the second airflow path 22 and allows all the air that has passed through the cooler core 30 to flow into the first airflow path 21.

[0054] The air conditioning ECU 100 controls the outside air intake damper 64 to open the outside air inlet 63, allowing outside air to be introduced through the outside air intake passage 60, thereby selecting the third airflow passage 23 that takes in outside air and passes it through the heater core 40. The air conditioning ECU 100 also controls the outlet damper 51 to open the external outlet 50, thereby selecting the external discharge passage 52. As a result, the vehicle air conditioning system 1 takes in outside air, passes it through the heater core 40, and then discharges the air outside the vehicle through the external outlet 50.

[0055] Furthermore, the air conditioning ECU 100 opens solenoid valves 86C and 91, and closes solenoid valves 86A, 86B, and 86D. At the same time, it drives the first circulation pump 81 to circulate the heat transfer medium through the heat transfer medium passage 87, and drives the second circulation pump 92 to circulate the heat transfer medium through the independent passage 90.

[0056] As a result, in the third airflow channel 23, outside air taken in via the outside air intake channel 60 and the heat transfer medium that has absorbed heat from the battery 84 exchange heat in the heater core 40. The air that has absorbed heat from the heat transfer medium in the heater core 40 is blown out of the vehicle through the external outlet 50. In other words, the heat transfer medium that has circulated through the equipment temperature control circuit 80 and absorbed the waste heat from the battery 84 is cooled by releasing the heat from the battery 84 into the outside air, and then flows back into the heat transfer medium channel 87 and into the battery 84. This allows the battery 84 to be cooled naturally. In short, the heater core 40 can function as a radiator.

[0057] Furthermore, the heat transfer fluid, which circulates through the independent flow path 90 and absorbs heat from the motor 85, exchanges heat with the outside air in the radiator 93. In the radiator 93, the heat transfer fluid, cooled by releasing heat from the motor 85 to the outside air, recirculates back into the independent flow path 90 and flows into the motor 85. This allows the motor 85 to cool naturally.

[0058] Meanwhile, the air conditioning ECU 100 operates the blower fan 27 to draw in indoor or outdoor air from the intake port 25 into the first airflow path 21, and exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit R that flows into the cooler core 30. In the first airflow path 21, the air cooled by the heat exchange in the cooler core 30 is blown out from the cabin outlet 29 and used to cool the cabin.

[0059] In this way, by selecting the first airflow path 21 and the third airflow path 23 from among the multiple airflow paths, the first airflow path 21 can be used to introduce air cooled by the cooler core 30 to cool the vehicle interior, while the third airflow path 23 can be used to naturally cool the battery 84 and motor 85 with outside air.

[0060] In this case, since the external discharge channel 52 is selected, the air that has absorbed the waste heat from the battery 84 is not blown into the passenger compartment, allowing the battery 84 to be naturally cooled without affecting the air conditioning inside the passenger compartment. In addition, the motor 85 can be naturally cooled by exchanging heat with the air passing through the radiator 93 using a heat transfer medium circulating in an independent channel 90.

[0061] (1-4) Cooling operation 4 (Cooling operation and cooling of battery 84 and motor 85) In the vehicle air conditioning system 1, for example, as shown in Figure 5, when the temperature inside the vehicle approaches the temperature set by the user and the cooling inside the vehicle has stabilized to a certain extent, the operation can be switched as shown in Figure 6.

[0062] In other words, in Figure 6, with the outside air intake damper 64 closed and no outside air taken in, the first airflow path 21 and the second airflow path 22 are selected, and the battery 84 and motor 85 are cooled while cooling operation is performed using the air that has passed through the cooler core 30.

[0063] In Figure 6, the air conditioning ECU 100 controls the air mix damper 28 to select the first airflow path 21 and the second airflow path 22. In other words, it directs the air that has passed through the cooler core 30 into both the first airflow path 21 and the second airflow path 22.

[0064] The air conditioning ECU 100 controls the outside air intake damper 64 to close, thereby blocking the intake of outside air from the outside air intake passage 60. The air conditioning ECU 100 also controls the discharge damper 51 to open the external outlet 50, thereby selecting the external discharge passage 52. As a result, the air that has passed through the second airflow passage 22, that is, the air that has passed through the cooler core 30 and then the heater core 40, is discharged to the outside of the vehicle from the external outlet 50.

[0065] Furthermore, the air conditioning ECU 100 opens solenoid valves 86C and 91, and closes solenoid valves 86A, 86B, and 86D. At the same time, it drives the first circulation pump 81 to circulate the heat transfer medium through the heat transfer medium passage 87, and drives the second circulation pump 92 to circulate the heat transfer medium through the independent passage 90.

[0066] As a result, the air cooled by passing through the cooler core 30 and the heat transfer medium that has absorbed heat from the battery 84 exchange heat in the heater core 40. The air that has absorbed heat from the heat transfer medium in the heater core 40 is blown out of the vehicle through the external outlet 50.

[0067] In other words, the heat transfer medium that circulates through the equipment temperature control circuit 80 and absorbs the waste heat from the battery 84 dissipates the heat from the battery 84 to the heat transfer medium cooled by the cooler core 30, is cooled, and then returns to the heat transfer medium flow path 87 and flows back into the battery 84. This cools the battery 84. In short, the heater core 40 can function as a radiator.

[0068] Furthermore, the heat transfer fluid, which circulates through the independent flow path 90 and absorbs heat from the motor 85, exchanges heat with the outside air in the radiator 93. In the radiator 93, the heat transfer fluid, cooled by releasing heat from the motor 85 to the outside air, recirculates back into the independent flow path 90 and flows into the motor 85. This allows the motor 85 to cool naturally.

[0069] Meanwhile, the air conditioning ECU 100 operates the blower fan 27 to draw in indoor or outdoor air from the intake port 25 into the airflow channel 20, where it exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit R that flows into the cooler core 30. The air cooled by the heat exchange in the cooler core 30 passes through the first airflow channel 21 and is blown out from the cabin outlet 29 to be used for cooling the cabin.

[0070] In this way, by selecting the first airflow path 21 and the second airflow path 22 from among the multiple airflow paths, it is possible to use the first airflow path 21 to introduce air cooled by the cooler core 30 to cool the vehicle interior, while using the second airflow path 22 to cool the battery 84 with air cooled by the cooler core 30.

[0071] In this case, since the external discharge channel 52 is selected, the air that has absorbed the waste heat from the battery 84 is not blown into the passenger compartment, and the battery 84 can be cooled without affecting the air conditioning inside the passenger compartment. In addition, the motor 85 can be naturally cooled by exchanging heat with the air passing through the radiator 93 using a heat transfer medium circulating in an independent channel 90.

[0072] {Operation during heating operation} Figures 7 to 12 show the state of the vehicle air conditioning system 1 when heating operation is performed. The following describes an example of operation during heating operation.

[0073] (2-1) Heating operation 1 (heating operation and cooling of battery 84 and motor 85) Figure 7 shows the state of the vehicle air conditioning system 1, which cools the battery 84 and motor 85 while performing heating operation. In Figure 7, the air conditioning ECU 100 controls the air mix damper 28 to close the second airflow path 22 and controls the outside air intake damper 64 to open the outside air intake port 63, thereby selecting the third airflow path 23.

[0074] Furthermore, the discharge damper 51 controls the external air outlet 50 to close, blocking the airflow from the external air outlet 50 to the outside of the vehicle, and selecting the in-vehicle airflow path 53 to blow air into the vehicle interior. As a result, outside air taken in by the outside air intake fan 62 from the outside air intake port 61 through the outside air intake path 60 passes through the heater core 40 and is blown into the vehicle interior.

[0075] Furthermore, the air conditioning ECU 100 opens solenoid valves 86A and 86B, closes solenoid valves 86C, 86D, and 91, and drives the first circulation pump 81 to circulate the heat transfer medium through the heat transfer medium passage 87.

[0076] As a result, in the third airflow channel 23, the outside air taken in via the outside air intake channel 60 and the heat transfer medium that has absorbed heat from the battery 84 and motor 85 exchange heat in the heater core 40. That is, the heat transfer medium that has circulated through the equipment temperature control circuit 80 and absorbed waste heat from the battery 84 and motor 85 is cooled by releasing the heat from the battery 84 and motor 85 into the outside air, and then flows back into the heat transfer medium channel 87 and into the battery 84 and motor 85. This allows the battery 84 and motor 85 to cool naturally. In other words, the heater core 40 can function as a radiator.

[0077] Meanwhile, the air heated by absorbing heat from the heat transfer medium in the heater core 40 is supplied to the passenger compartment through the passenger compartment outlet 29 and used for heating the passenger compartment. When the blower fan 27 is stopped during heating operation, outside air is not introduced from the intake port 25. When the blower fan 27 is running, the air supplied by the blower fan 27 from the intake port 25 passes through the cooler core 30 without exchanging heat with the refrigerant.

[0078] In this way, by selecting at least the third airflow path 23 and the in-vehicle airflow path 53 from among the multiple airflow paths, the battery 84 and motor 85 can be naturally cooled by the air passing through the third airflow path 23, while the interior of the vehicle can be heated by supplying air warmed by the waste heat from the battery 84 and motor 85 into the vehicle interior.

[0079] (2-2) Heating operation 2 (heating operation and cooling of battery 84 and motor 85) Figure 8 shows the state of the vehicle air conditioning system 1, which cools the battery 84 and motor 85 while performing heating operation. In Figure 8, the air conditioning ECU 100 controls the air mix damper 28 to close the first airflow path 21 and selects the second airflow path 22. It also closes the outside air intake damper 64 to block the introduction of outside air from the outside air intake path 60, and controls the discharge damper 51 to close the external outlet 50 to block the outflow of air from the external outlet 50 to the outside of the vehicle, and selects the in-vehicle airflow path 53 to supply air into the vehicle interior.

[0080] Then, the blower fan 27 is driven to introduce outside or inside air from the intake port 25 into the second airflow path 22, and the air that has passed through the cooler core 30 without heat exchange with the refrigerant passes through the heater core 40 and is blown into the passenger compartment.

[0081] Furthermore, the air conditioning ECU 100 opens solenoid valves 86A and 86B, closes solenoid valves 86C, 86D, and 91, and drives the first circulation pump 81 to circulate the heat transfer medium through the heat transfer medium passage 87.

[0082] As a result, in the second airflow channel 22, the internal or external air that has passed through the cooler core 30 without heat exchange with the refrigerant, and the heat transfer medium that has absorbed heat from the battery 84 and motor 85, exchange heat in the heater core 40. That is, the heat transfer medium that has circulated through the equipment temperature control circuit 80 and absorbed waste heat from the battery 84 and motor 85 is cooled by releasing the heat from the battery 84 and motor 85 into the internal or external air, and then flows back into the heat transfer medium channel 87 and into the battery 84 and motor 85. This allows the battery 84 and motor 85 to cool naturally. In other words, the heater core 40 can function as a radiator.

[0083] Meanwhile, the interior or exterior air heated by absorbing heat from the heat transfer medium in the heater core 40 is supplied to the vehicle interior through the vehicle interior air outlet 29 and used for heating the vehicle interior.

[0084] In this way, by selecting at least the second airflow path 22 and the in-vehicle airflow path 53 from among the multiple airflow paths, the battery 84 and motor 85 can be naturally cooled by the air passing through the second airflow path 22, while the air warmed by the waste heat from the battery 84 and motor 85 can be supplied to the vehicle interior and used for heating.

[0085] (2-3) Heating operation 3 (heating operation and heating of battery 84 and motor 85) Figure 9 shows the state of the vehicle air conditioning system 1 while heating the battery 84 and motor 85. In Figure 9, the air conditioning ECU 100 controls the air mix damper 28 to close the second airflow path 22 and controls the outside air intake damper 64 to open the outside air intake port 63, thereby selecting the third airflow path.

[0086] Furthermore, the discharge damper 51 controls the external air outlet 50 to close, blocking the airflow from the external air outlet 50 to the outside of the vehicle, and selecting the in-vehicle airflow path 53 to blow air into the vehicle interior. As a result, outside air taken in by the outside air intake fan 62 from the outside air intake port 61 through the outside air intake path 60 passes through the heater core 40 and is blown into the vehicle interior.

[0087] Furthermore, the air conditioning ECU 100 opens solenoid valves 86A and 86B, closes solenoid valves 86C, 86D, and 91, and drives the first circulation pump 81 to circulate the heat transfer medium through the heat transfer medium passage 87. At this time, the heater 82 is driven to heat the heat transfer medium circulating through the heat transfer medium passage 87 of the equipment temperature control circuit 80.

[0088] As a result, in the third airflow channel 23, the outside air taken in via the outside air introduction channel 60 and the heat transfer medium heated by the heater 82 exchange heat in the heater core 40. In the equipment temperature control circuit 80, the heat transfer medium heated by the heater 82 exchanges heat with the outside air that has passed through the third airflow channel in the heater core 40 before flowing into the battery 84 and motor 85. The battery 84 and motor 85 are heated by the residual heat of the heat transfer medium after passing through the heater core 40. The heat transfer medium, which has been cooled further by dissipating heat in the battery 84 and motor 85, recirculates into the heat transfer medium channel 87, is heated again by the heater 82, and then flows into the heater core 40. By repeating this circulation, the battery 84 and motor 85 are heated.

[0089] Meanwhile, the air heated by absorbing heat from the heat transfer medium in the heater core 40 is supplied to the passenger compartment through the passenger compartment outlet 29 and used for heating the passenger compartment. In this case, if the temperature of the air supplied to the passenger compartment falls below the set temperature, the heating is supplemented by driving the PTC heater 54 located downstream of the third airflow channel 23 to heat the air.

[0090] Furthermore, during heating operation, if the blower fan 27 is stopped, outside air is not introduced from the intake port 25. If the blower fan 27 is running, the air supplied by the blower fan 27 from the intake port 25 passes through the cooler core 30 without exchanging heat with the refrigerant.

[0091] In this way, at least the third airflow path 23 and the in-vehicle airflow path 53 are selected from among the multiple airflow paths, and the heater 82 is driven while circulating the heat transfer medium in the heat transfer medium path 87 of the equipment temperature control circuit 80. As a result, the air passing through the third airflow path 23 absorbs heat from the heat transfer medium heated by the heater 82, allowing the warmed air to be supplied to the vehicle interior for heating, and the battery 84 and motor 85 can also be heated using the residual heat of the heat transfer medium.

[0092] (2-4) Heating operation 4 (heating operation and heating of battery 84 and motor 85) Figure 10 shows the state of the vehicle air conditioning system 1 while heating the battery 84 and motor 85. In Figure 10, the air conditioning ECU 100 controls the air mix damper 28 to close the first airflow path 21 and selects the second airflow path 22. It also closes the outside air intake damper 64 to block the intake of outside air from the outside air intake path 60, and controls the outlet damper 51 to close the external outlet 50 to block the outflow of air from the external outlet 50 to the outside of the vehicle, and selects the in-vehicle airflow path 53 to supply air into the vehicle.

[0093] Then, the blower fan 27 is driven to introduce outside or inside air from the intake port 25 into the second airflow path 22, and the air that has passed through the cooler core 30 without heat exchange with the refrigerant passes through the heater core 40 and is blown into the passenger compartment.

[0094] Furthermore, the air conditioning ECU 100 opens solenoid valves 86A and 86B, closes solenoid valves 86C, 86D, and 91, and drives the first circulation pump 81 to circulate the heat transfer medium through the heat transfer medium passage 87. At this time, the heater 82 is driven to heat the heat transfer medium circulating through the heat transfer medium passage 87 of the equipment temperature control circuit 80.

[0095] As a result, in the second airflow path 22, the internal or external air that has passed through the cooler core 30 without heat exchange with the refrigerant and the heat transfer medium heated by the heater 82 exchange heat in the heater core 40.

[0096] In the equipment temperature control circuit 80, the heat transfer medium heated by the heater 82 exchanges heat with the internal or external air that has passed through the second airflow channel 22 in the heater core 40 before flowing into the battery 84 and motor 85. The battery 84 and motor 85 are heated by the residual heat of the heat transfer medium after passing through the heater core 40. The heat transfer medium, which has been cooled further by heat dissipation in the battery 84 and motor 85, recirculates into the heat transfer medium channel 87, is heated again by the heater 82, and then flows into the heater core 40. By repeating this circulation, the battery 84 and motor 85 are heated.

[0097] Meanwhile, the air heated by absorbing heat from the heat transfer medium in the heater core 40 is supplied to the passenger compartment through the passenger compartment outlet 29 and used for heating the passenger compartment. In this case, if the temperature of the air supplied to the passenger compartment falls below the set temperature, the heating is supplemented by driving the PTC heater 54 located downstream of the third airflow channel 23 to heat the air.

[0098] In this way, at least the second airflow path 22 and the in-vehicle airflow path 53 are selected from among the multiple airflow paths, and the heater 82 is driven while circulating the heat transfer medium in the heat transfer medium path 87 of the equipment temperature control circuit 80. As a result, the air passing through the second airflow path 22 absorbs heat from the heat transfer medium heated by the heater 82, allowing the warmed air to be supplied to the vehicle interior for heating, and the battery 84 and motor 85 can also be heated using the residual heat of the heat transfer medium.

[0099] (2-5) Heating operation 5 (heating operation, heating of battery 84, cooling of motor 85) Figure 11 shows the state of the vehicle air conditioning system 1, which heats the battery 84 and cools the motor 85 while performing heating operation. In Figure 11, the air conditioning ECU 100 controls the air mix damper 28 to close the second airflow path 22 and controls the outside air intake damper 64 to open the outside air intake port 63, thereby selecting the third airflow path.

[0100] Furthermore, the discharge damper 51 controls the external air outlet 50 to close, blocking the airflow from the external air outlet 50 to the outside of the vehicle, and selecting the in-vehicle airflow path 53 to blow air into the vehicle interior. As a result, outside air taken in by the outside air intake fan 62 from the outside air intake port 61 through the outside air intake path 60 passes through the heater core 40 and is blown into the vehicle interior.

[0101] Furthermore, the air conditioning ECU 100 opens solenoid valves 86C and 91, and closes solenoid valves 86A, 86B, and 86D. Simultaneously, it drives the first circulation pump 81 to circulate the heat transfer medium through the heat transfer medium passage 87, and drives the second circulation pump 92 to circulate the heat transfer medium through the independent passage 90. At this time, it drives the heater 82 to heat the heat transfer medium circulating through the heat transfer medium passage 87.

[0102] As a result, in the third airflow channel 23, the outside air taken in via the outside air introduction channel 60 and the heat transfer medium heated by the heater 82 exchange heat in the heater core 40. In the equipment temperature control circuit 80, the heat transfer medium heated by the heater 82 exchanges heat with the outside air that has passed through the third airflow channel in the heater core 40 before flowing into the battery 84. The battery 84 is heated by the residual heat of the heat transfer medium after passing through the heater core 40. The heat transfer medium, which has been cooled further by dissipating heat in the battery 84, recirculates to the heat transfer medium channel 87, is heated again by the heater 82, and then flows into the heater core 40. By repeating this circulation, the battery 84 is heated.

[0103] Furthermore, the heat transfer fluid, which circulates through the independent flow path 90 and absorbs heat from the motor 85, exchanges heat with the outside air in the radiator 93. In the radiator 93, the heat transfer fluid, cooled by releasing heat from the motor 85 to the outside air, recirculates back into the independent flow path 90 and flows into the motor 85. This allows the motor 85 to cool naturally.

[0104] Meanwhile, the air heated by absorbing heat from the heat transfer medium in the heater core 40 is supplied to the passenger compartment through the passenger compartment outlet 29 and used for heating the passenger compartment. In this case, if the temperature of the air supplied to the passenger compartment falls below the set temperature, the heating is supplemented by driving the PTC heater 54 located downstream of the third airflow channel 23 to heat the air.

[0105] Furthermore, during heating operation, if the blower fan 27 is stopped, outside air is not introduced from the intake port 25. If the blower fan 27 is running, the air supplied by the blower fan 27 from the intake port 25 passes through the cooler core 30 without exchanging heat with the refrigerant.

[0106] In this way, at least the third airflow path 23 and the in-vehicle airflow path 53 are selected from among the multiple airflow paths, and the heater 82 is driven while circulating the heat transfer medium in the heat transfer medium path 87 of the equipment temperature control circuit 80. As a result, the air passing through the third airflow path 23 absorbs heat from the heat transfer medium heated by the heater 82, allowing the warmed air to be supplied to the vehicle interior for heating, and the battery 84 can also be heated using the residual heat of the heat transfer medium. On the other hand, the motor 85 can be naturally cooled by using the independent airflow path 90.

[0107] (2-6) Heating operation 5 (heating operation, heating of battery 84, cooling of motor 85) Figure 12 shows the state of the vehicle air conditioning system 1, which heats the battery 84 and cools the motor 85 while performing heating operation. In Figure 12, the air conditioning ECU 100 controls the air mix damper 28 to close the first airflow path 21 and selects the second airflow path 22. It also closes the outside air intake damper 64 to block the introduction of outside air from the outside air intake path 60, and controls the discharge damper 51 to close the external outlet 50 to block the outflow of air from the external outlet 50 to the outside of the vehicle, and selects the in-vehicle airflow path 53 to supply air into the vehicle interior.

[0108] Then, the blower fan 27 is driven to introduce outside or inside air from the intake port 25 into the second airflow path 22, and the air that has passed through the cooler core 30 without heat exchange with the refrigerant passes through the heater core 40 and is blown into the passenger compartment.

[0109] Furthermore, the air conditioning ECU 100 opens solenoid valves 86C and 91, and closes solenoid valves 86A, 86B, and 86D. Simultaneously, it drives the first circulation pump 81 to circulate the heat transfer medium through the heat transfer medium passage 87, and drives the second circulation pump 92 to circulate the heat transfer medium through the independent passage 90. At this time, it drives the heater 82 to heat the heat transfer medium circulating through the heat transfer medium passage 87.

[0110] As a result, in the second airflow path 22, the internal or external air that has passed through the cooler core 30 without heat exchange with the refrigerant and the heat transfer medium heated by the heater 82 exchange heat in the heater core 40.

[0111] In the equipment temperature control circuit 80, the heat transfer medium heated by the heater 82 exchanges heat with the internal or external air that has passed through the second airflow channel 22 in the heater core 40 before flowing into the battery 84. The battery 84 is heated by the residual heat of the heat transfer medium after passing through the heater core 40. The heat transfer medium, which has been cooled further by dissipating heat in the battery 84, recirculates to the heat transfer medium channel 87, is heated again by the heater 82, and then flows into the heater core 40. By repeating this circulation, the battery 84 is heated.

[0112] Furthermore, the heat transfer fluid, which circulates through the independent flow path 90 and absorbs heat from the motor 85, exchanges heat with the outside air in the radiator 93. In the radiator 93, the heat transfer fluid, cooled by releasing heat from the motor 85 to the outside air, recirculates back into the independent flow path 90 and flows into the motor 85. This allows the motor 85 to cool naturally.

[0113] Meanwhile, the air heated by absorbing heat from the heat transfer medium in the heater core 40 is supplied to the passenger compartment through the passenger compartment outlet 29 and used for heating the passenger compartment. In this case, if the temperature of the air supplied to the passenger compartment falls below the set temperature, the heating is supplemented by driving the PTC heater 54 located downstream of the second airflow channel 22 to heat the air.

[0114] In this way, at least the second airflow path 22 and the in-vehicle airflow path 53 are selected from among the multiple airflow paths, and the heater 82 is driven while circulating the heat transfer medium in the heat transfer medium path 87 of the equipment temperature control circuit 80. As a result, the air passing through the second airflow path 22 absorbs heat from the heat transfer medium heated by the heater 82, allowing the warmed air to be supplied to the vehicle interior for heating, and the battery 84 can also be heated using the residual heat of the heat transfer medium. On the other hand, the motor 85 can be naturally cooled by using the independent airflow path 90.

[0115] {Rapid cooling of Battery 84} Figure 13 shows the state of the vehicle air conditioning system 1 when rapidly cooling the battery 84. In Figure 13, the air conditioning ECU 100 controls the air mix damper 28 to close the first airflow passage 21 and select the second airflow passage 22. In other words, all of the internal or external air supplied from the intake port 25 by the blower fan 27 flows into the second airflow passage 22 and passes through the cooler core 30.

[0116] Furthermore, the air conditioning ECU 100 controls the outside air intake 63 to close using the outside air intake damper 64, thereby blocking the introduction of outside air from the outside air intake passage 60. The air conditioning ECU 100 also controls the outside air outlet 50 to open using the discharge damper 51, selecting the outside discharge passage 52, and allowing the air that has passed through the heater core 40 to flow out of the vehicle through the outside air outlet 50.

[0117] The air conditioning ECU 100 opens solenoid valve 86C and closes solenoid valves 86A, 86B, 86D, and 91, and drives the first circulation pump 81 to circulate the heat transfer medium through the heat transfer medium passage 87.

[0118] The air conditioning ECU 100 operates the blower fan 27 to draw in internal or external air from the intake port 25 into the cooler core 30, where it exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit R flowing into the cooler core 30. The air cooled by the heat exchange in the cooler core 30 then exchanges heat with a heat transfer medium that has been warmed in the equipment temperature control circuit 80 by absorbing heat from the battery 84 in the heater core 40. The air that has absorbed heat from the heat transfer medium in the heater core 40 is then blown out of the vehicle through the external outlet 50.

[0119] In the device temperature control circuit 80, the heat transfer medium circulates through the heat transfer medium channel 87, absorbing heat from the battery 84. This heat transfer medium then releases the heat from the battery 84 to the heat transfer medium cooled by the cooler core 30, which cools the medium. The heat transfer medium then returns to the heat transfer medium channel 87 and flows back into the battery 84. This cools the battery 84. In other words, the heater core 40 can function as a radiator.

[0120] In this way, by selecting at least the second airflow path 22 and the external discharge path 52 from among the multiple airflow paths, and by exchanging heat between the air cooled by the cooler core 30 and the heat transfer medium circulating in the equipment temperature control circuit 80, the battery 84 can be rapidly cooled. The air after heat exchange is discharged outside the vehicle through the external discharge path 52.

[0121] {Rapid heating of battery 84} Figure 14 shows the state of the vehicle air conditioning system 1 when rapidly heating the battery 84. In Figure 14, the air conditioning ECU 100 controls the air mix damper 28 to close the first airflow path 21 and select the second airflow path 22. The air conditioning ECU 100 also controls the outside air intake damper 64 to close the outside air intake port 63, blocking the introduction of outside air from the outside air intake path 60. The air conditioning ECU 100 controls the discharge damper 51 to open the external outlet 50, selecting the external discharge path 52, and allows the air that has passed through the heater core 40 to flow out of the vehicle through the external outlet 50.

[0122] The air conditioning ECU 100 opens solenoid valve 86C and closes solenoid valves 86A, 86B, 86D, and 91, and drives the first circulation pump 81 to circulate the heat transfer medium through the heat transfer medium passage 87. At the same time, it drives the heater 82 to heat the heat transfer medium circulating through the heat transfer medium passage 87.

[0123] In the equipment temperature control circuit 80, the heat transfer medium heated by the heater 82 flows into the battery 84 after passing through the heater core 40. The battery 84 is heated by the heat transfer medium after passing through the heater core 40. The heat transfer medium that has cooled down by dissipating heat in the battery 84 recirculates into the heat transfer medium flow path 87, is heated again by the heater 82, and then flows into the heater core 40.

[0124] At this time, the air conditioning ECU 100 does not operate the blower fan 27 and does not take in indoor or outdoor air from the intake port 25. Therefore, no heat exchange occurs between the air and the heat transfer medium in the heater core 40, and the heat from the heat transfer medium warmed by the heater 82 can be used to heat the battery 84. By repeating this cycle, the battery 84 can be heated rapidly.

[0125] As described above, according to this embodiment, the in-vehicle air conditioning unit 10 is equipped with multiple airflow paths that selectively pass through the cooler core 30 or the heater core 40, and these airflow paths can be selected as appropriate. Furthermore, by switching the circulation path of the heat transfer medium in the equipment temperature control circuit 80, the heat transfer medium can be controlled to circulate to the battery 84 and the motor 85, or to circulate them independently.

[0126] Therefore, the airflow path of the air conditioning unit can be selected and the circulation path of the heat transfer medium circulating in the equipment temperature control circuit 80 can be switched according to the purpose of air conditioning such as heating or cooling, and the temperature control requirements for heating or cooling the battery 84 and motor 85. This makes it possible to respond to the cooling and temperature control requirements of the on-board equipment not only during heating operation but also during cooling operation when using waste heat from the on-board equipment for air conditioning, and also to respond to the requirement of overcooling of the on-board equipment in an air conditioning system that uses waste heat from the on-board equipment.

[0127] In the embodiments described above, a cooler core was used as an example of a heat-absorbing heat exchanger, and a heater core was used as an example of a heat-dissipating heat exchanger. However, the "heat-absorbing heat exchanger" can be any heat exchanger that absorbs heat from various heat transfer media including refrigerants, and similarly, the "heat-dissipating heat exchanger" can be any heat exchanger that dissipates heat from various heat transfer media including refrigerants; the type and name are not specified.

[0128] Although embodiments of the present invention have been described in detail above with reference to the drawings, the specific configuration is not limited to these embodiments, and any design changes, etc., that do not depart from the spirit of the present invention are also included. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0129] 1: Vehicle air conditioning system, 10: Indoor air conditioning unit, 20: Airflow path, 21: First airflow path, 22: Second airflow path, 23: Third airflow path, 25: Intake port, 26: Intake switching damper, 27: Blower fan, 28: Air mix damper, 29: Indoor air outlet, 30: Cooler core (heat exchange section for heat absorption), 40: Heater core (heat exchange section for heat dissipation), 50: External air outlet, 51: Discharge damper, 52: External discharge path, 53: Indoor airflow path, 54: PTC heater, 60: Outside air intake path, 61: Outside air intake port, 62: Outside air intake fan, 63: Outside air intake port, 64: Outside air intake damper, 71: Outside air temperature sensor, 72: 73: HVAC intake temperature sensor, 74: Air outlet temperature sensor, 75: Heater core temperature sensor, 76: Cooler core temperature sensor, 77: Cooler core pressure sensor, 78: Heat transfer medium temperature sensor, 79: Air conditioning control unit, 80: Equipment temperature control circuit (heat transfer medium circuit), 81: First circulation pump, 82: Heater, 83: Tank, 84: Battery, 84, 85: On-board equipment, 85: Motor, 86A, 86B, 86C, 86D, 91: Solenoid valve, 87: Heat transfer medium flow path, 88A: Bypass flow path, 88B: Bypass flow path, 90: Independent flow path, 93: Radiator, 95: Vehicle controller, 100: Air conditioning ECU

Claims

1. A vehicle air conditioning system comprising: an indoor air conditioning unit having a heat absorption heat exchanger and a heat dissipation heat exchanger; a heat transfer medium circuit that recovers waste heat from multiple in-vehicle devices by circulating a heat transfer medium in series to the in-vehicle devices via the heat dissipation heat exchanger; and a control unit that controls the indoor air conditioning unit and the heat transfer medium circuit, The indoor air conditioning unit includes a plurality of airflow paths that selectively pass through the heat absorption heat exchange section and the heat dissipation heat exchange section, and also includes an airflow path selection section that selects one or more of the plurality of airflow paths. The aforementioned plurality of airflow channels are The system includes a first airflow path that passes through the heat absorption heat exchange section and then bypasses the heat dissipation heat exchange section to blow air into the vehicle cabin, a second airflow path that passes through the heat absorption heat exchange section and then passes through the heat dissipation heat exchange section, and a third airflow path that takes in outside air and causes it to pass through the heat dissipation heat exchange section. The second or third airflow channel is provided with an external discharge channel for discharging the air that has passed through the heat exchange section to the outside of the vehicle and an internal airflow channel for supplying air into the vehicle interior. The control unit, The aforementioned airflow path selection unit, Select the in-vehicle airflow path of the second or third airflow path from which heat absorption by the heat absorption heat exchange section has been stopped. By operating the auxiliary heating device provided in the aforementioned heat transfer medium circuit, A vehicle air conditioning system characterized by heating the in-vehicle equipment while performing heating operation.

2. An air conditioning system for a vehicle comprising: an indoor air conditioning unit having a heat absorption heat exchanger and a heat dissipation heat exchanger; a heat transfer medium circuit that recovers waste heat from a plurality of in-vehicle devices by circulating a heat transfer medium in series to the in-vehicle devices via the heat dissipation heat exchanger; and a control unit that controls the indoor air conditioning unit and the heat transfer medium circuit, The indoor air conditioning unit includes a plurality of airflow paths that selectively pass through the heat absorption heat exchange section and the heat dissipation heat exchange section, and also includes an airflow path selection section that selects one or more of the plurality of airflow paths. The aforementioned plurality of airflow channels are The system includes a first airflow path that passes through the heat absorption heat exchange section and then bypasses the heat dissipation heat exchange section to blow air into the vehicle cabin, a second airflow path that passes through the heat absorption heat exchange section and then passes through the heat dissipation heat exchange section, and a third airflow path that takes in outside air and causes it to pass through the heat dissipation heat exchange section. The second or third airflow channel is provided with an external discharge channel for discharging the air that has passed through the heat exchange section to the outside of the vehicle and an internal airflow channel for supplying air into the vehicle interior. The control unit, The aforementioned airflow path selection unit, While performing cooling operation with the first airflow path selected, By selecting the external discharge channel of the second or third airflow channel, the in-vehicle equipment is cooled. The aforementioned heat transfer circuit is The aforementioned plurality of in-vehicle devices include a heat transfer medium flow path switching unit that switches the heat transfer medium flow path circulating through the motor to an independent flow path that bypasses the heat dissipation heat exchange unit, The vehicle air conditioning system is characterized in that the independent flow path includes a heat exchange section for cooling the motor.

3. A vehicle air conditioning system comprising: an indoor air conditioning unit having a heat absorption heat exchanger and a heat dissipation heat exchanger; a heat transfer medium circuit that recovers waste heat from a plurality of in-vehicle devices by circulating a heat transfer medium in series to the in-vehicle devices via the heat dissipation heat exchanger; and a control unit that controls the indoor air conditioning unit and the heat transfer medium circuit, The indoor air conditioning unit includes a plurality of airflow paths that selectively pass through the heat absorption heat exchange section and the heat dissipation heat exchange section, and also includes an airflow path selection section that selects one or more of the plurality of airflow paths. The aforementioned plurality of airflow channels are The system includes a first airflow path that passes through the heat absorption heat exchange section and then bypasses the heat dissipation heat exchange section to blow air into the vehicle cabin, a second airflow path that passes through the heat absorption heat exchange section and then passes through the heat dissipation heat exchange section, and a third airflow path that takes in outside air and causes it to pass through the heat dissipation heat exchange section. The second or third airflow channel is provided with an external discharge channel for discharging the air that has passed through the heat exchange section to the outside of the vehicle and an internal airflow channel for supplying air into the vehicle interior. The control unit, The aforementioned airflow path selection unit, By selecting the in-vehicle airflow path of the second or third airflow path, which has stopped absorbing heat from the heat-absorbing heat exchanger section, the vehicle equipment is cooled while heating is performed. The aforementioned heat transfer circuit is The aforementioned plurality of in-vehicle devices include a heat transfer medium flow path switching unit that switches the heat transfer medium flow path circulating through the motor to an independent flow path that bypasses the heat dissipation heat exchange unit, The vehicle air conditioning system is characterized in that the independent flow path includes a heat exchange section for cooling the motor.

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