Electrical device cooling structure in vehicle

• US 7,688,582 B2
• Filed: 09/07/2007
• Issued: 03/30/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 09/07/2006
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Honda Motor Co., Ltd. (Honda Motor Company)
• Inventors: Nakano, Atsushi, Kosaka, Hiroshi, Shibuya, Kentaro, Fukazu, Tomohiro, Nishibori, Takeo, Fujisawa, Junya, Kawata, Masao, Yamaguchi, Hiroo
• Primary Examiner(s): PAPE, ZACHARY
• Application Number:
  US11/851,631
• Publication Number:
  US 20080062622A1
• Time in Patent Office: 935 Days
• Field of Search: 361/690, 361/692, 361/694, 361/695, 454/184, 454/120, 180/68.1, 180/65.21, 180/68.5, 180/65.1, 903/903, 297/180.1, 297/180.13, 297/180.14
• US Class Current: 361/690
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/005 the electric storage means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/0416 Arrangement in the rear part of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/12 Buck converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/525 Temperature of converter or components thereof
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/147 electro magnetic [EMI]
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/64 Constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/66 Arrangements of batteries
• 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 10/643 Cylindrical cells
• 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 50/202 Casings or frames around the primary casing of a single cell or a single battery
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/224 Metals
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 50/249 specially adapted for aircraft or vehicles, e.g. cars or trains constructional details of batteries specially adapted for electric vehicles B60L50/64
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 6/5038 Heating or cooling of cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: H05K 7/20909 : Forced ventilation, e.g. on heat dissipaters coupled to components
• 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
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 903/903 : having energy storing means, e.g. battery, capacitor

Abstract

In a power supply unit disposed below a floor behind a seat, battery modules are disposed in a lower position, and a DC/DC converter and a motor driving inverter are disposed side by side in a vehicle width direction above the battery modules. Thus, cooling air flowing from the front side to the rear side of a vehicle body is divided into upper and lower portions to cool in parallel the DC/DC converter and the motor driving inverter on the upper side and the battery modules on the lower side. Thus, it is possible to simplify a passage of the cooling air to reduce the size of the entire power supply unit, and improve mountability of the power supply unit on the vehicle body. Also, it is possible to apply low temperature cooling air, before heat exchange, to the battery module, the DC/DC converter, and the motor driving inverter.

Claims

1. An electrical device cooling structure in a vehicle, comprising:

an electrical device which includes;

a battery for driving a motor for traveling;

a DC/DC converter; and

a motor driving inverter,

the electrical device being disposed below a floor behind a seat, and cooled by cooling air,

wherein the DC/DC converter and the motor driving inverter are arranged side by side in a vehicle width direction above the battery; and

wherein the cooling air flows from a front side to a rear side of a vehicle body and separates into an upper portion and a lower portion which cool in parallel the DC/DC converter and the motor driving inverter on an upper side and the battery on a lower side, respectively.

2. The electrical device cooling structure in a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein a high voltage distribution board is arranged on one side of the battery in the vehicle width direction;

an extending portion of the high voltage distribution board extends upward from an upper end of the battery; and

the extending portion is connected to a smoothing capacitor provided in the DC/DC converter or the motor driving inverter.

3. The electrical device cooling structure in a vehicle according to claim 2, wherein a contactor that interrupts an electrical current from the battery is disposed on the high voltage distribution board.

4. The electrical device cooling structure in a vehicle according to any of claims 1 to 3, wherein the DC/DC converter and the motor driving inverter are accommodated in a common metal case secured to the vehicle body;

and the battery is supported on a lower surface of the metal case.

5. The electrical device cooling structure in a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein the cooling air portion having cooled the battery and the cooling air portion having cooled the DC/DC converter and the motor driving inverter are gathered to be discharged through a cooling fan arranged downstream of a position where the cooling air portions are gathered.

6. The electrical device cooling structure in a vehicle according to claim 5, wherein the cooling fan is an axial fan.

7. The electrical device cooling structure in a vehicle according to claim 5 or 6, wherein a cooling air discharge passage for discharging the cooling air having cooled the electrical device to the outside of the vehicle body is formed behind the cooling fan and along a lower surface of a floor member such that the cooling air discharge passage bifurcates to the right and left in the vehicle width direction.