Vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2022003143-A1
Application number	US-202117342798-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jun 9, 2021
Priority date	Jul 1, 2020
Publication date	Jan 6, 2022
Grant date	—

Abstract

In a cooling path of a motor, an oil control valve is provided between a motor cooling oil path and a first motor cooling path, a first heat exchanger is provided in the first motor cooling path, and a second heat exchanger is provided in a second motor cooling path. In a motor-drive mode, a valve control unit switches the oil control valve to the first motor cooling path side when an engine temperature is lower than a first threshold, and switches the oil control valve to the second motor cooling path side when the engine temperature is equal to or higher than the first threshold. In the first heat exchanger, motor cooling oil and engine oil exchange heat. In the second heat exchanger, the motor cooling oil and a coolant for the engine exchange heat.

First claim

1 . A vehicle comprising:
a drive unit that includes an engine and a motor arranged adjacent to each other and has, as drive modes, an engine-drive mode in which the vehicle travels by the engine and a motor-drive mode in which the vehicle travels by the motor; a first engine cooling path being a path of a first engine refrigerant for cooling the engine; a second engine cooling path being a path of a second engine refrigerant for cooling the engine, including a fan for cooling the second engine refrigerant in the path, and being a different path from the first engine cooling path; a motor cooling path being a path of a motor refrigerant for cooling the motor and including a first motor cooling path and a second motor cooling path that are different paths from each other; a first heat exchanger by which the first engine refrigerant flowing through the first engine cooling path and the motor refrigerant flowing through the first motor cooling path exchange heat; a second heat exchanger by which the second engine refrigerant flowing through the second engine cooling path and the motor refrigerant flowing through the second motor cooling path exchange the heat; a first oil control valve that switches between the first motor cooling path and the second motor cooling path; an engine coolant temperature sensor for detecting a temperature of the engine; and a controller that controls the first oil control valve on the basis of the temperature of the engine, wherein in the motor-drive mode, the controller executes switching control of the first oil control valve such that, in the case where the temperature of the engine is lower than a specified a first threshold, the motor is cooled by the first motor cooling path, and in the case where the temperature of the engine is equal to or higher than the first threshold, the motor is cooled by the second motor cooling path.

2 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , further comprising:
an ebullient cooler including:
a path for circulating an ebullient cooling refrigerant, a boiling point of which is lower than that of the motor refrigerant;
an ebullient section that is disposed in the middle of the circulation path to exchange the heat between the motor refrigerant and the ebullient cooling refrigerant; and
a condensation section that condenses the ebullient cooling refrigerant, wherein
in the case where the temperature of the engine is equal to or higher than the first threshold, the ebullient cooling refrigerant is boiled in the ebullient section, the boiled ebullient cooling refrigerant is condensed in the condensation section, and the motor is thereby cooled.

3 . The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein
the motor includes a pan for receiving the motor refrigerant in a lower portion thereof, and the ebullient section of the ebullient cooler is disposed in the pan.

4 . The vehicle according to claim 3 , wherein
the ebullient cooler further includes an ebullient cooler fan that is disposed adjacent to the condensation section and cools the condensation section with air, and in the case where the temperature of the engine is equal to or higher than the first threshold, the controller drives the ebullient cooler fan.

5 . The vehicle according to claim 4 , wherein
the motor cooling path further includes a third motor cooling path that is a path branched from an upstream side in a flow direction of the refrigerant from the first oil control valve and connected to the motor without the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger being interposed therebetween, a second oil control valve is provided at a position where the third motor cooling path is branched, and switches between the path to the first oil control valve and the third motor cooling path, and in the motor-drive mode, in the case where the temperature of the engine is equal to or higher than a second threshold that is higher than the first threshold, the controller controls the second oil control valve for cooling the motor by the third motor cooling path.

6 . The vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein
the motor includes:
a rotor-and-stator; and
a housing that covers an outer side of the rotor-and-stator, and
the motor refrigerant is oil and flows from an upper side to a lower side inside of the housing.

7 . The vehicle according to claim 6 , wherein the first engine refrigerant is engine oil, and the second engine refrigerant is a coolant.

8 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the motor cooling path further includes a third motor cooling path that is a path branched from an upstream side in a flow direction of the refrigerant from the first oil control valve and connected to the motor without the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger being interposed therebetween, a second oil control valve is provided at a position where the third motor cooling path is branched, and switches between the path to the first oil control valve and the third motor cooling path, and in the motor-drive mode, in the case where the temperature of the engine is equal to or higher than a second threshold that is higher than the first threshold, the controller controls the second oil control valve for cooling the motor by the third motor cooling path.

9 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein
the motor includes:
a rotor-and-stator; and
a housing that covers an outer side of the rotor-and-stator, and
the motor refrigerant is oil and flows from an upper side to a lower side inside of the housing.

10 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein the first engine refrigerant is engine oil, and the second engine refrigerant is a coolant.

11 . The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein
the ebullient cooler further includes an ebullient cooler fan that is disposed adjacent to the condensation section and cools the condensation section with air, and in the case where the temperature of the engine is equal to or higher than the first threshold, the controller drives the ebullient cooler fan.

12 . The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein
the motor cooling path further includes a third motor cooling path that is a path branched from an upstream side in a flow direction of the refrigerant from the first oil control valve and connected to the motor without the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger being interposed therebetween, a second oil control valve is provided at a position where the third motor cooling path is branched, and switches between the path to the first oil control valve and the third motor cooling path, and in the motor-drive mode, in the case where the temperature of the engine is equal to or higher than a second threshold that is higher than the first threshold, the controller controls the second oil control valve for cooling the motor by the third motor cooling path.

13 . The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein
the motor includes:
a rotor-and-stator; and
a housing that covers an outer side of the rotor-and-stator, and
the motor refrigerant is oil and flows from an upper side to a lower side inside of the housing.

14 . The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein the first engine refrigerant is engine oil, and the second engine refrigerant is a coolant.

15 . The vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein
the motor includes:
a rotor-and-stator; and
a housing that covers an outer side of the rotor-and-stator, and
the motor refrigerant is oil and flows from an upper side to a lower side inside of the housing.

16 . The vehicle according to claim 8 , wherein the first engine refrigerant is engin

Assignees

• Mazda Motor

Inventors

• Tanaka Hiroshi
• Ueno Satoshi
• Kinoshita Hiroshi
• Yonemori Kei

Classifications

• Y02T10/62

  Hybrid vehicles · CPC title

• B60K11/02 Primary

  with liquid cooling · CPC title

• B60K11/04

  Arrangement or mounting of radiators, radiator shutters, or radiator blinds · CPC title

• B60K6/40 Primary

  characterised by the assembly or relative disposition of components · CPC title

• F01P2007/146

  using valves · CPC title