Patent Application
20210062060
The present application claims priority from Japanese patent application JP 2019-153493 filed on Aug. 26, 2019, the entire content of which is hereby incorporated by reference into this application.
The present disclosure relates to a coolant composition and a cooling system that use the coolant composition.
A vehicle with traction motor, such as a hybrid vehicle and an electric vehicle, includes a power control unit (PCU) for appropriately controlling an electric power. The PCU includes an inverter that drives the motor, a boost converter that controls a voltage, a DC/DC converter that steps down a high voltage, and the like. The inverter or the converter includes a power card as a card-type power module that includes semiconductor devices, and the power card generates a heat caused by its switching action. Therefore, the inverter and the converter are equipment that possibly becomes to have a high temperature due to the heat generation. Heat generation equipment in the vehicle with traction motor includes a battery in addition to the inverter and the converter. Accordingly, the vehicle with traction motor includes a cooling system for cooling the inverter, the converter, the battery, and the like.
For example, JP 2017-017228 A discloses a configuration of a semiconductor apparatus used for an inverter of a drive system in a vehicle with traction motor (for example, an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle) (
Meanwhile, JP 2005-203148 A discloses a coolant that includes a nonaqueous base, and the nonaqueous base specifically includes alkyl benzene, dimethyl silicone, and perfluorocarbon.
As the configuration of the semiconductor apparatus disclosed in JP 2017-017228 A, generally, the refrigerant circulates near the power cards and the batteries. Therefore, in the vehicle with traction motor, such as the hybrid vehicle and the electric vehicle, when the coolant leaks due to an accident, the leaked refrigerant possibly contacts a terminal of the power card, the battery, or the like to cause a short circuit. Therefore, from an aspect to reduce the occurrence of the secondary accident in the case of the refrigerant leakage, the refrigerant is desired to have an excellent insulation property. JP 2005-203148 A uses a silicone oil, such as dimethyl silicone, and the silicone oil is excellent from the aspect of the insulation property. However, the silicone oil is significantly low in cooling performance compared with an aqueous refrigerant.
Generally, a rubber material is used for a flow passage through which a coolant as a refrigerant flows in some cases. A member for which the rubber material is used includes a refrigerant pipe, a packing, and the like. Here, when suitability of the coolant to the rubber material is low, the coolant infiltrates the rubber material to cause a volume change of the rubber material. The volume change of the rubber material leads to leakage of the coolant and deterioration of the rubber material. Therefore, the coolant also requires the compatibility to the rubber material.
Therefore, the present disclosure provides a nonaqueous coolant composition excellent in insulation property, heat transfer characteristic, and rubber compatibility.
Exemplary aspects of the embodiment will be described as follows.
(1) A coolant composition comprising at least one saturated hydrocarbon compound having 6 or more carbon atoms as a nonaqueous base, and the coolant composition is substantially free of water.
(2) The coolant composition according to (1) wherein the saturated hydrocarbon compound has 8 to 18 carbon atoms.
(3) The coolant composition according to (1) or (2) wherein the saturated hydrocarbon compound comprises a linear saturated hydrocarbon compound.
(4) The coolant composition according to (3) wherein the linear saturated hydrocarbon compound comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of octane, nonane, decane, undecane, dodecane, tridecane, tetradecane, pentadecane, hexadecane, heptadecane, and octadecane.
(5) The coolant composition according to (1) or (2) wherein the saturated hydrocarbon compound comprises a branched saturated hydrocarbon compound.
(6) The coolant composition according to (5) wherein the branched saturated hydrocarbon compound comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of dimethylhexane, ethylmethylpentane, methylheptane, trimethylpentane, dimethylheptane, ethylheptane, methyloctane, tetramethylpentane, trimethylhexane, diethylhexane, dimethyloctane, ethylmethylheptane, methylnonane, pentamethylheptane, and methyldodecane.
(7) The coolant composition according to any one of (1) to (6) wherein a content of the saturated hydrocarbon compound in the coolant composition is 10 mass % or more.
(8) The coolant composition according any one of (1) to (7) that further comprises a mineral oil.
(9) The coolant composition according to (8) wherein a content of the saturated hydrocarbon compound in the coolant composition is 10 to 90 mass %, and a content of the mineral oil in the coolant composition is 10 to 90 mass %.
(10) The coolant composition according to (8) wherein a content of the saturated hydrocarbon compound in the coolant composition is 30 to 70 mass %, and a content of the mineral oil in the coolant composition is 30 to 70 mass %.
(11) The coolant composition according to any one of (1) to (10) wherein a conductivity at 20° C. is 0.1 μS/cm or less.
(12) The coolant composition according to any one of (1) to (11) wherein a conductivity at 20° C. is 0.001 μS/cm or less.
(13) A cooling system that uses the coolant composition according to any one of (1) to (12) as a refrigerant.
(14) The cooling system according to (13) for cooling heat generation equipment mounted to a vehicle with traction motor.
(15) The cooling system according to (14) wherein the heat generation equipment is an inverter, a converter, a generator, a motor, or a battery.
(16) The cooling system according to (14) or (15) wherein the heat generation equipment includes a power card, and the coolant composition is in physical contact with the power card.
The present disclosure can provide the nonaqueous coolant composition excellent in insulation property, heat transfer characteristic, and rubber compatibility.
The embodiment is a coolant composition that comprises at least one saturated hydrocarbon compound having 6 or more carbon atoms as a nonaqueous base and is substantially free of water.
The coolant composition according to the embodiment is excellent in insulation property, heat transfer characteristic, and rubber compatibility. Especially, since the coolant composition according to the embodiment is extremely excellent in insulation property, a secondary accident, such as a short circuit, can be suppressed when the coolant composition leaks due to an accident or the like. Therefore, the coolant composition according to the embodiment is usable in a vehicle with traction motor, such as a hybrid vehicle and an electric vehicle in some embodiments. Furthermore, since the coolant composition according to the embodiment is excellent in rubber compatibility, a volume change of a rubber material can be suppressed even when the rubber material is used for a flow passage through which a refrigerant flows.
The coolant composition according to the embodiment provides another effect as follows. Conventionally, a typically used ethylene glycol based aqueous coolant has an excellent heat transfer characteristic but has a poor insulation property. Therefore, as illustrated in
The coolant composition according to the embodiment provides another effect as follows. As an exemplary means for cooling the electronic equipment, there has been a method to at least partially (partially or completely) immerse the electronic equipment in the coolant composition. For example, for the cooling, the power card can be disposed to be in physical contact with the coolant composition. While this cooling structure has an extremely excellent heat transfer efficiency, the coolant composition requires the extremely excellent insulation property because the electronic equipment and coolant composition are in direct contact. The coolant composition according to the embodiment is extremely excellent in insulation property, non-toxic, and less likely to cause corrosion. Thus, the coolant composition according to the embodiment is usable in the cooling system that has this cooling structure in some embodiments.
The coolant composition according to the embodiment includes the nonaqueous base as the component and is substantially free of water.
In this description, “substantially free of water” means that the coolant composition does not include water in a content range in which expression of the effect of the embodiment is interfered, may mean that the water content in the coolant composition is 1.0 mass % or less, may mean that the water content in the coolant composition is 0.5 mass % or less, may mean that the water content in the coolant composition is 0.1 mass % or less, or may mean that the water content in the coolant composition is 0 mass % (undetectable).
The coolant composition according to the embodiment includes at least one saturated hydrocarbon compound having 6 or more carbon atoms as the nonaqueous base. The saturated hydrocarbon compound having 6 or more carbon atoms is excellent in insulation property, heat transfer characteristic, and rubber compatibility. One saturated hydrocarbon compound may be used alone, or two or more saturated hydrocarbon compounds may be used in combination.
The saturated hydrocarbon compound has 6 or more carbon atoms. The number of carbon atoms of the saturated hydrocarbon compound may be 8 to 18, 9 to 13, or 10 to 12 from the aspect of the boiling point, the flash point, and/or the viscosity of the saturated hydrocarbon compound.
The saturated hydrocarbon compound is, for example, linear, branched or cyclic, and may be linear or branched in some embodiments.
The linear saturated hydrocarbon compound includes, for example, octane, nonane, decane, undecane, dodecane, tridecane, tetradecane, pentadecane, hexadecane, heptadecane, octadecane, or a mixture of them. One linear saturated hydrocarbon compound may be used alone, or two or more linear saturated hydrocarbon compounds may be used in combination.
The branched saturated hydrocarbon compound includes, for example, dimethylhexane, ethylmethylpentane, methylheptane, trimethylpentane, dimethylheptane, ethylheptane, methyloctane, tetramethylpentane, trimethylhexane, diethylhexane, dimethyloctane, ethylmethylheptane, methylnonane, pentamethylheptane, methyldodecane, or a mixture of them. The dimethylhexane includes, for example, 2,2-dimethylhexane, 2,3-dimethylhexane, 2,4-dimethylhexane, 2,5-dimethylhexane, 3,3-dimethylhexane, 3,4-dimethylhexane, or a mixture of them. The ethylmethylpentane includes, for example, 3-ethyl-2-methylpentane, 3-ethyl-3-methylpentane, or a mixture of them. The methylheptane includes, for example, 2-methylheptane, 3-methylheptane, 4-methylheptane, or a mixture of them. The trimethylpentane includes, for example, 2,2,3-trimethylpentane, 2,2,4-trimethylpentane, 2,3,4-trimethylpentane, or a mixture of them. The dimethylheptane includes, for example, 2,3-dimethylheptane, 2,4-dimethylheptane, 2,5-dimethylheptane, 3,3-dimethylheptane, 3,4-dimethylheptane, 3,5-dimethylheptane, or a mixture of them. The ethylheptane includes, for example, 4-ethylheptane. The methyloctane includes, for example, 2-methyloctane, 3-methyloctane, or a mixture of them. The tetramethylpentane includes, for example, 2,2,4,4-tetramethylpentane. The trimethylhexane includes, for example, 2,2,4-trimethylhexane, 2,2,5-trimethylhexane, or a mixture of them. The diethylhexane includes, for example, 3,4-diethylhexane. The dimethyloctane includes, for example, 2,6-dimethyloctane, 3,3-dimethyloctane, 3,5-dimethyloctane, 4,4-dimethyloctane, or a mixture of them. The ethylmethylheptane includes, for example, 3-ethyl-3-methylheptane. The methylnonane includes, for example, 2-methylnonane, 3-methylnonane, 4-methylnonane, 5-methylnonane, or a mixture of them. The pentamethylheptane includes, for example, 2,2,4,6,6-pentamethylheptane. The methyldodecane includes, for example, 4-methyldodecane. One branched saturated hydrocarbon compound may be used alone, or two or more branched saturated hydrocarbon compounds may be used in combination.
A content of the saturated hydrocarbon compound in the coolant composition is, for example, 10 mass % or more, and may be 30 mass % or more, 40 mass % or more, or 50 mass % or more. By setting the content of the saturated hydrocarbon compound to 10 mass % or more, the insulation property, the heat transfer characteristic, and the rubber compatibility of the coolant composition can be improved. The content of the saturated hydrocarbon compound in the coolant composition is, for example, 100 mass % or less, and may be 90 mass % or less.
The coolant composition according to the embodiment may include another nonaqueous base in addition to the saturated hydrocarbon compound. The other nonaqueous base includes, for example, a mineral oil, a synthetic oil, or a mixture of them. The synthetic oil includes, for example, an ester synthetic oil, a synthetic hydrocarbon oil, a silicone oil, a fluorinated oil, or a mixture of them. One of them may be used alone, or two or more may be used in mixture.
The coolant composition according to the embodiment may include the mineral oil as the nonaqueous base in addition to the saturated hydrocarbon compound. By including the mineral oil, the insulation property of the coolant composition can be improved. The mineral oil includes, for example, a paraffin mineral oil, a naphthenic mineral oil, or a mixture of them. One base oil may be used alone, or two or more base oils may be used in mixture.
While a kinematic viscosity (40° C.) of the mineral oil is not specifically limited, the kinematic viscosity is, for example, 0.5 to 100 mm2/s, and may be 0.5 to 20 mm2/s or 0.5 to 10 mm2/s.
A content of the mineral oil in the coolant composition may be 10 mass % or more, 20 mass % or more, 30 mass % or more, 40 mass % or more, or 50 mass % or more.
When the coolant composition includes the mineral oil, the content of the saturated hydrocarbon compound in the coolant composition is 10 to 90 mass % and the content of the mineral oil in the coolant composition is 10 to 90 mass % in some embodiments. When the coolant composition includes the mineral oil, the content of the saturated hydrocarbon compound in the coolant composition is 30 to 70 mass % and the content of the mineral oil in the coolant composition is 30 to 70 mass % in some embodiments. When the coolant composition includes the mineral oil, the content of the saturated hydrocarbon compound in the coolant composition is 40 to 60 mass % and the content of the mineral oil in the coolant composition is 40 to 60 mass % in some embodiments.
The coolant composition according to the embodiment may include an optional component such, as an antioxidant agent, a rust inhibitor, a friction modifier, an anticorrosive, a viscosity index improver, a pour point depressant, a dispersing agent/surfactant, an antiwear agent, or a solid lubricant, in addition to the above-described components. A content of the optional component in the coolant composition is, for example, 0.1 to 20 mass %, and may be 10 mass % or less, 5 mass % or less, or 1 mass % or less.
A kinematic viscosity (20° C.) of the coolant composition according to the embodiment is, for example, 0.1 to 100 mm2/s, and may be 0.1 to 10 mm2/s.
Since the coolant composition is forcibly circulated in the cooling system, the viscosity may be lowered. The viscosity of the coolant composition can be adjusted by, for example, a viscosity and an amount of the mineral oil to be added. The kinematic viscosity (40° C.) of the coolant composition according to the embodiment may be 0.1 to 10 mm2/s.
A conductivity (20° C.) of the coolant composition according to the embodiment may be 0.1 μS/cm or less, 0.01 μS/cm or less, or 0.001 μS/cm or less.
The coolant composition according to the embodiment is used for the cooling system, and may be used for the cooling system mounted to a vehicle with traction motor. That is, an aspect of the embodiment is a cooling system where the coolant composition according to the embodiment is used as a refrigerant. An aspect of the embodiment is a cooling system for cooling heat generation equipment mounted to a vehicle with traction motor. An aspect of the embodiment is a vehicle with traction motor that includes the cooling system according to the embodiment and heat generation equipment cooled by the cooling system.
The “vehicle with traction motor” in this description includes both an electric vehicle and a hybrid vehicle. The electric vehicle includes only a traction motor as a power source without an engine. The hybrid vehicle includes both the traction motor and the engine as the power source. A fuel cell vehicle is also included in the “vehicle with traction motor.”
As one of the environmental measures, the vehicle with traction motor, such as the hybrid vehicle, the fuel cell vehicle, and the electric vehicle, that travels by a driving force of the motor has attracted attention. In this vehicle, since the heat generation equipment, such as a motor, a generator, an inverter, a converter, and a battery, becomes to have a high temperature due to the heat generation, the heat generation equipment needs to be cooled. As described above, the coolant composition according to the embodiment is excellent in insulation property and heat transfer characteristic, and a secondary accident, such as a short circuit, is less likely to occur even when the coolant composition leaks due to an accident or the like. Therefore, the coolant composition according to the embodiment is usable for the cooling system of the vehicle with traction motor in some embodiments. Since the coolant composition according to the embodiment is excellent in rubber compatibility as described above, the infiltration into the rubber material is decreased even when the rubber material is used for the flow passage through which the refrigerant flows. Therefore, the deterioration of the rubber material can be suppressed.
The cooling system includes, for example, a refrigerant pipe through which the coolant composition as a refrigerant flows, a reservoir tank that houses the coolant composition, a circulation device for circulating the coolant composition in a circulation passage, or a cooling device for decreasing the temperature of the coolant composition. The circulation device includes, for example, an electric pump. The cooling device includes, for example, a radiator, a chiller, or an oil cooler. A cooling object for the cooling device is the heat generation equipment, such as the inverter, the converter, the generator, the motor, and the battery.
The configuration of the cooling system is not specifically limited. The cooling system includes, for example, the refrigerant pipe (including, for example, the rubber material), the reservoir tank, the electric pump, the radiator, and a cooling unit included in the heat generation equipment. The cooling unit is a unit to receive a heat from the heat generation equipment, and for example, the cooler 3 of
The cooling system according to the embodiment may be used for the vehicle with traction motor. That is, an aspect of the embodiment is a vehicle with traction motor that includes the cooling system according to the embodiment. An aspect of the embodiment is an electric vehicle, a hybrid vehicle, or a fuel cell vehicle that includes the cooling system according to the embodiment.
As described above, the coolant composition according to the embodiment is extremely excellent in insulation property, non-toxic, and less likely to cause corrosion. Thus, the coolant composition according to the embodiment is usable for the cooling system that has a cooling structure where the electronic equipment is at least partially (partially or completely) immersed in the coolant composition in some embodiments. The electronic equipment includes a power card, a CPU, and the like, which include semiconductor devices. Specific configurations of this cooling system can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,403,392 or US Patent Application Publication No. 2011-0132579 A. Specifically, an aspect of the embodiment is the vehicle with traction motor where the heat generation equipment includes the power card, and the coolant composition is in physical contact with the power card.
While the following describes the embodiment with examples, the disclosure is not limited to the examples.
Respective coolant compositions were prepared with compositions described in Table 1-1 and Table 1-2 below.
The conductivities of the respective coolant compositions at 20° C. were measured using a conductivity measuring machine (manufactured by Yokogawa Electric Corporation, SC72 Personal Handheld Conductivity Meter, sensor: SC72SN-11). Table 1-1 and Table 1-2 indicate the results.
The heat transfer characteristics of the respective coolant compositions were compared by calculating the cooling performances of the radiator, the oil cooler, and the inverter, which used the respective coolant compositions as the refrigerants, with formulas below. Table 1-1 and Table 1-2 indicate the results.
The cooling performances in the radiators using the respective coolant compositions as the refrigerants were calculated with the formula below. The refrigerants were adjusted to have inlet temperatures at 65° C. Other conditions were as follows. Ventilation volume to radiator: 4.5 msec, refrigerant flow rate: 10 L/min, temperature difference between refrigerant and external air: 40° C. (refrigerant: 65° C., external air: 25° C.).
QW: cooling performance, VW: refrigerant flow rate, γW: refrigerant density, CPW: refrigerant specific heat, tW1: refrigerant inlet temperature, tW2: refrigerant outlet temperature
The cooling performances in the oil coolers using the respective coolant compositions as the refrigerants were calculated with the formula below. The refrigerants were adjusted to have the inlet temperatures at 30° C. Other conditions were as follows. Transmission oil flow rate: 6 L/min, refrigerant flow rate: 10 L/min, temperature difference between transmission oil and refrigerant: 30° C. (transmission oil: 60° C., refrigerant: 30° C.).
QW: cooling performance, VW: refrigerant flow rate, γW: refrigerant density, CPW: refrigerant specific heat, tW1: refrigerant inlet temperature, tW2: refrigerant outlet temperature
The cooling performances in the inverters using the respective coolant compositions as the refrigerants were calculated with the formula below. The refrigerants were adjusted to have the inlet temperatures at 65° C. Other conditions were as follows. Heat generation amount of inverter (power card): 500 W, refrigerant flow rate: 10 L/min.
QW: cooling performance, VW: refrigerant flow rate, γW: refrigerant density, CPW: refrigerant specific heat, tW1: refrigerant inlet temperature, tW2: refrigerant outlet temperature
The respective coolant compositions were put into heat-resistant bottles and acrylic rubber pieces were immersed, and subsequently, heating was performed at 120° C. for 216 hours. Subsequently, volumes of the rubber pieces were measured to calculate volume change rates of the rubber pieces (see Japanese Industrial Standard K 6258). A case not exceeding a reference volume change rate was evaluated as “good” and a case exceeding the reference volume change rate was evaluated as “poor.”
The coolant composition of any example had the conductivity less than 0.0009 μS/cm, and was extremely excellent in insulation property. Meanwhile, in comparative examples 1, 2 and 4 that had configurations of conventional coolant compositions (mixture of ethylene glycol and water, or water alone), the conductivities were high and the insulation properties were insufficient. The coolant composition of any example had the sufficient cooling performance required for a product. Especially, as the content of the saturated hydrocarbon compound increased, the cooling performance was improved. Furthermore, the coolant composition of any example was low in volume change rate, thus having the excellent rubber compatibility. Accordingly, it was proved that the coolant compositions according to the embodiment were excellent in insulation property, heat transfer characteristic, and rubber compatibility.
Throughout the present specification, it should be understood that the singular forms also include the plural concept unless specifically stated otherwise. Thus, it should be understood that singular articles (for example, “a”, “an”, “the”, or the like in the case of English) also include the plural concept unless otherwise stated.
Upper limit values and/or lower limit values of respective numerical ranges described in this description can be appropriately combined to specify an intended range. For example, upper limit values and lower limit values of the numerical ranges can be appropriately combined to specify an intended range, upper limit values of the numerical ranges can be appropriately combined to specify an intended range, and lower limit values of the numerical ranges can be appropriately combined to specify an intended range.
While the embodiment has been described in detail, the specific configuration is not limited to the embodiment. Design changes within a scope not departing from the gist of the disclosure are included in the disclosure.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2019-153493 | Aug 2019 | JP | national |
