Thermal management system

Abstract

To prevent a temperature of electronic components from becoming lower than a low temperature side guarantee temperature when the outside air is at a cryogenic temperature, and to suppress an operation region being limited to protect a coil when the motor compressor is in a low-rotation and high-load.SOLUTION: A motor compressor includes a housing 19, an electric motor 11, a refrigerant compression part 12, an electric control part 26, a refrigerant flow passage 25 and a cooling water flow passage 20. The electric motor 11 rotationally drives by electricity conduction to a coil 32. The refrigerant compression part 12 sucks, compresses and discharges the refrigerant by the drive of the electric motor 11. The electric control part 26 includes an electronic component 27 that generates heat by the electricity conduction, and controls the electricity conduction of the electric motor 11 to the coil 32. The refrigerant flow passage 25 is provided inside the housing 19 in such a manner that the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant before sucked into the refrigerant compression part 12 and the coil 32 and the electronic component 27 can exchange heat. The cooling water flow passage 20 is provided inside the housing 19 in such a manner that the cooling water flowing in the cooling water flow passage 20 and the coil 32 and the electronic component 27 can exchange heat.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 2

Description

[[Technical Field]]

[0001] The present invention relates to ,cold a heat management system including a refrigeration cycle device and a cooling water circuit. [[Background Art]]

[0002] Conventionally, electric compressors used in refrigeration cycle devices are known. The electric compressor described in Patent Document 1 includes an electric motor and a refrigerant compression unit inside a housing, and an electric control unit that drives and controls the electric motor outside the housing. This electric compressor is configured such that the windings of the electric motor are cooled by low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant flowing inside the housing, and furthermore, the refrigerant cools, through the housing, switching elements and the like of an inverter circuit included in the electric control unit. [[Prior Art Documents]] [[Patent Documents]]

[0003] [[Patent Document 1]] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2003-322082 [[Summary of the Invention]] [[Problem to be Solved by the Invention]]

[0004] However, like the electric compressor described in Patent Document 1, the configuration in which the electric motor and the electric control unit are cooled only by refrigerant has the following problems.

[0005] First, when heating is performed using the heat of refrigerant flowing through a condenser of a refrigeration cycle device when the outside air is at an extremely low temperature, the temperature of the refrigerant in the evaporator must be lower than the outside air temperature in order for the refrigerant to absorb heat from the outside air. Therefore, if the temperature of refrigerant sucked from the evaporator into the electric compressor becomes lower than the guaranteed low-temperature limit (e.g., -40°C) for electronic components included in the electric control unit, the electronic components may fail. There is also a concern that protection of the electronic components may prevent the refrigeration cycle from being used for heating and the like.

[0006] Next, when the electric compressor is operated at low speed under the operating conditions of the refrigeration cycle system, the refrigerant flow rate decreases, and the cooling capacity of the refrigerant on the motor windings decreases. In such cases, under operating conditions where the motor requires high load and output torque, the winding temperature rises due to the increase in current, and there is a risk that the winding temperature will exceed the winding's own protection temperature. Therefore, it is necessary to change the operating point of the electric compressor or to temporarily stop the electric compressor to prevent the winding temperature from exceeding the protection temperature, which raises concerns that the operating range of the electric compressor will be limited.

[0007] Furthermore, refrigerants used in refrigeration cycles generally exhibit large temperature differences between low and high temperatures. Therefore, there are concerns that large temperature fluctuations in electronic components that exchange heat with the refrigerant could shorten the lifespan of those electronic components.

[0008] In view of the above points, the present invention ,heat The objective of the management system is to prevent the temperature of electronic components from falling below the guaranteed low-temperature range when the ambient temperature is extremely low, and to suppress the limitation of the operating range of the electric compressor to protect the windings when it is running at low speed and under high load. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] To achieve the above objective, according to the invention of claim 1, A refrigeration cycle device configured such that an electric compressor, a high-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger (7) that performs heat exchange between the refrigerant discharged from the refrigerant compression section of the electric compressor and cooling water, an expansion valve (8) that depressurizes and expands the refrigerant flowing out of the high-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger, and a low-temperature side refrigerant-heat medium heat exchanger (9) that performs heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing out of the expansion valve and the heat medium are connected by refrigerant piping (10) so that the refrigerant circulates, A cooling water circuit (4) is configured such that a high-temperature side cooling water-air heat exchanger (16) that performs heat exchange between air and cooling water, a high-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger, and a cooling water pump (17) are connected by cooling water piping (18) to circulate the cooling water. In a thermal management system comprising an electronic control unit (6) that controls the operation of a cooling water pump and an electric compressor, Electric compressors are, The outer shell consists of a housing (19) and An electric motor (11) is provided inside the housing and is driven to rotate by energizing the windings (32), A refrigerant compression unit (12) that draws in, compresses, and discharges refrigerant using the drive of an electric motor, An electrical control unit (26) has an electronic component (27) that generates heat when energized and controls the energization of the motor windings, A refrigerant flow path (25) provided inside the housing, which is provided so that low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant before it is drawn into the refrigerant compression section can exchange heat with the motor and the electrical control unit, The enclosure includes a cooling water channel (20) provided inside the enclosure, which is configured such that the cooling water flowing through the cooling water channel can exchange heat with the motor and the electrical control unit. The cooling water flow path in the electric compressor is a flow path through which cooling water flows from the high-temperature side cooling water-air heat exchanger to the high-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger. The electronic control unit is A control system is executed to activate the cooling water pump a predetermined time before the electric compressor is activated. The system is configured to execute a control that stops the cooling water pump after a predetermined time has elapsed since the electric compressor was stopped.

[0010] According to this, both the windings and the electronic components can exchange heat with the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant channel, as well as with the cooling water flowing through the cooling water channel. Therefore, when using a refrigeration cycle system for heating or other purposes when the outside air is at an extremely low temperature, even if the refrigerant temperature in the refrigerant channel falls below the guaranteed low temperature of the electronic components, heat exchange between the cooling water and the electronic components can prevent the temperature of the electronic components from falling below that guaranteed low temperature.

[0011] Furthermore, under the operating conditions of the refrigeration cycle system, when the electric compressor is operating at low speed and high load, even when the refrigerant flow rate decreases and the cooling capacity of the refrigerant on the windings decreases, heat exchange between the cooling water and the windings can prevent the winding temperature from exceeding its own protection temperature. Therefore, it is possible to suppress control that changes the operating point of the electric compressor to prevent the winding temperature from exceeding its own protection temperature, or to suppress control that temporarily stops or intermittently operates the electric compressor. Consequently, it is possible to suppress the limitation of the operating range of the electric compressor.

[0012] Furthermore, generally, the temperature difference between low and high temperatures of the cooling water flowing through the cooling water channel is smaller than the temperature difference between low and high temperatures of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant channel. Therefore, by configuring the system so that heat exchange occurs between the cooling water flowing through the cooling water channel and the electronic components, it is possible to suppress temperature changes in the electronic components. Consequently, the lifespan of the electronic components can be extended.

[0013] In this specification, the term "electric compressor" is not limited to one comprising the electric motor and refrigerant compression unit described above, but may also refer to a system in which various components of a refrigeration cycle device, such as a liquid reservoir and an oil separator, are integrated into a single unit.

[0015] Furthermore, the invention according to claim 1According to the above, the cooling water flowing from the "high-temperature-side cooling water-air heat exchanger" to the "high-temperature-side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger" is cooling water that has radiated heat to air in the "high-temperature-side cooling water-air heat exchanger" before absorbing heat from the refrigerant in the "high-temperature-side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger". Therefore, by using the cooling water on the upstream side of the "high-temperature-side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger", compared with using the cooling water on the downstream side of the "high-temperature-side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger", it is possible to improve the cooling efficiency of the winding by the cooling water and increase the amount of heat absorbed from the winding by the cooling water. Therefore, along with cooling the winding, the efficiency of the heat management system can be improved by increasing the temperature of the cooling water circulating in the cooling water circuit.

[0016] It should be noted that the reference numerals in parentheses attached to each component etc. indicate an example of the correspondence between the component etc. and the specific component etc. described in the embodiments mentioned later. [BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS]

[0017] [Figure 1] FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a schematic configuration of a heat management system including an electric compressor according to a first embodiment. [Figure 2] FIG. 2 is a cross-sectional view showing a schematic configuration of an electric compressor. [Figure 3] FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view taken along line III-III in FIG. 2. [Figure 4] FIG. 4 is a graph showing the relationship between the refrigerant temperature and the temperature of electronic components immediately after startup in a cryogenic environment in an electric compressor of a comparative example. [Figure 5] FIG. 5 is a graph showing the relationship among refrigerant temperature, cooling water temperature, and temperature of electronic components immediately after startup in a cryogenic environment in the electric compressor of the first embodiment. [Figure 6] FIG. 6 is a graph showing the relationship between the winding temperature of the electric motor and the refrigerant temperature under the operating condition of low rotation speed and high load in an electric compressor of a comparative example. [Figure 7] FIG. 7 is a graph showing the relationship between the winding temperature of the electric motor and the refrigerant temperature under the operating condition of low rotation speed and high load in the electric compressor of the first embodiment. [Figure 8]This graph illustrates the operating range of an electric compressor. [Figure 9] This flowchart shows an example of the control process performed by the electronic control unit when the thermal management system is started up. [Figure 10] This flowchart shows an example of the control process performed by the electronic control unit when the thermal management system is shut down. [Figure 11] This flowchart shows an example of a control process performed by the electronic control unit of the thermal management system according to the second embodiment. [Modes for carrying out the invention]

[0018] Embodiments of the present invention will be described below with reference to the drawings. In the following embodiments, parts that are the same or equivalent to each other are denoted by the same reference numerals, and their descriptions are omitted.

[0019] (First Embodiment) The first embodiment will be described with reference to the drawings. As shown in Figure 1, the electric compressor 1 according to the first embodiment is used in a thermal management system 2 mounted on a vehicle.

[0020] <Configuration of Thermal Management System 2> First, the configuration of the thermal management system 2 will be described. As shown in Figure 1, the thermal management system 2 includes a refrigeration cycle device 3, a first cooling water circuit 4, a second cooling water circuit 5, and an electronic control unit 6 (hereinafter referred to as "ECU 6"). ECU stands for Electronic Control Unit. The first cooling water circuit 4 corresponds to an example of the "cooling water circuit" described in the claims.

[0021] The refrigeration cycle device 3 is a vapor compression type refrigeration cycle configured such that an electric compressor 1, a high-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 7, an expansion valve 8, and a low-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 9 are connected by refrigerant piping 10 to circulate the refrigerant. The low-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 9 is an example of the "low-temperature side refrigerant-heat transfer medium heat exchanger" described in the claims. As the refrigerant circulating in the refrigeration cycle device 3, for example, an HFC-based refrigerant (e.g., R134a) or an HFO-based refrigerant (e.g., R1234yf) is used. Alternatively, a natural refrigerant (e.g., carbon dioxide) may be used as the refrigerant. The arrow RF in Figure 1 indicates the direction in which the refrigerant flows through the refrigerant piping 10.

[0022] The electric compressor 1 includes an electric motor 11 and a refrigerant compression unit 12. The electric motor 11 is rotationally driven by the supply of energy. The refrigerant compression unit 12 is driven by the electric motor 11, compresses the refrigerant drawn in from the refrigerant inlet 13, and discharges it from the refrigerant outlet 14. The refrigerant compression unit 12 may be of a fixed capacity type or a variable capacity type. The specific configuration of this electric compressor 1 will be described later.

[0023] The high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the electric compressor 1 flows into the high-temperature refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 7. The high-temperature refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 7 is a heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and the cooling water circulating in the first cooling water circuit 4. The high-temperature refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 7 is also called a water-cooled condenser. The refrigerant flowing through the high-temperature refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 7 releases heat into the cooling water and condenses.

[0024] The refrigerant flowing out from the high-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 7 is depressurized and expands as it passes through the expansion valve 8, becoming a gas-liquid two-phase state before flowing into the low-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 9. The expansion valve 8 may be a variable throttle such as a temperature-controlled expansion valve or an electronic expansion valve, or a fixed throttle.

[0025] The low-temperature refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 9 is a heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between the refrigerant and the cooling water circulating in the second cooling water circuit 5. The cooling water flowing through the low-temperature refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 9 (i.e., the cooling water circulating in the second cooling water circuit 5) corresponds to an example of the "heat transfer medium" described in the claims. The low-temperature refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 9 is also called a chiller. The refrigerant flowing through the low-temperature refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 9 absorbs heat from the cooling water and evaporates. The refrigerant that flows out of the low-temperature refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 9 is drawn into the refrigerant inlet 13 of the electric compressor 1.

[0026] The first cooling water circuit 4 is configured such that a high-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 7, a high-temperature side cooling water-air heat exchanger 16, a first cooling water pump 17, etc., are connected by cooling water piping 18 to circulate cooling water. The first cooling water pump 17 is an example of the "cooling water pump" described in the claims. Antifreeze (LLC) is used as the cooling water circulating in the first cooling water circuit 4. LLC is an abbreviation for Long Life Coolant. The arrow WF in Figure 1 indicates the direction in which the cooling water flows through the cooling water piping 18.

[0027] The high-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 7 is the same as the one described in the refrigeration cycle device 3. The cooling water flowing through the high-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 7 is heated by absorbing heat from the refrigerant.

[0028] The high-temperature side coolant-air heat exchanger 16 is a heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between coolant and air. The air heated in the high-temperature side coolant-air heat exchanger 16 is used, for example, for in-vehicle air conditioning (specifically, heating, etc.). This high-temperature side coolant-air heat exchanger 16 is also called a heater core. The coolant flowing through the high-temperature side coolant-air heat exchanger 16 is cooled by releasing heat into the air. The coolant that flows out of the high-temperature side coolant-air heat exchanger 16 flows through a coolant flow path 20 provided inside the housing 19 of the electric compressor 1, and then flows into the high-temperature side refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger 7. The configuration and effects of the coolant flow path 20 will be described later.

[0029] The first cooling water pump 17 is an electrically operated water pump. The first cooling water pump 17 drives the cooling water through the first cooling water circuit 4.

[0030] The second cooling water circuit 5 is configured such that a low-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 9, a low-temperature side cooling water-air heat exchanger 22, a second cooling water pump 23, etc., are connected by cooling water piping 24, allowing the cooling water to circulate. Antifreeze (LLC) is used as the cooling water circulating in the second cooling water circuit 5.

[0031] The low-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 9 is the same as the one described in the refrigeration cycle device 3. The cooling water flowing through the low-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 9 is cooled by releasing heat into the refrigerant.

[0032] The low-temperature side coolant-air heat exchanger 22 is a heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between coolant and air. The air cooled by the low-temperature side coolant-air heat exchanger 22 is used, for example, for in-vehicle air conditioning (specifically, cooling).

[0033] The second cooling water pump 23 is an electrically operated water pump. The second cooling water pump 23 drives the cooling water through the second cooling water circuit 5.

[0034] The ECU6 comprises a processor that performs control and arithmetic processing, a microcomputer with memory for storing programs and data, and peripheral circuits. The processor is composed of a CPU and an MPU. The memory includes various non-transitional physical storage media such as ROM, RAM, and non-volatile rewritable memory. The ECU6 controls the operation of the electric compressor 1, the first cooling water pump 17, the second cooling water pump 23, etc., by having the processor execute programs stored in the memory. The control processing performed by this ECU6 will be described later.

[0035] Although not shown in the diagram, the thermal management system 2 may include another cooling water circuit or heat transfer medium circuit in addition to the first cooling water circuit 4 and the second cooling water circuit 5. These cooling water circuits or heat transfer medium circuits may be used to cool or warm up the vehicle's battery or main engine, etc.

[0036] <Configuration of Electric Compressor 1> Next, the specific configuration of the electric compressor 1 will be described. As shown in Figures 2 and 3, the electric compressor 1 includes a housing 19, a refrigerant flow path 25, a cooling water flow path 20, an electric motor 11, a refrigerant compression unit 12, an electrical control unit 26, and the like.

[0037] The housing 19 is made of, for example, metal, and constitutes the outer casing of the electric compressor 1. The housing 19 has a sealed container structure in which multiple members are joined together. Inside the housing 19, a refrigerant flow path 25, a cooling water flow path 20, an electric motor 11, a refrigerant compression section 12, and the like are provided.

[0038] As described above, the refrigerant flow path 25 is a flow path through which low-temperature, low-pressure gaseous refrigerant flows from the low-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 9 of the refrigeration cycle device 3 before being drawn into the refrigerant compression unit 12. The refrigerant flow path 25 is formed inside the housing 19 as a space in which the electric motor 11 is located. Therefore, the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path 25 flows through the gaps between the components of the electric motor 11 and can cool the electric motor 11 by directly exchanging heat with each component of the electric motor 11. In addition, the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path 25 can cool the electronic components 27 of the electrical control unit 26 by exchanging heat with them through the housing 19. The refrigerant flow path 25 is configured so that the refrigerant that has flowed through it is drawn into the refrigerant compression unit 12.

[0039] As described above, the cooling water passage 20 is the passage through which the cooling water flows before it flows from the high-temperature side cooling water-air heat exchanger 16 of the first cooling water circuit 4 into the high-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 7. The cooling water passage 20 is configured so that the cooling water flows through holes formed on the inside of the housing 19. The holes constituting the cooling water passage 20 are formed in the part of the housing 19 between the electric motor 11 and the electrical control unit 26. Therefore, the cooling water flowing through the cooling water passage 20 can exchange heat with each component of the electric motor 11 through the housing 19. In addition, the cooling water flowing through the cooling water passage 20 can exchange heat with the electronic components 27 and other components of the electrical control unit 26 through the housing 19.

[0040] The electric motor 11 is located inside the refrigerant flow path 25 formed inside the housing 19. Various types of electric motors can be used for the electric motor 11, such as DC motors or AC motors. In this embodiment, for example, a brushless motor is used. The electric motor 11 has a stator 28, a rotor 29, and a shaft 30.

[0041] The stator 28 has a stator core 31 and windings 32. The stator core 31 has a cylindrical outer circumference 33 and a plurality of teeth 34 extending radially inward from the outer circumference 33. The stator core 31 is fixed to the inner wall 251 of the refrigerant flow path 25. The windings 32 are wound around the slots formed between the plurality of teeth 34. The windings 32 are three-phase windings, such as delta-connected or y-connected.

[0042] The rotor 29 has a rotor core 35 and a plurality of magnets 36, and is rotatably mounted inside the stator 28 together with the shaft 30. The shaft 30 is located at the center of the rotor 29. The end 37 of the shaft 30 that extends from the rotor 29 toward the side opposite the refrigerant compression section 12 is rotatably supported by a first bearing 38 provided in the housing 19. The portion 39 of the shaft 30 that extends from the rotor 29 toward the side of the refrigerant compression section 12 is rotatably supported by a second bearing 41 provided in an intermediate support section 40 fixed inside the housing 19.

[0043] An eccentric portion 42 is provided on the shaft 30 at a point that extends further toward the refrigerant compression section 12 than the second bearing 41. The eccentric portion 42 is formed in a cylindrical shape with its center offset from the axis CL of the shaft 30, and is slidably fitted into a bearing portion 44 provided on the movable scroll 43 of the refrigerant compression section 12. As a result, the torque output by the electric motor 11 is transmitted from the shaft 30 to the movable scroll 43, and the movable scroll 43 revolves around the axis CL of the shaft 30 as its center of revolution.

[0044] As described above, the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant passage 25 flows through the gaps between the components of the electric motor 11 (for example, the gap between the stator 28 and the rotor 29). Although not shown in the figures, the refrigerant passage 25 may also be formed on the outer circumference of the stator 28, or on the rotor 29 or shaft 30.

[0045] The refrigerant compression unit 12 is driven by the electric motor 11. Various types of refrigerant compression units can be used for the refrigerant compression unit 12, such as rotary, reciprocating, and variable displacement types. In this embodiment, for example, a scroll-type compressor of the rotary type is used. Therefore, the refrigerant compression unit 12 has a fixed scroll 45 and a movable scroll 43.

[0046] The fixed scroll 45 has a fixed platen 46 and a spiral-shaped fixed wrap 47 provided on the fixed platen 46. The fixed platen 46 is fixed to the housing 19. The fixed wrap 47 is provided so as to protrude from the fixed platen 46 toward the movable platen 48 of the movable scroll 43.

[0047] The movable scroll 43 has a movable platen 48 positioned opposite the fixed platen 46, and a spiral-shaped movable wrap 49 provided on the movable platen 48. The movable wrap 49 is provided so as to protrude from the movable platen 48 toward the fixed platen 46. The fixed wrap 47 and the movable wrap 49 are fitted together. The movable scroll 43 is provided with a rotation prevention mechanism (not shown) to prevent rotation. Therefore, the movable scroll 43 revolves around the axis CL of the shaft 30 as the center of revolution without rotating on its own axis.

[0048] An operating chamber 50 is formed between the fixed scroll 45 and the movable scroll 43. Furthermore, the radially outer side of the movable scroll 43, inside the outer peripheral wall of the fixed scroll 45, serves as a refrigerant inlet 13. The refrigerant inlet 13 communicates with the refrigerant flow path 25. When the movable scroll 43 revolves due to the drive of the electric motor 11, refrigerant is drawn into the operating chamber 50 from the refrigerant inlet 13, and the refrigerant is compressed due to the decrease in the volume of the operating chamber 50.

[0049] The fixed platen 46 of the fixed scroll 45 is provided with a refrigerant outlet 14 from which the refrigerant compressed in the working chamber 50 is discharged. The refrigerant outlet 14 is in communication with the discharge space 51. A discharge check valve 52 is provided between the refrigerant outlet 14 and the discharge space 51. The refrigerant discharged from the refrigerant outlet 14 into the discharge space 51 is discharged from a discharge port 53 provided in the housing 19.

[0050] The electrical control unit 26 controls the supply of power to the windings 32 of the electric motor 11. Inside the case 54, the electrical control unit 26 has a circuit board 55, an IC (integrated circuit) 56, a filter 57, and multiple switching elements 58. An electrical circuit including the IC 56 is mounted on the circuit board 55. The filter 57 is composed of, for example, a smoothing capacitor and suppresses voltage fluctuations supplied from a vehicle battery (not shown). The multiple switching elements 58 constitute, for example, an inverter circuit for generating three-phase AC power supplied to the windings 32 of the electric motor 11.

[0051] As shown in Figure 2, within the electrical control unit 26, the electronic components 27 that generate heat when energized, such as the filter 57 and the switching element 58, are positioned closer to the cooling water flow path 20 than to the center position CP of the electrical control unit 26. Furthermore, the electronic components 27 that generate heat when energized (i.e., the filter 57 and the switching element 58, etc.) are either directly connected to the housing 19 or indirectly connected via a heat conductive member (not shown). Therefore, the electronic components 27 that generate heat when energized can exchange heat with the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path 25 and with the cooling water flowing through the cooling water flow path 20.

[0052] Furthermore, as shown in Figures 2 and 3, the electronic components 27 that generate heat when energized and the cooling water flow path 20 formed within the housing 19 are arranged to face each other. In addition, as shown in Figure 2, the distance D1 between the electronic components 27 that generate heat when energized and the cooling water flow path 20 is closer than the distance D2 between the electronic components 27 that generate heat when energized and the refrigerant flow path 25. This makes it possible to improve the heat exchange efficiency between the multiple electronic components 27 that generate heat when energized and the cooling water flowing through the cooling water flow path 20.

[0053] In the configuration described above, when the windings 32 of the electric motor 11 are energized from the electrical control unit 26, a rotating magnetic field is generated in the stator 28, causing the rotor 29 and shaft 30 to rotate. The rotational motion of the shaft 30 is transmitted to the movable scroll 43. Due to the orbital motion of the movable scroll 43, the refrigerant drawn from the refrigerant flow path 25 into the working chamber 50 of the refrigerant compression unit 12 is compressed due to the decrease in the volume of the working chamber 50 and discharged from the refrigerant discharge port 14 through the discharge space 51 to the discharge port 53. This activates the refrigeration cycle device 3.

[0054] <Effects of the cooling water flow path 20> Next, the effects of providing a cooling water passage 20 inside the housing 19 in the electric compressor 1 of this embodiment will be explained in comparison with the electric compressor of the comparative example. The electric compressor of the comparative example has the same configuration as the electric compressor 1 of the first embodiment, except that it does not have a cooling water passage 20.

[0055] <Regarding the temperature of electronic component 27> Figures 4 and 5 are graphs showing the relationship between the refrigerant temperature and the temperature of electronic components 27 immediately after the electric compressor is started (i.e., immediately after the refrigeration cycle device 3 is started) when heating is performed using the thermal management system 2 in an extremely cold outside environment (e.g., -35°C).

[0056] The solid lines A and D in Figures 4(A) and 5(A) indicate the temperature of the electronic component 27, specifically the temperature of the switching element 58 that constitutes the inverter circuit within the electrical control unit 26. The dashed lines B and F in Figures 4(A) and 5(A) indicate the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant passage 25 of the electric compressor, that is, the temperature of the refrigerant before it flows out of the low-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 9 of the refrigeration cycle device 3 and is drawn into the refrigerant compression unit 12. The dashed line E in Figure 5(A) indicates the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the cooling water passage 20 of the electric compressor 1 of the first embodiment, that is, the temperature of the cooling water before it flows out of the high-temperature side cooling water-air heat exchanger 16 of the first cooling water circuit 4 and is drawn into the high-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 7. The solid lines C and G in Figures 4(B) and 5(B) indicate the rotational speed of the electric compressor 1.

[0057] Figure 4 shows the comparative electric compressor. As shown in Figure 4(A), between time T0 and T1, the comparative electric compressor is in its pre-start state, and the temperature of the electronic component 27 shown by solid line A and the temperature of the refrigerant shown by dashed line B are approximately the same as the ambient temperature (e.g., -35°C). As shown by solid line C in Figure 4(B), the electric compressor starts at time T1 (i.e., the refrigeration cycle starts at time T1) and operates at a constant rotational speed from time T2 onward. At this time, as shown by dashed line B in Figure 4(A), the refrigerant temperature drops significantly below the ambient temperature from time T1 to time T3 (e.g., to about -50°C), and remains at a nearly constant temperature from time T3 onward. This allows the refrigeration cycle device 3 to absorb heat from the ambient air into the refrigerant.

[0058] At that time, as shown by the solid line A in Figure 4(A), the temperature of the electronic component 27 drops significantly below the ambient temperature from time T1 to time T4 (for example, below -40°C), and then gradually rises after time T4. The reason why the temperature of the electronic component 27 drops significantly below the ambient temperature from time T1 to time T4 is that the electronic component 27 is cooled by the coolant through heat exchange between the electronic component 27 and the coolant. If the temperature of the electronic component 27 falls below the low-temperature guarantee temperature (for example, -40°C), the electronic component 27 may malfunction. The reason why the temperature of the electronic component 27 gradually rises after time T4 is due to self-heating caused by the energization of the electronic component 27.

[0059] On the other hand, Figure 5 shows the electric compressor 1 of the first embodiment. As shown in Figure 5(A), between time T10 and time T11, the electric compressor 1 is in a state before starting up, and the temperature of the electronic component 27 shown by the solid line D, the temperature of the refrigerant shown by the dashed line F, and the temperature of the cooling water shown by the dashed line E are all about the same as the ambient temperature (e.g., -35°C). As shown by the solid line G in Figure 5(B), the electric compressor 1 starts up at time T11 (i.e., the refrigeration cycle starts up at time T11), and operates at a constant rotational speed from time T12 onwards. At this time, in the electric compressor 1 of the first embodiment, as with the comparative example, as shown by the dashed line F in Figure 5(A), the refrigerant temperature drops significantly lower than the ambient temperature from time T11 to time T13 (e.g., to about -50°C), and remains at a nearly constant temperature from time T13 onwards.

[0060] At that time, as shown by the dashed line E in Figure 5(A), the temperature of the cooling water gradually rises from the ambient temperature after time T11. This is because the high-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant output by the compression work of the electric compressor 1 heats the cooling water flowing through the first cooling water circuit 4 via the high-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 7, causing the temperature of the cooling water to gradually rise. Furthermore, as shown by the solid line D in Figure 5(A), the temperature of the electronic component 27 gradually rises from time T11 onwards. This is because, in the electric compressor 1 of the first embodiment, the cooling water flowing through the cooling water passage 20 and the electronic component 27 exchange heat, thereby suppressing the cooling of the electronic component 27 by the refrigerant, and furthermore, the temperature of the electronic component 27 rises due to self-heating caused by the energization of the electronic component 27. Therefore, in the configuration of the first embodiment, even if the refrigerant temperature drops significantly below the ambient temperature immediately after the refrigeration cycle is started in an extremely low-temperature environment, the cooling water flowing through the cooling water passage 20 and the electronic component 27 exchange heat, preventing the temperature of the electronic component 27 from falling below the guaranteed low-temperature temperature.

[0061] <Regarding the temperature of winding 32 (hereinafter referred to as "winding temperature")> Next, Figures 6 and 7 are graphs showing the relationship between the winding temperature of the electric motor 11 and the refrigerant temperature when the electric compressor 1 of the refrigeration cycle device 3 is operating under low rotation speed and high load conditions.

[0062] In Figures 6(A) and 7(A), the solid lines H and K indicate the winding temperature of the electric motor 11. The dashed lines I and M in Figures 6(A) and 7(A) indicate the temperature of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant passage 25 of the electric compressor. The dashed line L in Figure 7(A) indicates the temperature of the cooling water flowing through the cooling water passage 20 of the electric compressor 1 in the first embodiment. Furthermore, the solid lines J and O in Figures 6(B) and 7(B) indicate the cooling capacity provided by the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant channel 25. The dashed line N in Figure 7(B) indicates the cooling capacity provided by the cooling water flowing through the cooling water channel 20.

[0063] Figure 6 shows the comparative electric compressor. As shown in Figure 6(A), between time T20 and T21, the comparative electric compressor is in the state before starting up, and the winding temperature shown by the solid line H and the refrigerant temperature shown by the dashed line I are at approximately the same level as the ambient temperature.

[0064] The electric compressor starts at time T21 (i.e., the refrigeration cycle starts at time T21) and operates at a constant low rotational speed from time T22 onward. As shown by the dashed line I in Figure 6(A), the refrigerant temperature drops significantly below the ambient temperature from time T21 to time T23, and remains at a nearly constant temperature from time T23 onward. Therefore, as shown by the solid line J in Figure 6(B), the cooling capacity of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant passage 25 gradually increases from time T21 and becomes constant from time T22 onward. However, because the electric compressor 1 operates at a low rotational speed and the refrigerant flow rate is low, the cooling capacity of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant passage 25 is small.

[0065] In this case, as shown by the solid line H in Figure 6(A), the winding temperature gradually rises from time T21 onward due to self-heating caused by the energization of winding 32. At this time, since the operating conditions of the electric compressor are high load, the amount of current flowing through winding 32 is large, and the amount of self-heating of winding 32 is also large. However, as mentioned above, since the cooling capacity of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant passage 25 is small, the winding temperature may exceed its own protection temperature (for example, around 140°C). In this case, the electric compressor of the comparative example would have to take measures such as changing the operating point of electric compressor 1, or temporarily stopping or intermittently operating electric compressor 1, in order to prevent the winding temperature from exceeding the protection temperature.

[0066] On the other hand, Figure 7 shows the electric compressor 1 of the first embodiment. In the first embodiment, the first cooling water circuit 4 is operating from before time T31 (i.e., before the electric compressor 1 is started). Therefore, as shown in Figure 7(A), between time T30 and T31, the electric compressor 1 is in the state before it is started, and the winding temperature shown by the solid line K and the refrigerant temperature shown by the dashed line M are about the same as the cooling water temperature shown by the dashed line L.

[0067] The electric compressor 1 starts at time T31 (i.e., the refrigeration cycle starts at time T31) and operates at a constant rotational speed from time T32 onward. As shown by the dashed line M in Figure 7(A), the refrigerant temperature drops below the ambient temperature from time T31 to time T33, and remains at a nearly constant temperature from time T33 onward. Therefore, as shown by the solid line O in Figure 7(B), the cooling capacity of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant passage 25 gradually increases from time T31 and becomes constant from time T32 onward. However, even in the first embodiment, the operating conditions of the electric compressor 1 are low rotational speed operation, and the flow rate of the cold refrigerant is low, so the cooling capacity of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant passage 25 is also small.

[0068] On the other hand, as shown by the dashed line N in Figure 7(B), in the first embodiment, since the amount of cooling water flowing through the first cooling water circuit 4 is relatively large, the cooling capacity of the cooling water flowing through the cooling water channel 20 is greater than the cooling capacity of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant channel 25.

[0069] In this case, as shown by the solid line K in Figure 7(A), the winding temperature gradually rises from time T31 onwards. In the first embodiment as well, the operating conditions of the electric compressor 1 are high load, so the amount of current flowing through the winding 32 is large, and the amount of self-heat generated by the winding 32 is also large. On the other hand, the operating conditions of the electric compressor 1 are low rotation speed operation, and the refrigerant flow rate is low, so the cooling capacity of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant passage 25 is small. However, in the first embodiment, the winding 32 is sufficiently cooled by the cooling water as the cooling water flowing through the cooling water passage 20, the winding 32, and the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant passage 25 exchange heat, thus preventing the winding 32 from exceeding its own protection temperature. Therefore, in the first embodiment, it is possible to suppress the limitation of the operating range for winding protection caused by insufficient refrigerant cooling of the winding 32 when the electric compressor 1 is operating at low rotation speed and high load.

[0070] Here, the operating range of the electric compressor 1 will be explained with reference to Figure 8. The operating range of the electric compressor 1 is an operable range expressed by the rotation speed and torque of the electric motor 11, or the rotation speed and motor current (that is, the current supplied to the electric motor 11), etc. In FIG. 8, the horizontal axis represents rotation speed, and the vertical axis represents torque or motor current. P on the horizontal axis indicates the minimum rotation speed of the electric motor 11 in a steady state. Q on the vertical axis indicates maximum torque or maximum motor current. Therefore, the electric compressor 1 operates in an operating range that is not lower than P and not higher than Q.

[0071] As the rotation speed of the electric compressor 1 increases, the cooling performance provided by the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow path 25 improves, and as the rotation speed of the electric compressor 1 decreases, the cooling performance provided by the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow path 25 decreases. The electric compressor of the comparative example described above is not provided with a cooling water flow path 20 in the housing 19, and is configured to cool the electric motor 11 only with the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow path 25. Therefore, in the case of the electric compressor of the comparative example, in an operating range where the rotation speed of the electric motor 11 is low, that is, a range where the cooling performance provided by the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow path 25 is low, if the torque or motor current is large, a problem occurs in that the winding temperature of the electric motor 11 exceeds the protection temperature. This results in a limitation on the operating range such that the range shown by hatching in the upper left of FIG. 8 (hereinafter referred to as "operating range R") cannot be used. Therefore, for the performance of the refrigeration cycle, it is sufficient if operation can be performed in the operating range R, but if this is not possible, measures such as increasing the rotation speed and performing intermittent operation become necessary.

[0072] In contrast, the electric compressor 1 of the first embodiment is configured to cool the electric motor 11 by both the refrigerant flow path 25 and the cooling water flow path 20 provided in the housing 19. Accordingly, the electric compressor of the first embodiment addresses the problem of insufficient cooling of the electric motor 11 at low rotation speeds that occurs due to only refrigerant cooling as in the electric compressor of the comparative example, by using cooling provided by the cooling water flow path 20, thereby maintaining the winding temperature of the electric motor 11 and expanding the operating range.

[0073] <Control Processing Executed by ECU 6> Next, control processing executed by the ECU 6 included in the heat management system 2 will be described with reference to the flowcharts of FIG. 9 and FIG. 10.

[0074] Figure 9 shows an example of the control processing performed by the ECU 6 when the thermal management system 2 is started up.

[0075] First, in step S100, the ECU 6 activates the first coolant circuit 4. Specifically, the ECU 6 activates the first coolant pump 17 located in the first coolant circuit 4. Next, in step S101, the ECU 6 activates the refrigeration cycle device 3. Specifically, the ECU 6 activates the first cooling water pump 17 and then, after a predetermined time has elapsed, activates the electric compressor 1 of the refrigeration cycle device 3.

[0076] This allows the cooling water flowing through the cooling water channel 20, the electronic component 27, and the winding 32 to exchange heat before the refrigeration cycle device 3 starts operation. The predetermined time in step S101 is the time during which the cooling water flowing through the cooling water channel 20, the electronic component 27, and the winding 32 can exchange heat, and is set through experiments or other means and stored in the ECU 6.

[0077] On the other hand, Figure 10 shows an example of the control processing performed by the ECU 6 when the thermal management system 2 is shut down.

[0078] First, in step S200, the ECU 6 stops the refrigeration cycle unit 3. Specifically, the ECU 6 stops the electric compressor 1 of the refrigeration cycle unit 3. Next, in step S201, the ECU 6 stops the first cooling water circuit 4. Specifically, the ECU 6 stops the first cooling water pump 17, which is located in the first cooling water circuit 4, after a predetermined time has elapsed since stopping the electric compressor 1.

[0079] This allows heat exchange to occur between the cooling water flowing through the cooling water channel 20, the electronic component 27, and the winding 32 even after the refrigeration cycle device 3 has been shut down. The predetermined time in step S201 is also the time during which heat exchange can occur between the cooling water flowing through the cooling water channel 20, the electronic component 27, and the winding 32, and is set through experiments and stored in the ECU 6.

[0080] The electric compressor 1 and thermal management system 2 of the first embodiment described above have the following effects. (1) The electric compressor 1 of the first embodiment is equipped with a refrigerant passage 25 and a cooling water passage 20 inside the housing 19. The refrigerant passage 25 is provided so that the low temperature, low pressure refrigerant before it is drawn into the refrigerant compression section 12 can exchange heat with the winding 32 and the electronic components 27. The cooling water passage 20 is provided so that the cooling water flowing through the cooling water passage 20 can exchange heat with the winding 32 and the electronic components 27.

[0081] According to this, both the winding 32 and the electronic component 27 can exchange heat with the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant channel 25, as well as with the cooling water flowing through the cooling water channel 20. Therefore, when heating or other functions are performed using the refrigeration cycle device 3 when the outside air is at an extremely low temperature, even if the refrigerant temperature falls below the guaranteed low temperature of the electronic component 27, the heat exchange between the cooling water and the electronic component 27 prevents the temperature of the electronic component 27 from falling below its guaranteed low temperature.

[0082] Furthermore, under the operating conditions of the refrigeration cycle device 3, when the electric compressor 1 is operating at low speed and high load, even when the refrigerant flow rate decreases and the cooling capacity of the refrigerant on the winding 32 decreases, heat exchange between the cooling water and the winding 32 can prevent the temperature of the winding 32 from exceeding its own protection temperature. Therefore, control to change the operating point of the electric compressor 1 to prevent the temperature of the winding 32 from exceeding its own protection temperature can be suppressed, or control to temporarily stop or intermittently operate the electric compressor 1 can be suppressed. Consequently, the operating range of the electric compressor 1 can be prevented from being limited.

[0083] Furthermore, generally, the temperature difference between low and high temperatures of the cooling water flowing through the cooling water channel 20 is smaller than the temperature difference between low and high temperatures of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant channel 25. Therefore, by configuring the cooling water flowing through the cooling water channel 20 to exchange heat with the electronic component 27, it is possible to suppress temperature changes of the electronic component 27. Consequently, the lifespan of the electronic component 27 can be extended.

[0084] (2) In the first embodiment, the refrigerant flow path 25 is configured such that the refrigerant flows at least between the stator 28 and the rotor 29 of the electric motor 11. Therefore, the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path 25 and the electric motor 11 can directly exchange heat, and the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow path 25 and the electronic components 27 can exchange heat through the housing 19. The cooling water channel 20 is configured so that cooling water flows through a hole formed in the housing 19 between the electric motor 11 and the electrical control unit 26. Therefore, heat exchange is possible between the cooling water flowing through the cooling water channel 20, the electric motor 11, and the electronic components 27 through the housing 19. According to this, both the winding 32 and the electronic component 27 are capable of exchanging heat with the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant passage 25, as well as with the cooling water flowing through the cooling water passage 20.

[0085] (3) In the first embodiment, the electronic components 27 that generate heat when energized (for example, a filter 57, a switching element 58, etc.) are positioned closer to the cooling water flow path 20 than the central position CP of the electrical control unit 26. According to this, it is possible to increase the heat exchange efficiency between the electronic component 27, which generates heat when energized, and the cooling water in the configuration of the electrical control unit 26, compared to the heat exchange efficiency between other components in the electrical control unit 26 and the cooling water. Furthermore, this suppresses temperature changes of the electronic component 27 and extends the lifespan of the electronic component 27.

[0086] (4) In the thermal management system 2 of the first embodiment, the cooling water flow path 20 provided by the electric compressor 1 is a flow path through which cooling water flows from the high-temperature side cooling water-air heat exchanger 16 to the high-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 7. According to this, the cooling water flowing from the high-temperature side cooling water-air heat exchanger 16 to the high-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 7 is the cooling water that has released heat to the air in the high-temperature side cooling water-air heat exchanger 16 and has not yet absorbed heat from the refrigerant in the high-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 7. Therefore, by using the cooling water upstream of the high-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 7, it is possible to increase the cooling efficiency of the winding 32 by the cooling water and increase the amount of heat absorbed from the winding 32 by the cooling water, compared to using the cooling water downstream of the high-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 7. Consequently, the efficiency of the thermal management system 2 can be increased by raising the temperature of the cooling water circulating in the cooling water circuit, along with cooling the winding 32.

[0087] (5) The ECU 6 of the thermal management system 2 of the first embodiment is configured to execute control to activate the first cooling water pump 17 a predetermined time before operating the electric compressor 1, and to execute control to stop the first cooling water pump 17 after a predetermined time has elapsed since stopping the electric compressor 1. According to this, by operating the first cooling water pump 17 a predetermined time before operating the electric compressor 1, heat exchange can be performed between the cooling water flowing through the cooling water passage 20, the electronic components 27, and the windings 32 before the refrigeration cycle device 3 starts operation. Furthermore, by stopping the first cooling water pump 17 after a predetermined time has elapsed since stopping the electric compressor 1, heat exchange between the cooling water flowing through the cooling water passage 20, the winding 32, and the electronic components 27 is possible even after the refrigeration cycle device 3 has stopped or is temporarily paused. Therefore, when heating or other functions are performed using the refrigeration cycle device 3 when the outside air is at an extremely low temperature, even if the refrigerant temperature falls below the guaranteed low temperature of the electronic component 27, the heat exchange between the cooling water and the electronic component 27 can prevent the temperature of the electronic component 27 from falling below its guaranteed low temperature. Furthermore, even after the refrigeration cycle device 3 has stopped or is temporarily paused, the windings 32 and electronic components 27 can be cooled by heat exchange between the cooling water, the windings 32, and the electronic components 27. Therefore, the operating range of the electric compressor 1 can be suppressed.

[0088] (Second Embodiment) A second embodiment will now be described. The second embodiment describes an example of control processing performed by the ECU 6 of the thermal management system 2. Since the other aspects are the same as the first embodiment, only the parts that differ from the first embodiment will be described.

[0089] The control processing performed by the ECU 6 in the thermal management system 2 of the second embodiment will be explained with reference to the flowchart in Figure 11. This processing is repeatedly performed while the thermal management system 2 is operating.

[0090] In step S300 of Figure 11, the ECU 6 determines whether the rotational speed of the electric compressor 1 of the refrigeration cycle device 3 is below a predetermined rotational speed threshold. If the rotational speed of the electric compressor 1 is below the predetermined rotational speed threshold, the process proceeds to step S301.

[0091] In step S301, the ECU 6 determines whether the load on the electric compressor 1 of the refrigeration cycle device 3 is above a predetermined load threshold. If the load on the electric compressor 1 is above the predetermined load threshold, the process proceeds to step S302.

[0092] In step S302, the ECU 6 performs control to increase the flow rate of coolant flowing through the first coolant circuit 4, such as by increasing the rotational speed of the first coolant pump 17 of the first coolant circuit 4.

[0093] On the other hand, if the determination in step S300 indicates that the rotational speed of the electric compressor 1 is greater than a predetermined rotational speed threshold, the process proceeds to step S303. Also, if the determination in step S301 indicates that the load on the electric compressor 1 is less than a predetermined load threshold, the process proceeds to step S303.

[0094] In step S303, the ECU 6 sets the rotational speed of the first coolant pump 17 of the first coolant circuit 4 to a normal value, thereby normalizing the flow rate of coolant flowing through the first coolant circuit 4.

[0095] In the second embodiment described above, the ECU 6 of the thermal management system 2 performs control to increase the flow rate of cooling water flowing through the first cooling water circuit 4 when the electric compressor 1 is operating at or below a predetermined rotational speed threshold and above a predetermined load threshold. According to this, under low rotation and high load conditions, which pose a heat resistance challenge for the electric compressor 1, increasing the cooling capacity of the first cooling water circuit 4 can further improve the cooling effect of the cooling water flowing through the cooling water passage 20 provided in the electric compressor 1.

[0096] (Modification 1 of the second embodiment) In the description of the second embodiment above, in step S301, the ECU 6 determined whether the load of the electric compressor 1 of the refrigeration cycle device 3 was above a predetermined load threshold, but the invention is not limited to this. For example, instead of performing the process in step S301, the ECU 6 may determine whether the refrigerant pressure discharged from the electric compressor 1 is equal to or greater than a predetermined pressure threshold. If the refrigerant pressure is equal to or greater than the predetermined pressure threshold, the ECU 6 proceeds to step S302. On the other hand, if the refrigerant pressure is less than the predetermined pressure threshold, the process proceeds to step S303. Even in this way, the same effects and advantages as in the second embodiment can be achieved.

[0097] (Modification 2 of the second embodiment) Alternatively, for example, instead of performing the process in step S301, the ECU 6 may determine whether the current supplied to the motor 11 is equal to or greater than a predetermined current threshold. If the current supplied to the motor 11 is equal to or greater than the predetermined current threshold, the ECU 6 proceeds to step S302. On the other hand, if the current supplied to the motor 11 is less than the predetermined current threshold, the process proceeds to step S303. Even in this way, the same effects and advantages as in the second embodiment can be achieved.

[0098] (Third embodiment) A third embodiment will now be described. The third embodiment also describes an example of control processing performed by the ECU 6 of the thermal management system 2, and is otherwise the same as the first embodiment, so only the parts that differ from the first embodiment will be described.

[0099] In the third embodiment, the ECU 6 may coordinate the refrigeration cycle device 3 and the first cooling water circuit 4 to control conditions under which the electric motor 11 and the electronic components 27 of the electrical control unit 26 are properly cooled.

[0100] When the outside air is at an extremely low temperature, for example, the control of the refrigeration cycle device 3 is adjusted so that the temperature of the refrigerant flowing out from the low-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 9 and being drawn into the refrigerant compression section 12 of the electric compressor 1 is higher. Also, for example, before operating the refrigeration cycle device 3, the temperature of the cooling water flowing through the cooling water passage 20 is adjusted to be above a predetermined temperature. Through these controls, it is possible to control the electrical control unit 26 and the electric motor 11 to be at an appropriate temperature when the outside air is at an extremely low temperature.

[0101] On the other hand, under conditions where the protection temperature of the winding 32 of the electric motor 11 becomes a problem at low rotation and high load, the control of the refrigeration cycle device 3 is adjusted, for example, so that the temperature of the refrigerant flowing out from the low-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger 9 and being drawn into the refrigerant compression section 12 of the electric compressor 1 is lowered. Alternatively, the control of the refrigeration cycle device 3 is adjusted, for example, so that the rotational speed of the electric compressor 1 is slightly increased to improve the cooling performance of the electric motor 11 by the refrigerant. Alternatively, the control of the first cooling water circuit 4 is adjusted, for example, so that the heat dissipation capacity of the cooling water by the high-temperature side cooling water-air heat exchanger 16 of the first cooling water circuit 4 is increased to lower the temperature of the cooling water flowing through the cooling water passage 20, thereby improving the cooling performance of the electric motor 11 by the cooling water. Alternatively, the control of the first cooling water circuit 4 is adjusted, for example, so that the flow rate of the cooling water flowing through the cooling water passage 20 is increased to improve the cooling performance of the electric motor 11 by the cooling water. Through these controls, it is possible to control the electric motor 11 and the electrical control unit 26 to maintain an appropriate temperature when the protection temperature of the winding 32 becomes a problem at low rotation and high load.

[0102] (Other embodiments) (1) In the above embodiments, the electric compressor 1 has been described as comprising a housing 19, a refrigerant passage 25, a cooling water passage 20, an electric motor 11, a refrigerant compression unit 12, an electrical control unit 26, etc., but is not limited to this. For example, in addition to the above configuration, the electric compressor 1 may be an integrated unit comprising various components of a refrigeration cycle device, such as a liquid reservoir and an oil separator.

[0103] (2) In the above embodiments, the ECU 6 has been described as controlling the drive of the electric compressor 1, the first cooling water pump 17, and the second cooling water pump 23 provided in the thermal management system 2, but this is not limited to this. For example, the electric control unit 26 provided in the electric compressor 1 may control the drive of the electric compressor 1, the first cooling water pump 17, and the second cooling water pump 23, or they may be controlled by a separate electronic control device.

[0104] The present invention is not limited to the embodiments described above, and can be modified as appropriate within the scope of the claims. Furthermore, the embodiments and parts thereof are not unrelated to each other, and can be combined as appropriate, except in cases where the combination is clearly impossible. In addition, it goes without saying that the elements constituting the embodiments are not necessarily essential, except in cases where they are explicitly stated to be particularly essential or where they are clearly considered essential in principle. Furthermore, in the embodiments, when numerical values ​​such as the number, numerical values, quantities, or ranges of the components of the embodiments are mentioned, the invention is not limited to those specific numbers, except in cases where they are explicitly stated to be particularly essential or where they are clearly limited to a specific number in principle. Furthermore, when the shapes, positional relationships, etc., of the components, etc., are mentioned in the embodiments, the invention is not limited to those shapes, positional relationships, etc., except in cases where they are explicitly stated to be particularly essential or where they are clearly limited to a specific shape, positional relationship, etc., in principle.

[0105] The control unit and method described in the present invention may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor and memory programmed to execute one or more functions embodied by a computer program. Alternatively, the control unit and method described in the present invention may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor by one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the control unit and method described in the present invention may be implemented by one or more dedicated computers configured by a combination of a processor and memory programmed to execute one or more functions and a processor configured by one or more hardware logic circuits. Furthermore, the computer program may be stored as instructions executed by the computer on a computer-readable non-transitional tangible recording medium.

[0106] The features of this invention are as follows: [Claim 1] An electric compressor used in a refrigeration cycle device (3), The outer shell consists of a housing (19) and An electric motor (11) is provided inside the aforementioned housing and is driven to rotate by energizing the winding (32), The refrigerant compression unit (12) is driven by the aforementioned electric motor to draw in, compress, and discharge refrigerant, An electrical control unit (26) having an electronic component (27) that generates heat when energized, which controls the energization of the windings of the electric motor, A refrigerant flow path (25) provided inside the housing, the refrigerant flow path is provided such that low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant before it is drawn into the refrigerant compression section can exchange heat with the electric motor and the electrical control unit, An electric compressor comprising a cooling water channel (20) provided inside the housing, wherein the cooling water channel is provided such that the cooling water flowing through the cooling water channel can exchange heat with the electric motor and the electrical control unit. [Claim 2] The refrigerant flow path is configured such that the refrigerant flows at least between the stator (28) and rotor (29) of the electric motor, and the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow path and the electric motor can directly exchange heat, and the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow path and the electrical control unit can exchange heat through the housing. The electric compressor according to claim 1, wherein the cooling water passage is configured such that cooling water flows through a hole formed in the part of the housing between the electric motor and the electrical control unit, and the cooling water in the cooling water passage, the electric motor, and the electrical control unit are able to exchange heat through the housing. [Claim 3] The electric compressor according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the electronic component that generates heat when power is applied is located closer to the cooling water flow path than the center position (CP) of the electrical control unit. [Claim 4] A refrigeration cycle device configured such that the electric compressor described in claim 1, a high-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger (7) that performs heat exchange between the refrigerant discharged from the refrigerant compression section of the electric compressor and cooling water, an expansion valve (8) that depressurizes and expands the refrigerant flowing out of the high-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger, and a low-temperature side refrigerant-heat medium heat exchanger (9) that performs heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing out of the expansion valve and a heat medium are connected by refrigerant piping (10) so that the refrigerant circulates, In a thermal management system comprising a high-temperature side cooling water-air heat exchanger (16) that performs heat exchange between air and cooling water, a high-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger, and a cooling water pump (17), the cooling water circuit (4) is configured to circulate cooling water by being connected by cooling water piping (18), The cooling water flow path of the electric compressor is a thermal management system in which cooling water flows from the high-temperature side cooling water-air heat exchanger to the high-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger. [Claim 5] The thermal management system further comprises an electronic control device (6) that controls the operation of the cooling water pump and the electric compressor. The aforementioned electronic control device is A control is executed to activate the cooling water pump a predetermined time before the electric compressor is activated. The thermal management system according to claim 4, configured to perform control to stop the cooling water pump after a predetermined time has elapsed since the electric compressor was stopped. [Explanation of Symbols]

[0107] 1. Electric compressor 3. Refrigeration cycle device 11 Electric motor 12 Refrigerant Compression Section 19 cabinets 20 Cooling water flow path 25 Refrigerant flow path 26 Electrical Control Unit 27 Electronic Components 32 windings

Claims

1. A refrigeration cycle device configured such that a refrigerant circulates, comprising an electric compressor, a high-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger (7) that performs heat exchange between refrigerant discharged from a refrigerant compression section of the electric compressor and cooling water, an expansion valve (8) that depressurizes and expands the refrigerant flowing out of the high-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger, and a low-temperature side refrigerant-heat medium heat exchanger (9) that performs heat exchange between the refrigerant flowing out of the expansion valve and a heat medium, all connected by refrigerant piping (10), A cooling water circuit (4) is configured such that a high-temperature side cooling water-air heat exchanger (16) that performs heat exchange between air and cooling water, the high-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger, and a cooling water pump (17) are connected by cooling water piping (18) to circulate the cooling water. In a thermal management system comprising the cooling water pump and an electronic control device (6) that controls the operation of the electric compressor, The aforementioned electric compressor is The outer shell consists of a housing (19) and An electric motor (11) is provided inside the aforementioned housing and is driven to rotate by energizing the winding (32), The refrigerant compression unit (12) is driven by the electric motor to draw in, compress, and discharge the refrigerant, An electrical control unit (26) having an electronic component (27) that generates heat when energized, which controls the energization of the windings of the electric motor, A refrigerant flow path (25) provided inside the housing, the refrigerant flow path is provided such that low-temperature, low-pressure refrigerant before it is drawn into the refrigerant compression section can exchange heat with the electric motor and the electrical control unit, The housing includes a cooling water channel (20) provided inside the housing, wherein the cooling water flowing through the cooling water channel is provided such that the motor and the electrical control unit can exchange heat. The cooling water passage provided in the electric compressor is a passage through which cooling water flows from the high-temperature side cooling water-air heat exchanger to the high-temperature side refrigerant-cooling water heat exchanger. The aforementioned electronic control device is A control is executed to activate the cooling water pump a predetermined time before the electric compressor is activated. A thermal management system configured to execute a control that stops the cooling water pump after a predetermined time has elapsed since the electric compressor was stopped.

2. The refrigerant flow path is configured such that the refrigerant flows at least between the stator (28) and rotor (29) of the electric motor, and the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow path and the electric motor can directly exchange heat, and the refrigerant in the refrigerant flow path and the electrical control unit can exchange heat through the housing. The thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein the cooling water channel is configured such that cooling water flows through a hole formed in the housing between the electric motor and the electrical control unit, and the cooling water in the cooling water channel, the electric motor, and the electrical control unit can exchange heat through the housing.

3. The thermal management system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the electronic component that generates heat when power is applied is located closer to the cooling water flow path than the center position (CP) of the electrical control unit.

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