COOLING STRUCTURE FOR VEHICLE POWER SOURCE UNIT

• US 20110222240A1
• Filed: 10/23/2009
• Published: 09/15/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 11/17/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Sakurai, Takeshi, Kawata, Masao, Takedomi, Harumi
• Application Number:
  US13/129,553
• Publication Number:
  US 20110222240A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 361/690
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/10 DC to DC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/00 Electric devices on electrically-propelled vehicles for safety purposes; Monitoring operating variables, e.g. speed, deceleration or energy consumption methods or circuit arrangements for monitoring or controlling batteries or fuel cells B60L58/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/26 by cooling
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/613 Cooling or keeping cold
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6551 Surfaces specially adapted for heat dissipation or radiation, e.g. fins or coatings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6563 with forced flow, e.g. by blowers
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6566 Means within the gas flow to guide the flow around one or more cells, e.g. manifolds, baffles or other barriers H01M10/6565 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/667 the system being an electronic component, e.g. a CPU, an inverter or a capacitor
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/204 Racks, modules or packs for multiple batteries or multiple cells
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/264 for cells or batteries, e.g. straps, tie rods or peripheral frames
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/10 Energy storage using batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 Electric energy management in electromobility

Abstract

An electrical component disposed on the top of battery modules includes an electrical component case for accommodating an inverter and a DC/DC converter, and heat sink units attached to the electrical component case on the side of the electrical component case opposite to the side with the battery modules, and constituted of a heat radiating plate having a plurality of radiating fins. In addition, a cooling path has a first cooling path for cooling the battery modules using cooling wind, and a second cooling path for cooling the heat sink units using the cooling wind having passed through the first cooling path. With this arrangement, there is provided a cooling structure for a vehicle power source unit capable of cooling the battery and the electrical component including the inverter with a compact configuration.

Claims

1. A cooling structure for a vehicle power source unit comprising:

a power source unit constituted of a power storage device and an electrical component disposed on a top of the power storage device and including at least an inverter, the power source unit being disposed under a floor of a luggage room provided in a vehicle; and

a cooling path formed in the power source unit to cool the power storage device and the electrical component using cooling wind, wherein

the electrical component includes an electrical component case for accommodating the inverter, and a heat sink unit includes a heat radiating plate having a plurality of heat radiating fins,

the heat sink unit is attached to the electrical component case on a side of the electrical component case opposite to a side with the power storage device, and

the cooling path includes a first cooling path for cooling the power storage device using the cooling wind, and a second cooling path for cooling the heat sink unit using the cooling wind passed through the first cooling path.

2. The cooling structure for the vehicle power source unit according to claim 1, wherein

a sub frame is attached to a pair of side frames disposed on both sides in a vehicle width direction such that the sub frame is generally orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of each of the side frames,

the power source unit is attached to the sub frame, and

the sub frame includes a portion passing below the heat sink unit.

3. The cooling structure for the vehicle power source unit according to claim 2, wherein

the cooling path is so configured as to pass through the heat sink unit via an intermediate duct in a generally U shape after passing through the power storage device,

the sub frame includes a plurality of sub frames, and

at least one of the plurality of sub frames is disposed in a space defined between the intermediate duct, the power storage device, and the electrical component.

4. The cooling structure for the vehicle power source unit according to claim 1, wherein

a sub frame is attached to a pair of side frames disposed on both sides in a vehicle width direction such that the sub frame is substantially orthogonal to a longitudinal direction of each of the side frames,

the power source unit is attached to the sub frame, and

the sub frame is disposed in the cooling path, and includes a through hole for causing the cooling wind to pass through the through hole.

5. The cooling structure for the vehicle power source unit according to claim 1, wherein

a cover for the power source unit forming a wall surface of the second cooling path is provided above the electrical component, and

the heat sink unit includes a fixing portion for fixing the cover.

6. The cooling structure for the vehicle power source unit according to claim 1, wherein

a cover for the power source unit forming a wall surface of the second cooling path is provided above the electrical component, and

the cover includes an inclined portion inclined upwardly toward a downstream side of the second cooling path.

7. The cooling structure for the vehicle power source unit according to claim 1, wherein

a swelled portion is provided on a downstream side of the first cooling path such that a flow path cross-sectional area is reduced, and

the swelled portion is formed on a surface on a power storage device side of the electrical component case.