Vehicle radiative cooling device

Abstract

[Problem] To cool a part that can rise in temperature due to solar radiation, while also suppressing power consumption. [Solution] A vehicle radiative cooling device comprises: a roof panel 50 of a vehicle, on an outer surface of which is provided a radiative cooling layer 51 that radiates far infrared rays to the outside of the vehicle; roof trim 60 which is disposed along a vehicle cabin inside surface of the roof panel; a cool air space rm which is divided by the roof panel and the roof trim; a temperature change part 10 which is disposed at the front or the rear of the inside of the vehicle cabin, and the temperature of which can rise due to solar radiation; pillar trim 30 which constitutes a pillar and which is disposed along the vehicle cabin inside surface; an air intake port 31 which is disposed adjacent to the temperature change part of the pillar trim; a space forming member 40 which is disposed in a space that is between the air intake port and the cool air space and that is surrounded by the pillar and the pillar trim, and which forms a flow space 41 through which fluid that has flowed in from the air intake port can flow; and an airflow generator 90 which is disposed in the cool air space and which generates airflow that passes from the air intake port, through the flow space, and toward the cool air space.

Description

Radiative cooling device for vehicles

[0001] The present invention relates to a radiative cooling device for a vehicle.

[0002] Conventionally, vehicle interiors have been configured to be controlled so that the interior temperature does not become excessively high by installing air conditioning equipment such as an air conditioner. Conventional technology for controlling the temperature inside a vehicle interior has disclosed a technique in which air generated by the vehicle's air conditioning system is blown toward the head area of ​​front or rear seat occupants through ducts installed in pillars or ceiling substrates.

[0003] Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open Publication No. 3-109905

[0004] The inventors have noted that the technology described in Patent Document 1 cannot directly prevent the temperature around the dashboard, etc. from rising due to solar radiation, and that if an air conditioning system is used to cool the relevant area, the power consumption of the air conditioning system is likely to increase.

[0005] An object of the present invention is to efficiently cool a portion whose temperature may rise due to solar radiation while suppressing power consumption.

[0006] One aspect of the present invention is a radiative cooling device for a vehicle having a roof panel, a roof trim, a cool air space, a temperature fluctuation part, a pillar trim, an air inlet, a duct, and an airflow generator. The roof panel has a radiative cooling layer on its outer surface that radiates far infrared rays toward the outside of the vehicle. The roof trim is arranged along the interior side of the roof panel. The cool air space is configured as a space partitioned by the roof panel and the roof trim. The temperature fluctuation part is arranged at the front or rear of the passenger compartment and is configured as a part where the temperature may rise due to solar radiation. The pillar trim is arranged along the interior side of the pillar. The air inlet is arranged adjacent to the temperature fluctuation part in the pillar trim. The space forming member is arranged in a space between the air inlet and the cool air space and surrounded by the pillar and the pillar trim, and is configured to form a circulation space through which a fluid flowing in from the air inlet can flow. The airflow generator is arranged in the cool air space and is configured to generate an airflow from the air inlet through the circulation space toward the cool air space.

[0007] 1 is a cross-sectional view of a vehicle interior, taken along a line intersecting the longitudinal direction of a pillar of the vehicle, showing a radiative cooling device for a vehicle according to an embodiment;

[0008] Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, the same components are designated by the same reference numerals, and redundant explanations will be omitted. In the drawings, the size and proportions of each component are exaggerated to facilitate understanding of the embodiments, and may differ from the actual size and proportions.

[0009] In each figure, arrows represented by X, Y, and Z are used to indicate the directions of the vehicle. X represents the front-rear direction of the vehicle, and is referred to as the front-rear direction X. Y represents the vehicle width direction, and is referred to as the vehicle width direction Y. Z represents the height direction, and is referred to as the height direction Z.

[0010] The radiative cooling device for a vehicle according to this embodiment can be applied to, for example, an engine-driven vehicle, a secondary battery-driven vehicle, or a fuel cell-driven vehicle.

[0011] 1 and 2, the vehicle radiative cooling device includes a temperature fluctuating unit 10, a pillar panel 20 (corresponding to a pillar), a pillar trim 30, a space forming member 40, a roof panel 50, a roof trim 60, temperature measuring devices 70 and 80, and an airflow generator 90. These will be described in detail below.

[0012] (Temperature fluctuating unit) The temperature fluctuating unit 10 corresponds to the target part to be cooled by the radiative cooling device for a vehicle according to this embodiment. The temperature fluctuating unit 10 is disposed at the front of the vehicle interior and is configured as a part whose temperature may rise due to solar radiation. In this embodiment, the temperature fluctuating unit 10 exemplarily includes a windshield 11 and a dashboard 12, as shown in FIG. 1 .

[0013] The windshield 11 is glass located in front of the first row of the vehicle and is made of a known material such as soda-lime glass. The dashboard 12 is an instrument panel located in the first row of the vehicle, separating the engine from the seats, and in this embodiment can be made of a known material such as acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) or polypropylene (PP). The temperature of temperature-varying parts 10, such as the lower part of the windshield 11 and the dashboard 12, can increase over time due to solar radiation. The radiant cooling device for a vehicle according to this embodiment can efficiently suppress temperature increases in the dashboard 12, the lower part of the windshield 11, etc., by being configured as described below.

[0014] (Pillar Panel, Pillar Trim) The pillar panel 20 corresponds to the portion of the pillar adjacent to the windshield 11 on the outer side of the vehicle. The pillar trim 30 is configured to be disposed along the side surface of the pillar inside the vehicle compartment.

[0015] As shown in Fig. 2, the pillar panel 20, together with the pillar trim 30, forms a space for accommodating the space-forming member 40. The pillar trim 30 also forms an air intake 31 for circulating a thermal fluid, such as a relatively high-temperature gas, generated in the temperature-varying portion 10 inside the vehicle cabin to the cool air space rm on the roof side (see Fig. 1).

[0016] The air intake 31 is formed in the pillar trim 30 near the end on the dashboard 12 and windshield 11 side that constitute the temperature fluctuation portion 10. One or more air intake 31 can be installed on each of the left and right pillar trims 30 in the vehicle width direction Y. This configuration makes it possible to suppress temperature rise on the driver's seat side and passenger seat side, and to efficiently suppress temperature rise inside the vehicle cabin.

[0017] The materials for the pillar panel 20 and the pillar trim 30 are not particularly limited as long as the space forming member 40 can be accommodated in the internal space formed by the pillar panel 20 and the pillar trim 30. For example, the pillar panel 20 can be made of a steel plate, and the pillar trim 30 can be made of a known material such as polypropylene.

[0018] (Space forming member) The space forming member 40 is disposed in the space between the air intake 31 and the cool air space rm, surrounded by the pillar panel 20 and the pillar trim 30, and is configured to form a flow space 41 through which the fluid flowing in from the air intake 31 can flow (see FIG. 2). The space forming member 40 is disposed so as to extend along the longitudinal direction of the pillar panel 20 and the pillar trim 30.

[0019] In this embodiment, the space forming member 40 has a cross section intersecting the longitudinal direction that is formed into a substantially arc shape, and is configured to form a circulation space 41 therein that moves the fluid from the temperature fluctuating portion 10 to the cool air space rm together with the pillar trim 30. The space forming member 40 is configured to form the circulation space 41 therein by being integrally formed with the pillar trim 30 by welding or the like.

[0020] This configuration eliminates the need for ribs or the like to ensure the rigidity of the pillar, and ensures a wide space for the thermal fluid to circulate from the temperature fluctuating part 10. This allows a relatively wide circulation space 41 to be prepared, and reduces the pressure loss of the thermal fluid (airflow) circulating from the temperature fluctuating part 10.

[0021] The shape of the space forming member 40 is not limited to the arc shape described above, as long as it can move the thermal fluid from the temperature fluctuating unit 10 from the air intake port to the cool air space rm. The tip end of the space forming member 40 is configured to be located above the dashboard 12 in the vehicle interior and near the bottom of the windshield 11.

[0022] (Roof Panel, Roof Trim) The roof panel 50 is disposed on the outer surface of the roof portion of the vehicle, and the roof trim 60 is disposed along the interior side of the roof panel 50. With this configuration, a cool air space rm that is separated from the passenger compartment and cools the fluid from the air intake port is formed between the roof panel 50 and the roof trim 60.

[0023] The circulation space 41 formed by the space forming member 40 and the pillar trim 30 is configured to communicate with the cool air space rm formed by the roof panel 50 and the roof trim 60. The rear end of the space forming member 40 is configured to face the cool air space rm formed by the roof panel 50 and the roof trim 60.

[0024] The materials of the roof panel 50 and the roof trim 60 are not particularly limited, but the roof panel 50 can be made of the same material as the pillar panel 20 , and the roof trim 60 can be made of the same material as the pillar trim 30 .

[0025] Furthermore, the outer surface of the roof panel 50 can be configured to be provided with a radiative cooling layer 51 that radiates far infrared rays toward the outside of the vehicle. That is, the radiative cooling layer 51 of the roof panel 50 can be configured to contain a composite of resin and metal oxide particles. With this configuration, when the thermal fluid from the temperature fluctuating unit 10 flows through the cold air space rm, the heat contained in the fluid can be transferred to the outside of the vehicle by radiative cooling.

[0026] (Temperature Measuring Device) The temperature measuring device 70 is used to measure the temperature inside the vehicle cabin. The temperature measuring device 70 may be installed anywhere as long as it can measure the temperature inside the vehicle cabin, which is the measurement target. For example, the temperature measuring device 70 may be installed on the ceiling wall or floor of the vehicle cabin.

[0027] The temperature measuring device 80 is installed to measure the temperature of the cool air space rm surrounded by the roof panel 50 and the roof trim 60. The specific installation location of the temperature measuring device 80 is not particularly limited as long as it can measure the temperature of the cool air space rm surrounded by the roof panel 50 and the roof trim 60, but for example, the temperature measuring device 80 can be installed in the center of the cool air space rm in the vehicle width direction Y and the front-rear direction X.

[0028] Furthermore, thermocouples, radiation thermometers, glass thermometers, etc. can be used as the temperature measuring devices 70, 80. By configuring them in this way, it is possible to measure the temperatures of the passenger compartment and the cool air space rm and obtain the data necessary to drive the airflow generator 90 only when necessary, as will be described later, without constantly driving the airflow generator 90.

[0029] The temperature measuring devices 70, 80 and the airflow generator 90 can be controlled by a control means installed inside the vehicle. That is, the control means is electrically connected to the temperature measuring devices 70, 80 and the airflow generator 90, and can control the airflow generator 90 to be driven when the temperature of the temperature varying unit 10 measured by the temperature measuring device 70 exceeds a predetermined threshold temperature.

[0030] (Airflow Generator) The airflow generator 90 is disposed in the cool air space rm and configured to generate an airflow that flows from the air intake port 31 toward the cool air space rm through the flow space 41 of the space forming member 40. The airflow generator 90 can be installed near the boundary between the flow space 41 and the cool air space rm and on the rear side of the vehicle of the cool air space rm, as shown in FIG.

[0031] By installing the airflow generator 90 at the rear of the vehicle in the cold air space rm, a pressure difference of the air (fluid) is generated in the cold air space rm, and the thermal fluid of a relatively high temperature can be guided from the temperature fluctuation unit 10 to the rear of the cold air space rm. This allows the thermal fluid generated in the temperature fluctuation unit 10 to be radiatively cooled throughout the entire cold air space rm.

[0032] Furthermore, by installing the airflow generator 90 near the boundary between the space forming member 40 and the cold air space rm, a pressure difference in the air (fluid) is generated in the circulation space, and hot air that may be generated in the temperature fluctuation part 10 can be efficiently guided into the cold air space rm. This allows efficient radiative cooling of the hot fluid generated in the temperature fluctuation part 10.

[0033] The airflow generator 90 can be controlled by the control means so as to be driven when the temperature of the cool air space rm measured by the temperature measuring device 80 is lower than the temperature inside the vehicle cabin measured by the temperature measuring device 70. This allows the airflow generator 90 to suppress a temperature rise inside the vehicle cabin when the outside temperature is high in summer, etc., while not driving the airflow generator 90 when the outside temperature is low in winter, etc., thereby making efficient use of the airflow generator 90 and preventing an inadvertent drop in the temperature inside the vehicle cabin.

[0034] The airflow generator 90 can be configured to discharge air (fluid) from the cool air space rm into the vehicle cabin from behind the roof trim when the temperature of the cool air space rm is lower than the temperature inside the vehicle cabin. The cool air space rm in the roof is separated from the vehicle cabin by the roof trim 60, and the roof trim 60 can be provided with an opening / closing part 61 that opens when fluid flows into the cool air space rm and closes when the wind dies down.

[0035] When the temperature of the cold air space is lower than the temperature inside the vehicle cabin, the control means activates the airflow generator 90 to open the opening / closing part 61 with the wind generated by the airflow generator 90, thereby discharging the air in the cold air space rm into the vehicle cabin. With this configuration, the temperature inside the vehicle cabin can be lowered by circulating the fluid cooled in the cold air space rm inside the vehicle cabin.

[0036] The airflow generator 90 is not particularly limited in its specific configuration as long as it can generate an airflow that flows from the air intake 31 through the pillar and into the cool air space rm of the roof, but for example, it can be configured to operate a fan using a known motor. With this configuration, the hot air generated in the temperature fluctuating unit 10 enters the cool air space rm from the air intake 31 through the flow space 41 of the space forming member 40, and is radiated to the outside of the vehicle through the radiative cooling layer 51.

[0037] This effectively suppresses the transfer of heat from the temperature fluctuating unit 10 to the vehicle interior space. This suppresses the temperature rise in the vehicle interior caused by the dashboard 12, windshield 11, etc. that constitute the temperature fluctuating unit 10, thereby improving the comfort of the vehicle interior. In this way, in this embodiment, the temperature rise in the vehicle interior is suppressed by the airflow generator 90 rather than by an air conditioning system, thereby reducing power consumption.

[0038] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications are possible within the scope of the claims. In the above description, the temperature fluctuating unit 10 uses the airflow generator 90 to cool the windshield 11 or the dashboard 12, but the present invention is not limited to this. Alternatively, an air intake port may be disposed in the rear pillar trim located near the rear window 13 at the rear of the vehicle, or the tonneau cover 14, which may be heated by solar radiation from the rear window 13, as shown in FIG. 1 . A space-forming member may be disposed in the internal space between the rear pillar panel and the pillar trim, and heat moving from the air intake port through the circulation space formed by the rear pillar trim and the space-forming member may be moved to the cool air space in the roof by the airflow generator, thereby providing radiative cooling.

[0039] The following embodiments are also within the scope of the present invention: a radiative cooling device for a vehicle according to claim 1 with the features of claim 2; a radiative cooling device for a vehicle according to claim 1 or 2 with the features of claim 3; a radiative cooling device for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 3 with the features of claim 4; a radiative cooling device for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4 with the features of claim 5; a radiative cooling device for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 5 with the features of claim 6; a radiative cooling device for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 6 with the features of claim 7; a radiative cooling device for a vehicle according to claim 7 with the features of claim 8; a radiative cooling device for a vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8 with the features of claim 9.

[0040] 10 Temperature fluctuating part, 11 Windshield, 12 Dashboard, 20 Pillar panel (pillar), 30 Pillar trim, 31 Air intake, 40 Space forming member, 41 Flow space, 50 Roof panel, 51 Radiative cooling layer, 60 Roof trim, 70, 80 Temperature measuring device, 90 Air flow generator, rm Cool air space.

Claims

1. a vehicle roof panel having a radiative cooling layer on its outer surface that radiates far infrared rays toward the outside of the vehicle; a roof trim disposed along a side surface of the roof panel facing the interior of the vehicle; a cool air space that is a space partitioned by the roof panel and the roof trim; a temperature fluctuation unit that is disposed at the front or rear of the vehicle interior and whose temperature may increase due to solar radiation; a pillar trim arranged along the interior side surface of the pillar; an air intake located adjacent to the temperature fluctuation portion of the pillar trim; a space forming member disposed in a space surrounded by the pillar and the pillar trim between the air intake port and the cool air space, the space forming member forming a flow space through which the fluid flowing in from the air intake port can flow; an airflow generator disposed in the cold air space and generating an airflow from the air intake port through the circulation space toward the cold air space.

2. The radiative cooling device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the temperature fluctuating part is a dashboard or a lower part of a windshield that can become hot due to solar radiation.

3. The radiative cooling device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein one or more air intake ports are installed on each of the left and right pillar trims of the vehicle.

4. The radiative cooling device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the space forming member is integrally formed with the pillar trim to form the circulation space therein.

5. The radiative cooling device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the airflow generator is installed at the rear of the vehicle in the cold air space.

6. The radiative cooling device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the airflow generator is installed near a boundary between the space forming member and the cool air space.

7. The radiative cooling device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the airflow generator is driven when the temperature of the cool air space is lower than the temperature inside the vehicle cabin.

8. The radiative cooling device for a vehicle according to claim 7, wherein the temperature inside the vehicle cabin is measured by a thermocouple, a radiation thermometer, or a glass thermometer.

9. The radiative cooling device for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the airflow generator discharges the air of the cool air space into the vehicle cabin from behind the roof trim when the temperature of the cool air space is lower than the temperature inside the vehicle cabin.

10. The radiative cooling device for a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein the roof trim has an opening / closing portion that opens to allow air to circulate in the cool air space and closes when the wind dies down.