Air Conditioner for vehicle

Abstract

An air conditioner for a vehicle includes first and second heating heat exchangers disposed to heat air by using a cooling fluid for cooling an engine as a heat source, a heater disposed to heat the cooling fluid flowing to the second heating heat exchanger, and a controller that outputs an operation request signal to the engine when a temperature of the cooling fluid is lower than a predetermined temperature. The first and second heating heat exchangers are arranged in parallel with respect to a flow direction of the cooling fluid. In the air conditioner, the controller controls a flow amount of the cooling fluid flowing into the second heating heat exchanger to be, smaller than a flow amount of the cooling fluid flowing into the first heating heat exchanger when the heater heats the cooling fluid flowing to the second heating heat exchanger.

1 . An air conditioner for a vehicle provided with a driving unit for a vehicle traveling, the air conditioner comprising:
 first and second heating heat exchangers disposed to heat air to be blown into a vehicle compartment by using a cooling fluid for cooling the driving unit as a heat source, the second heating heat exchanger being arranged downstream of the first heating heat exchanger in an air flow to heat air after passing through the first heating heat exchanger;   a heater disposed to heat the cooling fluid flowing to the second heating heat exchanger, in the first and second heating heat exchangers; and   a controller for controlling a temperature of air to be blown into the vehicle compartment, the controller outputs an operation request signal to the driving unit when a temperature of the cooling fluid is lower than a predetermined temperature, wherein   the first and second heating heat exchangers are arranged in parallel with respect to a flow direction of the cooling fluid, and   the controller controls a flow amount of the cooling fluid flowing into the second heating heat exchanger to be smaller than a flow amount of the cooling fluid flowing into the first heating heat exchanger when the heater heats the cooling fluid flowing to the second heating heat exchanger.   
     
     
         2 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein the first and second heating heat exchangers are configured such that a flow resistance of the cooling fluid flowing in the second heating heat exchanger is higher than a flow resistance of the cooling fluid flowing in the first heating heat exchanger. 
     
     
         3 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a flow adjustment unit that is configured to reduce the flow amount of the cooling fluid flowing into the second heating heat exchanger when the heater is turned on to heat the cooling fluid flowing into the second heating heat exchanger, as compared with that when the heater is turned off.   
     
     
         4 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , further comprising
 a sensible heat exchanger that is configured to move heat from the cooling fluid downstream of the second heating heat exchanger to the cooling fluid upstream of the heater.   
     
     
         5 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the driving unit includes an electrical motor for a vehicle traveling, and   the heater is an electrical heater which uses a high-voltage electrical source for supplying electrical power to the electrical motor, as an electrical source.   
     
     
         6 . The air conditioner according to  claim 1 , wherein
 the heater is a heat generator, which is mounted to the vehicle separately from the driving unit, and generates heat when being operated.   
     
     
         7 . The air conditioner according to  claim 6 , wherein the heat generator is an inverter which converts an electrical current supplied to the electrical motor. 
     
     
         8 . An air conditioner for a vehicle provided with a driving unit for a vehicle traveling, the air conditioner comprising:
 a heating heat exchanger disposed to heat air to be blown into a vehicle compartment by using a cooling fluid for cooling the driving unit as a heat source;   a controller for controlling a temperature of air to be blown into the vehicle compartment, the controller outputs an operation request signal to the driving unit when a temperature of the cooling fluid is lower than a predetermined temperature;   a heat absorbing portion configured to absorb heat from the cooling fluid;   a heat radiating portion configured to radiate heat to the cooling fluid; and   a pump portion configured to pump heat from the heat absorbing portion to the heat radiation portion.   
     
     
         9 . The air conditioner according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the pump portion is a Peltier element that includes a heat absorbing surface thermally connected to the heat absorbing portion, and a heat radiating surface thermally connected to the heat radiating portion, and   the Peltier element absorbs heat from the heat absorbing surface and radiates heat from the heat radiating surface when direct current is applied to the Peltier element.   
     
     
         10 . The air conditioner according to  claim 8 , wherein
 the heating heat exchanger is a heat exchanger in which the cooling fluid flowing therein is heat exchanged with air passing therethrough so as to heat air,   the heat absorbing portion is disposed downstream of the heating heat exchanger in a flow direction of the cooling fluid, to absorb heat from the cooling fluid flowing out of the heating heat exchanger, and   the heat radiation portion is disposed upstream of the heating heat exchanger in the flow direction of the cooling fluid, to radiate heat to the cooling fluid flowing into the heating heat exchanger.   
     
     
         11 . The air conditioner according to  claim 10 , wherein
 the heating heat exchanger includes a first, heater core for heating air, and a second heater core disposed to heat air after passing through the first heater core,   the heat absorbing portion is disposed downstream of the second heater core in the flow direction of the cooling fluid to absorb heat from the cooling fluid flowing out of the second heater core, and   the heat radiating portion is disposed upstream of the second heater core in the flow direction of the cooling fluid to radiate heat to the cooling fluid flowing into the second heater core.   
     
     
         12 . The air conditioner according to  claim 11 , wherein the first and second heater cores are arranged in parallel with respect to the flow direction of the cooling fluid. 
     
     
         13 . The air conditioner according to  claim 10 , further comprising
 a heat exchanger disposed to perform heat exchange between the cooling fluid before flowing into the heat radiating portion, and the cooling fluid before flowing into the heat absorbing portion at a position downstream of the second heater core in the flow direction of the cooling fluid.   
     
     
         14 . The air conditioner according to  claim 10 , further comprising
 a first bypass passage through which a part of the cooling fluid before flowing into the heat radiating portion is introduced into the heat absorbing portion without performing heat exchange with air in the second heater core.   
     
     
         15 . The air conditioner according to  claim 10 , further comprising
 a second bypass passage through which a part of the cooling fluid upstream of the heat radiating portion is introduced to the driving unit while bypassing the heat radiating portion and the heat absorbing portion.   
     
     
         16 . The air conditioner according to  claim 8 , further comprising:
 a first fluid circuit in which the cooling fluid of the driving unit is circulated; and   a second fluid circuit independently provided from the first fluid circuit, in which a fluid heated by the cooling fluid is circulated to flow into the heating heat exchanger.   
     
     
         17 . An air conditioner for a vehicle having an internal combustion engine, the air conditioner comprising
 a heating heat exchanger configured to heat air to be blown into a vehicle compartment, by using a first fluid for cooling the internal combustion engine and a second fluid having a temperature higher than the first fluid, as a heat source, wherein   the heating heat exchanger includes a first heat exchanging portion in which the first fluid or a mixture of the first fluid and the second fluid flows, and a second heat exchanging portion in which a fluid that is mainly the second fluid and has a temperature higher than a fluid flowing into the first heat exchanging portion flows, and   the first heat exchanging portion and the second heat exchanging portion are integrated to form a space therebetween.   
     
     
         18 . The air conditioner according to  claim 17 , wherein the second heat exchanging portion is arranged downstream of the first heat exchanging portion in an air flow direction. 
     
     
         19 . The air conditioner according to  claim 17 , wherein the first heat exchanging portion and the second heat exchanging portion are arranged in parallel with respect to an air flow direction. 
     
     
         20 . The air conditioner according to  claim 17 , wherein the first heat exchanging portion has a heat exchanging area in which air is heat exchanged with the fluid, and the heat exchanging area of the first heat exchanging portion is larger than the heat exchanging area of the second heat exchanging portion. 
     
     
         21 . The air conditioner according to  claim 17 , wherein the first heat exchanging portion and the second heat exchanging portion are arranged such that a flowing amount of the fluid flowing in the first heat exchanging portion is larger than that flowing in the second heat exchanging portion. 
     
     
         22 . The air conditioner according to  claim 17 , wherein the first heat exchanging portion and the second heat exchanging portion are configured to have respective fluid passages that are independent from each other. 
     
     
         23 . The air conditioner according to  claim 17 , further comprising
 an air conditioning case in which the first heat exchanging portion and the second heat exchanging portion are disposed,   the air conditioning case has a first air outlet from which air only having passed through the first heat exchanging portion is blown toward an inner surface of a windshield of the vehicle, and a second air outlet from which air having passed through the second heat exchanging portion is blown toward a passenger in the vehicle compartment.   
     
     
         24 . The air conditioner according to  claim 17 , wherein
 the first fluid is a cooling fluid for cooling a cylinder head of the internal combustion engine, and   the second fluid is a cooling fluid for cooling a cylinder block of the internal combustion engine.   
     
     
         25 . The air conditioner according to  claim 17 , wherein
 the first fluid is a cooling fluid for cooling the internal combustion engine, and   the second fluid is a cooling fluid for cooling a heat generation member that is an equipment mounted to the vehicle and is different from the internal combustion engine.