Vehicle air conditioner with heating capacity control of cooling water circuit

• US 6,454,180 B2
• Filed: 03/01/2001
• Issued: 09/24/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 03/02/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Tanaka, Masaya, Matsunaga, Ken, Ieda, Hisashi
• Primary Examiner(s): Joyce, Harold
• Assistant Examiner(s): Boles, Derek S.
• Application Number:
  US09/797,257
• Publication Number:
  US 20010018832A1
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 237/12.3 B, 237/12.3 R, 237/2.A, 237/8.A, 165/41, 165/42
• US Class Current: 237/12.30B
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00485 Valves for air-conditioning devices, e.g. thermostatic valves valves per se F16K; thermostatic valves per se G05D23/02
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00792 Arrangement of detectors B60H1/00742, B60H1/0075, B60H1/00785 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00885 Controlling the flow of heating or cooling liquid, e.g. valves or pumps B60H1/00899 takes precedence; constructions of valves B60H1/00485
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/034 from the cooling liquid of the propulsion plant and from an electric heating device
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/2215 the heat being derived from electric heaters
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00128 Electric heaters

Abstract

In a vehicle air conditioner where air blown into a passenger compartment is heated in a heater core using cooling water for cooling a fuel cell system as a heating source, a flow amount of cooling water flowing into the heat core is controlled by a control valve based on a surplus heat quantity of the fuel cell system and a necessary heat quantity of the passenger compartment. Further, when the surplus heat quantity of the fuel cell system is smaller than the necessary heat quantity, an insufficient heat quantity is supplemented by a supplementary heater.

Claims

1. An air conditioner for a vehicle having a passenger compartment and an equipment that needs a temperature control, the air conditioner comprising:

a cooling water circuit in which cooling water for cooling the equipment circulates;

a heating heat exchanger, disposed in the cooling water circuit, for heating air to be blown into the passenger compartment using cooling water as a heating source;

a supplementary heater for heating air, which supplements a heat quantity relative to the heating heat exchanger;

heat quantity calculating means for calculating a necessary heat quantity necessary for a heating of air blown into the passenger compartment, based on a target air temperature;

a flow control unit which controls a flow of cooling water in the cooling water circuit in such a manner that;

cooling water from the equipment flows into the heating heat exchanger after temperature of the equipment increases to a predetermined temperature, and the flow of cooling water from the equipment to the heating heat exchanger is interrupted until the temperature of the equipment increases to the predetermined temperature; and

heater control means for controlling a heat quantity generated by the supplementary heater when a heat quantity for heating air in the heating heat exchanger is smaller than the necessary heat quantity calculated by the heat quantity calculating means after the temperature of the equipment increases to the predetermined temperature;

wherein the equipment is a fuel cell system.

2. The air conditioner according to claim 1, further comprising

surplus heat calculating means for calculating a surplus heat quantity of the equipment after the temperature of the equipment increases to the predetermined temperature, based on an operation state of the equipment and the temperature of cooling water,

wherein the flow control unit operates so that all the surplus heat quantity of the equipment is supplied to the heating heat exchanger when the necessary heat quantity is larger than the surplus heat quantity.

14. The air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein:

the supplementary heater is disposed to heat air blown into the passenger compartment; and

the flow control unit is flow interrupting means which interrupts a flow of cooling water into the heating heat exchanger when the temperature of the equipment is lower than the predetermined temperature.

15. The air conditioner according to claim 14, wherein the flow interrupting means includes a mechanical actuator driven in accordance with temperature of cooling water, and a valve operated by the driving force of the mechanical actuator.

16. The air conditioner according to claim 14, wherein the flow interrupting means includes an electrical actuator disposed in the passenger compartment and driven in accordance with temperature of cooling water, and a valve operated by the driving force of the electrical actuator.

17. The air conditioner according to claim 15, wherein the mechanical actuator is a thermo-work actuator which drives the valve under a temperature by a melting or a solidifying of a wax.

3. An air conditioner for a vehicle having a passenger compartment and an equipment that needs a temperature control, the air conditioner comprising:

a cooling water circuit in which cooling water for cooling the equipment circulates;

a heating heat exchanger, disposed in the cooling water circuit, for heating air to be blown into the passenger compartment using cooling water as a heating source;

a supplementary heater for heating air, which supplements a heat quantity relative to the heating heat exchanger;

heat quantity calculating means for calculating a necessary heat quantity necessary for a heating of air blown into the passenger compartment, based on a target air temperature;

a flow control unit which controls a flow of cooling water in the cooling water circuit in such a manner that;

cooling water from the equipment flows into the heating heat exchanger after temperature of the equipment increases to a predetermined temperature, and the flow of cooling water from the equipment to the heating heat exchanger is interrupted until the temperature of the equipment increases to the predetermined temperature; and

heater control means for controlling a heat quantity generated by the supplementary heater when a heat quantity for heating air in the heating heat exchanger is smaller than the necessary heat quantity calculated by the heat quantity calculating means after the temperature of the equipment increases to the predetermined temperature;

surplus heat calculating means for calculating a surplus heat quantity of the equipment after the temperature of the equipment increases to the predetermined temperature, based on an operation state of the equipment and the temperature of cooling water; and

a radiator disposed in the cooling water circuit, for radiating heat of cooling water in the cooling water circuit to an outside of the passenger compartment;

wherein;

the flow control unit operates so that all the surplus heat quantity of the equipment is supplied to the heating heat exchanger when the necessary heat quantity is larger than the surplus heat quantity; and

the flow control unit operates so that, when the surplus heat quantity of the equipment is larger than the necessary heat quantity, a part of the surplus heat quantity, equal to the necessary heat quantity, is supplied from the equipment to the heating heat exchanger, and the other part of the surplus heat quantity is supplied from the equipment to the radiator.

4. An air conditioner for a vehicle having a passenger compartment and an equipment that needs a temperature control, the air conditioner comprising:

a cooling water circuit in which cooling water for cooling the equipment circulates;

a heating heat exchanger, disposed in the cooling water circuit, for heating air to be blown into the passenger compartment using cooling water as a heating source;

a supplementary heater for heating air, which supplements a heat quantity relative to the heating heat exchanger;

heat quantity calculating means for calculating a necessary heat quantity necessary for a heating of air blown into the passenger compartment, based on a target air temperature;

a flow control unit which controls a flow of cooling water in the cooling water circuit in such a manner that;

cooling water from the equipment flows into the heating heat exchanger after temperature of the equipment increases to a predetermined temperature, and the flow of cooling water from the equipment to the heating heat exchanger is interrupted until the temperature of the equipment increases to the predetermined temperature; and

heater control means for controlling a heat quantity generated by the supplementary heater when a heat quantity for heating air in the heating heat exchanger is smaller than the necessary heat quantity calculated by the heat quantity calculating means after the temperature of the equipment increases to the predetermined temperature;

wherein;

the cooling water circuit has a bypass passage through which cooling water from the equipment flows into the equipment while bypassing the heating heat exchanger;

the flow control unit is disposed to control a ratio between a flow amount of cooling water passing through the heating heat exchanger and a flow amount of cooling water passing through the bypass passage, in accordance with a heat quantity of cooling water for heating air in the heating heat exchanger in a range of the necessary heat quantity.

5. The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the supplementary heater is disposed to directly heat air to be blown into the passenger compartment.

6. The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the supplementary heater is disposed in the cooling water circuit to heat cooling water flowing into the heating heat exchanger.

7. The air conditioner according to claim 6, further comprising:

closed circuit forming means for forming a closed water circuit through which cooling water circuits while bypassing the equipment in the cooling water circuit; and

a water pump for circulating cooling water within the closed water circuit, wherein;

the heating heat exchanger and the supplementary heater are disposed in the closed water circuit; and

when the temperature of the equipment is lower than the predetermined temperature, the closed circuit forming means defines the closed water circuit, and the water pump operates so that cooling water circulates in the closed water circuit.

8. The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein the flow control unit is disposed to control a ratio between a time period for which cooling water passes through the bypass passage and a time period for which cooling water passes through the heating heat exchanger.

9. The air conditioner according to claim 4, wherein:

the flow control unit has therein a first passage for forming the bypass passage and a second passage through which cooling water from the cooling heat exchanger flows toward the equipment; and

the flow control unit is disposed to control a ratio between an area of the first passage and an area of the second passage.

10. An air conditioner for a vehicle having a passenger compartment and an equipment that needs a temperature control, the air conditioner comprising:

a cooling water circuit in which cooling water for cooling the equipment circulates;

a heating heat exchanger, disposed in the cooling water circuit, for heating air to be blown into the passenger compartment using cooling water as a heating source;

a supplementary heater for heating air, which supplements a heat quantity relative to the heating heat exchanger;

heat quantity calculating means for calculating a necessary heat quantity necessary for a heating of air blown into the passenger compartment, based on a target air temperature;

a flow control unit which controls a flow of cooling water in the cooling water circuit in such a manner that;

cooling water from the equipment flows into the heating heat exchanger after temperature of the equipment increases to a predetermined temperature, and the flow of cooling water from the equipment to the heating heat exchanger is interrupted until the temperature of the equipment increases to the predetermined temperature; and

heater control means for controlling a heat quantity generated by the supplementary heater when a heat quantity for heating air in the heating heat exchanger is smaller than the necessary heat quantity calculated by the heat quantity calculating means after the temperature of the equipment increases to the predetermined temperature;

wherein;

the supplementary heater is disposed in the cooling water circuit to heat cooling water flowing into the heating heat exchanger;

the flow control unit is flow switching means for forming a closed water circuit through which cooling water circuits while bypassing the equipment in the cooling water circuit; and

the closed water circuit has therein a water pump for circulating cooling water within the closed water circuit;

the heating heat exchanger and the supplementary heater are disposed in the closed water circuit; and

when the temperature of the equipment is lower than the predetermined temperature, the flow switching means forms the closed water circuit, and the water pump operates so that cooling water circulates in the closed water circuit.

11. The air conditioner according to claim 10, wherein the flow switching means includes a mechanical actuator driven in accordance with temperature of cooling water, and a valve operated by the driving force of the mechanical actuator.

12. The air conditioner according to claim 11, wherein the mechanical actuator is a thermo-work actuator which drives the valve under a temperature by a melting or a solidifying of a wax.

13. The air conditioner according to claim 10, wherein the flow switching means includes an electrical actuator disposed in the passenger compartment and driven in accordance with temperature of cooling water, and a valve operated by the driving force of the electrical actuator.