Cool air/warm air generation system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11511596-B2
Application number	US-201916506194-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2019
Priority date	Feb 10, 2017
Publication date	Nov 29, 2022
Grant date	Nov 29, 2022

Abstract

An acoustic wave generation unit oscillates working fluid of 35 atm or less so as to generate acoustic waves with a frequency in a range from 50 Hz or more and 500 Hz or less. A heat/acoustic wave conversion component has a partition wall of 5.0 W/mK or less between two end faces which defines a plurality of cells of 620 cells/cm 2 or more and 3100 cells/cm 2 or less. A heat exchanger disposed close to one end face receives heat from a first external air flowing into the heat exchanger and gives the heat to the one end face so as to flow out a cold air. Another heat exchanger disposed close to the other end face receives heat from the other end face and gives the heat to a second external air flowing into the another heat exchanger so as to flow out a warm air.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cool air/warm air generation system to cool and heat a cabin of an electric vehicle, comprising:
an acoustic wave generation unit that includes a linear motor which receives AC power and generates a vibration force in a linear direction, the acoustic wave generation unit oscillating working fluid, that has a pressure of 35 atm or less and oscillates to transmit acoustic waves, with the linear motor so as to generate acoustic waves with a frequency in a range from 50 Hz or more and 500 Hz or less and in accordance with the frequency of the AC power;
a transmission tube that is filled with the working fluid, and transmits acoustic waves generated at the acoustic wave generation unit with oscillations of the working fluid; and
a cool air/warm air generation unit that obtains first external air and second external air from an outside of the electric vehicle and gives heat of the first external air to the second external air via acoustic waves transmitted through the transmission tube so as to change the first external air into cool air with a decreased temperature and change the second external air into warm air with an increased temperature, wherein
the cool air/warm air generation unit includes:
a heat/acoustic wave conversion component that has a partition wall which defines a plurality of cells extending between two end faces of the heat/acoustic wave conversion component and having inside thereof being filled with the working fluid, the heat/acoustic wave conversion component mutually converting heat exchanged between the partition wall and the working fluid and energy of acoustic waves resulting from oscillations of the working fluid;
a heat exchanger for cool air that is disposed close to one of the two end faces of the heat/acoustic wave conversion component and that receives heat from the first external air flowing into the heat exchanger for cool air and gives the heat to the one end face of the heat/acoustic wave conversion component so as to flow out the cold air; and
a heat exchanger for warm air that is disposed close to the other end face of the heat/acoustic wave conversion component and that receives heat from the other end face and gives the heat to the second external air flowing into the heat exchanger for warm air so as to flow out the warm air,
wherein the heat/acoustic wave conversion component has a cell density of 620 cells/cm 2 or more and 3100 cells/cm 2 or less of a cell-structured region occupied by a cross section of the partition wall and a cross section of the cells in a cross section perpendicular to the extending direction of the cells, and
a material of the partition wall has heat conductivity of 5.0 W/mK or less.

2. The cool air/warm air generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the heat/acoustic wave conversion component includes a circumferential wall that connects circumferential parts of the two end faces so as to surround the partition wall as a whole and so defines a lateral part of the heat/acoustic wave conversion component, and
a ratio of an equivalent circle diameter of the cell-structured region to an equivalent circle diameter of the cross section of the heat/acoustic wave conversion component is 0.6 or more and 0.94 or less.

3. The cool air/warm air generation system according to claim 2 , wherein the ratio is 0.8 or more and 0.9 or less.

4. The cool air/warm air generation system according to claim 2 , wherein the circumferential wall is monolithic with the partition wall.

5. The cool air/warm air generation system according to claim 1 , wherein a cell structure body, that is a portion of the whole of the heat/acoustic wave conversion component in which a cell structure is formed by the partition wall and the cells, has a Young's modulus of 7 GPa or more.

6. The cool air/warm air generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the acoustic wave generation unit includes a sealing oscillation member that has a hole section which forms a through hole, and that seals the transmission tube other than the hole section and receives a vibration force generated by the linear motor to oscillate in the linear direction, wherein
the hole section forms, as the through hole, a through hole whose size enables the hole section to exert a frequency-filtering function such that;
when the sealing oscillation member oscillates with a high frequency higher than 500 Hz or with a low frequency lower than 50 Hz, the hole section allows the working fluid to enter the hole section or to pass through the hole section so as to suppress oscillations of the working fluid with the high frequency or the low frequency, and
when the sealing oscillation member oscillates with a frequency in a range of 50 Hz or more and 500 Hz or less, the hole section allows oscillation of the working fluid at the frequency in the range.

7. The cool air/warm air generation system according to claim 1 , wherein the acoustic wave generation unit selectively executes;
a heating mode in which the acoustic wave generation unit generates acoustic waves traveling from the one end face to the other end face of the heat/acoustic wave conversion component through the cells of the heat/acoustic wave conversion component, and
a cooling mode in which the acoustic wave generation unit generates acoustic waves traveling from the other end face to the one end face of the heat/acoustic wave conversion component through the cells of the heat/acoustic wave conversion component, and
the cool air/warm air generation unit selectively executes;
a driving mode in which the cool air/warm air generation unit obtains the first external air from the outside of the electric vehicle and obtains first cabin air instead of the second external air, and
a ventilation mode in which the cool air/warm air generation unit obtains the second external air from the outside of the electric vehicle and obtains second cabin air instead of the first external air, wherein
when the acoustic wave generation unit executes the heating mode and the cool air/warm air generation unit executes the driving mode, the heat exchanger for cool air receives heat from the first external air and gives the heat to the one end face, and flows out air that corresponds to the first external air after giving the heat to the heat exchanger for cool air to the outside of the electric vehicle, and the heat exchanger for warm air receives the heat of the first external air from the other end face via acoustic waves and gives the heat to the first cabin air, and flows out air that corresponds to the first cabin air after receiving the heat into the cabin of the electric vehicle,
when the acoustic wave generation unit executes the heating mode and the cool air/warm air generation unit executes the ventilation mode, the heat exchanger for cool air receives heat from the second cabin air and gives the heat to the one end face, and flows out air that corresponds to the second cabin air after giving the heat to the heat exchanger for cool air to the outside of the electric vehicle, and the heat exchanger for warm air receives the heat of the second cabin air from the other end face via acoustic waves and gives the heat to the second external air, and flows out air that corresponds to the second external air after receiving the heat into the cabin of the electric vehicle,
when the acoustic wave generation unit executes the cooling mode and the cool air/warm air generation unit executes the driving mode, the heat exchanger for warm air receives heat from the first cabin air and gives the heat to the other end face, and flows out air that corresponds to the first cabin air after giving the heat to the heat exchanger for warm air into the cabin of the electric vehicle, and the heat exchanger for cool air receives the h

Assignees

• Ngk Insulators Ltd

Inventors

• Miyairi Yukio
• Miwa Shinichi

Classifications

• B60H2001/3292

  Compressor drive is electric only · CPC title

• B60H1/00392 Primary

  for electric vehicles having only electric drive means · CPC title

• B60H1/00899

  Controlling the flow of liquid in a heat pump system (controlling the properties of the refrigerant liquid, e.g. pressure or temperature, B60H1/3204) · CPC title

• B60H2001/00961

  comprising means for defrosting outside heat exchangers · CPC title

• F25B9/145

  pulse-tube cycle · CPC title