Heat management system

Abstract

[Problem] To provide a heat management system which can be made compact by making it possible to connect modules in proximity to each other. [Solution] A housing front surface 1d, in a housing 1 of a coolant module 100, that is a facing-side housing surface which faces a refrigerant module has formed therein a pair of condenser connection ports Cy which link to an inflow port and an outflow port for a heat medium R2 in a condenser of the refrigerant module and a pair of evaporator connection ports Cz which link to an inflow port and an outflow port for the heat medium R2 in an evaporator of the refrigerant module. Non-facing-side housing surfaces 1c, 1e in the housing 1, other than the housing front surface 1d that is the facing-side housing surface, are provided with a four-way valve 70 and an eight-way valve which are multi-way valves. The condenser and the evaporator are arranged on the housing front surface 1d side in the refrigerant module, and are arranged lined up in a width direction D1 which intersects with the facing direction of the facing-side housing surface and the refrigerant module.

Description

Thermal Management System

[0001] The present invention relates to a thermal management system installed in a vehicle.

[0002] It is generally known that vehicles such as automobiles are equipped with a thermal management system that controls the temperature of on-board devices such as a battery and a motor, as well as the air conditioning inside the vehicle. This type of thermal management system is composed of a heat medium circuit through which a heat medium flows and a refrigerant circuit serving as a heat pump including a compressor, a condenser, a pressure reducing device, and an evaporator.

[0003] Incidentally, this type of thermal management system is generally mounted on a vehicle in a state where the heat medium circuit portion and the refrigerant circuit portion are each modularized and connected, as described in Patent Document 1, for example.

[0004] Chinese Patent Application Publication No. 116373551

[0005] However, in conventional modularized thermal management systems, when connecting the coolant module that constitutes the heat medium circuit and the refrigerant module that constitutes the refrigerant circuit, the components of each module get in the way, making the work difficult and, in some cases, forcing the modules to be located far apart, which leads to problems such as an increase in the size of the entire thermal management system.

[0006] Therefore, the present invention provides a compact heat management system that allows modules to be connected in close proximity to each other.

[0007] A thermal management system according to one aspect of the present invention is a thermal management system that is installed in a vehicle to regulate the temperature of on-board equipment and / or air conditioning the interior of the vehicle, and includes: a coolant module housing that forms a flow path through which a first heat medium flows; and a coolant module that includes a multi-way valve that is installed in the coolant module housing and switches the flow path of the first heat medium in the flow path; and a refrigerant module that includes a refrigerant circuit that is configured with a compressor, a condenser, a pressure reducing device, and an evaporator and through which a second heat medium circulates, and the second heat medium exchanges heat with the first heat medium in the condenser and the evaporator, In the coolant module housing, the opposing housing surface facing the refrigerant module forms a pair of condenser connection ports communicating with the inlet and outlet of the first heat medium in the condenser, and a pair of evaporator connection ports communicating with the inlet and outlet of the first heat medium in the evaporator, and the multi-way valve is provided on a non-opposing housing surface other than the opposing housing surface in the coolant module housing, and the condenser and the evaporator are arranged on the side of the opposing housing surface in the refrigerant module and are arranged side by side in a first horizontal direction intersecting the opposing direction between the opposing housing surface and the refrigerant module.

[0008] In the above-described thermal management system, the multi-way valve has a valve rotation shaft and a valve body that switches the flow path of the first heat medium by rotating the valve rotation shaft, and the multi-way valve may be provided on the non-opposing side housing surface that is opposite the opposing side housing surface in the opposing direction, and the rotation axis of the valve rotation shaft may extend in a direction that intersects with the opposing side housing surface.

[0009] In the above-described thermal management system, the multi-way valve may be a valve having five or more connection ports through which the first heat medium flows.

[0010] In the above-mentioned thermal management system, the coolant module may further have a pump provided in the coolant module housing for pressurizing the first heat medium through the flow path, and the pump may be provided on one of the non-opposing housing surfaces facing in a direction intersecting the opposing direction.

[0011] In the above thermal management system, the refrigerant module further has a refrigerant module housing in which the refrigerant circuit is provided, and the refrigerant module housing forms a refrigerant module side opposing housing surface that faces the opposing side housing surface in the coolant module, and a refrigerant module side non-opposing side housing surface other than the refrigerant module side opposing side housing surface, and the condenser and the evaporator may be arranged on the side of the refrigerant module side opposing side housing surface in the refrigerant module housing, and the compressor and the pressure reducing device may be arranged on the side of the refrigerant module side non-opposing side housing surface in the refrigerant module housing.

[0012] In the above thermal management system, the compressor in the refrigerant module may be arranged on an opposite side to the coolant module in the opposing direction relative to the condenser and the evaporator.

[0013] In the above-described thermal management system, the compressor in the refrigerant module may be arranged in line with the condenser and the evaporator in a second horizontal direction that intersects the opposing direction and the first horizontal direction.

[0014] According to the above-described heat management system, modules can be connected in close proximity to each other, thereby making it possible to achieve a compact design.

[0015] 1 is a circuit diagram of a thermal management system according to an embodiment of the present invention; FIG. 1 is an overall perspective view of the thermal management system, where (a) is a view from the front side in the system depth direction, and (b) is a view from the back side in the system depth direction; FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a coolant module of the thermal management system, as viewed from the rear side of the housing; FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the coolant module, as viewed from the front side of the housing; FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the coolant module, as viewed from the rear side of the housing, and is an exploded view showing the multi-way valve and the pump disassembled from the housing; FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a refrigerant module of the thermal management system, as viewed from the back side in the system depth direction; FIG. 6 is an overall perspective view of a thermal management system according to a modified example of the embodiment, where (a) is a view from the front side in the system depth direction, and (b) is a view from the back side in the system depth direction; and FIG. 7 is a perspective view of the refrigerant module of the thermal management system according to the modified example, as viewed from above in the system height direction.

[0016] The following describes a thermal management system 200 according to an embodiment of the present invention. As shown in Fig. 1, the thermal management system 200 according to this embodiment is a device that is mounted on a vehicle, such as an automobile, and that controls the temperature of on-board equipment K that may generate heat and / or controls the air conditioning inside the vehicle.

[0017] Specifically, the thermal management system 200 has a refrigerant circuit 50 and a heat medium circuit 60 connected to the refrigerant circuit 50. The refrigerant circuit 50 is included in a refrigerant module 150, which will be described in detail later, and the heat medium circuit 60 is included in a coolant module (coolant device) 100, which will be described in detail later.

[0018] (Refrigerant Circuit) The refrigerant circuit 50 includes a compressor 51, a condenser 52, a pressure reducing device 53, an evaporator 54, an accumulator 55, and a flow path C6 connecting the compressor 51, the condenser 52, the pressure reducing device 53, the evaporator 54, and the accumulator 55, and constitutes a heat pump through which a refrigerant (second heat medium) R1 flows (circulates).

[0019] (Heat Medium Circuit) The heat medium circuit 60 is a circuit through which the heat medium (first heat medium) R2 flows (circulates), and includes a four-way valve (first multi-way valve) 70 and an eight-way valve (second multi-way valve) 71 as multi-way valves that switch the flow path of the heat medium R2, a radiator circuit section 61 connected to the vehicle radiator 300 between the four-way valve 70 and the eight-way valve 71, a high-temperature side heat medium circuit section 62 connected to the four-way valve 70 and passing through the condenser 52 in the refrigerant circuit 50, a low-temperature side heat medium circuit section 63 connected to the eight-way valve 71 and passing through the evaporator 52 in the refrigerant circuit 50, and an in-vehicle equipment temperature control heat medium circuit section 64 connected to the eight-way valve 71 and passing through the in-vehicle equipment K.

[0020] The four-way valve 70 has four connection ports 70x through which the heat medium R2 flows in and out of the four-way valve 70. That is, the four-way valve 70 is a valve having fewer than five connection ports 70x. The eight-way valve 71 has eight connection ports 71x through which the heat medium R2 flows in and out of the eight-way valve 71. That is, the eight-way valve 71 is a valve having five or more connection ports 71x.

[0021] The radiator circuit 61 has a flow path C1 that connects the four-way valve 70 and the eight-way valve 71 and passes through the radiator 300, and the heat medium R2 flowing through the flow path C1 can exchange heat with outside air in the radiator 300. Therefore, a pair of pipes that form the flow path C1 of the radiator circuit 61 is connected to each of the two connection ports 71x of the eight-way valve 71, and a pair of pipes that form the flow path C1 is connected to each of the two connection ports 70x of the four-way valve 70.

[0022] The high-temperature side heat medium circuit section 62 has a flow path C2 that connects the four-way valve 70, the condenser 52, and a heater core 311 in the vehicle's HVAC (Heating, Ventilation, and Air-Conditioning) 310, and the heat medium R2 flowing through the flow path C2 can exchange heat with the refrigerant R1 in the refrigerant circuit 50 in the condenser 52. The high-temperature side heat medium circuit section 62 further has a first pump 3a, which will be described in detail later, downstream of the four-way valve 70 and upstream of the condenser 52. The high-temperature side heat medium circuit section 62 also has a first reservoir tank 4a adjacent to the first pump 3a and upstream of the first pump 3a, which stores the heat medium R2. A pair of pipes that form the flow path C2 is connected to each of the two connection ports 70x of the four-way valve 70.

[0023] The low-temperature side heat medium circuit section 63 has a flow path C3 connecting the eight-way valve 71, the evaporator 54, and the cooler core 312 of the HVAC 310. The heat medium R2 flowing through the flow path C3 can exchange heat with the refrigerant R1 of the refrigerant circuit 50 in the evaporator 54. The low-temperature side heat medium circuit section 63 further has a second pump 3b (described in detail below) downstream of the cooler core 312 and upstream of the evaporator 54. The low-temperature side heat medium circuit section 63 also has a second reservoir tank 4b adjacent to the second pump 3b and upstream of the second pump 3b, which stores the heat medium R2. The low-temperature side heat medium circuit section 63 also has a three-way valve 72 as a multi-way valve that switches the flow path of the heat medium R2 within the low-temperature side heat medium circuit section 63. A pair of pipes forming the flow path C3 of the low-temperature side heat medium circuit section 63 is connected to two connection ports 71x of the eight-way valve 71.

[0024] The vehicle-mounted equipment temperature control heat medium circuit unit 64 has a flow path C4 connecting the eight-way valve 71 and the vehicle-mounted equipment K, and the heat medium R2 flowing through the flow path C4 can exchange heat with the vehicle-mounted equipment K. Examples of the vehicle-mounted equipment K include a battery 320 and ECH (electric coolant heaters) 330, which are also known as water heaters. In the vehicle-mounted equipment temperature control heat medium circuit unit 64 of this embodiment, the heat medium R2 flows through the flow path C4 in the order of the eight-way valve 71, the ECH 330, and the battery 320. The vehicle-mounted equipment temperature control heat medium circuit unit 64 further includes a third pump 3c, which will be described in detail later, downstream of the eight-way valve 71 and upstream of the ECH 330. The vehicle-mounted equipment temperature control heat medium circuit unit 64 also includes a third reservoir tank 4c adjacent to the third pump 3c and upstream of the third pump 3c, for storing the heat medium R2. A pair of pipes forming the flow path C4 of the vehicle-mounted equipment temperature control heat medium circuit unit 64 are connected to the two connection ports 71x of the eight-way valve 71, respectively.

[0025] In this embodiment, a motor-passing circuit 65 having a flow path C5 passing through a motor 340 serving as an in-vehicle device K is connected to the eight-way valve 71, separate from the in-vehicle device temperature control heat medium circuit 64. That is, a pair of pipes forming the flow path C5 of the motor-passing circuit 65 is connected to each of the two connection ports 71x of the eight-way valve 71.

[0026] Next, a detailed description will be given of the coolant module 100 constituting the heat medium circuit 60 and the refrigerant module 150 constituting the refrigerant circuit 50. As shown in Figures 2(a) and 2(b), the coolant module 100 and the refrigerant module 150 are integrated to form a thermal management system 200.

[0027] (Coolant Module) As shown in Figures 3 and 4, the coolant module 100 includes a housing (housing for coolant module) 1, the above-mentioned multi-way valves (four-way valve 70, eight-way valve 71, three-way valve 72) provided in the housing 1, a plurality of pumps 3a, 3b, 3c, and a plurality of reservoir tanks 4a, 4b, 4c (not shown in Figures 3 and 4), and a portion of the above-mentioned flow paths C1 to C5 formed in the housing 1.

[0028] The housing 1 has an approximately rectangular parallelepiped shape and has a first housing side surface 1a facing one side in its own width direction (housing width direction) D1, a second housing side surface 1b facing the other side in the width direction D1, a housing back surface 1c facing one side (rear side) in its own depth direction (housing depth direction) D2 that intersects (orthogonal) with the width direction D1, a housing front surface 1d facing the other side (front side) in the depth direction D2, a housing top surface 1e facing one side (upper side) in its own height direction (housing height direction) D3 that intersects (orthogonal) with the width direction D1 and the depth direction D2, and a housing bottom surface 1f facing the other side (lower side) in the height direction D3.

[0029] The housing 1 has a housing front surface 1d that serves as an opposing housing surface facing a refrigerant module 150, which will be described in detail later, while the other surfaces 1a, 1b, 1c, 1e, and 1f of the housing 1 serve as non-opposing housing surfaces that do not face the refrigerant module 150. The housing front surface 1d, which serves as the opposing housing surface, is provided with a pair of condenser connection ports Cy that communicate with an inlet 52a and an outlet 52b for the heat medium R2 in a condenser 52 of the refrigerant module 150, which will be described in detail later. The housing front surface 1d also has a pair of evaporator connection ports Cz that communicate with an inlet 54a and an outlet 54b for the heat medium R2 in an evaporator 54. The pair of evaporator connection ports Cz are spaced apart in the height direction D3 and are positioned at approximately the same position in the width direction D1, and are located closer to the second housing side surface 1b in the width direction D1 than the pair of condenser connection ports Cy.

[0030] 2(a) and 2(b), in the thermal management system 200, the coolant module 100 is arranged with its depth direction D2 aligned with the depth direction (system depth direction Dy) of the entire thermal management system 200 and its height direction D3 aligned with the height direction (system height direction Dz) of the entire thermal management system 200. In other words, the coolant module 100 is connected to the refrigerant module 150, which will be described in detail later, facing the refrigerant module 150 from the rear side in the system depth direction Dy.

[0031] As shown in Figure 5, the eight-way valve 71 includes a valve rotation shaft 71a, a valve drive unit 71b that rotates the valve rotation shaft 71a, and a valve element 71c that switches the flow path of the heat medium R2 in the heat medium circuit 60 when operated by the rotation of the valve rotation shaft 71a. The valve rotation shaft 71a rotates around a rotation axis O1 that extends in the depth direction D2. That is, the valve rotation shaft 71a extends in the depth direction D2. The valve element 71c has the eight connection ports 71x formed therein through which the heat medium R2 flows (in and out). The eight-way valve 71 is provided on the rear surface 1c of the housing 1, which is the opposite housing surface (see Figure 3).

[0032] Similar to the eight-way valve 71, the four-way valve 70 includes a valve rotation shaft 70a, a valve drive unit 70b that rotates the valve rotation shaft 70a, and a valve element 70c that switches the flow path of the heat medium R2 in the heat medium circuit 60 by rotating the valve rotation shaft 70a. The valve rotation shaft 70a rotates about a rotation axis O2 that extends in the height direction D3. That is, the valve rotation shaft 70a extends in the height direction D3. The valve element 70c is formed with the four connection ports 70x through which the heat medium R2 flows (flows in and out of). The four-way valve 70 is provided on the housing top surface 1e, which is the non-opposing housing surface of the housing 1 (see FIG. 3).

[0033] Therefore, in the four-way valve 70 and eight-way valve 71, which are the multi-way valves in this embodiment, the rotation axes O1 and O2 of the valve rotation shafts 70a and 71a extend in a direction intersecting the width direction D1.

[0034] 3 , in this embodiment, a first pump 3 a, a second pump 3 b, and a third pump 3 c are provided as multiple pumps. These pumps 3 a, 3 b, and 3 c are configured to pump the heat medium R2 of different temperature ranges in the heat medium circuit 60. That is, the first pump 3 a pumps the heat medium R2 with the highest temperature, the second pump 3 b pumps the heat medium R2 with the lowest temperature, and the third pump 3 c pumps the heat medium R2 of any temperature between the temperature of the heat medium R2 pumped by the first pump 3 a and the temperature of the heat medium R2 pumped by the second pump 3 b.

[0035] 5, the first pump 3a includes a pump rotation shaft 30a that rotates about a rotation axis O3a extending in the width direction D1, a pump drive unit 31a that rotates the pump rotation shaft 30a, and an impeller 32a that is operated by the rotation of the pump rotation shaft 30a and pressurizes the heat medium R2. The first pump 3a is provided on the first housing side surface 1a, which is the surface of the non-opposing housing surface that faces the width direction D1 intersecting the depth direction D2, with its pump rotation shaft 30a extending in the width direction D1 (see FIG. 8).

[0036] Similarly, the second pump 3b includes a pump shaft 30b that rotates about a rotation axis O3b extending in the width direction D1, a pump drive unit 31b that rotates the pump shaft 30b, and an impeller 32b that is operated by the rotation of the pump shaft 30b to pump the heat medium R2. The second pump 3b is provided on the second housing side surface 1b, which is the surface facing the width direction D1 intersecting the depth direction D2, with its pump shaft 30b extending in the width direction D1 (see FIG. 7 ). The three-way valve 72 serving as a multi-way valve is provided on the second housing side surface 1b, alongside the second pump 3b in the height direction D3, on the other side (lower side) of the second pump 3b in the height direction D3.

[0037] Similarly, the third pump 3c includes a pump rotation shaft 30c that rotates about a rotation axis O3c extending in the width direction D1, a pump drive unit 31c that rotates the pump rotation shaft 30c, and an impeller 32c that is operated by the rotation of the pump rotation shaft 30c to pump the heat medium R2. The third pump 3c is provided on the first housing side surface 1a, which is the surface of the non-opposing housing surface that faces the width direction D1 intersecting the depth direction D2, with its pump rotation shaft 30a extending in the width direction D1. The third pump 3c is also provided on the first housing side surface 1a, alongside the first pump 3a in the height direction D3, on the other side (lower side) of the first pump 3a in the height direction D3.

[0038] A plurality of reservoir tanks 4a, 4b, and 4c (see FIG. 1) are integrally provided in a tank housing (not shown) and are arranged, for example, on the housing top surface 1e above the four-way valve 70, and are connected to a tank heat medium inlet / outlet Ct formed on the housing top surface 1e.

[0039] 2(a) and 2(b), the refrigerant module 150 includes a housing (refrigerant module housing) 5, the compressor 51, the condenser 52, the pressure reducing device 53 (see FIG. 1), the evaporator 54, and the accumulator 55 provided in the housing 5, and the flow path C6 (see FIG. 1) formed in the housing 5.

[0040] 6 , the housing 5 has a substantially rectangular parallelepiped shape similar to the housing 1 in the coolant module 100, and includes the flow path C6 inside the housing 5 through which the refrigerant R1 flows, which constitutes a refrigerant circuit together with a compressor 51, a condenser 52, a pressure reducing device 53, an evaporator 54, and an accumulator 55. The housing 5 has a first housing side surface 5a facing one side in the width direction D1, a second housing side surface 5b facing the other side in the width direction D1, a housing top surface 5c facing upward in the system height direction Dz, a housing bottom surface 5d facing downward in the system height direction Dz, a housing front surface 5e facing one side (near side) in the system depth direction Dy, and a housing back surface 5f facing the other side (rear side) in the system depth direction Dy. The housing back surface 5f is positioned opposite the housing front surface 1d of the housing 1 in the coolant module 100 in the system depth direction Dy.

[0041] That is, the rear surface 5f of the housing 5 is the housing surface facing the refrigerant module side, which faces the housing front surface 1d of the coolant module 100, and the other surfaces 5a, 5b, 5c, 5d, and 5e of the housing 5 are housing surfaces not facing the refrigerant module side, which do not face the coolant module 100.

[0042] The compressor 51 compresses the refrigerant R1 to a high-temperature, high-pressure state. The compressor 51 is disposed on the housing front surface 5e side, which is the housing surface of the housing 5 that does not face the refrigerant module side.

[0043] The condenser 52 dissipates heat from the refrigerant R1 compressed by the compressor 51 into a high-temperature, high-pressure state, condensing the refrigerant R1 into a low-temperature, high-pressure state. The condenser 52 is located on the rear surface 5f of the housing 5, which is the housing surface facing the refrigerant module (close to the rear surface 5f), and is partially exposed from the rear surface 5f. The condenser 52 is connected to a condenser connection port Cy formed on the front surface 1d of the housing of the coolant module 100. The condenser 52 has an inlet 52a through which the heat medium R2 from the coolant module 100 flows into the condenser 52, and an outlet 52b through which the heat medium R2 flows out from the condenser 52 toward the coolant module 100. In this embodiment, the inlet 52a is located on the lower surface 5d of the housing, and the outlet 52b is located on the upper surface 5c of the housing.

[0044] The pressure reducing device 53 is an expansion valve in this embodiment, and reduces the pressure of the refrigerant R1, which has been brought to a low-temperature, high-pressure state by the condenser 52. The pressure reducing device 53 is provided on the housing top surface 5c, which is the housing surface opposite the refrigerant module side.

[0045] The evaporator 54 absorbs heat from the refrigerant R1, which has been reduced to a low-temperature, low-pressure state by the pressure reducing device 53, and evaporates the refrigerant R1 to a high-temperature, low-pressure state. The evaporator 54 is located on the housing back surface 5f side (close to the housing back surface 5f), which is the housing surface facing the refrigerant module, and is partially exposed from the housing back surface 5f. The evaporator 54 is also aligned with the condenser 52 on the second housing side surface 5b side in the width direction (first horizontal direction) D1 intersecting the system depth direction Dy (D2). The evaporator 54 is further connected to an evaporator connection port Cz formed on the housing front surface 1d of the coolant module 100. The evaporator 54 has an inlet 54a through which the heat medium R2 from the coolant module 100 flows into the evaporator 54, and an outlet 54b through which the heat medium R2 flows from the evaporator 54 toward the coolant module 100. In this embodiment, the inlet 54a is located on the housing top surface 5c, and the outlet 54b is located on the housing bottom surface 5d.

[0046] The accumulator 55 separates the heat medium R2 into gas and liquid phases upstream of the compressor 51. In this embodiment, the accumulator 55 is disposed on the side of the second housing side surface 5b, which is the housing surface not facing the refrigerant module, i.e., on the side of the second housing side surface 5b in the width direction D1 relative to the condenser 52 and the evaporator 54, and on the front side of the housing back surface 5f in the system depth direction Dy.

[0047] Therefore, the compressor 51 is disposed in the system depth direction Dy on the opposite side of the coolant module 100 from the evaporator 54 and the condenser 52. When the inlet 52a and the outlet 52b are connected to the condenser connection port Cy and the inlet 54a and the outlet 54b are connected to the evaporator connection port Cz, the front surface 1d of the housing and the rear surface 5f of the housing come into contact at least partially, and the refrigerant module housing 5 is integrated with the coolant module housing 1.

[0048] (Operation and Effect) According to the thermal management system 200 of the present embodiment described above, the condenser 52 and the evaporator 54 of the refrigerant module 150 are disposed adjacent to or facing the front surface 1d of the housing of the coolant module 100. The condenser connection port Cy is formed on the front surface 1d of the housing, connected to the condenser 52, through which the heat medium R2 flows between the condenser 52 and the condenser 52. The evaporator connection port Cz is formed on the front surface 1d of the housing, connected to the evaporator 54, through which the heat medium R2 flows between the evaporator 54 and the condenser 52. As a result, when connecting the coolant module 100 and the refrigerant module 150, the components of the coolant module 100 and the refrigerant module 150 do not get in the way, and the coolant module 100 and the refrigerant module 150 can be connected adjacent to each other, making it easy to integrate the modules 100 and 150. As a result, the overall thermal management system 200 can be made more compact.

[0049] In particular, in this embodiment, the eight-way valve 71 serving as a multi-way valve is provided on the rear surface 1 c of the housing opposite the front surface 1 d in the depth direction D2, and in particular, in this embodiment, the rotation axis O2 of the eight-way valve 71 extends in the depth direction D2 so as to intersect with the front surface 1 d of the housing. Therefore, the eight-way valve 71 does not get in the way when connecting the coolant module 100 and the refrigerant module 150, allowing the coolant module 100 and the refrigerant module 150 to be disposed close to each other, and sufficient installation space can be secured for the eight-way valve 71, which tends to have a large diameter due to having many connection ports 71x, making it possible to accommodate an increasingly complex flow path for the heat medium R2 in the heat medium circuit 60.

[0050] Furthermore, pumps 3a and 3c are provided on first housing side surface 1a facing width direction D1 intersecting depth direction D2, and pump 3b is provided on second housing side surface 1b. Therefore, pumps 3a to 3c are provided on a surface of housing 1 other than housing front surface 1d, and pumps 3a to 3c are provided on a different surface from four-way valve 70 and eight-way valve 71, which serve as multi-way valves. Therefore, when connecting coolant module 100 and refrigerant module 150, pumps 3a to 3c do not get in the way, allowing coolant module 100 and refrigerant module 150 to be disposed close to each other, and sufficient space can be secured to install four-way valve 70 and eight-way valve 71, which serve as multi-way valves.

[0051] In the refrigerant module 150, the condenser 52 and the evaporator 54 are disposed on the rear surface 5f of the housing, and the compressor 51 and the pressure reducing device 53 are disposed on a surface of the housing 5 other than the rear surface 5f. Therefore, the compressor 51 and the pressure reducing device 53 are provided in a position that does not face the front surface 1d of the housing in the coolant module 100, and the compressor 51 and the pressure reducing device 53 do not get in the way when connecting the coolant module 100 and the refrigerant module 150.

[0052] Furthermore, by connecting the modules 10 and 150 facing each other in the system depth direction Dy, the dimension of the thermal management system 200 in the system height direction Dz can be reduced.

[0053] The first pump 3a and the third pump 3c are provided on the first housing side surface 1a of the housing 1, the second pump 3b is provided on the second housing side surface 1b opposite the first housing side surface 1a in the width direction D1, and the valve rotation shafts 70a, 71a of the multi-way valves (four-way valve 70, eight-way valve 71) are arranged so that the directions in which the rotation axes O1, O2 extend intersect with the width direction D1, and in particular, in this embodiment, the eight-way valve 71, which serves as the multi-way valve, is provided on the rear housing surface 1c. Therefore, compared to a case in which the pumps 3a to 3c are arranged on a surface facing the same direction as the directions in which the rotation axes O1, O2 of the multi-way valves extend, the dimension of the housing 1 in the direction in which the rotation axes O1, O2 of the multi-way valves extend can be reduced, making it possible to make the coolant module 100 more compact.

[0054] Furthermore, by positioning the eight-way valve 71 so that the extension direction of the rotation axis O2 of the eight-way valve 71 intersects the width direction D1, even if the eight-way valve 71 having eight connection ports 71x and a relatively large diameter dimension is provided as a multi-way valve, interference between the multi-way valve and the pumps 3a to 3c can be avoided, and many switching patterns for the flow path of the heat transfer medium R2 can be set, making it possible to accommodate an increase in the complexity of the flow path.

[0055] In addition, by providing the first pump 3a and the third pump 3c on the first housing side surface 1a of the housing 1 and providing the second pump 3b on the second housing side surface 1b opposite the first housing side surface 1a in the width direction D1, it is possible to achieve weight balance in the width direction D1 of the coolant module 100.

[0056] Furthermore, by providing the first pump 3a and the second pump 3b, which pump the heat medium R2 of different temperature ranges, on different sides of the housing 1, and providing the second pump 3b and the third pump 3c on different sides of the housing 1, it is possible to prevent the heat medium R2 of different temperature ranges from being thermally affected by each other between the first pump 3a and the second pump 3b, and between the second pump 3b and the third pump 3c.

[0057] In particular, in this embodiment, the high-temperature side heat medium circuit section 62 of the heat medium circuit 60 constituting the heat management system 200 has a first pump 3a, and the first pump 3a of the multiple pumps 3a to 3c pumps the heat medium R2 with the highest temperature. On the other hand, the low-temperature side heat medium circuit section 63 of the heat medium circuit 60 constituting the heat management system 200 has a second pump 3b, and the second pump 3b of the multiple pumps 3a to 3c pumps the heat medium R2 with the lowest temperature. In this regard, in this embodiment, the first pump 3a, through which the high-temperature heat medium R2 flows, and the second pump 3b, through which the low-temperature heat medium R2 flows, are provided on opposite sides of the housing 1 in the width direction D1, thereby minimizing the thermal influence of each other.

[0058] In this embodiment, eight-way valve 71 serving as a multi-way valve is provided on housing front surface 1c facing one side in depth direction D2 intersecting width direction D1, and four-way valve 70 serving as a multi-way valve is provided on housing top surface 1e facing one side in height direction D3 intersecting width direction D1. In other words, pumps 3a to 3c, four-way valve 70, and eight-way valve 71 are arranged on different sides of housing 1, which allows the size of each side of housing 1 to be kept small, thereby enabling the entire coolant module 100 to be made even more compact.

[0059] The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and various modifications may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. For example, the relative positions of the coolant module 100 and the refrigerant module 150 are not limited to those described above. Specifically, as shown in FIGS. 7A and 7B, the housing top surface 5c of the refrigerant module 150 may be disposed opposite the housing front surface 1d of the coolant module 100. In other words, the modules 100 and 150 may be disposed opposite each other in the system height direction Dz. In this case, the compressor 51 is disposed on the opposite side of the condenser 52 and the evaporator 54 from the coolant module 100 in the system depth direction (second horizontal direction) Dy. 8, an inlet 52a through which the heat medium R2 from the coolant module 100 flows into the condenser 52 and an outlet 52b through which the heat medium R2 flows from the condenser 52 toward the coolant module 100 are formed on the housing top surface 5c, and an inlet 54a through which the heat medium R2 from the coolant module 100 flows into the evaporator 54 and an outlet 54b through which the heat medium R2 flows from the evaporator 54 toward the coolant module 100 are also formed on the housing top surface 5c. The inlet 52a is located at the back side in the system depth direction Dy and the outlet 52b is located at the front side, and the inlet 54a is located at the front side in the system depth direction Dy and the outlet 54b is located at the back side. In this way, the thermal management system 200 shown in FIGS. 7A, 7B, and 8 can reduce the dimension in the system depth direction Dy.

[0060] Furthermore, the third pump 3c may be provided on the second housing side surface 1b instead of the first housing side surface 1a, as long as at least the first pump 3a and the second pump 3b are provided on surfaces of the housing 1 facing opposite directions.

[0061] Furthermore, the installation positions of the four-way valve 70 and the eight-way valve 71 may be reversed from the case described above, and the installation positions of the three-way valve 72 and the four-way valve 70 may be reversed from the case described above.

[0062] The configuration of the heat medium circuit 60 is not limited to the above, and it is sufficient if the flow path of the heat medium R2 can be switched so as to adjust the temperature and / or air conditioning of the in-vehicle equipment K.

[0063] According to the thermal management system of the present invention, modules can be connected in close proximity to each other, thereby achieving compactness.

[0064] DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 1...coolant module housing 1a...first housing side surface 1b...second housing side surface 1c...housing rear surface 1d...housing front surface 1e...housing top surface 1f...housing bottom surface 3a...first pump 3b...second pump 3c...third pump 5...refrigerant module housing 5a...first housing side surface 5b...second housing side surface 5c...housing top surface 5d...housing bottom surface 5e...housing front surface 5f...housing rear surface 30a, 30b, 30c...pump rotating shaft 31a, 31b, 31c...pump drive unit 32a, 32b, 32c...impeller 50...refrigerant circuit 51...compressor 52...condenser 52...evaporator 52a...inlet 52b...outlet 53...pressure reducing device 54...evaporator 54a...inlet 54b...outlet 55...accumulator 60...heat medium circuit DESCRIPTION OF THE SYMBOLS 61...Radiator circuit section 62...High temperature side heat medium circuit section 63...Low temperature side heat medium circuit section 64...Vehicle equipment temperature control heat medium circuit section 65...Motor passing circuit section 70...Four-way valve 70a...Valve rotating shaft 71...Eight-way valve 71a...Valve rotating shaft 100...Coolant module 150...Refrigerant module 200...Thermal management system C1 to C6...Flow paths Cy...Condenser connection port Cz...Evaporator connection port D1...Width direction D2...Depth direction D3...Height direction Dy...System depth direction Dz...System height direction K...Vehicle equipment R1...Refrigerant (second heat medium) R2...Heat medium (first heat medium)

Claims

1. A thermal management system provided in a vehicle for controlling the temperature of on-board equipment and / or conditioning the air inside the vehicle, comprising: a coolant module housing forming a flow path through which a first heat medium flows, and a coolant module including a multi-way valve provided in the coolant module housing for switching a flow path of the first heat medium in the flow path; and a refrigerant module including a refrigerant circuit constituted by a compressor, a condenser, a pressure reducing device, and an evaporator through which a second heat medium circulates, the second heat medium exchanging heat with the first heat medium in the condenser and the evaporator, wherein an opposing housing surface of the coolant module housing facing the refrigerant module forms a pair of condenser connection ports communicating with an inlet and an outlet of the first heat medium in the condenser, and a pair of evaporator connection ports communicating with an inlet and an outlet of the first heat medium in the evaporator, the multi-way valve is provided on a non-opposing housing surface other than the opposing housing surface of the coolant module housing, A thermal management system in which the condenser and the evaporator are arranged on the opposing housing surface side of the refrigerant module and are arranged side by side in a first horizontal direction that intersects the opposing direction between the opposing housing surface and the refrigerant module.

2. A thermal management system as described in claim 1, wherein the multi-way valve has a valve rotation shaft and a valve body that switches the flow path of the first heat medium by rotation of the valve rotation shaft, the multi-way valve is provided on one of the non-opposing side housing faces that is opposite the opposing side housing face in the opposing direction, and the rotation axis of the valve rotation shaft extends in a direction intersecting the opposing side housing face.

3. A thermal management system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the multi-way valve is a valve having five or more connection ports through which the first heat medium flows.

4. A thermal management system as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the coolant module further has a pump provided in the coolant module housing for pressurizing the first heat medium through the flow path, the pump being provided on one of the non-opposing housing surfaces facing in a direction intersecting the opposing direction.

5. A thermal management system as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the refrigerant module further has a refrigerant module housing in which the refrigerant circuit is provided, the refrigerant module housing forms a refrigerant module side opposing housing surface facing the opposing housing surface in the coolant module, and a refrigerant module side non-opposing housing surface other than the refrigerant module side opposing housing surface, the condenser and the evaporator are arranged on the side of the refrigerant module side opposing housing surface in the refrigerant module housing, and the compressor and the pressure reducing device are arranged on the side of the refrigerant module side non-opposing housing surface in the refrigerant module housing.

6. A thermal management system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the compressor in the refrigerant module is disposed on the opposite side to the coolant module in the opposing direction relative to the condenser and the evaporator.

7. A thermal management system as described in claim 1 or 2, wherein the compressor in the refrigerant module is arranged in line with the condenser and the evaporator in a second horizontal direction that intersects the opposing direction and the first horizontal direction.

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