JP2011063247A - Vehicular air-conditioner - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a vehicular air-conditioner capable of realizing the air-conditioning in a cabin while sufficiently suppressing degradation of the fuel economy. <P>SOLUTION: When the saving of the power necessary for the air-conditioning is requested by the operation of an occupant, the outside air temperature Tam is equal to or higher than the reference outside air temperature T1, and the in-cabin target temperature Tset set by the operation of the occupant is lower than the reference target temperature KTset, the blowing capacity of a blower 12 is reduced from that in the normal condition, the operation of an engine EG is stopped to an engine control device 70, and the stop requesting signal is output. The operational frequency of the engine EG is reduced thereby, the fuel economy of a vehicle is improved, and the endothermic amount per unit air volume to be heated by a PTC heater 15 can be increased by reducing the blowing volume of the blown air. Thus, the heating in the cabin can be realized while sufficiently suppressing degradation of the fuel economy. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2011,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner including an electric heating unit that heats blown air blown into a vehicle interior when supplied with electric power.

  Conventionally, Patent Document 1 discloses a vehicle air conditioner that is applicable to a so-called hybrid vehicle that obtains a driving force for driving from an engine and a driving electric motor. In the vehicle air conditioner disclosed in Patent Document 1, in order to heat the vehicle interior, a heater core that heats blown air into the vehicle interior using engine cooling water as a heat source, and a heater core that is supplied with electric power is heated by the heater core. Both PTC heaters that further heat the blown air are provided.

  Here, in this type of hybrid vehicle, there may be a so-called EV traveling state in which the vehicle is driven only by the driving force of the electric motor for traveling while the engine is stopped for the purpose of improving fuel efficiency. In such a traveling state, the temperature of the engine cooling water cannot be raised, and a sufficient heat source for heating the blown air cannot be secured by the heater core.

  Therefore, in the hybrid vehicle disclosed in Patent Document 1, when the engine coolant temperature becomes lower than the threshold value, the engine is operated even in the EV traveling state to increase the temperature of the engine coolant. Further, in the vehicle air conditioner disclosed in Patent Document 1, the engine operation for decreasing the engine operation frequency and increasing the temperature of the engine cooling water by lowering the threshold as the amount of heat generated by the PTC heater increases. Deterioration of fuel consumption due to fuel consumption is suppressed.

JP 2008-174042 A

  By the way, in an engine for a vehicle, generally, when the engine coolant temperature becomes lower than a predetermined warm-up temperature, the generation of friction loss due to an increase in engine oil viscosity or the exhaust gas due to a decrease in exhaust gas temperature. A malfunction of the purification catalyst is likely to occur. For this reason, also in the hybrid vehicle of Patent Document 1, it is desirable to control the operation of the engine so that the temperature of the engine coolant is maintained at or above the warm-up temperature.

  Therefore, even if the operating frequency of the engine for securing the heat source for heating the blown air is reduced as in the vehicle air conditioner of Patent Document 1, the above-described engine coolant temperature is maintained at the warm-up temperature or higher. If priority is given to the engine operation or the like, the actual engine operation frequency cannot be reduced. As a result, the effect of suppressing deterioration in fuel consumption cannot be obtained sufficiently.

  In view of the above points, an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle air conditioner that can realize heating of a vehicle interior while sufficiently suppressing deterioration of fuel consumption.

In order to achieve the above object, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the air blowing means (12) for blowing air toward the passenger compartment and the cooling water for cooling the internal combustion engine (EG) are used as heat sources. The heating means (14) for heating the blown air blown by), the electric heating means (15) for heating the blown air by being supplied with electric power, and the blowing capacity of the blower means (12) are controlled. A request to output a frequency reduction request signal for reducing the frequency of operating the internal combustion engine (EG) to the blowing capacity control means (50a) and the internal combustion engine control means (70) for controlling the operation of the internal combustion engine (EG). Signal output means (50c),
The blower capacity control means (50a) determines the normal blower capacity based on at least the passenger compartment temperature (Tr), and blows air by the electric heating means (15) when a predetermined condition is satisfied. The air flow capacity control means (50a) determines the air flow capacity so as to be lower than the normal air flow capacity, and the request signal output means (50c) outputs a frequency decrease request signal. Features an air-conditioning system.

  According to this, when the predetermined condition is satisfied, the request signal output means (50c) outputs a frequency decrease request signal to the internal combustion engine control means (70), so that the internal combustion engine control means (70) The frequency of operating the internal combustion engine (EG) can be suppressed. Therefore, the operating frequency of the internal combustion engine (EG) can be reliably reduced, and the fuel efficiency of the entire vehicle can be improved.

  Furthermore, when the predetermined condition is satisfied, the air blowing capacity control means (50a) lowers the air blowing capacity of the air blowing means (12) from the normal time and reduces the air blowing amount of the air blowing means (12). It is possible to increase the temperature of the blown air by increasing the heat absorption amount per unit air amount heated by the electric heating means (15).

  Therefore, for example, even when the temperature of the cooling water is lowered and the heating capacity of the heating means (14) is insufficient for heating the passenger compartment, the heating of the electric heating means (15) is performed. Heating of the passenger compartment can be realized by raising the temperature of the blown air depending on the capacity. As a result, heating of the passenger compartment can be realized while sufficiently suppressing deterioration of fuel consumption.

  The “frequency reduction request signal for reducing the frequency of operating the internal combustion engine (EG)” in the present claims means an operation stop signal for requesting the internal combustion engine (EG) to stop, or an internal combustion engine control means (70). It means that the condition for operating the internal combustion engine (EG) includes a signal that requires changing the internal combustion engine (EG) so that the internal combustion engine (EG) becomes difficult to operate.

  Here, when the temperature outside the passenger compartment (Tam) is low as in winter, even if the air blowing capacity control means (50a) lowers the air blowing capacity of the air blowing means (12) from the normal time, electric heating is performed. With the heating capability of the means (15), the temperature of the blown air may not be increased to such an extent that the vehicle compartment can be sufficiently heated.

  Therefore, as in the second aspect of the invention, in the vehicle air conditioner according to the first aspect, when the predetermined condition is satisfied, the outside temperature (Tam) outside the vehicle compartment is a predetermined reference outside temperature (KTam1). It may be when it becomes above. Thereby, when the passenger compartment outside temperature (Tam) becomes equal to or higher than the reference outside temperature (KTam1), it is possible to realize heating of the passenger compartment while sufficiently suppressing deterioration of fuel consumption.

  Further, as in the invention described in claim 3, in the vehicle air conditioner described in claim 1 or 2, the power saving required for air conditioning in the passenger compartment is requested by the operation of the passenger. Power saving request means (60d) for outputting a power saving request signal is provided, and when the predetermined condition is satisfied, the power saving request signal may be output by the power saving request means (60d). Thereby, according to a passenger | crew's request | requirement, the inside of a vehicle interior can be implement | achieved, fully suppressing the deterioration of a fuel consumption.

  Furthermore, in the vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 3, as in the invention according to claim 4, a target temperature for setting a target temperature (Tset) in the vehicle interior by an operation of a passenger. The setting means (60c) may be provided and the predetermined condition may be satisfied when the target temperature (Tset) is set lower than a predetermined reference target temperature (KTset).

  According to this, it is possible to realize appropriate heating of the passenger compartment without sufficiently deteriorating the feeling of heating while sufficiently suppressing deterioration of fuel consumption. The reason is that, even during heating, when the target temperature (Tset) is set lower than the reference target temperature (KTset) according to the passenger's preference, the wind capacity control means (50a) is more effective than the normal time. This is because even if the air blowing capacity of 12) is reduced, the occupant is less likely to feel a lack of heating.

  As in the fifth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle air conditioner according to any one of the first to fourth aspects, the internal combustion engine control means (70) includes cooling water flowing out from the internal combustion engine (EG). The operation of the internal combustion engine (EG) may be controlled so that the cooling water temperature (Tw) becomes equal to or higher than the reference cooling water temperature (KTw2).

  According to this, specifically, when the predetermined condition is satisfied, the temperature of the cooling water flowing out from the internal combustion engine (EG) by the internal combustion engine control means (70) becomes equal to or higher than the reference cooling water temperature (KTw2). The frequency with which the internal combustion engine (EG) is operated can be suppressed, and the fuel efficiency of the entire vehicle can be improved.

Moreover, in invention of Claim 6, the ventilation means (12) which ventilates air toward a vehicle interior, the electric heating means (15) which heats ventilation air by supplying electric power, and ventilation A blowing capacity control means (50a) for controlling the blowing capacity of the means (12),
The blowing capacity control means (50a) determines the normal blowing capacity based on at least the passenger compartment temperature (Tr), and when a predetermined condition is satisfied, the blowing capacity control means (50a) The vehicle air conditioner which determines a ventilation capability so that it may become a capability lower than this ventilation capability is characterized.

  According to this, when the predetermined condition is established, the temperature of the blown air can be raised as in the first aspect of the invention. At this time, since the blowing capacity control means (50a) determines that the blowing capacity of the blowing means (12) is lower than normal, the power consumption of the blowing means (12) can be reduced.

  Therefore, by applying it to an electric vehicle or the like that obtains output from a vehicle driving motor, heating of the vehicle interior is sufficiently suppressed while sufficiently suppressing a decrease in travel distance per unit power (that is, deterioration of fuel consumption in an electric vehicle or the like). realizable.

Further, in the invention described in claim 7, the heat generating means that operates with heat generation by consuming the air blowing means (12) for blowing air toward the passenger compartment and the energy source used for outputting the driving power. A heating means (14) for heating the blown air blown by the blower means (12) using the heat medium heated by the device (EG) as a heat source, and an electric type for heating the blown air by being supplied with electric power The heating device (15), the blowing capacity control means (50a) for controlling the blowing capacity of the blowing means (12), and the heating device control means (70) for controlling the operation of the heating device (EG) Request signal output means (50c) for outputting a frequency reduction request signal for reducing the frequency of operating (EG),
The blower capacity control means (50a) determines the normal blower capacity based on at least the passenger compartment temperature (Tr), and blows air by the electric heating means (15) when a predetermined condition is satisfied. And the blower capacity control means (50a) determines the blower capacity so as to be lower than the normal blower capacity, and the request signal output means (50c) outputs the frequency decrease request signal. Features a vehicle air conditioner.

  According to this, when the predetermined condition is satisfied, the request signal output means (50c) outputs a frequency decrease request signal to the heat generating equipment control means (70), so that the heat generating equipment (EG) is operated. Can be suppressed. Therefore, the consumption of the energy source used for outputting the driving power can be reduced, and the fuel efficiency of the vehicle can be improved.

  Furthermore, when the predetermined condition is satisfied, similarly to the first aspect of the invention, the temperature of the blown air can be raised to realize heating of the passenger compartment. As a result, heating of the passenger compartment can be realized while sufficiently suppressing deterioration of fuel consumption.

  According to an eighth aspect of the present invention, in the vehicle air conditioner according to any one of the first to seventh aspects, a seat air conditioning unit (80) for increasing a surface temperature of a seat on which a passenger is seated, and a seat air conditioning unit A seat air conditioning control means (50b) for controlling the operation of (80), and the seat air conditioning control means (50b) operates the seat air conditioning means (80) when a predetermined condition is satisfied. .

  According to this, when the predetermined condition is satisfied, the passenger's feeling of heating can be increased by the seat air-conditioning means (80), so that sufficient deterioration of the fuel consumption is sufficiently suppressed and further sufficient heating of the vehicle interior is performed. realizable.

  In addition, the code | symbol in the bracket | parenthesis of each means described in this column and the claim is an example which shows a corresponding relationship with the specific means as described in embodiment mentioned later.

1 is an overall configuration diagram of a vehicle air conditioner according to an embodiment. It is a block diagram which shows the electric control part of the vehicle air conditioner of one Embodiment. It is a circuit diagram of the PTC heater of one embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the control processing of the vehicle air conditioner of one Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows the principal part of the control processing of the vehicle air conditioner of one Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows another principal part of the control processing of the vehicle air conditioner of one Embodiment. It is a flowchart which shows another principal part of the control processing of the vehicle air conditioner of one Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing explaining the control processing of step S46 of FIG. It is a flowchart which shows another principal part of the control processing of the vehicle air conditioner of one Embodiment. It is explanatory drawing explaining the control processing of step S13 of FIG.

  Hereinafter, an embodiment of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a vehicle air conditioner 1 according to the present embodiment, and FIG. 2 is a block diagram illustrating a configuration of an electric control unit of the vehicle air conditioner 1. The vehicle air conditioner 1 according to this embodiment is mounted on a hybrid vehicle that obtains driving force for vehicle travel from an engine (internal combustion engine) EG and a travel electric motor.

  The hybrid vehicle according to the present embodiment operates or stops the engine EG according to the traveling load of the vehicle, etc., and stops the engine EG by obtaining driving force from both the engine EG and the traveling electric motor. Thus, it is possible to switch the running state in which the driving force is obtained only from the traveling electric motor. Thereby, the vehicle fuel consumption is improved with respect to the normal vehicle which obtains the driving force for vehicle travel only from the engine EG.

  Further, the operation of the engine EG such as the operation or stop of the engine EG is controlled by an engine control device 70 described later. Furthermore, the driving force output from the engine EG of the present embodiment is used not only for driving the vehicle but also for operating a generator (not shown).

  And the electric power generated by the generator can be stored in a battery (not shown), and the electric power stored in the battery includes not only the electric motor for traveling but also each component device constituting the vehicle air conditioner 1. Can be supplied to various in-vehicle devices.

  Next, the detailed structure of the vehicle air conditioner 1 of this embodiment is demonstrated. The vehicle air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment includes the indoor air conditioner unit 10 shown in FIG. 1, the refrigeration cycle 30, the air conditioning control device 50 shown in FIG. 2, the seat air conditioner 80, and the like. First, the indoor air-conditioning unit 10 is arranged inside the instrument panel (instrument panel) at the foremost part of the vehicle interior, and a blower 12, an evaporator 13, a heater core 14, and a PTC heater 15 are disposed in a casing 11 that forms an outer shell thereof. Etc. are accommodated.

  The casing 11 forms an air passage for blown air that is blown into the passenger compartment, and is formed of a resin (for example, polypropylene) that has a certain degree of elasticity and is excellent in strength. On the most upstream side of the blown air flow in the casing 11, an inside / outside air switching box 20 for switching and introducing inside air (vehicle compartment air) and outside air (vehicle compartment outside air) is disposed.

  More specifically, the inside / outside air switching box 20 is formed with an inside air introduction port 21 for introducing inside air into the casing 11 and an outside air introduction port 22 for introducing outside air. Further, inside the inside / outside air switching box 20, the opening areas of the inside air introduction port 21 and the outside air introduction port 22 are continuously adjusted, and the air volume ratio between the air volume of the inside air introduced into the casing 11 and the air volume of the outside air is set. An inside / outside air switching door 23 to be changed is arranged.

  Therefore, the inside / outside air switching door 23 constitutes an air volume ratio changing means for switching the suction port mode for changing the air volume ratio between the air volume of the inside air introduced into the casing 11 and the air volume of the outside air. More specifically, the inside / outside air switching door 23 is driven by an electric actuator 62 for the inside / outside air switching door 23, and the operation of the electric actuator 62 is controlled by a control signal output from an air conditioning control device 50 described later. Be controlled.

  As the suction port mode, the inside air introduction port 21 is fully opened and the outside air introduction port 22 is fully closed to introduce the inside air into the casing 11. The inside air introduction port 21 is fully closed and the outside air introduction port 22 is fully closed. The outside air mode in which the outside air is introduced into the casing 11 with the valve fully open, and the opening areas of the inside air introduction port 21 and the outside air introduction port 22 are continuously adjusted between the inside air mode and the outside air mode. There is an internal / external air mixing mode that continuously changes the introduction ratio.

  A blower 12 (blower), which is a blowing means for blowing the air sucked through the inside / outside air switching box 20 toward the vehicle interior, is disposed on the downstream side of the inside / outside air switching box 20. The blower 12 is an electric blower that drives a centrifugal multiblade fan (sirocco fan) with an electric motor, and the number of rotations (the amount of blown air) is controlled by a control voltage output from the air conditioning controller 50. Therefore, this electric motor constitutes a blowing capacity changing means of the blower 12.

  An evaporator 13 is disposed on the downstream side of the air flow of the blower 12. The evaporator 13 functions as a cooling heat exchanger that cools the blown air by exchanging heat between the refrigerant flowing through the inside and the blown air blown from the blower 12. Specifically, the evaporator 13 constitutes a vapor compression refrigeration cycle 30 together with a compressor 31, a condenser 32, a gas-liquid separator 33, an expansion valve 34, and the like.

  The compressor 31 is disposed in the engine room, sucks the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle 30, compresses and discharges it, and drives the fixed capacity type compression mechanism 31a having a fixed discharge capacity by the electric motor 31b. It is configured as an electric compressor. The electric motor 31 b is an AC motor whose operation (number of rotations) is controlled by the AC voltage output from the inverter 61.

  Further, the inverter 61 outputs an AC voltage having a frequency corresponding to a control signal output from the air conditioning control device 50 described later. And the refrigerant | coolant discharge capability of the compressor 31 is changed by this rotation speed control. Therefore, the electric motor 31b constitutes a discharge capacity changing means of the compressor 31.

  The condenser 32 is disposed in the engine room, and exchanges heat between the refrigerant circulating inside and the air outside the vehicle (outside air) blown from the blower fan 35 as an outdoor blower, thereby discharging refrigerant from the compressor 31. Is condensed. The blower fan 35 is an electric blower in which the operating rate, that is, the rotation speed (the amount of blown air) is controlled by the control voltage output from the air conditioning control device 50.

  The gas-liquid separator 33 gas-liquid separates the refrigerant condensed in the condenser 32 and stores surplus refrigerant, and flows only the liquid-phase refrigerant downstream. The expansion valve 34 is a decompression unit that decompresses and expands the liquid-phase refrigerant that has flowed out of the gas-liquid separator 33. The evaporator 13 evaporates the refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the expansion valve 34 and exerts an endothermic effect on the refrigerant. Thereby, the evaporator 13 functions as a cooling heat exchanger for cooling the blown air.

  Further, in the casing 11, on the downstream side of the air flow of the evaporator 13, an air passage such as a cooling cold air passage 16 and a cold air bypass passage 17 for flowing air after passing through the evaporator 13, and the heating cold air passage 16 and the cold air are provided. A mixing space 18 for mixing the air that has flowed out of the bypass passage 17 is formed.

  A heater core 14 and a PTC heater 15 as heating means for heating the air that has passed through the evaporator 13 are arranged in this order in the air flow direction in the cooling air passage 16 for heating. The heater core 14 heats the engine cooling water (hereinafter simply referred to as cooling water) that cools the engine EG and the blown air that has passed through the evaporator 13 to heat the blown air that has passed through the evaporator 13. It is a heat exchanger.

  In other words, the engine EG is a heat generating device that operates while generating heat by consuming fuel (energy source) used to output driving power, and the heater core 14 is heated by the engine EG that is a heat generating device. It is a heating means which heats blowing air using the cooling water which is the heat medium made as a heat source.

  Specifically, the heater core 14 and the engine EG are connected by a cooling water passage 41, and a cooling water circuit 40 is configured in which the cooling water circulates between the heater core 14 and the engine EG. The cooling water circuit 40 is provided with an electric water pump 42 for circulating the cooling water. The electric water pump 42 is an electric water pump whose rotation speed (cooling water circulation amount) is controlled by a control voltage output from the air conditioning control device 50.

  The PTC heater 15 is an electric heater that has a PTC element (positive characteristic thermistor), generates heat when electric power is supplied to the PTC element, and heats air after passing through the heater core 14. In other words, the PTC heater 15 is an electric heating unit that heats the blown air when supplied with electric power.

  Further, as shown in FIG. 3, the PTC heater 15 includes a plurality of (in this embodiment, three) PTC heaters 15a, 15b, and 15c. FIG. 3 is a circuit diagram showing an electrical connection mode of the PTC heater 15 of the present embodiment.

  As shown in FIG. 3, the positive side of each PTC heater 15a, 15b, 15c is connected to the battery side, and the negative side is connected to each PTC heater 15a, 15b, 15c via each switch element SW1, SW2, SW3. Connected to the ground side. Each switch element SW1, SW2, SW3 switches the energized state (ON state) and the non-energized state (OFF state) of each PTC element h1, h2, h3 included in each PTC heater 15a, 15b, 15c.

  Further, the operation of each switch element SW1, SW2, SW3 is independently controlled by a control signal output from the air conditioning control device 50. Therefore, the air-conditioning control apparatus 50 switches to the energized state and the non-energized state of each switch element SW1, SW2, SW3, and becomes an energized state among the PTC heaters 15a, 15b, 15c, and exhibits the heating capability. By switching the thing, the heating capability as the whole PTC heater 15 can be changed.

  On the other hand, the cold air bypass passage 17 is an air passage for guiding the air after passing through the evaporator 13 to the mixing space 18 without passing the heater core 14 and the PTC heater 15. Therefore, the temperature of the blown air mixed in the mixing space 18 varies depending on the air volume ratio of the air passing through the heating cool air passage 16 and the air passing through the cold air bypass passage 17.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, the amount of cold air that flows into the heating cold air passage 16 and the cold air bypass passage 17 on the downstream side of the air flow of the evaporator 13 and on the inlet side of the heating cold air passage 16 and the cold air bypass passage 17. An air mix door 19 that continuously changes the ratio is disposed.

  Therefore, the air mix door 19 constitutes a temperature adjusting means for adjusting the air temperature in the mixing space 18 (the temperature of the blown air blown into the vehicle interior). More specifically, the air mix door 19 is driven by an electric actuator 63 for the air mix door, and the operation of the electric actuator 63 is controlled by a control signal output from the air conditioning controller 50.

  Furthermore, blower outlets 24 to 26 that blow out the blown air whose temperature has been adjusted from the mixing space 18 to the vehicle interior that is the air-conditioning target space are disposed in the most downstream portion of the blown air flow of the casing 11. Specifically, the air outlets 24 to 26 include a face air outlet (FACE) 24 that blows air-conditioned air toward the upper body of the passenger in the vehicle interior, and a foot air outlet (FOOT) that blows air-conditioned air toward the feet of the passenger. 25 and a defroster outlet (DEF) 26 that blows conditioned air toward the inner side surface of the vehicle front window glass.

  Further, on the upstream side of the air flow of the face air outlet 24, the foot air outlet 25, and the defroster air outlet 26, the face door 24a for adjusting the opening area of the face air outlet 24 and the opening area of the foot air outlet 25 are adjusted. The defroster door 26a which adjusts the opening area of the foot door 25a to perform and the defroster blower outlet 26 is arrange | positioned.

  The face door 24a, foot door 25a, and defroster door 26a constitute an outlet mode switching means for switching an outlet mode, and an electric actuator 64 for driving the outlet mode door via a link mechanism (not shown). It is linked to and rotated in conjunction with it. The operation of the electric actuator 64 is also controlled by a control signal output from the air conditioning controller 50.

  Further, as the air outlet mode, the face air outlet 24 is fully opened and air is blown out from the face air outlet 24 toward the upper body of the passenger in the vehicle. Both the face air outlet 24 and the foot air outlet 25 are opened. A bi-level mode that blows air toward the upper body and feet of passengers in the passenger compartment, a foot mode in which the foot blower outlet 25 is fully opened and the defroster blower opening 26 is opened by a small opening, and air is mainly blown from the foot blower outlet 25. In addition, there is a foot defroster mode in which the foot outlet 25 and the defroster outlet 26 are opened to the same extent and air is blown out from both the foot outlet 25 and the defroster outlet 26.

  Furthermore, it can also be set as the defroster mode which fully opens a defroster blower outlet and blows air from a defroster blower outlet to the vehicle front window glass inner surface by operating a switch of the operation panel 60 mentioned later by a passenger | crew manually.

  In addition, the vehicle air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment includes a seat air conditioner 80 as a seat air conditioner for heating that raises the surface temperature of a seat on which a passenger is seated. Specifically, the seat air conditioner 80 is configured by a heating wire embedded in the seat surface, and generates heat when supplied with electric power. Further, the air-conditioning air blown out from each of the air outlets 24 to 26 of the indoor air-conditioning unit 10 is operated when the heating of the vehicle interior can be insufficient, thereby fulfilling the function of supplementing the passenger's feeling of heating.

  Further, the operation of the seat air conditioner 80 is controlled by a control signal output from the air conditioner control apparatus 50, and is controlled so that the surface temperature of the seat is increased to about 40 at the time of operation.

  Next, the electric control unit of the present embodiment will be described with reference to FIG. The air conditioning control device 50 and the engine control device 70 are composed of a well-known microcomputer including a CPU, ROM, RAM and the like and peripheral circuits thereof, and perform various calculations and processing based on an air conditioning control program stored in the ROM. Controls the operation of various devices connected to the output side.

  To the output side of the engine control device 70, various engine constituent devices constituting the engine EG are connected. Specifically, a starter for starting the engine EG, a fuel injection valve (injector) drive circuit (not shown) for supplying fuel to the engine EG, and the like are connected.

  Further, on the input side of the engine control device 70, a voltmeter for detecting the battery voltage VB, an accelerator position sensor for detecting the accelerator position Acc, and an engine speed sensor for detecting the engine speed Ne (all shown). Etc.) are connected to various engine control sensor groups.

  On the output side of the air conditioning control device 50, the blower 12, the inverter 61 for the electric motor 31b of the compressor 31, the blower fan 35, various electric actuators 62, 63, 64, the first to third PTC heaters 15a, 15b, 15c, An electric water pump 42, a seat air conditioner 80, and the like are connected.

  Further, on the input side of the air-conditioning control device 50, an inside air sensor 51 that detects the vehicle interior temperature Tr, an outside air sensor 52 (outside air temperature detection means) that detects the outside air temperature Tam, and a solar radiation sensor that detects the amount of solar radiation Ts in the vehicle interior. 53, a discharge temperature sensor 54 (discharge temperature detection means) for detecting the compressor 31 discharge refrigerant temperature Td, a discharge pressure sensor 55 (discharge pressure detection means) for detecting the compressor 31 discharge refrigerant pressure Pd, and an outlet from the evaporator 13 Various air-conditioning controls such as an evaporator temperature sensor 56 (evaporator temperature detecting means) for detecting the air temperature (evaporator temperature) TE, a cooling water temperature sensor 58 for detecting the cooling water temperature Tw of the cooling water flowing out from the engine EG, etc. The detection signal of the sensor group for use is connected.

  Note that the evaporator temperature sensor 56 of the present embodiment specifically detects the heat exchange fin temperature of the evaporator 13. Of course, as the evaporator temperature sensor 56, temperature detection means for detecting the temperature of other parts of the evaporator 13 may be adopted, or temperature detection means for directly detecting the temperature of the refrigerant itself flowing through the evaporator 13 may be used. It may be adopted.

  Further, operation signals from various air conditioning operation switches provided on the operation panel 60 disposed near the instrument panel in the front part of the vehicle interior are input to the input side of the air conditioning control device 50. Specifically, as various air conditioning operation switches provided on the operation panel 60, an operation switch 60a of the vehicle air conditioner 1, an auto switch 60b for setting or canceling the automatic control of the vehicle air conditioner 1, and a suction port mode are switched. An inlet mode switch (not shown), an outlet mode switch (not shown) for switching the outlet mode, an air volume setting switch (not shown) of the blower 12, a vehicle interior temperature setting switch 60c for setting the vehicle interior temperature, An economy switch 60d for outputting a power saving request signal that gives priority to power saving of the refrigeration cycle is provided.

  Accordingly, the vehicle interior temperature setting switch 60c of the present embodiment constitutes a target temperature setting means for setting a target temperature (vehicle interior set temperature) Tset in the vehicle interior, and the economy switch 60d is operated by the occupant's operation. A power saving requesting means for outputting a command for requesting power saving of power required for indoor air conditioning is configured.

  Further, the air conditioning control device 50 is electrically connected to an engine control device 70 that controls the operation of the engine EG, and the air conditioning control device 50 and the engine control device 70 are configured to be capable of electrical communication with each other. Thereby, based on the detection signal or operation signal input into one control apparatus, the other control apparatus can also control the operation | movement of the various apparatuses connected to the output side. For example, the engine EG can be operated by the air conditioning control device 50 outputting an operation request command for the engine EG to the engine control device 70.

  In addition, the air conditioning control device 50 is configured integrally with the control means for controlling the various air conditioning control devices described above. In the present embodiment, in particular, the operation of the blower 12 that is the air blowing means is controlled, The configuration (hardware and software) for controlling the blowing capacity of the blower 12 is referred to as the blowing capacity control means 50a, and the configuration (hardware and software) for controlling the operation of the seat air conditioner 80 is referred to as the seat air conditioning control means 50b.

  Furthermore, the request signal output means 50c is configured to output a request signal such as an operation request signal for requesting the engine EG to operate or an operation stop signal for requesting the engine EG to stop. Note that the operation stop signal for requesting the engine EG to stop is also a frequency decrease request signal for decreasing the frequency of operating the engine EG. Moreover, you may comprise the ventilation capability control means 50a etc. with respect to the air-conditioning control apparatus 50 separately.

  Next, the operation of this embodiment in the above configuration will be described. First, the basic operation of the engine control device 70 will be described. When the vehicle start switch is turned on and the vehicle is started, the engine control device 70 detects the traveling load of the vehicle based on the detection signal of the sensor group for engine control described above and operates the engine EG according to the traveling load. Stop.

  Further, the engine control device 70 operates or stops the engine EG based on the request signal output from the request signal output means 50c of the air conditioning control device 50. The operation or stop of the engine EG based on the request signal output from the request signal output means 50c will be described later.

  Next, the operation of the vehicle air conditioner 1 will be described with reference to FIGS. FIG. 4 is a flowchart showing a control process of the vehicle air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment. Each of the control steps in FIGS. 4 to 9 constitutes various function realizing means that the air conditioning control device 50 has.

  First, in step S1 of FIG. 4, initialization such as initialization of a flag, a timer, and initial position alignment of the stepping motor constituting the electric actuator described above is performed. In this initialization, some of the flags and calculation values that are stored at the end of the previous operation of the vehicle air conditioner 1 are maintained.

  In the next step S2, the operation signal of the operation panel 60 is read and the process proceeds to step S3. As specific operation signals, the vehicle interior temperature setting Tset set by the vehicle interior temperature setting switch 60c, the air outlet mode selection signal, the air inlet mode selection signal, the air flow rate setting signal of the blower 12, the economy switch 60d There is a power saving request signal that is output in response to the operation.

  Next, in step S3, a vehicle environmental state signal used for air-conditioning control, that is, detection signals from the sensor groups 51 to 58 and the like are read. In step S 3, part of the detection signals of the sensor group connected to the input side of the engine control device 70 and the control signals output from the engine control device 70 are also read from the engine control device 70.

Next, in step S4, the target blowing temperature TAO of the vehicle compartment blowing air is calculated. The target blowing temperature TAO is calculated by the following formula F1.
TAO = Kset × Tset−Kr × Tr−Kam × Tam−Ks × Ts + C (F1)
Here, Tset is the vehicle interior temperature set by the vehicle interior temperature setting switch 60c, Tr is the vehicle interior temperature (internal air temperature) detected by the internal air sensor 51, and Tam is the external air temperature (vehicle interior) detected by the external air sensor 52. Outdoor air temperature) and Ts are the amount of solar radiation detected by the solar radiation sensor 53. Kset, Kr, Kam, Ks are control gains, and C is a correction constant.

  In subsequent steps S5 to S13, control states of various devices connected to the air conditioning control device 50 are determined. First, in step S5, the target opening degree SW of the air mix door 19 is calculated based on the target blow temperature TAO, the blown air temperature TE detected by the evaporator temperature sensor 56, and the hot air temperature TWD before air mix.

Specifically, the target opening degree SW can be calculated by the following formula F2.
SW = [{TAO− (TE + 2)} / {TWD− (TE + 2)}] × 100 (%) (F2)
The hot air temperature TWD before the air mix is a value determined according to the heating capacity of the heating means (heater core 14 and PTC heater 15) arranged in the heating cold air passage 16, specifically, It can be calculated by the following formula F3.
TWD = Tw × 0.8 + TE × 0.2 + ΔTptc (F3)
Here, Tw is the cooling water temperature detected by the cooling water temperature sensor 58, and ΔTptc is the amount of increase in the blowing temperature due to the operation of the PTC heater 15, that is, the temperature of the conditioned air blown out from the outlet to the vehicle interior (outlet temperature). Among these, the temperature rise amount contributed by the operation of the PTC heater 15.

  That is, in Formula F3, the warm air temperature TWD before the air mix is the total value of the blowout temperature rise amount (Tw × 0.8 + TE × 0.2) by the heater core 14 and the blowout temperature rise amount ΔTptc by the operation of the PTC heater 15. Asking.

  It is considered that the air temperature rise amount (Tw × 0.8 + TE × 0.2) by the heater core 14 increases to the cooling water temperature Tw at the heater core 14 if the heat exchange efficiency of the heater core 14 is 100%. On the other hand, in the actual heater core 14, the coefficient of 0.8 is determined because the heat exchange efficiency is about 80%.

  Further, it has been found by the present inventors that the amount of temperature rise by the heater core 14 varies depending on the temperature of the blown air flowing into the heater core 14. Since the temperature of the blown air flowing into the heater core 14 is the temperature of the cool air cooled by the evaporator 13, the blown air temperature TE can be adopted. And the coefficient of 0.2 calculated | required experimentally is employ | adopted as a contribution with respect to the blowing temperature rise amount of the temperature of the ventilation air which flows in into this heater core 14. FIG.

On the other hand, the blowout temperature rise amount ΔTptc due to the operation of the PTC heater 15 is the power consumption W (Kw) of the PTC heater 15, the air density ρ (kg / m 3), the specific air heat Cp, and the amount of air passing through the PTC heater 15. Using the air volume Va (m3 / h), it can be calculated by the formula F4.
ΔTptc = W / ρ / Cp / Va × 3600 (F4)
Here, as the power consumption W of the PTC heater 15, a value obtained by correcting the rated power consumption of the PTC heater 15 based on the temperature of the air flowing into the PTC heater 15 and the temperature characteristics of the PTC element can be used. .

As the PTC passing air volume Va, instead of simply using the blower air volume, the air mix opening SW_OLD (%) calculated in the previous step S5 is considered with respect to the air flow calculated by Formula F5, that is, the blower air volume. Use things.
Va (m ³ / h) = Blower air volume (m ³ / h) × f (SW_OLD / 100) (F5)
Here, as f (SW_OLD / 100), when SW_OLD (%) is 10 or more and 100 or less, the result calculated by SW_OLD / 100 is used, and when SW_OLD (%) <10, f (SW_OLD / 100) Is set to 0.1, and f (SW_OLD / 100) is set to 1 when SW_OLD (%)> 100.

  In this way, the blowout temperature rise amount ΔTptc can be calculated so as not to deviate from the blowout temperature rise amount due to the actual operation of the PTC heater 15. Note that ΔTptc is updated every second with a time constant of 30 seconds. When step S5 is executed for the first time, the calculation of Formula F5 is performed with the previous air mix opening SW_OLD = 100%.

  SW = 0 (%) is the maximum cooling position of the air mix door 19, and the cold air bypass passage 17 is fully opened and the heating cold air passage 16 is fully closed. On the other hand, SW = 100 (%) is the maximum heating position of the air mix door 19, and the cold air bypass passage 17 is fully closed and the heating cold air passage 16 is fully opened.

  In the next step S <b> 6, the target air volume of the air blown by the blower 12, that is, the blowing capacity of the blower 12 is determined. Details of step S6 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, in step S21, the temporary blower voltage f (TAO) applied to the electric motor to determine the blowing capacity of the blower 12 is stored in advance in the air conditioning control device 50 based on the TAO determined in step S4. Determine with reference to the control map.

  In the control map of the present embodiment, the temporary blower voltage f (TAO) is set to a high voltage in the extremely low temperature range of TAO (in this embodiment, −20 ° C. or lower) and in the extremely high temperature region (in this embodiment, 100 ° C. or higher). Thus, the air volume of the blower 12 is controlled to be a value close to the maximum air volume. Further, when TAO rises from the extremely low temperature region toward the intermediate temperature region, the temporary blower voltage f (TAO) is decreased according to the increase in TAO, and the amount of air blown by the blower 12 is decreased.

  Further, when the TAO decreases from the extremely high temperature range toward the intermediate temperature range, the temporary blower voltage f (TAO) is decreased according to the decrease in TAO, and the air volume of the blower 12 is decreased. Further, when TAO enters a predetermined intermediate temperature range (10 ° C. to 40 ° C. in the present embodiment), the temporary blower voltage f (TAO) is reduced to about 4V.

  In the present embodiment, the blowing capacity when the temporary blower voltage f (TAO) determined in step S21 is applied to the electric motor is defined as the normal blowing capacity. As is apparent from the above description, the temporary blower voltage f (TAO) is a value determined based on TAO, and is therefore based on the vehicle interior set temperature Tset, the internal temperature Tr, the external temperature Tam, and the solar radiation amount Ts. The value is determined based on the value determined at least by the internal temperature Tr.

  In the next step S22, the power saving blower voltage ECO when the power saving request signal is output is set by the operation signal of the economy switch 60d read in step S2. Specifically, the power saving blower voltage ECO is set to 2V, which is lower than the minimum value (4V) of the temporary blower voltage f (TAO). Therefore, the air blowing capacity when the power saving blower voltage ECO is applied to the electric motor is determined to be lower than the normal air blowing capacity.

  In the next step S23, based on the operating state of the PTC heater 15 determined in step S10 to be described later, the vehicle interior set temperature Tset read in step S2, the output of the economy switch 60d, and the outside air temperature flag f (Tam), The blower voltage V actually applied to the electric motor is determined.

  The outside air temperature flag f (Tam) is a control flag determined in control step S45 described later, and the air blowing capacity of the blower 12 is minimized when the outside air temperature Tam becomes low as in winter. Even if it is lowered, the flag indicates that the temperature of the blown air cannot be raised to the extent that the vehicle interior can be sufficiently heated by the heating capability of the PTC heater 15 alone.

  Specifically, when the outside air temperature flag f (Tam) is ON, the temperature of the blown air cannot be increased to the extent that the vehicle interior can be sufficiently heated only by the heating capacity of the PTC heater 15. On the other hand, when the outside air temperature flag f (Tam) is OFF, the outside air temperature environment in which the vehicle interior can be sufficiently heated by only the heating capacity of the PTC heater 15 is shown. Indicates that

  In step S23, when the PTC heater 15 is operating, that is, when one or more of the first to third PTC heaters 15a, 15b, and 15c are operating, and by the economy switch 60d. When the power saving request signal is output, the flag f (Tam) is OFF, and Tset is lower than the reference target temperature KTset, the blower voltage V is set to ECO (2 V).

  Further, Tset is the reference target even when the PTC heater 15 is operating, the power saving request signal is output by the economy switch 60d, and f (Tam) is OFF. When the temperature is equal to or higher than the temperature KTset, the blower voltage V is set to the temporary blower voltage f (TAO).

  If f (Tam) is ON even when the PTC heater 15 is operating and the power saving request signal is output by the economy switch 60d, the value of Tset is set. Regardless, the blower voltage V is set to f (TAO).

  In addition, even when the PTC heater 15 is operating, if the power saving request signal is not output by the economy switch 60d, the blower voltage V is set to f regardless of the values of f (Tam) and Tset. (TAO).

  When the PTC heater 15 is not operating, the blower voltage V is set to f (TAO) regardless of the output of the economy switch 60d, the outside air temperature flag f (Tam), and the value of Tset.

  That is, in the vehicle air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment, the power saving request signal is output by the economy switch 60d when the PTC heater 15 is operating, and the outside air temperature flag f ( Tam) is OFF and the vehicle interior set temperature (target temperature) Tset is lower than the reference target temperature KTset (28 ° C.), the blower is configured to have a lower capacity than the normal air blowing capacity. Twelve air blowing capacities are determined.

  In the next step S7, the inlet mode, that is, the switching state of the inside / outside air switching box 20 is determined. This inlet mode is also determined based on TAO with reference to a control map stored in advance in the air conditioning controller 50.

  In the present embodiment, priority is given mainly to the outside air mode for introducing outside air. However, the inside air mode for introducing inside air is selected when TAO is in a very low temperature range and high cooling performance is desired. Further, an exhaust gas concentration detecting means for detecting the exhaust gas concentration of the outside air may be provided, and the inside air mode may be selected when the exhaust gas concentration becomes equal to or higher than a predetermined reference concentration.

  In the next step S8, the air outlet mode is determined. This air outlet mode is also determined with reference to a control map stored in advance in the air conditioning control device 50 based on TAO. In this embodiment, as the TAO rises from the low temperature range to the high temperature range, the outlet mode is sequentially switched from the foot mode to the bi-level mode to the face mode.

  Accordingly, the face mode is mainly selected in the summer, the bi-level mode is mainly selected in the spring and autumn, and the foot mode is mainly selected in the winter. Furthermore, when there is a high possibility that fogging will occur on the window glass from the detection value of the humidity sensor, the foot defroster mode or the defroster mode may be selected.

  In the next step S9, the refrigerant discharge capacity (specifically, the rotational speed) of the compressor 31 is determined. The basic method for determining the rotational speed of the compressor 31 of the present embodiment is as follows. For example, the target blowing temperature TEO of the blowing air temperature TE from the evaporator 13 is determined with reference to a control map stored in advance in the air conditioning control device 50 based on the TAO determined in step S4.

  Further, a deviation En (TEO-TE) between the target blowing temperature TEO and the blowing air temperature TE is calculated, and the deviation change rate obtained by subtracting the deviation En-1 calculated last time from the deviation En calculated this time. Based on fuzzy reasoning based on membership functions and rules stored in advance in the air-conditioning control device 50 using Edot (En− (En−1)), the rotation with respect to the previous compressor speed fCn−1 The number change amount ΔfC is obtained. Then, a value obtained by adding the rotational speed change amount ΔfC to the previous compressor rotational speed fCn−1 is set as the current compressor rotational speed fCn.

  In step S10, the number of operating PTC heaters 15 is determined according to the outside air temperature Tam, the air mix opening degree SW, and the cooling water temperature Tw. Details of step S10 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, in step S31, it is determined whether the PTC heater 15 needs to be operated based on the outside air temperature. Specifically, it is determined whether or not the outside air temperature detected by the outside air sensor 52 is higher than a predetermined temperature (26 ° C. in the present embodiment).

  If it is determined in step S31 that the outside air temperature is higher than 26 ° C., it is determined that the blowing temperature assist by the PTC heater 15 is not necessary, and the process proceeds to step S35, where the number of operation of the PTC heater 15 is reduced to zero. decide. On the other hand, if it is determined in step S31 that the outside air temperature is lower than 26 ° C., the process proceeds to step S32.

  In steps S32 and S33, it is determined whether the PTC heater 15 needs to be operated based on the air mix opening SW. Here, the fact that the air mix opening SW becomes smaller means that the necessity of heating the blown air in the heating cool air passage 16 is reduced, so that the air mix opening SW becomes smaller. Therefore, the necessity of operating the PTC heater 15 is also reduced.

  Therefore, in step S32, the air mix opening SW determined in step S5 is compared with a predetermined reference opening, and the air mix opening SW is equal to or less than the first reference opening (30% in the present embodiment). If there is, it is not necessary to operate the PTC heater 15, and the PTC heater operation flag f (SW) = OFF.

  On the other hand, if the air mix opening is equal to or greater than the second reference opening (40% in this embodiment), it is assumed that the PTC heater 15 needs to be operated, and the PTC heater operation flag f (SW) = ON is set. . The opening difference between the first reference opening and the second reference opening is set as a hysteresis width for preventing control hunting.

  In step S33, if the PTC heater operation flag f (SW) determined in step S32 is OFF, the process proceeds to step S35, and the number of operation of the PTC heater is determined to be zero. On the other hand, if the PTC heater operation flag f (SW) is ON, the process proceeds to step S34, and the number of PTC heaters 15 to be operated is determined.

  In step S34, the number of operating PTC heaters 15 is determined according to the coolant temperature Tw. Specifically, when the cooling water temperature Tw is in the rising process, if the cooling water temperature Tw ≧ the first predetermined temperature T1, the number of operation is 0, and the first predetermined temperature T1> the cooling water temperature Tw ≧ second. If the predetermined temperature T2, the number of operation is one, the second predetermined temperature T2> cooling water temperature Tw ≧ the third predetermined temperature T3, the number of operation is two, the third predetermined temperature T3> cooling water temperature Tw ≧ If it is the second predetermined temperature T4, the number of operations is three.

  On the other hand, when the cooling water temperature Tw is in the descending process, if the fourth predetermined temperature T4 ≦ the cooling water temperature Tw, the number of operation is three, and the fourth predetermined temperature T4 <the cooling water temperature Tw ≦ the third predetermined temperature T3. If so, the number of operation is two, and if the third predetermined temperature T3 <cooling water temperature Tw ≦ second predetermined temperature T2, the number of operation is one, and if the second predetermined temperature T1 <cooling water temperature Tw, the operation is performed. The number is set to 0 and the process proceeds to step S11.

  Each predetermined temperature has a relationship of T1> T2> T3> T4. In the present embodiment, specifically, T1 = 67.5 ° C., T2 = 65 ° C., T3 = 62.5 ° C., T4 = 60 ° C. Moreover, the temperature difference of each predetermined temperature is set as a hysteresis width for preventing control hunting.

  In step S11, a request signal output from the air conditioning control device 50 to the engine control device 70 is determined. That is, in step S11, an engine EG operation request signal (engine ON request) or an engine EG operation stop signal (engine OFF request) is determined. Details of step S11 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

  Here, in a normal vehicle that obtains driving force for traveling from the vehicle only from the engine EG, the engine is always operated during traveling, so that the cooling water is always at a high temperature. Therefore, in a normal vehicle, sufficient heating performance can be exhibited by circulating cooling water to the heater core 14.

  On the other hand, in the hybrid vehicle according to the present embodiment, if there is a surplus in the remaining amount of the battery, it is possible to travel by obtaining the driving force for traveling only from the traveling electric motor. For this reason, even if high heating performance is required, if the stop frequency of the engine EG increases, the coolant temperature becomes approximately 40 ° C., and the heater core 14 cannot exhibit sufficient heating performance.

  Therefore, in the present embodiment, when the cooling water temperature Tw is lower than the predetermined reference cooling water temperature even though high heating performance is required, the air conditioning control device maintains the cooling water temperature Tw above a predetermined temperature. An operation request signal is output from 50 to the engine control device 70 so as to operate the engine EG. Thereby, the cooling water temperature Tw is raised and high heating performance is obtained.

  However, the output of such an operation request signal causes the fuel consumption to deteriorate because the engine EG is operated even when the engine EG does not need to be operated as a vehicle driving source. For this reason, it is desirable to reduce the frequency of outputting the operation request signal as much as possible.

  Therefore, in this embodiment, first, in step S41, the amount of air blown from the blower 12 is determined based on the blower voltage V determined in step S6 and the outlet mode determined in step S8. Specifically, a map showing the relationship between the blower voltage V and the blower amount created for each outlet mode is stored in advance in the ECU, and the blower is increased with the increase of the blower voltage V based on this map. 12 is determined so that the air flow from 12 increases.

  Thus, in the determination of the blowing amount in step S41, the blower outlet mode is taken into account even if the blower 12 has the same blowing ability, for example, the blown air flowing through the casing 11 in the blower outlet mode. This is because the pressure loss is different. In the present embodiment, the pressure loss in the casing 11 is set so that the air flow rate is larger in the face mode than in the foot mode.

  Next, in step S42, the blowout temperature rise amount ΔTptc due to the operation of the PTC heater 15 is calculated. The calculation of the blowout temperature rise amount ΔTptc is obtained by the equation F4 described in step S5.

  Next, in step S43, an engine ON water temperature and an engine OFF water temperature are calculated as determination threshold values used for determining whether to output an engine operation request signal or an operation stop signal based on the coolant temperature Tw. The engine ON water temperature is a cooling water temperature that is a criterion for determining that a stop request signal is output, and the engine OFF water temperature is a cooling water that is a criterion for determining that an engine operation stop signal is output. Temperature.

As the engine OFF water temperature KTw1, the smaller one of the cooling water temperature and 70 ° C. required for the actual vehicle interior blown air temperature to be approximately the target blowout temperature TAO is adopted. In addition, the cooling water temperature required in order that the actual vehicle interior blowing air temperature may become the target blowing temperature TAO is calculated using the following formula F6.
{(TAO−ΔTptc) − (TE × 0.2)} / 0.8 (F6)
Note that the above formula F6 is the sum of the blowout temperature rise amount (Tw × 0.8 + TE × 0.2) by the heater core 14 and the blowout temperature rise amount ΔTptc due to the operation of the PTC heater 15 described in step S5. This is equivalent to the expression modified to obtain the value of Tw as equal to TAO.

  On the other hand, the engine ON water temperature KTw2 is set lower by a predetermined value (5 ° C. in the present embodiment) than the engine OFF water temperature in order to prevent the engine from being frequently turned ON / OFF. That is, KTw2 = KTw1-5, and this predetermined value is set as a hysteresis width for preventing control hunting. Note that KTw1 and KTw2 may be predetermined fixed values (for example, KTw = 45 ° C., KTw2 = 40 ° C.).

  Next, in step S44, a temporary request signal flag f (Tw) indicating whether or not to output an operation request signal or an operation stop signal for the engine EG is determined according to the coolant temperature Tw. Specifically, if the cooling water temperature Tw is lower than the engine ON water temperature determined in step S43, it is temporarily determined that a temporary request signal flag f (Tw) = ON and an operation request signal for the engine EG is output. If the cooling water temperature is higher than the engine OFF water temperature, the provisional request signal flag f (Tw) = OFF is temporarily determined to output the engine EG operation stop signal.

  Next, in step S45, the vehicle interior can be sufficiently heated even if the outside air temperature Tam is lowered as in winter and the air blowing capability of the blower 12 is reduced to a minimum by the heating capability of the PTC heater 15 alone. An outside air temperature flag f (Tam) indicating that the temperature of the blown air cannot be raised to the extent is determined.

  Specifically, if the outside air temperature Tam is equal to or lower than the first reference outside air temperature Ktam1 (5 ° C. in the present embodiment), the amount of blown air can be sufficiently heated by the heating capability of the PTC heater 15 alone. Assuming that the temperature cannot be raised, the outside air temperature flag f (Tam) = ON.

  On the other hand, if the outside air temperature Tam is equal to or higher than the second reference outside air temperature Ktam2 (6 ° C. in the present embodiment), the temperature of the blown air is increased to the extent that the vehicle interior can be sufficiently heated only by the heating capacity of the PTC heater 15. It is assumed that the outside air temperature flag f (Tam) = OFF. The temperature difference between the first reference outside air temperature Ktam1 and the second reference outside air temperature Ktam2 is set as a hysteresis width for preventing control hunting.

  In the next step S46, the operating state of the PTC heater 15 determined in step S10, the vehicle interior set temperature Tset read in step S2, the output of the economy switch 60d, and the temporary request signal flag f (Tw) determined in step S44. Based on the outside air temperature flag f (Tam) determined in step S45, a request signal to be actually output to the engine control device 70 is determined. Details of step S46 will be described with reference to the explanatory diagram of FIG.

  Specifically, in step S46, when the PTC heater 15 is operating, that is, when one or more of the first to third PTC heaters 15a, 15b, 15c are operating, and the economy When the power saving request signal is output by the switch 60d, f (Tam) is OFF, and Tset is lower than the reference target temperature KTset (28 ° C.), the request signal flag f ( Regardless of Tw), it is determined to output the operation stop signal of the engine EG.

  Further, Tset is the reference target even when the PTC heater 15 is operating, the power saving request signal is output by the economy switch 60d, and f (Tam) is OFF. When the temperature is equal to or higher than KTset, it is determined to output a request signal determined by f (Tw).

  If f (Tam) is ON even when the PTC heater 15 is operating and the power saving request signal is output by the economy switch 60d, the value of Tset is set. Regardless, it is determined to output a request signal determined by f (Tw).

  Further, even when the PTC heater 15 is operating, if the power saving request signal is not output by the economy switch 60d, f (Tw) and f (Tw) are set regardless of the values of f (Tam) and Tset. It is determined to output a similar request signal.

  When the PTC heater 15 is not operating, it is determined to output a request signal determined by f (Tw) regardless of the output of the economy switch 60d and the values of f (Tam) and Tset.

  That is, in the vehicle air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment, the power saving request signal is output by the economy switch 60d when the PTC heater 15 is operating, and the outside air temperature flag f ( Tam) is OFF and the vehicle interior set temperature (target temperature) Tset is lower than the reference target temperature KTset (28 ° C.), the operation stop signal is used to reduce the frequency of operating the engine EG. Is determined to be output.

  In the next step 12, it is determined whether or not to operate the electric water pump 42 that circulates the cooling water between the heater core 14 and the engine EG. Details of step S12 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG. First, in step S51, it is determined whether or not the coolant temperature Tw is higher than the blown air temperature TE.

  In step S51, when the cooling water temperature Tw is equal to or lower than the blown air temperature TE, the process proceeds to step S54, and it is determined that the electric water pump 42 is stopped (OFF). The reason is that if the cooling water flows to the heater core 14 when the cooling water temperature Tw is equal to or lower than the blown air temperature TE, the cooling water flowing through the heater core 14 cools the air after passing through the evaporator 13. Therefore, the temperature of the air blown from the outlet is lowered.

  On the other hand, when the cooling water temperature Tw is higher than the blown air temperature TE in step S51, the process proceeds to step S52. In step S52, it is determined whether the blower 12 is operating. If it is determined in step S52 that the blower 12 is not operating, the process proceeds to step S54, and it is determined to stop (OFF) the electric water pump 42 for power saving.

  On the other hand, when it determines with the air blower 12 having been act | operated in step S52, it progresses to step S53 and determines operating the electric water pump 42 (ON). Thereby, since the electric water pump 42 operates and the cooling water circulates in the refrigerant circuit, heat can be exchanged between the cooling water flowing through the heater core 14 and the air passing through the heater core 14 to heat the blown air. .

  Next, in step S13, it is determined whether or not the seat air conditioner 80 needs to be operated. Details of step S13 will be described with reference to the explanatory diagram of FIG. In step S13, the target blowing temperature TAO determined in step S5, the operating state of the PTC heater 15 determined in step S10, the vehicle interior set temperature Tset read in step S2, the output of the economy switch 60d, the outside air temperature flag f (Tam ) To determine whether or not to operate the seat air conditioner 80.

  Specifically, when the target blowing temperature TAO is lower than 100 ° C. and the PTC heater 15 is operating, that is, one or more of the first to third PTC heaters 15a, 15b, 15c are operating. When the power saving request signal is output by the economy switch 60d, f (Tam) is OFF, and Tset is lower than the reference target temperature KTset (28 ° C.) Is determined to activate (ON) the seat air conditioner 80.

  Further, when the target blowing temperature TAO is lower than 100 ° C. and the PTC heater 15 is operating, the power saving request signal is output by the economy switch 60d, and f (Tam) Even if is OFF, if Tset is equal to or higher than the reference target temperature KTset, it is determined that the seat air conditioner 80 is not operated (OFF).

  Further, even when the target blowing temperature TAO is lower than 100 ° C. and the PTC heater 15 is operating and the power saving request signal is output by the economy switch 60d, f (Tam) is When it is ON, it is determined that the seat air conditioner 80 is not operated (OFF) regardless of the value of Tset.

  In addition, even when the target blowing temperature TAO is lower than 100 ° C. and the PTC heater 15 is operating, if the power saving request signal is not output by the economy switch 60d, f (Tam) and Regardless of the value of Tset, it is determined that the seat air conditioner 80 is inactivated (OFF).

  Even if the target blowout temperature TAO is lower than 100 ° C., when the PTC heater 15 is not operating, the seat air conditioner 80 is turned on regardless of the output of the economy switch 60d, the values of f (Tam) and Tset. It is determined to be inactive (OFF). When the target outlet temperature TAO is 100 ° C. or higher, the seat air conditioner 80 is activated (ON) regardless of the operating state of the PTC heater 15, the output of the economy switch 60d, the values of f (Tam) and Tset. ).

  That is, in the vehicle air conditioner of this embodiment, the target blowout temperature TAO is lower than 100 ° C. and the PTC heater 15 is operating, and the power saving request signal is output by the economy switch 60d. If the outside air temperature flag f (Tam) is OFF and Tset is lower than the reference target temperature KTset (28 ° C.), the seat air conditioner 80 is activated (ON). To decide.

  In step S14, various devices 12, 61, 35, 62, 63, 64, 15a, 15b, 15c, 42, 80 are provided from the air conditioning control device 50 so that the control state determined in steps S5 to S13 described above is obtained. In addition, a control signal and a control voltage are output to the engine control device 70.

  Thereby, for example, the control voltage (blower voltage V) is output to the electric motor of the blower 12 from the blowing capacity control means 50a of the air conditioning control device 50. Further, a control signal is output from the seat air conditioning control means 50b to the seat air conditioning device 80.

  Furthermore, if an engine operation request signal is output from request signal output means 50c to engine control device 70, engine EG operates even when engine EG is stopped due to traveling conditions. Further, if an engine stop request signal is output from the request signal output means 50c to the engine control device 70, the engine EG can be operated even when the engine EG is operated to secure a heat source for the heater core 14. Can be stopped.

  In the next step S15, the process waits for the control period τ and returns to step S2 when it is determined that the control period τ has elapsed.

  In the present embodiment, the control cycle τ is 250 ms. This is because the air conditioning control in the passenger compartment does not adversely affect the controllability even if the control period is slower than the engine control or the like. As a result, it is possible to suppress a communication amount for air conditioning control in the vehicle and sufficiently secure a communication amount of a control system that needs to perform high-speed control such as engine control.

  Since the vehicle air conditioner 1 of this embodiment operates as described above, the blown air blown from the blower 12 is cooled by the evaporator 13. Then, the cool air cooled by the evaporator 13 flows into the heating cool air passage 16 and the cool air bypass passage 17 according to the opening degree of the air mix door 19.

  The cold air that has flowed into the heating cold air passage 16 is heated when passing through the heater core 14 and the PTC heater 15, and is mixed with the cold air that has passed through the cold air bypass passage 17 in the mixing space 18. Then, the conditioned air whose temperature is adjusted in the mixing space 18 is blown out from the mixing space 18 into the vehicle interior via the respective outlets.

  When the inside air temperature Tr in the passenger compartment is cooled below the outside air temperature Tam by the conditioned air blown into the inside of the passenger compartment, cooling of the inside of the passenger compartment is realized, while the inside air temperature Tr is heated higher than the outside air temperature Tam. In such a case, heating of the passenger compartment is realized.

  At this time, in the vehicle air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment, as described in Step S6, the power saving request signal is output when the PTC heater 15 is operating and the economy switch 60d. When the outside air temperature flag f (Tam) is OFF and the vehicle interior set temperature (target temperature) Tset is lower than the reference target temperature KTset (28 ° C.) The air blowing capacity control means 50a determines the air blowing capacity of the blower 12 so that the air blowing capacity is lower than the current air blowing capacity.

  Further, as described in step S11, the request signal output means 50c sends an operation stop signal (frequency) to the engine control device 70 so as to reduce the frequency of operating the engine EG when the same conditions are met. Output a reduction request signal).

  Therefore, for example, the frequency at which the engine control device 70 operates the engine EG in order to increase the cooling water temperature and improve the heating capacity of the heater core 14 can be suppressed. That is, it is possible to reliably reduce the operating frequency of the engine EG and improve the fuel efficiency of the vehicle hull.

  Furthermore, when the above-described conditions are satisfied, the air blowing capacity control means 50a reduces the air blowing capacity of the blower 12 compared to the normal time and reduces the air flow rate of the blower 21. The temperature of the blown air can be increased by increasing the endothermic amount per unit air amount to be heated.

  Therefore, for example, even when the cooling water temperature Tw is lowered and the heating capacity of the heater core 14 is insufficient for heating the vehicle interior, the temperature of the blown air is controlled by the heating capacity of the PTC heater 15. The vehicle interior can be heated by raising it. As a result, heating of the passenger compartment can be realized while sufficiently suppressing deterioration of fuel consumption.

  Furthermore, as the above-mentioned condition, one of the conditions is that the outside air temperature flag f (Tam) is OFF. That is, when the outside air temperature Tam becomes lower than the first reference outside air temperature KTam1 as in winter, the air blowing capacity of the blower 12 is reduced and an operation stop signal is output to the engine control device 70. Don't do that. Therefore, when the outside temperature Tam becomes low, it can suppress that a passenger | crew will feel lack of a feeling of heating.

  Further, as one of the above-described conditions, one of the conditions is that a power saving request signal is output by the economy switch 60d. When the power saving request signal is output by the economy switch 60d, priority is given to the power saving of the power required for air conditioning over the feeling of heating according to the passenger's request. Even if it is lowered, it is difficult for passengers to feel discomfort due to lack of heating.

  Further, as one of the above-mentioned conditions, one of the conditions is that the vehicle interior set temperature Tset set by the vehicle interior temperature setting switch 60c is lower than the reference target temperature KTset (28 ° C.). Even when the vehicle is heated, if the passenger compartment preference temperature Tset is set lower than the reference target temperature KTset, even if the air blowing capacity of the blower 12 is reduced, the passenger is not likely to have a feeling of heating. It is difficult to feel pleasure.

  Further, in the vehicle air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment, as described in step S13, when the target blowing temperature TAO is lower than 100 ° C. and the above condition is satisfied, the seat air conditioning control unit 50b The air conditioner 80 is activated.

  In addition, when the target blowing temperature TAO is 100 ° C. or higher is a time when the heating requirement is extremely high, in the present embodiment, the seat air-conditioning control unit 50b performs the seat air-conditioning when the above-described conditions are substantially satisfied. The device 80 will be activated. Therefore, even if the blowing capacity of the blower 12 is lowered, the seat air conditioner 80 can increase the feeling of heating of the occupant, sufficiently suppressing the deterioration of the fuel consumption, and further realizing sufficient heating of the passenger compartment. it can.

(Other embodiments)
The present invention is not limited to the above-described embodiment, and can be variously modified as follows without departing from the spirit of the present invention.

  (1) In the above-described embodiment, the PTC heater 15 is operating, the power saving request signal is output by the economy switch 60d, and the outside air temperature flag f (Tam) is OFF. The predetermined condition is established when the vehicle interior set temperature (target temperature) Tset becomes lower than the reference target temperature KTset (28 ° C.). It is not limited to this.

  The condition that the power saving request signal is output by the above-described economy switch 60d, the condition that the outside air temperature flag f (Tam) is OFF, and the vehicle interior set temperature (target temperature) Tset are the reference target temperature. Assuming that at least one of the conditions that the temperature is lower than KTset (28 ° C.) is satisfied, and that the predetermined condition is satisfied when the PTC heater 15 is operating, the normal air blowing The blower capacity control means 50a determines the blower capacity of the blower 12 so that the capacity is lower than the capacity, and the request signal output means 50c outputs an operation stop signal (frequency decrease request signal) to the engine control device 70. May be.

  (2) In the above-described embodiment, the example applied to the hybrid vehicle of the present invention has been described, but the application of the present invention is not limited to this.

  For example, the present invention may be applied to a fuel cell vehicle that supplies electric power from a fuel cell to a vehicle driving motor. In this case, in contrast to the above-described embodiment, the fuel cell is a heat-generating device that operates while generating heat by consuming hydrogen (energy source) used to output driving power, and controls the operation of the fuel cell. The control means that performs this operation may be a heating device control means, and battery cooling water for cooling the fuel cell may be supplied to the heater core 14 as a heat medium to heat the blown air.

  By applying the vehicle air conditioner according to the present invention to such a fuel cell vehicle, the frequency of the heating device control means unnecessarily operating the fuel cell is suppressed, and used to output driving power. The amount of hydrogen consumed can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to realize heating in the passenger compartment while sufficiently suppressing a decrease in travel distance per unit hydrogen flow rate (that is, deterioration of fuel consumption in a fuel cell vehicle).

  Moreover, you may apply to the electric vehicle which supplies electric power to the motor for vehicle travel from a vehicle-mounted battery. In this case, an electric heater for heating a heating medium that heats the heating medium supplied to the heater core 14 is provided in the above-described embodiment, and the electric power used for outputting the driving power to the heating heater for heating the heating medium. As a heat generating device that operates while consuming (energy source) and generating heat, a control unit that controls the operation of the electric heater for heating the heat medium may be a heating device control unit.

  By applying the vehicle air conditioner of the present invention to such an electric vehicle, it is possible to suppress the frequency that the electric heater for heating the heating medium is operated unnecessarily, and to use the electric power used to output the driving power. Consumption can be reduced. As a result, it is possible to realize heating of the passenger compartment while sufficiently suppressing a decrease in travel distance per unit power (that is, deterioration of fuel consumption in an electric vehicle).

  (3) In the above embodiment, the vehicle air conditioner having the heater core 14 as the heating means has been described. However, the vehicle air conditioner having only the PTC heater 15 as the electric heating means without providing the heating means. However, by applying to the above-described electric vehicle or the like, it is possible to realize heating of the passenger compartment while sufficiently suppressing deterioration in fuel consumption.

  That is, when the vehicle interior is heated by the PTC heater 15 which is an electric heating means, the condition that the power saving request signal is output by the above-described economy switch 60d, the outside air temperature flag f (Tam) is OFF. And at least one of the conditions that the vehicle interior set temperature (target temperature) Tset is lower than the reference target temperature KTset (28 ° C.) What is necessary is just to determine the ventilation capability of the air blower 12 so that the control means 50a may become a capability lower than the normal ventilation capability.

  Thereby, while the temperature of blowing air can be raised and the power consumption of the air blower 12 can be reduced, heating of the vehicle interior can be realized while sufficiently suppressing a decrease in travel distance per unit power.

  (4) In the above-described embodiment, when the predetermined condition is satisfied, the request signal output unit 50c stops the operation as the frequency decrease request signal to the engine control device 70 so as to decrease the frequency of operating the engine EG. Although a signal is output, the frequency reduction request signal is not limited to this. For example, this means that the engine control device 70 (heat generating device control means) also includes a signal for changing the condition for operating the internal combustion engine EG (heat generating device) so that the internal combustion engine EG (heat generating device) is difficult to operate.

  (5) In the above-described embodiment, the example in which the PTC heater 15 is employed as the electric heating unit has been described. However, the electric heating unit is not limited thereto. Any heating means that generates heat by supplying electric power can employ a heater such as a resistance heating method or a dielectric heating method.

  (6) In the above-described embodiment, an example in which a heating wire type is adopted as the seat air conditioner has been described, but the seat air conditioner is not limited to this. For example, the sheet air-conditioning temperature comprising a sheet air-conditioning air blowing means for blowing the air-conditioning air blown from a plurality of air holes provided on the surface of the seat, and a Peltier module for adjusting the temperature of the sheet air-conditioning air blowing means You may employ | adopt a seat air conditioner provided with an adjustment means. According to this, seat air conditioning can be performed not only during heating but also during cooling.

  (7) In the above-described embodiment, the vehicle air conditioner of the present invention is applied to a so-called parallel type hybrid vehicle that can travel by directly obtaining driving force from both the engine EG and the traveling electric motor in the hybrid vehicle. However, the application of the vehicle air conditioner of the present invention is not limited to this example. For example, the engine EG is used as a drive source for the generator, the generated power is stored in a battery, and further, the drive power is obtained from a traveling electric motor that operates by being supplied with the power stored in the battery. The present invention may be applied to a so-called serial type hybrid vehicle.

EG engine (heat generation equipment)
DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS 12 Blower 14 Heater core 15 PTC heater 50a Blowing capacity control means 50b Seat air-conditioning control means 50c Request signal output means 60c Car interior temperature setting switch 60d Economy switch 70 Engine control device (heating equipment control means)
80 seat air conditioner

Claims (8)

Air blowing means (12) for blowing air toward the passenger compartment;
A heating means (14) for heating the blown air blown by the blowing means (12), using cooling water for cooling the internal combustion engine (EG) as a heat source;
An electric heating means (15) for heating the blown air by being supplied with electric power;
A blowing capacity control means (50a) for controlling the blowing capacity of the blowing means (12);
Request signal output means (50c) for outputting a frequency reduction request signal for reducing the frequency of operating the internal combustion engine (EG) to the internal combustion engine control means (70) for controlling the operation of the internal combustion engine (EG); With
The air blowing capacity control means (50a) determines a normal air blowing capacity based on at least the passenger compartment temperature (Tr),
When a predetermined condition is established, the blowing air is heated by the electric heating means (15), and the blowing capacity control means (50a) has a lower capacity than the normal blowing capacity. The vehicle air conditioner is characterized in that the air blowing capacity is determined as described above, and further, the request signal output means (50c) outputs the frequency decrease request signal.   2. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined condition is satisfied when the passenger compartment outside temperature (Tam) is equal to or higher than a predetermined reference outside temperature (KTam1). Power saving request means (60d) for outputting a power saving request signal for requesting power saving of power required for air conditioning in the passenger compartment by the operation of the passenger,
The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 or 2, wherein the predetermined condition is satisfied when the power saving request signal is output by the power saving request means (60d). . Provided with a target temperature setting means (60c) for setting a target temperature (Tset) in the passenger compartment by an operation of a passenger;
The time when the predetermined condition is satisfied is when the target temperature (Tset) is set lower than a predetermined reference target temperature (KTset). The vehicle air conditioner described.   The internal combustion engine control means (70) controls the internal combustion engine (EG) so that the cooling water temperature (Tw) of the cooling water flowing out from the internal combustion engine (EG) is equal to or higher than a reference cooling water temperature (KTw2). The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the operation is controlled. Air blowing means (12) for blowing air toward the passenger compartment;
An electric heating means (15) for heating the blown air by being supplied with electric power;
A blowing capacity control means (50a) for controlling the blowing capacity of the blowing means (12),
The air blowing capacity control means (50a) determines a normal air blowing capacity based on at least the passenger compartment temperature (Tr),
The vehicle air conditioner is characterized in that, when a predetermined condition is established, the air blowing capacity control means (50a) determines the air blowing capacity so that the air blowing capacity is lower than the normal air blowing capacity. . Air blowing means (12) for blowing air toward the passenger compartment;
Using the heat source heated by the heat generating device (EG) that operates while generating heat by consuming the energy source used to output the driving power, the blown air blown by the blowing means (12) is used as the heat source. Heating means (14) for heating;
An electric heating means (15) for heating the blown air by being supplied with electric power;
A blowing capacity control means (50a) for controlling the blowing capacity of the blowing means (12);
Request signal output means (50c) for outputting a frequency reduction request signal for reducing the frequency of operating the heat generating device (EG) to the heat generating device control means (70) for controlling the operation of the heat generating device (EG). With
The air blowing capacity control means (50a) determines a normal air blowing capacity based on at least the passenger compartment temperature (Tr),
When a predetermined condition is established, the blowing air is heated by the electric heating means (15), and the blowing capacity control means (50a) has a lower capacity than the normal blowing capacity. The vehicle air conditioner is characterized in that the air blowing capacity is determined as described above, and further, the request signal output means (50c) outputs the frequency decrease request signal. Seat air conditioning means (80) for increasing the surface temperature of the seat on which the occupant is seated;
Seat air conditioning control means (50b) for controlling the operation of the seat air conditioning means (80),
The vehicle air conditioning system according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the seat air conditioning control means (50b) operates the seat air conditioning means (80) when the predetermined condition is satisfied. apparatus.

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