Thermal management device for vehicle
A thermal management system for a vehicle includes a heating refrigerant circulation circuit, a heat pump cycle and a heat-discharge refrigerant circulation circuit A heating circulation section of the heating refrigerant circulation circuit, a recovery circulation section of the heat pump cycle, and a heat-discharge circulation section of the heat-discharge refrigerant circulation circuit are integrally configured as a combined heat exchanger that is capable of performing heat transfers at least between the cycle refrigerant and the heating refrigerant and between the heat-discharge refrigerant and the heating refrigerant. Furthermore, the heating refrigerant, the cycle refrigerant and the heat-discharge refrigerant are heat mediums each of which has a phase change during the heat transfer.
1. A thermal management system for a vehicle, comprising:
a heating refrigerant circulation circuit in which a heating refrigerant circulates, the heating refrigerant circulation circuit configured for the heating refrigerant to absorb exhaust heat of an in-vehicle device that generates heat during operation;
a heat pump cycle configured for a cycle refrigerant to absorb heat from the heating refrigerant and to heat a fluid to be heat exchanged by using the absorbed heat from the heating refrigerant as a heating source; and
a heat-discharge refrigerant circulation circuit configured for a heat-discharge refrigerant to absorb heat from the heating refrigerant, and configured to dissipate the absorbed heat from the heating refrigerant to an outside air, wherein
the heating refrigerant circulation circuit includes a heating circulation section in which the heating refrigerant having heat-absorbed from the exhaust heat flows;
the heat pump cycle includes a recovery circulation section in which the cycle refrigerant flows,
the heat-discharge refrigerant circulation circuit includes a heat-discharge circulation section in which the heat-discharge refrigerant flows,
the heating circulation section, the recovery circulation section, and the heat-discharge circulation section are integrally configured as a combined heat exchanger that is capable of performing heat transfers at least between the cycle refrigerant and the heating refrigerant and between the heat-discharge refrigerant and the heating refrigerant, and
the heating refrigerant, the cycle refrigerant and the heat-discharge refrigerant are heat mediums each of which has a phase change during the heat transfer.
2. The thermal management system for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the recovery circulation section is configured by a plurality of recovery tubes in which the cycle refrigerant flows,
the heating circulation section is configured by a plurality of heating tubes in which the heating refrigerant flows,
the heat-discharge circulation section is configured by a plurality of heat-discharge tubes in which the heat-discharge refrigerant flows,
the recovery tubes, the heating tubes and the heat-discharge tubes are stacked and arranged to configure the combined heat exchanger,
at least a part of the recovery tubes and the heating tubes are arranged adjacent to each other to perform the heat transfer between the cycle refrigerant and the heating refrigerant, and
at least a part of the heat-discharge tubes and the heating tubes are arranged adjacent to each other to perform the heat transfer between the heat-discharge refrigerant and the heating refrigerant.
3. The thermal management system for the vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein
the number of the recovery tubes is equal to or smaller than the number of the heating tubes, and
the number of the heat-discharge tubes is equal to or smaller than the number of the heating tubes.
4. The thermal management system for the vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein
the recovery tubes are arranged such that the cycle refrigerant flows therein in an up-down direction and the flow direction of the cycle refrigerant is turned one time or more than one time,
the heating tubes are arranged such that the heating refrigerant flows therein from an upper side to a lower side, and
the heat-discharge tubes are arranged such that the heat-discharge refrigerant flows therein from a lower side to an upper side.
5. The thermal management system for the vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein
the combined heat exchanger includes an interposition member disposed between the recovery tube and the heat-discharge tube adjacent to each other to define a refrigerant passage between the recovery tube and the heat-discharge tube adjacent to each other, and
the heating tube is configured by the interposition member and outer surfaces of the recovery tube and the heat-discharge tube adjacent to each other.
6. The thermal management system for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the heating refrigerant circulation circuit includes a heating refrigerant storage space in which the heating refrigerant condensed in the heating circulation section is stored, and
the heating refrigerant storage space is provided in the combined heat exchanger as an integrated structure.
7. The thermal management system for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the heating refrigerant circulation circuit includes a heat absorption section configured to absorb the exhaust heat to the heating refrigerant, and
the heating circulation section is arranged above of the heat absorption section in the heating circulation section.
8. The thermal management system for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the heat-discharge refrigerant circulation circuit includes a heat-discharge outdoor heat exchanger in which the heat-discharge refrigerant is heat exchanged with outside air, and
the heat-discharge outdoor heat exchanger is arranged above of the heat-discharge circulation section of the combined heat exchanger.
9. The thermal management system for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
a plurality of the in-vehicle devices are provided, and
the heating refrigerant circulation circuit includes a plurality of heat absorption sections in which the heating refrigerant absorbs the exhaust heat, and a decompressor located to decompress the heating refrigerant flowing into the heat absorption sections.
10. The thermal management system for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the heating refrigerant circulation circuit includes a plurality of heat absorption sections in which the heating refrigerant absorbs the exhaust heat, and a bypass passage through which the heating refrigerant flows while bypassing at least one of the heating absorption section.
11. The thermal management system for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
a plurality of the in-vehicle devices are provided, and
the heating refrigerant circulation circuit includes a heating circulation shutter configured to shut a circulation of the heating refrigerant, the thermal management system further comprising:
a management in-vehicle temperature detector configured to detect a management in-vehicle device temperature that is a temperature of a management in-vehicle device predetermined among the plurality of the in-vehicle devices; and
a controller configured to control operation of the heating circulation shutter, wherein the controller controls the operation of the heating circulation shutter such that the management in-vehicle device temperature is maintained within a predetermined usable temperature range.
12. The thermal management system for the vehicle according to claim 11 , wherein
the management in-vehicle device is a battery.
13. The thermal management system for the vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the heat-discharge refrigerant circulation circuit includes a heat-discharge circulation shutter configured to shut a circulation of the heat-discharge refrigerant, the thermal management system further comprising:
a heat-discharge refrigerant pressure detector configured to detect a physical amount relative to a heat-discharge refrigerant pressure that is a pressure of the heat-discharge refrigerant; and
a controller configured to control operation of the heat-discharge circulation shutter, wherein the controller controls the operation of the heat-discharge circulation shutter such that the heat-discharge refrigerant pressure is maintained within a predetermined reference temperature range.
14. A thermal management system for the vehicle, comprising:
a heating refrigerant circulation circuit in which a heating refrigerant circulates, the heating refrigerant circulation circuit configured for the heating refrigerant to absorb exhaust heat of an in-vehicle device that generates heat during operation;
a heat pump cycle configured for a cycle refrigerant to absorb heat from the heating refrigerant and to heat a fluid to be heat exchanged by using the absorbed heat from the heating refrigerant as a heating source;
a heat-discharge refrigerant circulation circuit configured for a heat-discharge refrigerant to absorb heat from the heating refrigerant, and configured to dissipate the absorbed heat from the heating refrigerant to an outside air; and
a combined heat exchanger including a heating circulation passage in which the heating refrigerant having heat-absorbed from the exhaust heat flows, a recovery circulation passage in which the cycle refrigerant flows, and a heat-discharge circulation passage in which the heat-discharge refrigerant flows,
wherein the heating circulation passage, the recovery circulation passage, and the heat-discharge circulation passage are arranged in the combined heat exchanger to perform heat transfers at least between the cycle refrigerant and the heating refrigerant and between the heat-discharge refrigerant and the heating refrigerant.