Heat management system

Abstract

This heat management system has a refrigeration cycle (10), a high-temperature-side heat medium circuit (20), a low-temperature-side heat medium circuit (40), a heat transfer unit (30, 31), and a control unit (60). The high-temperature-side heat medium circuit is connected to a heating device (25) for heating a high-temperature-side heat medium, via a radiator (12), so as to be capable of circulating the high-temperature-side heat medium. The low-temperature-side heat medium circuit is connected, via a heat absorber (16), so as to be capable of circulating a low-temperature-side heat medium. The heat transfer unit transfers heat between the high-temperature-side heat medium and the low-temperature-side heat medium. The heat management system heats the low-temperature-side heat medium by moving the heat of the high-temperature-side heat medium to the low-temperature-side heat medium by using the heat transfer unit when starting operation of the refrigeration cycle in a low-temperature environment in which the outside air temperature is lower than a predetermined reference. The heat management system causes the heat of the heated low-temperature-side heat medium to be absorbed by refrigerant by using the heat absorber.

Description

Thermal Management System CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 2024-118524 ​​filed on July 24, 2024, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference.

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a thermal management system having a refrigeration cycle, a high-temperature side heat medium circuit, and a low-temperature side heat medium circuit.

[0003] A conventional thermal management system is disclosed in Patent Document 1. The thermal management system described in Patent Document 1 includes a refrigeration cycle, a high-temperature heat medium circuit, and a low-temperature heat medium circuit. In Patent Document 1, a high-temperature outdoor heat exchanger disposed in the high-temperature heat medium circuit and a high-temperature outdoor heat exchanger disposed in the low-temperature heat medium circuit are connected by metal, and heat can be transferred between the high-temperature heat medium and the low-temperature heat medium.

[0004] Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2019-055704

[0005] In a thermal management system such as that described in Patent Document 1, in a low-temperature environment where the outside air temperature is low (e.g., −20°C or lower), it is expected that the density of the refrigerant circulating through the refrigeration cycle will decrease due to the influence of the ambient temperature. If the compressor is operated and the refrigeration cycle starts operating in a state where the refrigerant density is low, the compression work of the compressor in the refrigeration cycle will decrease. As a result, there is a concern that the refrigeration cycle may not be able to perform at its desired capacity in a low-temperature environment.

[0006] Furthermore, in thermal management systems in low-temperature environments, a refrigeration cycle may be used to heat an object to be heated (e.g., air being blown into a room), and it is desirable to minimize the period during which the refrigeration cycle is unable to perform at its desired capacity.

[0007] In view of the above, the present disclosure aims to provide a thermal management system having a refrigeration cycle, a high-temperature side heat medium circuit, and a low-temperature side heat medium circuit, which is capable of suppressing a decrease in the compression work of a compressor in a low-temperature environment.

[0008] A thermal management system according to one aspect of the present disclosure includes a refrigeration cycle, a high-temperature heat medium circuit, a low-temperature heat medium circuit, a heat transfer unit, and a control unit. The refrigeration cycle includes a compressor, a radiator, a pressure reduction unit, and a heat absorber. The radiator radiates heat from a refrigerant discharged from the compressor to the high-temperature heat medium. The pressure reduction unit reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing out from the radiator. The heat absorber causes the refrigerant depressurized by the pressure reduction unit to absorb heat from the low-temperature heat medium.

[0009] The high-temperature side heat medium circuit connects the high-temperature side heat medium to a heating device that heats the high-temperature side heat medium via a radiator so that the high-temperature side heat medium can circulate. The low-temperature side heat medium circuit connects the low-temperature side heat medium to a heat absorber so that the low-temperature side heat medium can circulate. The heat transfer section transfers heat between the high-temperature side heat medium and the low-temperature side heat medium.

[0010] When the refrigeration cycle starts operating in a low-temperature environment where the outside air temperature is lower than a predetermined standard, the thermal management system transfers heat from the high-temperature side heat medium to the low-temperature side heat medium using the heat transfer unit to heat the low-temperature side heat medium.The thermal management system causes the heat absorber to absorb the heat from the heated low-temperature side heat medium into the refrigerant.

[0011] According to this thermal management system, when the refrigeration cycle starts operating in a low-temperature environment, the heat transfer unit transfers heat from the high-temperature side heat medium to the low-temperature side heat medium, thereby heating the low-temperature side heat medium. Because the heating device is disposed in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit, heat can be added to the high-temperature side heat medium even in a low-temperature environment.

[0012] According to the thermal management system, the low-temperature heat medium heated in the heat transfer section is absorbed by the refrigeration cycle refrigerant in the heat absorber, thereby increasing the temperature of the refrigerant. This prevents a decrease in refrigerant density in the refrigeration cycle, so that the compression workload of the compressor can be secured even when the refrigeration cycle starts operating, allowing the refrigeration cycle to perform at its desired capacity.

[0013] In other words, according to the thermal management system, when the refrigeration cycle starts operating in a low-temperature environment, heat derived from the high-temperature heat medium is used to suppress the decrease in compression work caused by the decrease in refrigerant density of the refrigeration cycle, thereby enabling the refrigeration cycle to perform at the desired capacity.

[0014] The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present disclosure will become more apparent from the following detailed description made with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0016] Fig. 1 is a configuration diagram of a thermal management system according to a first embodiment. Fig. 2 is a configuration diagram of an indoor air conditioning unit according to the first embodiment. Fig. 3 is a block diagram showing a control system of the thermal management system according to the first embodiment. Fig. 4 is a flowchart relating to pre-control in the first embodiment. Fig. 5 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of pre-control in the first embodiment. Fig. 6 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of a heating mode in the first embodiment. Fig. 7 is an explanatory diagram showing a control aspect in the heating mode of the first embodiment. Fig. 8 is an explanatory diagram showing flow rate control of the high-temperature side heat medium in the heating mode of the first embodiment. Fig. 9 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a low-temperature side heat medium circuit in a second embodiment. Fig. 10 is an explanatory diagram showing an example of the configuration of a low-temperature side heat medium circuit in a third embodiment.

[0015] Hereinafter, several embodiments for carrying out the present disclosure will be described with reference to the drawings. In each embodiment, parts corresponding to matters described in the preceding embodiment may be assigned the same reference numerals, and duplicate descriptions may be omitted. In each embodiment, when only a part of the configuration is described, other previously described embodiments may be applied to the other parts of the configuration. In addition to combinations of parts that are specifically specified as being combinable in each embodiment, it is also possible to partially combine embodiments even if not specified, as long as there is no particular problem with the combination.

[0016] First Embodiment A first embodiment of the present disclosure will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 to 3. A thermal management system 1 according to the first embodiment is applied to an electric vehicle that obtains driving force for vehicle travel from a traction electric motor. In the first embodiment, the thermal management system 1 according to the present disclosure performs air conditioning of the vehicle cabin, which is the space to be air-conditioned, and temperature adjustment of equipment including the battery 43, etc. The thermal management system 1 can switch between a cooling mode, a heating mode, and a dehumidifying and heating mode as operating modes for air conditioning the vehicle cabin.

[0017] The refrigeration cycle 10 in the thermal management system 1 uses an HFC refrigerant (specifically, R134a) as the refrigerant, forming a subcritical refrigeration cycle in which the high-pressure side refrigerant pressure does not exceed the critical pressure of the refrigerant. R1234yf or other refrigerants can also be used. Refrigerant oil is mixed into the refrigerant to lubricate the compressor 11. PAG oil (polyalkylene glycol oil), which is compatible with liquid-phase refrigerants, is used as the refrigeration oil. A portion of the refrigeration oil circulates through the cycle together with the refrigerant.

[0018] Next, a specific configuration of the thermal management system 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 1. The thermal management system 1 includes a refrigeration cycle 10, a high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20, a low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40, an indoor air conditioning unit 50, and a control device 60.

[0019] First, a configuration of a refrigeration cycle 10 in the thermal management system 1 will be described. The refrigeration cycle 10 is a vapor compression refrigeration cycle device. In the refrigeration cycle 10, a compressor 11 draws in, compresses, and discharges a refrigerant. The compressor 11 is disposed inside the hood of the vehicle.

[0020] The compressor 11 is an electric compressor that uses an electric motor to rotate a fixed-displacement compression mechanism having a fixed discharge capacity. The rotation speed (i.e., refrigerant discharge capacity) of the compressor 11 is controlled by a control signal output from a control device 60, which will be described later.

[0021] The discharge port of the compressor 11 is connected to an inlet side of a refrigerant passage of a heat medium refrigerant heat exchanger 12. The heat medium refrigerant heat exchanger 12 is a heat exchanger that transfers heat contained in the high-pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 11 to the heat medium in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20 for heating.

[0022] The heat medium-refrigerant heat exchanger 12 is a so-called subcooling type condenser and includes a condenser section 12a, a receiver section 12b, and a subcooling section 12c. The condenser section 12a is a heat exchange section that condenses the high-pressure refrigerant by exchanging heat with the high-temperature side heat medium of the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20. The receiver section 12b is a liquid-receiving section that stores the liquid-phase refrigerant that flows out from the condenser section 12a. The subcooling section 12c is a heat exchange section that subcools the liquid-phase refrigerant by exchanging heat with the high-temperature side heat medium of the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20.

[0023] This allows a so-called receiver cycle to be configured, and the high-pressure liquid-phase refrigerant condensed in the condenser 12a can be stored in the receiver 12b as excess refrigerant for the cycle. Therefore, the refrigerant flowing out of the interior evaporator 15 can be evaporated to a gas-phase refrigerant with a degree of superheat. Furthermore, by subcooling the refrigerant in the subcooler 12c, the enthalpy difference between the refrigerant at the outlet side of the interior evaporator 15 and the refrigerant at the inlet side can be increased.

[0024] The heat medium-refrigerant heat exchanger 12 corresponds to an example of a radiator. The high-temperature side heat medium in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20 may be a solution containing ethylene glycol, an antifreeze solution, or the like.

[0025] The refrigerant inlet side of the refrigerant branching section 13a is connected to the outlet of the refrigerant passage of the heat medium-refrigerant heat exchanger 12. The refrigerant branching section 13a branches the flow of liquid-phase refrigerant flowing out of the heat medium-refrigerant heat exchanger 12. The refrigerant branching section 13a is formed as a three-way joint structure having three refrigerant inlet and outlet ports that are connected to each other. In the refrigerant branching section 13a, one of the three inlet and outlet ports serves as a refrigerant inlet, and the remaining two serve as refrigerant outlet ports.

[0026] One refrigerant outlet of the refrigerant branching section 13a is connected to the refrigerant inlet side of the indoor evaporator 15 via a first expansion valve 14a. The other refrigerant outlet of the refrigerant branching section 13a is connected to the refrigerant inlet side of the chiller 16 via a second expansion valve 14b.

[0027] The first expansion valve 14a is a pressure reducing unit that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing out from one of the refrigerant outlets of the refrigerant branch unit 13a at least in the cooling mode. The first expansion valve 14a is an electrically operated variable throttle mechanism that includes a valve body and an electric actuator. That is, the first expansion valve 14a is a so-called electric expansion valve.

[0028] The valve element of the first expansion valve 14a is configured to change the passage opening (i.e., the throttle opening) of the refrigerant passage. The electric actuator has a stepping motor that changes the throttle opening of the valve element. The operation of the first expansion valve 14a is controlled by a control signal output from the control device 60.

[0029] The first expansion valve 14a is a variable throttle mechanism that has a full opening function that fully opens the refrigerant passage when the throttle opening is fully opened, and a full closing function that closes the refrigerant passage when the throttle opening is fully closed. In other words, the first expansion valve 14a can prevent the refrigerant from decompressing by fully opening the refrigerant passage.

[0030] The first expansion valve 14a closes the refrigerant passage, thereby blocking the inflow of refrigerant into the indoor evaporator 15. That is, the first expansion valve 14a functions both as a pressure reducing unit that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant and as a refrigerant circuit switching unit that switches the refrigerant circuit.

[0031] The outlet of the first expansion valve 14a is connected to the refrigerant inlet side of the indoor evaporator 15. The indoor evaporator 15 is an evaporator that, at least in the cooling mode, exchanges heat between the low-pressure refrigerant decompressed by the first expansion valve 14a and the blown air W to evaporate the low-pressure refrigerant and cool the blown air W. As shown in FIG. 2 , the indoor evaporator 15 is disposed in a casing 51 of the indoor air-conditioning unit 50.

[0032] 1, the other refrigerant outlet of the refrigerant branch portion 13a is connected to a second expansion valve 14b. The second expansion valve 14b is a pressure reducing portion that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing out from the other refrigerant outlet of the refrigerant branch portion 13a at least in the heating mode, and corresponds to an example of a pressure reducing portion.

[0033] The second expansion valve 14b is an electrically operated variable throttle mechanism, similar to the first expansion valve 14a, and includes a valve body and an electric actuator. That is, the second expansion valve 14b is an electrically operated expansion valve, and has a fully open function and a fully closed function.

[0034] In other words, the second expansion valve 14b can prevent the refrigerant from decompressing by fully opening the refrigerant passage, and can also block the inflow of refrigerant to the chiller 16 by closing the refrigerant passage. That is, the second expansion valve 14b functions both as a pressure reducing unit that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant and as a refrigerant circuit switching unit that switches the refrigerant circuit.

[0035] The outlet of the second expansion valve 14b is connected to the refrigerant inlet side of the chiller 16. The chiller 16 is a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the low-pressure refrigerant decompressed by the second expansion valve 14b and the low-temperature side heat medium circulating through the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40. The chiller 16 corresponds to an example of a heat absorber.

[0036] The chiller 16 has a refrigerant passage through which the low-pressure refrigerant decompressed by the second expansion valve 14b flows, and a heat medium passage through which the heat medium circulating in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 flows. Therefore, the chiller 16 evaporates the low-pressure refrigerant by heat exchange between the low-pressure refrigerant flowing in the refrigerant passage and the low-temperature side heat medium flowing in the heat medium passage, thereby absorbing heat from the low-temperature side heat medium.

[0037] The inlet side of an evaporation pressure regulating valve 17 is connected to the refrigerant outlet of the indoor evaporator 15. The evaporation pressure regulating valve 17 is an evaporation pressure adjusting unit that maintains the refrigerant evaporation pressure in the indoor evaporator 15 at or above a predetermined reference pressure. The evaporation pressure regulating valve 17 is configured as a mechanical variable throttle mechanism that increases the valve opening degree as the refrigerant pressure on the outlet side of the indoor evaporator 15 increases.

[0038] The evaporation pressure regulating valve 17 is configured to maintain the refrigerant evaporation temperature in the interior evaporator 15 at a reference temperature (1° C. in this embodiment) or higher that can prevent frost from forming on the interior evaporator 15 .

[0039] The outlet of the evaporation pressure regulating valve 17 is connected to the inlet side of a check valve 18. The check valve 18 allows refrigerant to flow from the outlet side of the evaporation pressure regulating valve 17 toward the refrigerant junction 13b, and prohibits refrigerant from the refrigerant junction 13b side toward the outlet side of the evaporation pressure regulating valve 17.

[0040] One refrigerant inlet of the refrigerant junction 13b is connected to the outlet of the check valve 18. As shown in Figure 1, the other refrigerant inlet of the refrigerant junction 13b is connected to the refrigerant outlet of the chiller 16.

[0041] The refrigerant junction 13b has a three-way joint structure similar to the refrigerant branching section 13a, with two of the three inlet and outlet ports serving as refrigerant inlets and the remaining port serving as a refrigerant outlet. The refrigerant junction 13b joins the refrigerant flowing out from the evaporation pressure control valve 17 and the check valve 18 with the refrigerant flowing out from the chiller 16. The refrigerant outlet of the refrigerant junction 13b is connected to the suction port side of the compressor 11.

[0042] Next, a description will be given of the configuration of the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20 in the thermal management system 1. The high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20 is a heat medium circuit that circulates a heat medium. The heat medium in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20 can be a solution containing ethylene glycol, an antifreeze solution, or the like.

[0043] The high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20 includes a heat medium passage of the heat medium-refrigerant heat exchanger 12, a high-temperature side pump 21, a high-temperature side connection part 22, a heater core 23, a radiator 24, an electric heater 25, a high-temperature side flow control valve 26, a heat transfer part 30, etc.

[0044] 1 , a discharge port of a high-temperature side pump 21 is connected to the inlet side of the heat medium passage in the heat medium-refrigerant heat exchanger 12. The high-temperature side pump 21 is a heat medium pump that pumps the high-temperature side heat medium in order to circulate it in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20. The high-temperature side pump 21 discharges and pumps the high-temperature side heat medium into the heat medium passage in the heat medium-refrigerant heat exchanger 12. The high-temperature side pump 21 is an electric pump whose rotation speed (i.e., pumping capacity) is controlled by a control voltage output from the control device 60.

[0045] A high-temperature side connection part 22 is connected to the suction port of the high-temperature side pump 21. The high-temperature side connection part 22 is formed as a four-way joint having four inlet and outlets. Of the four inlet and outlets, the high-temperature side connection part 22 has three inlet and outlets that serve as inlet ports for the high-temperature side heat medium, and one inlet and outlet that serves as an outlet port for the high-temperature side heat medium.

[0046] One inlet of the high-temperature side connecting portion 22 is connected to the heat medium outlet side of the heater core 23, and the other inlet of the high-temperature side connecting portion 22 is connected to the heat medium outlet side of the radiator 24. The other inlet of the high-temperature side connecting portion 22 is connected to the outlet side of a high-temperature side heat medium passage in a heat medium-heat medium heat exchanger 31 that constitutes a heat transfer portion 30, which will be described later.

[0047] The heater core 23 is a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between the heat medium heated in the heat medium-refrigerant heat exchanger 12 or the like and the blown air W that has passed through the interior evaporator 15, thereby heating the blown air W. As shown in Fig. 2, the heater core 23 is disposed inside a casing 51 of the interior air conditioning unit 50. The heater core 23 corresponds to an example of a heating heat exchanger, and the blown air corresponds to an example of an object to be heated.

[0048] The radiator 24 is a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between a heat medium heated by a heat medium-refrigerant heat exchanger 12 or the like and outside air OA blown by an outside air fan (not shown), thereby dissipating the heat contained in the heat medium to the outside air OA.

[0049] The radiator 24 is disposed at the front side inside the vehicle hood. When the above-described outside air fan is operated, outside air OA flows from the front side of the vehicle to the rear and passes through the heat exchange portion of the radiator 24. When the vehicle is traveling, airflow from the front side of the vehicle to the rear side can be directed onto the radiator 24.

[0050] The heat transfer unit 30 is configured to transfer heat between the high-temperature heat medium circulating through the high-temperature heat medium circuit 20 and the low-temperature heat medium circulating through the low-temperature heat medium circuit 40. The heat transfer unit 30 according to this embodiment is configured by a heat medium-heat medium heat exchanger 31.

[0051] The heat medium heat exchanger 31 is a heat exchanger that exchanges heat between a high-temperature side heat medium and a low-temperature side heat medium, and transfers heat from the high-temperature side heat medium to the low-temperature side heat medium. The heat medium heat exchanger 31 has a high-temperature side heat medium passage through which the high-temperature side heat medium flows and which constitutes a part of the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20, and a low-temperature side heat medium passage through which the low-temperature side heat medium flows and which constitutes a part of the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40.

[0052] The heat medium heat exchanger 31 is made of the same type of metal (aluminum alloy in this embodiment) with excellent heat conductivity, and each component is integrated by brazing. This allows the high-temperature heat medium flowing through the high-temperature heat medium passage and the low-temperature heat medium flowing through the low-temperature heat medium passage to exchange heat with each other, transferring heat from the high-temperature heat medium to the low-temperature heat medium.

[0053] As shown in Fig. 1, an electric heater 25 is disposed on the outlet side of the heat medium passage in the heat medium-refrigerant heat exchanger 12. The electric heater 25 is a heating device that generates heat when supplied with power and heats the high-temperature side heat medium circulating through the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20. For example, a PTC heater having a PTC element (i.e., a positive temperature coefficient thermistor) can be used as the electric heater 25. The amount of heat for heating the high-temperature side heat medium can be adjusted as desired by a control voltage output from the control device 60.

[0054] A high-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 26 is disposed on the heat medium outlet side of the electric heater 25. The high-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 26 is configured as an electric four-way flow rate adjustment valve having four inlet and outlets, and corresponds to an example of a high-temperature side flow rate adjustment unit. Of the four inlet and outlets, the high-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 26 uses one inlet and outlet as a heat medium inlet and the other three inlet and outlets as heat medium outlets.

[0055] One heat medium outlet of the high-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 26 is connected to the heat medium inlet side of the heater core 23, and the other heat medium outlet of the high-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 26 is connected to the heat medium inlet side of the radiator 24. The other heat medium outlet of the high-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 26 is connected to the inlet side of the high-temperature side heat medium passage of the heat medium-heat medium heat exchanger 31. The heat medium inlet of the high-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 26 is connected to the heat medium outlet side of the electric heater 25, as described above.

[0056] Therefore, in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20, with regard to the flow of the high-temperature side heat medium that has circulated through the heat medium-refrigerant heat exchanger 12 and the electric heater 25, the flow rate balance can be adjusted among the flow rate that passes through the heater core 23, the flow rate that passes through the radiator 24, and the flow rate that passes through the heat transfer section 30.

[0057] In addition, a reserve tank may be disposed in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20 at the position of the high-temperature side connection part 22 shown in Fig. 1. The reserve tank is a heat medium storage part that stores excess high-temperature side heat medium. Storing excess high-temperature side heat medium in the reserve tank can suppress a decrease in the liquid amount of the high-temperature side heat medium circulating through the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20. In addition, the reserve tank functions as a heat medium supply port for supplying the high-temperature side heat medium when the amount of high-temperature side heat medium in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20 is insufficient.

[0058] Next, a description will be given of the configuration of the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 in the thermal management system 1. The low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 is a heat medium circuit that circulates a low-temperature side heat medium. As the low-temperature side heat medium in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40, the same fluid as that in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20 can be used.

[0059] The low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 includes a heat medium passage of the chiller 16, a low-temperature side heat medium passage of the heat medium heat exchanger 31, a first low-temperature side pump 41, a low-temperature side flow control valve 42, a battery 43, on-board equipment 44, a second low-temperature side pump 45, an outside air heat exchanger 46, and the like.

[0060] 1 , the discharge port side of a first low-temperature side pump 41 is connected to the inlet of the low-temperature side heat medium passage of the heat medium-heat medium heat exchanger 31, which is the heat transfer section 30. The first low-temperature side pump 41 is a heat medium pump that pumps the low-temperature side heat medium of the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 to the inlet side of the low-temperature side heat medium passage of the heat medium-heat medium heat exchanger 31. The basic configuration of the first low-temperature side pump 41 is similar to that of the high-temperature side pump 21.

[0061] As described above, the heat transfer unit 30 is configured to transfer heat between the high-temperature heat medium flowing through the high-temperature heat medium passage and the low-temperature heat medium flowing through the low-temperature heat medium passage.

[0062] The outlet side of the low-temperature side heat medium passage of the heat medium heat exchanger 31 is connected to the inlet of the heat medium passage of the chiller 16. Therefore, the low-temperature side heat medium that has received heat from the high-temperature side heat medium in the heat transfer section 30 flows directly into the chiller 16. As described above, the refrigerant passage and the heat medium passage in the chiller 16 are configured to be heat exchangeable, so that the heat of the low-temperature side heat medium can be absorbed by the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant passage.

[0063] A low-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 42 is connected to the outlet side of the heat medium passage in the chiller 16. The low-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 42 is configured as an electric five-way flow rate adjustment valve having five inlet and outlet ports, and corresponds to an example of a low-temperature side flow rate adjustment unit. Of the five inlet and outlet ports, the low-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 42 uses two inlet and outlet ports as heat medium inlets and three inlet and outlet ports as heat medium outlets. One of the heat medium inlets of the low-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 42 is connected to the outlet side of the heat medium passage in the chiller 16.

[0064] One heat medium outlet of the low-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 42 is connected to the inlet side of the heat medium passage of the battery 43. The battery 43 supplies power to various electrical devices of the vehicle and is, for example, a rechargeable secondary battery (in this embodiment, a lithium-ion battery). The heat medium passage of the battery 43 is formed in the cover of the battery 43, and by passing the low-temperature side heat medium through it, the temperature of the battery 43 can be adjusted and maintained within a predetermined temperature range. Therefore, the battery 43 corresponds to a temperature adjustment unit that includes the secondary battery body as the object to be temperature adjusted. A low-temperature side connection part 48 is arranged on the outlet side of the heat medium passage of the battery 43.

[0065] The other heat medium inlet of the low-temperature side flow control valve 42 is connected to the outlet side of the heat medium passage of the on-board equipment 44. The on-board equipment 44 is mounted on the electric vehicle and is composed of devices that generate heat during operation. The on-board equipment includes, for example, a PCU, an inverter, a motor generator, a transaxle device, and a control device for an ADAS.

[0066] The PCU is a power control unit that transforms electricity and distributes it. The inverter is a power converter that converts direct current to alternating current. The motor generator receives power to output driving force for running and also generates regenerative power during deceleration.

[0067] The transaxle device is a device that integrates a transmission, a final gear, and a differential gear (diff gear). The ADAS control device is a control device for an advanced driver assistance system. The heat medium passage in the on-board equipment 44 is formed in a cover that houses each component device, and is configured so that the exhaust heat of each device can be recovered and cooled by circulating a low-temperature heat medium through the heat medium passage. Therefore, the on-board equipment 44 can also be considered an example of a temperature adjustment unit that includes the device body as the temperature adjustment target.

[0068] The discharge port side of the second low-temperature side pump 45 is connected to the inlet side of the heat medium passage of the on-board device 44. The second low-temperature side pump 45 is a heat medium pump that pumps the low-temperature side heat medium of the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 to the inlet side of the heat medium passage of the on-board device 44. The basic configuration of the second low-temperature side pump 45 is similar to that of the high-temperature side pump 21 and the first low-temperature side pump 41.

[0069] The other heat medium outlet of the low-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 42 is connected to the heat medium inlet side of an outside air heat exchanger 46. The outside air heat exchanger 46 is disposed outside the passenger compartment of the electric vehicle, and exchanges heat between the low-temperature side heat medium circulating through the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 and outside air OA outside the passenger compartment.

[0070] A low-temperature side bypass flow path 47 is connected to another heat medium outlet of the low-temperature side flow control valve 42. The low-temperature side bypass flow path 47 is connected so that the flow of the low-temperature side heat medium in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 bypasses the battery 43 and the on-board equipment 44.

[0071] 1 , one of the inlet / outlets of a low-temperature side connection part 48 formed in a five-way joint is connected to the heat medium outlet side of the outside-air heat exchanger 46. The suction port side of the second low-temperature side pump 45 is connected to the other inlet / outlet of the low-temperature side connection part 48. The end of the low-temperature side bypass flow path 47 is connected to another inlet / outlet of the low-temperature side connection part 48. The outlet side of the heat medium passage of the battery 43 is connected to the other inlet / outlet of the low-temperature side connection part 48. The suction port side of the first low-temperature side pump 41 is connected to the other inlet / outlet of the low-temperature side connection part 48.

[0072] Therefore, various circulation paths for the low-temperature side heat medium can be realized in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40. For example, by controlling the operation of the low-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 42, it is possible to configure a circulation path in which the flow of the low-temperature side heat medium that has passed through the heat medium heat exchanger 31 and the chiller 16, passing through the battery 43, and the flow that passes through the low-temperature side bypass flow path 47, are connected in parallel.

[0073] Furthermore, by controlling the operation of the low-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 42, the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 can independently configure a circulation path using the first low-temperature side pump 41 and a circulation path using the second low-temperature side pump 45. For example, it is possible to independently configure a path that circulates via the first low-temperature side pump 41, the heat medium heat exchanger 31, the chiller 16, and the battery 43, and a path that circulates via the second low-temperature side pump 45, the on-board equipment 44, and the outside air heat exchanger 46.

[0074] Next, the interior air conditioning unit 50 constituting the thermal management system 1 will be described with reference to Fig. 2. The interior air conditioning unit 50 is a unit in the thermal management system 1 for blowing out the blown air W, whose temperature has been adjusted by the refrigeration cycle 10, to an appropriate location within the vehicle cabin. The interior air conditioning unit 50 is disposed inside the instrument panel at the front of the vehicle cabin.

[0075] The interior air conditioning unit 50 houses a blower 52, the interior evaporator 15, the heater core 23, etc. in an air passage formed inside a casing 51 that forms the outer shell of the unit. The casing 51 forms an air passage for the ventilation air W that is blown into the vehicle cabin. The casing 51 is molded from a resin (specifically, polypropylene) that has a certain degree of elasticity and excellent strength.

[0076] 2, an inside / outside air switching device 53 is disposed on the most upstream side of the blown air flow of the casing 51. The inside / outside air switching device 53 switches between introducing inside air (air inside the vehicle cabin) and outside air (air outside the vehicle cabin) into the casing 51.

[0077] The inside / outside air switching device 53 continuously adjusts the opening areas of the inside air inlet, which introduces inside air, and the outside air inlet, which introduces outside air, into the casing 51, using an inside / outside air switching door, thereby changing the ratio of the amount of inside air introduced to the amount of outside air introduced. The inside / outside air switching door is driven by an electric actuator for the inside / outside air switching door. The operation of this electric actuator is controlled by a control signal output from the control device 60.

[0078] A blower 52 is disposed downstream of the inside / outside air switching device 53 in the flow of blown air. The blower 52 is an electric blower that drives a centrifugal multi-blade fan with an electric motor. The blower 52 blows air drawn in through the inside / outside air switching device 53 toward the vehicle interior. The rotation speed (i.e., blowing capacity) of the blower 52 is controlled by a control voltage output from the control device 60.

[0079] The interior evaporator 15 and the heater core 23 are arranged in this order with respect to the flow of the air blown by the blower 52. That is, the interior evaporator 15 is arranged upstream of the heater core 23 with respect to the flow of the air blown.

[0080] A cool air bypass passage 55 is formed within the casing 51. The cool air bypass passage 55 is an air passage that allows the blown air W that has passed through the interior evaporator 15 to bypass the heater core 23 and flow downstream.

[0081] An air mix door 54 is disposed downstream of the interior evaporator 15 in the flow of blown air and upstream of the heater core 23. The air mix door 54 adjusts the ratio of the amount of blown air W passing through the heater core 23 and the amount of blown air W passing through the cool air bypass passage 55 after passing through the interior evaporator 15.

[0082] The air mix door 54 is driven by an electric actuator for driving the air mix door, and the operation of this electric actuator is controlled by a control signal output from the control device 60.

[0083] A mixing space 56 is provided downstream of the heater core 23 in the flow of blown air. In the mixing space 56, the blown air W heated by the heater core 23 and the blown air W that has passed through the cool air bypass passage 55 and has not been heated by the heater core 23 are mixed.

[0084] Furthermore, openings for blowing out the blown air (conditioned air) mixed in the mixing space 56 into the vehicle compartment are arranged at the most downstream portion of the casing 51 in the blown air flow direction. These openings include a face opening, a foot opening, and a defroster opening (none of which are shown).

[0085] The face opening is an opening for blowing conditioned air toward the upper bodies of occupants in the vehicle cabin, the foot opening is an opening for blowing conditioned air toward the feet of occupants, and the defroster opening is an opening for blowing conditioned air toward the inside surface of the vehicle's front windshield.

[0086] These face opening holes, foot opening holes, and defroster opening holes are connected to face air outlets, foot air outlets, and defroster air outlets (none of which are shown) provided in the vehicle cabin via ducts that form air passages, respectively.

[0087] Therefore, the air mix door 54 adjusts the ratio of the air volume passing through the heater core 23 to the air volume passing through the cold air bypass passage 55, thereby adjusting the temperature of the conditioned air mixed in the mixing space 56. This also adjusts the temperature of the blown air (conditioned air) blown into the vehicle cabin from each air outlet.

[0088] A face door, a foot door, and a defroster door (none of which are shown) are disposed upstream of the face opening, foot opening, and defroster opening in the flow of blown air, respectively. The face door adjusts the opening area of ​​the face opening. The foot door adjusts the opening area of ​​the foot opening. The defroster door adjusts the opening area of ​​the defroster opening.

[0089] The face door, foot door, and defroster door constitute an air outlet mode switching device that switches the air outlet from which conditioned air is blown out. The face door, foot door, and defroster door are connected to an electric actuator for driving the air outlet mode door via a link mechanism or the like, and are rotated in conjunction with each other. The operation of this electric actuator is controlled by a control signal output from the control device 60.

[0090] Next, the control system of the thermal management system 1 according to the first embodiment will be described with reference to Fig. 3. The control device 60 is composed of a well-known microcomputer including a CPU, ROM, RAM, etc., and its peripheral circuits.

[0091] The control device 60 performs various calculations and processes based on the control programs stored in the ROM, and controls the operation of various control target devices connected to its output side. The control device 60 corresponds to an example of a control unit.

[0092] The controlled devices include the compressor 11, the first expansion valve 14a, the second expansion valve 14b, the high-temperature side pump 21, the electric heater 25, and the high-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 26. The controlled devices further include the first low-temperature side pump 41, the low-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 42, the second low-temperature side pump 45, the blower 52, and the like.

[0093] 3, a group of air conditioning control sensors is connected to the input side of the control device 60. The group of air conditioning control sensors includes an inside air temperature sensor 62a, an outside air temperature sensor 62b, a solar radiation sensor 62c, a high-pressure sensor 62d, a chiller-side pressure sensor 62e, an evaporator temperature sensor 62f, a junction temperature sensor 62g, an air conditioning air temperature sensor 62h, and a battery temperature sensor 62i. Detection signals from these air conditioning control sensors are input to the control device 60.

[0094] The inside air temperature sensor 62a is an inside air temperature detector that detects the temperature inside the vehicle cabin (inside air temperature) Tr. The outside air temperature sensor 62b is an outside air temperature detector that detects the temperature outside the vehicle cabin (outside air temperature) Tam. The solar radiation sensor 62c is an solar radiation amount detector that detects the amount of solar radiation As irradiating the vehicle cabin.

[0095] The high-pressure sensor 62d is a refrigerant temperature detection unit that detects the temperature of the high-pressure refrigerant in the refrigerant flow path from the discharge port side of the compressor 11 to the inlet side of the first expansion valve 14a or the second expansion valve 14b. The high-pressure sensor 62d is arranged on the outlet side of the refrigerant flow path of the heat medium refrigerant heat exchanger 12 and detects the temperature of the refrigerant flowing out of the refrigerant flow path of the heat medium refrigerant heat exchanger 12. The high-pressure sensor 62d corresponds to an example of a high-pressure side temperature detection unit. The chiller-side pressure sensor 62e is a refrigerant pressure detection unit that detects the refrigerant pressure on the outlet side of the refrigerant flow path of the chiller 16.

[0096] The evaporator temperature sensor 62f is an evaporator temperature detector that detects the refrigerant evaporation temperature (evaporator temperature) Tefin in the interior evaporator 15. The junction temperature sensor 62g is a refrigerant temperature detector that detects the refrigerant temperature at the refrigerant junction 13b of the refrigeration cycle 10. The air conditioning air temperature sensor 62h is an air conditioning air temperature detector that detects the temperature TAV of the air blown into the vehicle cabin.

[0097] The battery temperature sensor 62i is a battery temperature detection unit that detects the battery temperature TB (i.e., the temperature of the battery 43). The battery temperature sensor 62i has multiple temperature sensors and detects the temperatures of multiple locations on the battery 43. Therefore, the control device 60 can also detect the temperature difference between various locations on the battery 43. The average value of the detected values ​​of the multiple temperature sensors is used as the battery temperature TB.

[0098] A plurality of heat medium temperature sensors are connected to the input side of the control device 60 in order to detect the temperatures of the high-temperature side heat medium in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20 and the low-temperature side heat medium in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40. The plurality of heat medium temperature sensors include a first heat medium temperature sensor 63a to a sixth heat medium temperature sensor 63f.

[0099] The first heat medium temperature sensor 63a is a temperature detector that detects the temperature of the high-temperature side heat medium flowing through the heat medium passage of the heat medium-refrigerant heat exchanger 12, and is disposed, for example, at the outlet of the heat medium passage of the heat medium-refrigerant heat exchanger 12. The second heat medium temperature sensor 63b is a temperature detector that detects the temperature of the high-temperature side heat medium passing through the heater core 23, and is disposed, for example, at the outlet of the heater core 23. The third heat medium temperature sensor 63c is a temperature detector that detects the temperature of the high-temperature side heat medium flowing through the high-temperature side heat medium passage of the heat medium-heat medium heat exchanger 31, and is disposed, for example, at the outlet of the high-temperature side heat medium passage of the heat medium-heat medium heat exchanger 31.

[0100] The fourth heat medium temperature sensor 63d is a temperature detector that detects the temperature of the low-temperature side heat medium flowing through the heat medium passage of the chiller 16, and is disposed, for example, at the outlet of the heat medium passage of the chiller 16. The fifth heat medium temperature sensor 63e is a temperature detector that detects the temperature of the low-temperature side heat medium flowing through the heat medium passage of the on-board equipment 44, and is disposed, for example, at the outlet of the heat medium passage of the on-board equipment 44. The sixth heat medium temperature sensor 63f is a temperature detector that detects the temperature of the low-temperature side heat medium flowing through the low-temperature side heat medium passage of the heat medium heat exchanger 31, and is disposed, for example, at the outlet of the low-temperature side heat medium passage of the heat medium heat exchanger 31.

[0101] The thermal management system 1 refers to the detection results of the first to sixth heat medium temperature sensors 63a to 63f and switches the flow of the heat medium in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20 and the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40. In this way, the thermal management system 1 can manage heat in the vehicle using the high-temperature side heat medium and the low-temperature side heat medium, and can transfer heat via the heat transfer unit 30.

[0102] Furthermore, an operation panel 61, which is located near the instrument panel at the front of the vehicle interior, is connected to the input side of the control device 60. A plurality of operation switches are arranged on the operation panel 61. Therefore, operation signals from the plurality of operation switches are input to the control device 60. The various operation switches on the operation panel 61 include an auto switch, an air conditioning switch, an air volume setting switch, a temperature setting switch, etc.

[0103] The auto switch is operated to activate or deactivate the automatic control operation of the thermal management system 1. The cooling switch is operated to request cooling of the vehicle interior. The air volume setting switch is operated to manually set the air volume of the blower 52. And the temperature setting switch is operated to set the target temperature Tset for the vehicle interior.

[0104] In the control device 60, a control unit that controls various controlled devices connected to its output side is integrally configured, and the configuration (hardware and software) that controls the operation of each controlled device constitutes the control unit that controls the operation of each controlled device. For example, in the control device 60, the configuration that executes pre-control when starting operation of the refrigeration cycle 10 in a low-temperature environment (for example, an environment where the outside air temperature is −20° C. or lower) is the pre-control execution unit 60a. For the pre-control in step S20 described below, the pre-control execution unit 60a controls the operation of each component device based on the detection results from the various detection units.

[0105] Furthermore, in the control device 60, when operating in the heating mode, the component that executes heating priority control that prioritizes heating of the blown air in the heater core 23 is the heating priority control unit 60b. The heating priority control unit 60b controls the operation of the compressor 11, the electric heater 25, and the high-temperature side flow control valve 26, prioritizing improvement of the heating capacity of the blown air.

[0106] The temperature adjustment priority control unit 60c is a component of the control device 60 that executes temperature adjustment priority control that prioritizes temperature adjustment of the battery 43 and the on-board devices 44 when operating in the heating mode. The temperature adjustment priority control unit 60c controls the operation of the compressor 11, the electric heater 25, and the high-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 26, prioritizing improvement of the temperature adjustment performance of the battery 43, etc. over the heating capacity of the blown air.

[0107] Next, a description will be given of the operation of the thermal management system 1. As described above, the thermal management system 1 according to the first embodiment can switch between a plurality of operating modes as needed. The switching between these operating modes is performed by executing a control program stored in advance in the control device 60.

[0108] More specifically, the control program calculates a target blowout temperature TAO of the air to be blown into the vehicle cabin based on detection signals detected by the group of air conditioning control sensors and operation signals output from the operation panel 61. Then, based on the target blowout temperature TAO and the detection signals, the operation mode for the vehicle cabin air conditioning is switched.

[0109] Furthermore, based on detection signals from the heat medium temperature sensors and the battery temperature TB, an operation mode for adjusting the temperatures of the battery 43 and the in-vehicle devices 44 is determined. For example, whether or not to cool the battery 43 is determined based on whether or not the battery temperature TB exceeds a threshold value. If the battery temperature TB exceeds the threshold value, the operation mode is switched to one for cooling the battery 43.

[0110] Therefore, the multiple operating modes in the thermal management system 1 are configured by combining operating modes related to the air conditioning of the vehicle interior and operating modes related to the temperature adjustment of the component devices (such as the battery 43 and the on-board devices 44). The multiple operating modes include a heating mode, a cooling mode, a dehumidifying heating mode, a heating / cooling mode, a cooling / cooling mode, and a dehumidifying heating / cooling mode.

[0111] The heating mode is an operation mode in which the ventilation air to be blown into the vehicle cabin is heated by the heater core 23 and supplied to the vehicle cabin. The cooling mode is an operation mode in which the ventilation air is cooled by the interior evaporator 15 and supplied to the vehicle cabin. The dehumidifying heating mode is an operation mode in which the ventilation air dehumidified by the interior evaporator 15 is heated by the heater core 23 and supplied to the vehicle cabin.

[0112] Furthermore, the heating / cooling mode is an operation mode in which the battery 43 and the like are cooled (temperature adjusted) and the blown air is heated by the heater core 23 and supplied to the vehicle interior. The cooling / cooling mode is an operation mode in which the battery 43 and the like are cooled and the blown air is cooled by the interior evaporator 15 and supplied to the vehicle interior. The dehumidifying heating / cooling mode is an operation mode in which the battery 43 is cooled and the blown air dehumidified by the interior evaporator 15 is heated by the heater core 23 and supplied to the vehicle interior.

[0113] In a low-temperature environment where the outside air temperature is −20° C. or lower, it is assumed that the refrigerant temperature of the refrigeration cycle 10 of the thermal management system 1 will have dropped due to the influence of the outside air when the operation of the refrigeration cycle 10 is started. If the refrigerant temperature of the refrigeration cycle 10 has dropped, the density of the refrigerant circulating through the refrigeration cycle will inevitably drop. If the compressor 11 is started to start the operation of the refrigeration cycle 10 in a state where the refrigerant density has dropped, it is assumed that the compression work of the compressor 11 will decrease. If the refrigeration cycle 10 is operated in a state where the compression work of the compressor 11 has decreased, a situation will arise in which the refrigeration cycle 10 will not be able to perform at its normal capacity.

[0114] Furthermore, in consideration of the environmental condition of low outside air temperature, the operating modes executed by the thermal management system 1 in a low-temperature environment include a heating mode and a heating / cooling mode. A state in which the heating capacity of the heating mode is reduced occurs due to a performance degradation of the refrigeration cycle 10. In other words, when the heating mode starts, the heating capacity remains reduced until the refrigerant temperature of the refrigeration cycle 10 rises, resulting in a state in which the comfort of the occupants is impaired.

[0115] Taking these points into consideration, when starting operation of the refrigeration cycle 10 in a low-temperature environment, it is necessary to shorten as much as possible the period during which performance degradation of the refrigeration cycle 10 occurs due to low outside air temperature so that the desired state can be achieved.

[0116] In the thermal management system 1, when the refrigeration cycle 10 starts operating in a low-temperature environment, a pre-control is performed to shorten the period during which the performance of the refrigeration cycle 10 deteriorates due to a low outside temperature. Here, the content of the pre-control in the thermal management system 1 will be described in detail with reference to Figures 4 and 5.

[0117] The preliminary control in the thermal management system 1 is executed according to the control program shown in the flowchart of Fig. 4. As described above, the control program shown in Fig. 4 is read from the ROM or the like of the control device 60 and executed by the CPU of the control device 60. The execution of the control program shown in Fig. 4 is started when an instruction to start operation of the refrigeration cycle 10 is given in a low-temperature environment.

[0118] For example, the control device 60 starts executing the control program shown in Fig. 4 based on the detection result of the outside air temperature sensor 62b and the operation signal output from the operation panel 61. Specifically, the control program starts to be executed when the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor 62b is lower than a predetermined reference outside air temperature (e.g., -20°C) and an instruction to start operation of the refrigeration cycle 10 (e.g., start of heating mode) is issued. That is, the control program shown in Fig. 4 starts to be executed when an instruction to start operation of the refrigeration cycle 10 is issued in a low-temperature environment.

[0119] First, in step S10, the control device 60 determines whether the temperature of the low-temperature side heat medium circulating through the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 (hereinafter referred to as the low-temperature side heat medium temperature Twl) is higher than a predetermined reference low-temperature side heat medium temperature KTwl. If the low-temperature side heat medium temperature Twl is higher than the reference low-temperature side heat medium temperature KTwl, the control device 60 proceeds to step S30. On the other hand, if the low-temperature side heat medium temperature Twl is equal to or lower than the reference low-temperature side heat medium temperature KTwl, the control device 60 proceeds to step S20.

[0120] Here, the reference low-temperature side heat medium temperature KTwl is determined as a temperature at which the low-temperature side heat medium that exchanges heat with the refrigerant in the chiller 16 has a predetermined or greater heat quantity. That is, the reference low-temperature side heat medium temperature KTwl is determined so as to achieve a refrigerant density that can ensure a predetermined or greater amount of compression work, assuming heat exchange with the refrigerant in the chiller 16. In other words, in step S10, it is determined whether the heat quantity of the low-temperature side heat medium is sufficient to ensure the compression work.

[0121] In step S20, pre-control is executed as a preliminary step before the start of operation of the refrigeration cycle 10. In the pre-control, an operation is performed to increase the heat quantity of the low-temperature side heat medium using the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20 before the start of operation of the refrigeration cycle 10. After executing the pre-control for a predetermined period, the control device 60 returns the process to step S10.

[0122] The details of the pre-control executed in step S20 will now be described with reference to Fig. 5. When the pre-control is started, the control device 60 controls the operation of each component device that makes up the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20. Specifically, the control device 60 controls the high-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 26 so that the inlet / outlet on the heat medium heat exchanger 31 side communicates with the inlet / outlet on the electric heater 25 side, and closes the inlet / outlet on the heater core 23 side and the inlet / outlet on the radiator 24 side.

[0123] The control device 60 also controls the electric heater 25 to generate heat. The amount of heat generated by the electric heater 25 is determined based on, for example, the outside air temperature detected by the outside air temperature sensor 62b, the low-temperature-side heat medium temperature Twl detected by the fourth heat medium temperature sensor 63d, etc. The control device 60 then operates the high-temperature-side pump 21 to achieve a predetermined pumping capacity.

[0124] As a result, as shown in FIG. 5 , in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20 under the preliminary control, the high-temperature side heat medium circulates by flowing through the high-temperature side pump 21, the heat medium-refrigerant heat exchanger 12, the electric heater 25, the high-temperature side flow control valve 26, the heat medium-heat medium heat exchanger 31, and the high-temperature side connection part 22 in this order.

[0125] As described above, since the electric heater 25 generates heat, the high-temperature side heat medium heated by the electric heater 25 flows through the heat medium-heat medium heat exchanger 31 that constitutes the heat transfer section 30. In the heat medium-heat medium heat exchanger 31, heat exchange occurs between the high-temperature side heat medium flowing through the high-temperature side heat medium passage and the low-temperature side heat medium in the low-temperature side heat medium passage, and the heat possessed by the high-temperature side heat medium is transferred to the low-temperature side heat medium, heating the low-temperature side heat medium.

[0126] 5, the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 is provided with the heat medium passage of the chiller 16, so that the low-temperature side heat medium heated by the heat of the high-temperature side heat medium can exchange heat with the refrigerant in the refrigerant passage of the chiller 16. That is, in the advance control, the heat of the high-temperature side heat medium can be transferred to the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle 10 via the low-temperature side heat medium.

[0127] By performing the advance control, the temperature of the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle 10 can be increased by the heat of the high-temperature side heat medium via the low-temperature side heat medium, thereby suppressing a decrease in the refrigerant density. By suppressing a decrease in the refrigerant density, a decrease in the compression work load of the compressor 11 can be suppressed when the refrigeration cycle 10 starts operating, and the refrigeration cycle 10 can exhibit desired performance.

[0128] The low-temperature side heat medium is heated by the execution of the preliminary control in step S20, and when the low-temperature side heat medium temperature Twl becomes higher than the reference low-temperature side heat medium temperature KTwl, the process proceeds to step S30. In step S30, the operation of the refrigeration cycle 10 is started. Since it is considered that heating of the vehicle cabin is often required in a low-temperature environment, a case where the heating mode is executed will be described as an example.

[0129] In step S30, when starting the operation of the refrigeration cycle 10, the control device 60 starts controlling the operation of at least each component of the refrigeration cycle 10, in addition to the operations of the high-temperature side pump 21, the electric heater 25, and the high-temperature side flow control valve 26 that were controlled in the preliminary control. Specifically, as components related to the refrigeration cycle 10, the operation of at least one of the compressor 11, the first expansion valve 14a, and the second expansion valve 14b is controlled.

[0130] The refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11 is determined based on the operation mode determined by the control signal. The throttle openings of the first expansion valve 14 a and the second expansion valve 14 b are determined individually based on the operation mode determined by the control signal.

[0131] For example, the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11 in the heating mode is determined so that the detection result of the air conditioning air temperature sensor 62h approaches the target outlet temperature TAO in the manner determined in the heating mode. In the heating mode, the throttle opening of the first expansion valve 14a is determined to be fully closed, and the throttle opening of the second expansion valve 14b is adjusted to a predetermined throttle opening.

[0132] 6, in the refrigeration cycle 10 in the heating mode, the refrigerant circulates by flowing through the compressor 11, the heat medium refrigerant heat exchanger 12, the refrigerant branching section 13a, the second expansion valve 14b, the chiller 16, the refrigerant junction section 13b, and the compressor 11 in this order. In the refrigeration cycle 10 in the heating mode, the heat medium refrigerant heat exchanger 12 functions as a radiator, and the chiller 16 functions as an evaporator.

[0133] In addition, for the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20 in the heating mode, the operation of the high-temperature side pump 21, the electric heater 25, and the high-temperature side flow rate control valve 26 is controlled. The high-temperature side pump 21 and the electric heater 25 are controlled in the same way as in the pre-control, except that their pumping capacities and heat generation amounts are different. For the high-temperature side flow rate control valve 26 in the heating mode, the control device 60 interconnects the inlet / outlet on the heat medium heat exchanger 31 side, the inlet / outlet on the electric heater 25 side, and the inlet / outlet on the heater core 23 side, and closes the inlet / outlet on the radiator 24 side.

[0134] As shown in FIG. 6 , in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20 in the heating mode, the flow of the high-temperature side heat medium circulating through the heat medium-refrigerant heat exchanger 12 and the electric heater 25 is configured such that a path via the heater core 23 and a path via the heat medium-heat medium heat exchanger 31 are connected in parallel.

[0135] In the heating mode, the low-temperature side heat medium is circulated in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40. For this purpose, the control device 60 controls the operation of the first low-temperature side pump 41 so as to achieve the pumping capacity set for the heating mode. The control device 60 also controls the operation of the low-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 42 to communicate the inlet / outlet on the chiller 16 side with the inlet / outlet on the battery 43 side, and to fully close the inlet / outlet on the outside-air heat exchanger 46 side, the inlet / outlet on the in-vehicle equipment 44 side, and the inlet / outlet on the low-temperature side bypass flow path 47 side.

[0136] 6, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 in the heating mode, the low-temperature side heat medium circulates by flowing through the first low-temperature side pump 41, the heat medium / heat medium heat exchanger 31, the chiller 16, the low-temperature side flow control valve 42, the battery 43, and the first low-temperature side pump 41 in that order. Therefore, the operation mode shown in FIG. 6 can also be called a heating / cooling mode within the heating mode in which the battery 43 is cooled in parallel with the heating of the vehicle interior.

[0137] In this regard, by controlling the operation of the low-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 42, various modes can be adopted for the circulation path of the low-temperature side heat medium in the heating mode after it has flowed through the first low-temperature side pump 41, the heat medium heat exchanger 31, and the chiller 16. By adjusting the operation of the low-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 42 so that the low-temperature side heat medium flows through the radiator 24, it is possible, in a predetermined case, to absorb heat from the outside air into the low-temperature side heat medium. Furthermore, by controlling the operation of the low-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 42 and switching to flow through the low-temperature side bypass flow path 47, it is possible to realize a heating mode in which the components are not cooled.

[0138] 6 , the low-temperature side heat medium circulates through the heat medium heat exchanger 31, the battery 43, and the chiller 16. Therefore, the heat management system 1 in the heating mode can absorb heat from the low-temperature side heat medium, which has been heated by the exhaust heat of the battery 43 and the heat transferred in the heat medium heat exchanger 31, into the low-pressure refrigerant in the chiller 16.

[0139] In the heating mode 10, the chiller 16 functions as a heat absorber and the heat medium refrigerant heat exchanger 12 functions as a heat radiator, so the heat absorbed by the chiller 16 can be pumped up and used to heat the high-temperature side heat medium in the heat medium refrigerant heat exchanger 12.

[0140] 6, the heater core 23 and the heat medium-heat medium heat exchanger 31 are connected in parallel to the flow of the high-temperature side heat medium that has circulated through the heat medium-refrigerant heat exchanger 12 and the electric heater 25. Therefore, in the heat management system 1 in the heating mode, a portion of the high-temperature side heat medium heated by the heat medium-refrigerant heat exchanger 12 and the electric heater 25 can be distributed to the heater core 23, and the remainder can be distributed to the heat transfer section 30, thereby achieving a desired heating capacity.

[0141] In the thermal management system 1 according to the first embodiment, the operation mode of the components operating in the heating mode differs depending on the heating capacity required in the heating mode (i.e., the heat quantity of the high-temperature side heat medium in the heater core 23). Operation control of the components according to the magnitude of the required load required in the heating mode will be described with reference to FIG. 7 .

[0142] First, we will explain the medium load range defined by the heating capacity of the heater core 23 that is most frequently required throughout the year in the heating mode. The medium load range corresponds to the range of the required heat quantity of the high-temperature side heat medium in the heater core 23 from Ha to Hb, where Hb is a value greater than Ha.

[0143] In the heating mode in the medium load range, the control device 60 controls the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11 so that the compressor 11 operates at a predetermined rotation speed (rotation speed Na). That is, in the heating mode in the medium load range, the refrigerant discharge capacity determined by the rotation speed Na is maintained.

[0144] In addition, in the heating mode in the medium load range, the control device 60 controls the operation of the high-temperature side flow control valve 26 to maintain the flow balance between the flow rate to the heat medium heat exchanger 31 side and the flow rate to the heater core 23 side.

[0145] In the heating mode in the medium load range, the control device 60 performs feedback control on the heat generation amount of the electric heater 25 between the minimum heat generation amount and the heat generation amount Oa so that the temperature of the high-temperature side heat medium approaches a predetermined target value. The target value of the feedback control is determined according to the target blow-out temperature TAO determined in the heating mode. In the medium load range, the heat generation amount of the electric heater 25 is determined so that the larger the required heat amount is, the larger the value becomes between 0 and the heat generation amount Oa.

[0146] In this way, in the heating mode in the medium load range, the control device 60 creates the desired state by feedback controlling the output of the electric heater 25 while maintaining the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11 and the flow rate balance at the high-temperature side flow control valve 26.

[0147] Next, a description will be given of the control mode in the heating mode in the high load range, where the required heat quantity of the high-temperature side heat medium in the heater core 23 is higher than in the medium load range described above. In the high load range, the required heat quantity of the high-temperature side heat medium in the heater core 23 ranges from a predetermined value Hb to Hc. Note that Hc is a value greater than Hb and corresponds to the maximum value of the required heat quantity in the thermal management system 1.

[0148] The high load range is entered when a predetermined condition is satisfied while the heating mode is in the medium load range. Specifically, when the heating mode is in the medium load range, if the required heat amount cannot be met even when the electric heater 25 is operated at maximum output (i.e., heat generation amount Oa), the high load range is entered.

[0149] In the heating mode in the high load range, the control device 60 controls the heat generation amount of the electric heater 25 so as to maintain a predetermined heat generation amount. As described above, when the load range shifts from the medium load range to the high load range, the heat generation amount of the electric heater 25 reaches the maximum output. Therefore, in the high load range, the heat generation amount of the electric heater 25 is maintained at the heat generation amount Oa, and the maximum output is maintained.

[0150] In addition, in the heating mode in the high load range, the control device 60 controls the operation of the high-temperature side flow control valve 26 to maintain the flow balance between the flow rate to the heat medium heat exchanger 31 side and the flow rate to the heater core 23 side. When transitioning from the medium load range, the control device 60 controls the operation of the high-temperature side flow control valve 26 to achieve the same flow rate balance as in the medium load range.

[0151] In the heating mode in the high load range, the control device 60 performs feedback control on the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11 between the rotation speeds Na and Nb so that the temperature of the high-temperature side heat medium approaches a predetermined target value. The target value of the feedback control is determined according to the target outlet temperature TAO determined in the heating mode. In the high load range, the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11 is determined to be a larger value between the rotation speeds Na and Nb as the required heat quantity increases.

[0152] In this way, in the heating mode in the high load range, the control device 60 maintains the flow rate balance at the high temperature side flow control valve 26 and creates a desired state by feedback controlling the refrigerant discharge from the compressor 11 with the electric heater 25 at maximum output. In other words, in the high load range of the heating mode, the thermal management system 1 can respond to a required load that cannot be met by operation control in the medium load range by adjusting the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11.

[0153] Next, a description will be given of the control mode in the heating mode in a low load range where the required heat quantity of the high-temperature side heat medium in the heater core 23 is lower than that in the medium load range described above. The low load range corresponds to a range where the required heat quantity of the high-temperature side heat medium in the heater core 23 is lower than a predetermined value Ha.

[0154] The low load range is entered when a predetermined condition is satisfied while the heating mode is in the medium load range. Specifically, when the heating mode is in the medium load range, if the amount of heat generated is still excessive relative to the required amount of heat even when the electric heater 25 is operated at the minimum output (for example, OFF), the low load range is entered.

[0155] In the heating mode in the low load range, the control device 60 controls the heat generation amount of the electric heater 25 so as to maintain a predetermined heat generation amount. As described above, when the load range shifts from the medium load range to the low load range, the heat generation amount of the electric heater 25 is set to a minimum output. Therefore, the heat generation amount of the electric heater 25 in the low load range is maintained at a minimum output (e.g., a state in which the heat generation amount is zero).

[0156] In addition, in the heating mode in the low load range, the control device 60 controls the operation of the high-temperature side flow control valve 26 to maintain the flow balance between the flow rate to the heat medium heat exchanger 31 side and the flow rate to the heater core 23 side. When transitioning from the medium load range, the control device 60 controls the operation of the high-temperature side flow control valve 26 to achieve the same flow rate balance as in the medium load range.

[0157] In the heating mode in the low load range, the control device 60 performs feedback control on the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11 between 0 and the rotation speed Na so that the temperature of the high-temperature side heat medium approaches a predetermined target value. The target value of the feedback control is determined according to the target outlet temperature TAO determined in the heating mode. In the low load range, the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11 is determined to be a larger value between 0 and the rotation speed Na as the required heat quantity increases.

[0158] In this way, in the heating mode in the low load range, the control device 60 maintains the flow rate balance in the high temperature side flow control valve 26 and creates a desired state by feedback controlling the refrigerant discharge from the compressor 11 with the electric heater 25 at minimum output. In other words, in the low load range of the heating mode, the thermal management system 1 can respond to a required load that cannot be met by operation control in the medium load range by adjusting the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11.

[0159] In the heating mode of the thermal management system 1 controlled as described above, the flow rate balance in the high-temperature side flow control valve 26 can also be adjusted appropriately depending on the situation. In the heating mode of the thermal management system 1, the high-temperature side flow control valve 26 adjusts the flow rate balance between the flow rate of the high-temperature side heat medium to the heater core 23 side and the flow rate of the high-temperature side heat medium to the heat medium heat exchanger 31 side.

[0160] The flow rate balance in the high-temperature side flow control valve 26 is determined based on settings such as a heating priority setting and an equipment temperature increase setting, as shown in Fig. 8. The heating priority setting is a setting that prioritizes heating in the heater core 23 over heating in the heater core 23 and temperature increase of the in-vehicle equipment 44, etc. via the low-temperature side heat medium, which are performed in parallel in the heating mode. On the other hand, the equipment temperature increase priority setting is a setting that prioritizes temperature increase of the in-vehicle equipment 44, etc., which involves heating of the high-temperature side heat medium, over heating in the heater core 23 and temperature increase of the in-vehicle equipment 44, etc., in the heating mode.

[0161] In the heating priority setting in the heating mode, the control device 60 controls the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11 according to the magnitude of the required load, as shown in Fig. 7. Therefore, if the required load is in the high load adjustment region, the control device 60 performs feedback control on the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11 between the rotation speed Na and the rotation speed Nb so that the temperature of the high-temperature side heat medium approaches a predetermined target value.

[0162] If the required load is in the medium load range, the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11 is controlled to a predetermined rotation speed Na. If the required load is in the low load range, the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11 is feedback controlled between 0 and the rotation speed Na so that the temperature of the high-temperature side heat medium approaches a predetermined target value. In other words, the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11 is controlled to a variable value determined by a determination method that is determined for each of the high load range, low load range, and low load range.

[0163] Similarly, in the heating priority setting in the heating mode, the control device 60 also controls the heat generation amount of the electric heater 25 according to the magnitude of the required load. That is, if the required load is in the high load range, the heat generation amount of the electric heater 25 is controlled to maintain the heat generation amount Oa and continue maximum output. If the required load is in the medium load range, the heat generation amount of the electric heater 25 is determined to be a larger value between 0 and the heat generation amount Oa as the required heat generation amount increases. Furthermore, if the required heat generation amount is in the low load range, the heat generation amount of the electric heater 25 is controlled to be the minimum output (for example, a state in which the heat generation amount is 0). That is, the heat generation amount of the electric heater 25 is controlled to be a variable value determined by a determination method respectively determined for the high load range to the low load range.

[0164] Regarding the operation of the high-temperature side flow control valve 26 in the heating priority setting of the heating mode, the control device 60 controls the ratio of the opening of the inlet / outlet on the heater core 23 side to the opening of the inlet / outlet on the heat medium / heat medium heat exchanger 31 side to a predetermined fixed value. For example, the flow balance of the high-temperature side flow control valve 26 is controlled so that, of the high-temperature side heat medium that flows into the high-temperature side flow control valve 26, the flow rate of the high-temperature side heat medium to the heater core 23 side is 80% and the flow rate of the high-temperature side heat medium to the heat medium / heat medium heat exchanger 31 is 20%.

[0165] As a result, in the heating priority setting of the heating mode, with regard to the heat of the high-temperature side heat medium added by the heat medium-refrigerant heat exchanger 12 and the electric heater 25, the amount of heat used to heat the blown air in the heater core 23 can be made larger than the amount of heat transferred to the low-temperature side heat medium in the heat transfer unit 30. That is, in the heating priority setting of the heating mode, the thermal management system 1 can improve the heating capacity of the heater core 23 by prioritizing the temperature increase of the battery 43 and the on-board equipment 44 via the low-temperature side heat medium.

[0166] Regarding the operation of the high-temperature-side flow control valve 26 in the equipment temperature rise priority setting in the heating mode, the control device 60 controls the temperature of the low-temperature-side heat medium circulating through the low-temperature-side heat medium circuit 40 to a predetermined reference value. Note that, since the low-temperature-side heat medium in the low-temperature-side heat medium circuit 40 is normally subject to heat absorption by the chiller 16, the reference value normally indicates a value higher than the temperature of the low-temperature-side heat medium.

[0167] That is, the ratio of the opening of the inlet / outlet on the heater core 23 side of the high-temperature side flow control valve 26 to the opening of the inlet / outlet on the heat medium / heat medium heat exchanger 31 side is controlled to be a variable value that fluctuates so as to approach a predetermined reference value. Specifically, the balance between the opening of the inlet / outlet on the heater core 23 side and the opening of the inlet / outlet on the heat medium / heat medium heat exchanger 31 side is variably controlled so that the balance on the heat medium / heat medium heat exchanger 31 side increases as the difference between the low-temperature side heat medium temperature Twl and the reference value increases.

[0168] As a result, in the equipment temperature rise priority setting in the heating mode, the heat of the high-temperature side heat medium applied by the heat medium-refrigerant heat exchanger 12 and the electric heater 25 is given priority to raising the temperature of the on-board equipment 44, etc., and at the same time, the heating of the vehicle cabin can be realized in parallel. Furthermore, in the equipment temperature rise priority setting, the flow rate balance in the high-temperature side flow adjustment valve 26 is variably controlled, so that the heat of the high-temperature side heat medium can be used to raise the temperature of the on-board equipment 44, etc., for a required period, and can be used effectively.

[0169] As described above, according to the thermal management system 1 of the first embodiment, when the refrigeration cycle 10 starts operating in a low-temperature environment, the heat transfer unit 30 transfers heat from the high-temperature side heat medium to the low-temperature side heat medium, thereby heating the low-temperature side heat medium. The thermal management system 1 then uses the chiller 16 to cause the refrigerant to absorb the heat from the heated low-temperature side heat medium, thereby increasing the temperature of the refrigerant. The electric heater 25 is disposed in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20, so that heat can be added to the high-temperature side heat medium even in a low-temperature environment.

[0170] Therefore, the thermal management system 1 eliminates the decrease in refrigerant density in the refrigeration cycle 10 caused by a low-temperature environment. Therefore, even when the operation of the refrigeration cycle 10 is started in a low-temperature environment, the thermal management system 1 can ensure the compression work of the compressor 11, allowing the refrigeration cycle 10 to exhibit the desired performance.

[0171] In other words, according to the thermal management system 1, when the refrigeration cycle 10 starts operating in a low-temperature environment, the heat derived from the high-temperature heat medium can be used to suppress a decrease in the compression work caused by a decrease in the refrigerant density of the refrigeration cycle 10. As a result, the refrigeration cycle 10 can exhibit the desired performance.

[0172] As shown in FIG. 1 , a high-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 26 is arranged in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20 as a high-temperature side flow rate adjustment unit, and by controlling the operation of the high-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 26, the flow rate of the high-temperature side heat medium flowing through the heat medium heat medium heat exchanger 31, which is the heat transfer unit 30, can be adjusted.

[0173] When starting operation of the refrigeration cycle 10 in a low-temperature environment, the control device 60 controls the operation of the high-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 26 to circulate a portion of the high-temperature side heat medium heated by the electric heater 25 through the heat transfer section 30. As a result, when starting operation of the refrigeration cycle 10 in a low-temperature environment, the high-temperature side heat medium can be heated by the electric heater 25, and a portion of the heat possessed by the high-temperature side heat medium can be transferred to the low-temperature side heat medium via the heat transfer section 30 via the high-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 26.

[0174] 4 , when the low-temperature side heat medium temperature Twl becomes higher than the reference low-temperature side heat medium temperature KTwl, the pre-control (step S20) is terminated, and the compressor 11 is driven to start operation of the refrigeration cycle 10. The heat of the low-temperature side heat medium is transferred to the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle 10 by the chiller 16.

[0175] Therefore, by performing the preliminary control until the low-temperature side heat medium temperature Twl becomes higher than the reference low-temperature side heat medium temperature KTwl, it is possible to reliably eliminate the decrease in refrigerant density in the refrigeration cycle 10. As a result, the thermal management system 1 can reliably suppress the decrease in performance of the refrigeration cycle 10 caused by the decrease in refrigerant density when starting operation of the refrigeration cycle 10 in a low-temperature environment.

[0176] 1, the thermal management system 1 has a heater core 23 for heating the blown air, which is the object to be heated, in the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20. In a heating mode in which the blown air is heated by the heater core 23, the control device 60 controls the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11, the heat generation amount of the electric heater 25, and the operation of the high-temperature side flow control valve 26 in accordance with the required load, thereby controlling the heating capacity of the heater core 23.

[0177] 7, in the medium load range of the heating mode, the heating capacity of the heater core 23 is determined by feedback control of the heat generation amount of the electric heater 25 while setting the opening ratio of the high-temperature side flow control valve 26 and the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11 to predetermined states. The heat generation amount of the electric heater 25 in the medium load range is determined by feedback control between the minimum heat generation amount and the heat generation amount Oa so that the temperature of the high-temperature side heat medium approaches a predetermined target value.

[0178] According to the thermal management system 1, by controlling the heat generation amount of the electric heater 25 in the medium load range that is most frequently used in the heating mode, it is possible to more quickly achieve a state in which the required heat amount is satisfied.

[0179] In the high load range of the heating mode, the heating capacity of the heater core 23 is determined by feedback control of the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11 while setting the opening ratio of the high-temperature side flow control valve 26 and the heat generation amount of the electric heater 25 to predetermined states. The refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11 in the high load range is determined by feedback control between the rotation speed Na and the rotation speed Nb so that the temperature of the high-temperature side heat medium approaches a predetermined target value.

[0180] According to the thermal management system 1, in the high load range where the required load is higher than in the medium load range, the required heat quantity is met by the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor 11 while fully utilizing the heating capacity of the electric heater 25. This allows the thermal management system 1 to use the compressor 11, the high temperature side flow control valve 26, and the electric heater 25 in an appropriate balance, and to efficiently achieve the required heat quantity in the high load range.

[0181] 1 , in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the thermal management system 1, the heat medium heat exchanger 31 constituting the heat transfer section 30 is disposed on the inlet side of the heat medium passage in the chiller 16. That is, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40, the heat transfer section 30 is disposed upstream of the chiller 16 with respect to the flow of the low-temperature side heat medium.

[0182] For this reason, when the refrigeration cycle 10 starts operating in a low-temperature environment, if heat is transferred from the high-temperature side heat medium to the low-temperature side heat medium in the heat transfer section 30, the low-temperature side heat medium immediately flows into the chiller 16 and can be absorbed by the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle 10. In other words, by appropriately arranging the heat transfer section 30 and the chiller 16 in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40, it is possible to transfer heat originating from the high-temperature side heat medium to the refrigerant while suppressing heat radiation to the outside, thereby eliminating a decrease in refrigerant density.

[0183] A battery 43 is also disposed in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the thermal management system 1. The battery 43 is an object to be temperature-adjusted, and is configured to be able to exchange heat with the low-temperature side heat medium through a heat medium passage formed in its cover, and therefore corresponds to an example of a temperature adjustment unit. In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40, a low-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 42 constituting a branching unit and a low-temperature side flow rate adjustment unit is disposed downstream of the heat medium-heat medium heat exchanger 31 with respect to the flow of the low-temperature side heat medium. In other words, the low-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 42 is disposed on the outlet side of the low-temperature side heat medium passage in the heat medium-heat medium heat exchanger 31.

[0184] Therefore, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40, a configuration can be adopted in which the circulation path of the low-temperature side heat medium bypasses the battery 43, which is a temperature adjustment unit, and bypasses the battery 43. By adopting such a configuration, the thermal management system 1 can suppress heat loss in the battery 43 in the heating mode and ensure the amount of heat exchanged with the refrigerant in the chiller 16, which is a heat absorber.

[0185] Second Embodiment Next, a second embodiment, which differs from the above-described embodiment, will be described with reference to Fig. 9. In the second embodiment, the configuration of the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 is different from that of the thermal management system 1 according to the above-described embodiment. That is, in the thermal management system 1 according to the second embodiment, the refrigeration cycle 10, the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20, the heat transfer section 30, the indoor air conditioning unit 50, and the control device 60 are the same as those in the above-described embodiment. Therefore, a repeated description of these points will be omitted.

[0186] The low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 in the second embodiment differs from the above-described embodiment specifically in the arrangement of the chiller 16, the heat medium heat exchanger 31, the battery 43, etc. In this regard, in the following description, the components constituting the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 in the above-described embodiment (i.e., the low-temperature side flow control valve 42, the on-board equipment 44, the second low-temperature side pump 45, the outside air heat exchanger 46, and the low-temperature side bypass flow path 47) are omitted.

[0187] 9 , in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the thermal management system 1 according to the second embodiment, the inlet side of the low-temperature side heat medium passage in the heat medium-heat medium heat exchanger 31, which is the heat transfer unit 30, is connected to the discharge port side of the first low-temperature side pump 41. The configuration of the heat medium-heat medium heat exchanger 31 is the same as in the above-described embodiment.

[0188] A switching valve 49 is connected to the outlet side of the low-temperature side heat medium passage in the heat medium heat exchanger 31. The switching valve 49 in the second embodiment is configured as an electric three-way flow control valve having three inlet and outlet ports. Of the three inlet and outlet ports, the switching valve 49 uses two inlet and outlet ports as heat medium outlets and one inlet and outlet port as a heat medium inlet.

[0189] As described above, the heat medium inlet of the switching valve 49 is connected to the discharge port of the first low-temperature side pump 41. One of the heat medium outlets of the switching valve 49 is connected to the inlet side of the heat medium passage of the chiller 16, which is a heat absorber. The configuration of the chiller 16 is the same as in the above-described embodiment. A low-temperature side junction 49a is arranged on the outlet side of the heat medium passage of the chiller 16.

[0190] The other heat medium outlet of the switching valve 49 is connected to the heat medium inlet side of the heat medium passage of the battery 43, which corresponds to the temperature adjustment unit. The configuration of the battery 43 is the same as in the above-described embodiment. A low-temperature side junction 49a is connected to the heat medium outlet side of the heat medium passage of the battery 43. The low-temperature side junction 49a is formed to have a three-way joint structure having three heat medium inlet and outlets that communicate with each other. In the low-temperature side junction 49a, two of the three inlet and outlets are heat medium inlet and outlets, and the remaining one is a heat medium outlet. The heat medium outlet of the low-temperature side junction 49a is connected to the suction port side of the first low-temperature side pump 41.

[0191] 9 , in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the thermal management system 1 according to the second embodiment, a switching valve 49 constituting a branching section and a low-temperature side flow rate adjusting section is disposed on the outlet side of the low-temperature side heat medium passage in the heat medium / heat medium heat exchanger 31. A battery 43 corresponding to the temperature adjusting section is disposed on one outlet side of the switching valve 49, and a bypass passage for bypassing the battery 43 is connected to the other outlet side of the switching valve 49.

[0192] Therefore, according to the thermal management system 1 of the second embodiment, a configuration can be adopted in which the circulation path of the low-temperature side heat medium in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 bypasses the battery 43, which is a temperature adjustment unit, without passing through the battery 43. By adopting such a configuration, the thermal management system 1 can suppress heat loss in the battery 43 in the heating mode and ensure the amount of heat exchanged with the refrigerant in the chiller 16, which is a heat absorber.

[0193] In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 according to the second embodiment, a path in which the chiller 16 is disposed and a path in which the battery 43 is disposed are connected between the switching valve 49 and the low-temperature side junction 49a. That is, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 according to the second embodiment, the chiller 16 and the battery 43 are connected in parallel.

[0194] Therefore, according to the thermal management system 1 of the second embodiment, the heat transfer unit 30 can use heat derived from the high-temperature heat medium to selectively heat the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle 10 and the battery 43, which is an example of an in-vehicle device, as the heating target. This allows the thermal management system 1 to efficiently heat the heating target according to the situation. Furthermore, according to the thermal management system 1, the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle 10 and the battery 43 can be heated in parallel, and by adjusting the flow rate balance, the heat derived from the high-temperature heat medium can be efficiently used.

[0195] As described above, according to the thermal management system 1 of the second embodiment, even if the arrangement of the chiller 16, the heat transfer section 30, the battery 43, etc. in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 is changed, the same effects as those of the above-mentioned embodiment can be obtained from the same configuration and operation.

[0196] In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the thermal management system 1 according to the second embodiment, a switching valve 49 constituting a branching section and a low-temperature side flow rate adjusting section is disposed on the outlet side of the low-temperature side heat medium passage in the heat medium / heat medium heat exchanger 31. A battery 43 corresponding to the temperature adjusting section is disposed on one outlet side of the switching valve 49, and a bypass passage for bypassing the battery 43 is connected to the other outlet side of the switching valve 49.

[0197] Therefore, according to the thermal management system 1 of the second embodiment, a configuration can be adopted in which the circulation path of the low-temperature side heat medium in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 bypasses the battery 43, which is a temperature adjustment unit, without passing through the battery 43. By adopting such a configuration, the thermal management system 1 can suppress heat loss in the battery 43 in the heating mode and ensure the amount of heat exchanged with the refrigerant in the chiller 16, which is a heat absorber.

[0198] Furthermore, in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 according to the second embodiment, the chiller 16 and the battery 43 are connected in parallel. Therefore, according to the thermal management system 1 according to the second embodiment, the heat transfer unit 30 can use heat derived from the high-temperature side heat medium to selectively heat the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle 10 and the battery 43 as an example of an on-board device, which are objects to be heated.

[0199] This allows the thermal management system 1 to efficiently heat the heating target according to the situation. Furthermore, the thermal management system 1 can simultaneously heat the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle 10 and the battery 43, and by adjusting the flow rate balance, the heat derived from the high-temperature side heat medium can be efficiently used.

[0200] Third Embodiment Next, a third embodiment, which differs from the above-described embodiments, will be described with reference to Fig. 10 . In the third embodiment, the configuration of the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 is different from that of the thermal management systems 1 according to the first and second embodiments. That is, in the thermal management system 1 according to the third embodiment, the refrigeration cycle 10, the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20, the heat transfer section 30, the indoor air conditioning unit 50, and the control device 60 are the same as those in the above-described embodiments. Therefore, a repeated description of these points will be omitted.

[0201] In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the third embodiment, the arrangement of the chiller 16, the heat medium heat exchanger 31, the battery 43, etc. is specifically different from that of the first and second embodiments. In this regard, in the following description, the configuration of the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the above-mentioned embodiments will not be described.

[0202] 10 , in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the thermal management system 1 according to the third embodiment, the inlet side of the low-temperature side heat medium passage in the heat medium heat exchanger 31 is connected to the discharge port side of the first low-temperature side pump 41. The configuration of the heat medium heat exchanger 31 is the same as in the above-described embodiment.

[0203] A switching valve 49 is connected to the outlet side of the low-temperature side heat medium passage in the heat medium heat exchanger 31. The switching valve 49 in the third embodiment is configured as an electric three-way flow control valve having three inlet and outlet ports, similar to the above-described embodiments.

[0204] As described above, the heat medium inlet of the switching valve 49 is connected to the discharge port of the first low-temperature side pump 41. As shown in Fig. 10, a bypass passage for bypassing the battery 43 is connected to one heat medium outlet of the switching valve 49, and the heat medium inlet side of the heat medium passage of the battery 43 is connected to the other heat medium outlet of the switching valve 49. The configuration of the battery 43 is the same as in the above-described embodiment.

[0205] A low-temperature side junction 49a is connected to the heat medium outlet side of the heat medium passage of the battery 43. The low-temperature side junction 49a is formed to have a three-way joint structure having three heat medium inlet and outlets that communicate with each other. As shown in Fig. 10 , one heat medium inlet of the low-temperature side junction 49a is connected to the heat medium passage of the battery 43, and the other heat medium inlet of the low-temperature side junction 49a is connected to a bypass passage.

[0206] In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 according to the third embodiment, the heat medium outlet at the low-temperature side junction 49a is connected to the inlet side of the heat medium passage of the chiller 16, which is a heat absorber. The chiller 16 has the same configuration as in the above-described embodiments. The suction port side of the first low-temperature side pump 41 is connected to the outlet side of the heat medium passage of the chiller 16.

[0207] 10 , in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the thermal management system 1 according to the third embodiment, a switching valve 49 constituting a branching section and a low-temperature side flow rate adjusting section is disposed at the outlet side of the low-temperature side heat medium passage in the heat medium / heat medium heat exchanger 31. A battery 43 corresponding to the temperature adjusting section is disposed at one outlet side of the switching valve 49, and a bypass passage for bypassing the battery 43 is connected to the other outlet side of the switching valve 49.

[0208] Therefore, according to the thermal management system 1 of the third embodiment, a configuration can be adopted in which the circulation path of the low-temperature side heat medium in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 bypasses the battery 43, which is a temperature adjustment unit, without passing through the battery 43. By adopting such a configuration, the thermal management system 1 can suppress heat loss in the battery 43 in the heating mode and ensure the amount of heat exchanged with the refrigerant in the chiller 16, which is a heat absorber.

[0209] 10 , in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 according to the third embodiment, the heat medium outlet of the low-temperature side junction 49 a is connected to the inlet side of the heat medium passage in the chiller 16. This allows the low-temperature side heat medium heated in the heat transfer section 30 to take either a route that passes through the battery 43 to reach the chiller 16 or a route that bypasses the battery 43 to reach the chiller 16.

[0210] Therefore, the thermal management system 1 according to the third embodiment can employ a configuration in which the heat of the low-temperature side heat medium is supplied to the refrigerant in a manner that reduces heat loss by bypassing the battery 43. Furthermore, the thermal management system 1 can also supply the heat of the low-temperature side heat medium to the refrigerant in a manner in which the exhaust heat of the battery 43 is further added.

[0211] As described above, according to the thermal management system 1 of the third embodiment, even if the arrangement of the chiller 16, heat transfer section 30, battery 43, and low-temperature side confluence section 49a is changed, the effects achieved from the configuration and operation common to the above-mentioned embodiments can be obtained.

[0212] In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 of the thermal management system 1 according to the third embodiment, a switching valve 49 constituting a branching section and a low-temperature side flow rate adjusting section is disposed at the outlet side of the low-temperature side heat medium passage in the heat medium / heat medium heat exchanger 31. A battery 43 corresponding to the temperature adjusting section is disposed at one outlet side of the switching valve 49, and a bypass passage for bypassing the battery 43 is connected to the other outlet side of the switching valve 49.

[0213] Therefore, according to the thermal management system 1 of the third embodiment, a configuration can be adopted in which the circulation path of the low-temperature side heat medium in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 bypasses the battery 43, which is a temperature adjustment unit, without passing through the battery 43. By adopting such a configuration, the thermal management system 1 can suppress heat loss in the battery 43 in the heating mode and ensure the amount of heat exchanged with the refrigerant in the chiller 16, which is a heat absorber.

[0214] In the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 according to the third embodiment, the heat medium outlet of the low-temperature side junction 49a is connected to the inlet side of the heat medium passage of the chiller 16. In other words, the chiller 16 is disposed downstream of the low-temperature side junction 49a. This allows the low-temperature side heat medium heated in the heat transfer section 30 to take either a route that passes through the battery 43 to reach the chiller 16 or a route that bypasses the battery 43 to reach the chiller 16.

[0215] Therefore, the thermal management system 1 according to the third embodiment can employ a configuration in which the heat of the low-temperature side heat medium is supplied to the refrigerant in a manner that reduces heat loss by bypassing the battery 43. Furthermore, the thermal management system 1 can also supply the heat of the low-temperature side heat medium to the refrigerant in a manner in which the exhaust heat of the battery 43 is further added.

[0216] The present disclosure is not limited to the above-described embodiments, and various modifications can be made as follows within the scope of the present disclosure.

[0217] In the above-described embodiment, the refrigeration cycle 10 is configured as a circuit in which the indoor evaporator 15 and the chiller 16 are connected in parallel, but the present invention is not limited to this. The refrigeration cycle of the thermal management system according to the present disclosure may include other configurations as long as it has a radiator that exchanges heat with the high-temperature side heat medium and a heat absorber that absorbs heat from the low-temperature side heat medium.

[0218] The configuration of the high-temperature side heat medium circuit in the present disclosure is not limited to the aspects described in the above-described embodiment. For example, the high-temperature side heat medium circuit 20 may include the heat medium-refrigerant heat exchanger 12, the heater core 23, the electric heater 25, the high-temperature side flow control valve 26, and the heat transfer unit 30, and other components may be added.

[0219] The configuration of the low-temperature side heat medium circuit in the present disclosure is not limited to the aspects described in the above-described embodiment. For example, the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 may include the chiller 16, the heat transfer section 30, the low-temperature side flow rate adjustment valve 42, the battery 43, or components equivalent thereto, and other components may also be added.

[0220] In the advance control of the thermal management system according to the present disclosure, it is only necessary that the high-temperature side heat medium circulates via the electric heater 25 and the heat transfer unit 30, and there are no limitations on the flow of the low-temperature side heat medium in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40. That is, the circulation of the low-temperature side heat medium in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 may be stopped, or the low-temperature side heat medium may circulate via the heat transfer unit 30 and the chiller 16.

[0221] When the low-temperature side heat medium is circulated in the preliminary control, the circulation path may be configured to recover the exhaust heat of other components (e.g., the battery 43, the on-board equipment 44, etc.) arranged in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit 40 and to recover the heat contained in the high-temperature side heat medium in the heat transfer section 30.

[0222] In the above-described embodiment, the heating mode is given as an example of an operation mode in which the refrigeration cycle 10 is operated in a low-temperature environment, and the pre-control related to the heating mode is described, but the present disclosure is not limited to this mode. That is, the pre-control according to the present disclosure is a control mode executed when the refrigeration cycle 10 starts operating in a low-temperature environment, and therefore does not limit the operation mode of the refrigeration cycle 10. The pre-control can be applied to pre-control of various operation modes when the refrigeration cycle starts operating in a low-temperature environment.

[0223] Although the present disclosure has been described with reference to the embodiments, it is understood that the present disclosure is not limited to the embodiments or structures. The present disclosure also encompasses various modifications and equivalent modifications. In addition, various combinations and forms, including only one element, more than one element, or less than one element, are also within the scope and spirit of the present disclosure.

Claims

1. A refrigeration cycle (10) having a compressor (11), a radiator (12) that radiates heat from a refrigerant discharged from the compressor to a high-temperature side heat medium, a pressure reduction section (14b) that reduces the pressure of the refrigerant flowing out of the radiator, and a heat absorber (16) that causes the refrigerant depressurized by the pressure reduction section to absorb heat from a low-temperature side heat medium; a heating device (25) that heats the high-temperature side heat medium, a high-temperature side heat medium circuit (20) that connects the high-temperature side heat medium via the radiator so as to be circulated; a low-temperature side heat medium circuit (40) that connects the low-temperature side heat medium via the heat absorber so as to be circulated; heat transfer sections (30, 31) that transfer heat between the high-temperature side heat medium and the low-temperature side heat medium; and a control section (60), When starting operation of the refrigeration cycle in a low-temperature environment where the outside air temperature is lower than a predetermined standard, the heat transfer unit transfers heat possessed by the high-temperature side heat medium to the low-temperature side heat medium to heat the low-temperature side heat medium, and the heat absorber absorbs the heat of the heated low-temperature side heat medium into the refrigerant.

2. The thermal management system described in claim 1, wherein the high-temperature side heat medium circuit has a high-temperature side flow rate adjustment section (26) that adjusts the flow rate of the high-temperature side heat medium circulating through the heat transfer section, of the high-temperature side heat medium circulating through the high-temperature side heat medium circuit, and the control section, in a low-temperature environment, circulates at least a portion of the high-temperature side heat medium heated by the heating device through the heat transfer section to transfer the heat of the high-temperature side heat medium to the low-temperature side heat medium, and when the heat of the low-temperature side heat medium becomes higher than a predetermined reference low-temperature side heat medium temperature, starts driving the compressor to start operation of the refrigeration cycle.

3. The high-temperature side heat medium circuit has a heating heat exchanger (23) that heats the object to be heated using the heat possessed by the high-temperature side heat medium, and the heat management system described in claim 2, wherein the control unit determines the heating capacity of the object to be heated by the heating heat exchanger in the low-temperature environment by feedback controlling the heating capacity of the heating device while setting the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor to a predetermined standard and setting the flow rate of the high-temperature side heat medium circulating through the heat transfer unit to a predetermined standard flow rate in the high-temperature side flow rate adjustment unit.

4. The high-temperature side heat medium circuit has a heating heat exchanger (23) that heats the object to be heated using the heat possessed by the high-temperature side heat medium, and the heat capacity of the object to be heated by the heating heat exchanger is determined by the control unit by feedback controlling the refrigerant discharge capacity of the compressor while the heating capacity of the heating device is set to a predetermined standard and the high-temperature side flow rate adjustment unit sets the flow rate of the high-temperature side heat medium circulating through the heat transfer unit to a predetermined standard flow rate.

5. A thermal management system according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit, the heat transfer section is arranged on the side of the inlet of the low-temperature side heat medium in the heat absorber.

6. A thermal management system as described in claim 5, wherein the low-temperature side heat medium circuit has a temperature adjustment section (43) that exchanges heat between the object to be temperature adjusted and the low-temperature side heat medium, and has a branch section on the side of the outlet of the low-temperature side heat medium in the heat transfer section that branches into a flow path that passes through the temperature adjustment section and a flow path that bypasses the temperature adjustment section, and the branch section has a low-temperature side flow rate adjustment section (42) disposed in the branch section that adjusts the flow rate of the low-temperature side heat medium flowing through the temperature adjustment section and the flow rate of the low-temperature side heat medium that bypasses the temperature adjustment section.

7. The thermal management system according to claim 6, wherein the heat absorber is disposed in a flow path that bypasses the temperature adjustment unit in the low-temperature side heat medium circuit.

8. A thermal management system as described in claim 6, wherein the low-temperature side heat medium circuit has a junction (49a) where a flow path that passes through the temperature adjustment unit and a flow path that bypasses the temperature adjustment unit join together, and the heat absorber is arranged downstream of the junction with respect to the flow of the low-temperature side heat medium.

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