Cooling device, control method of cooling device, and abnormality specification method

A cooling device that supplies a flow of cooling oil to cool down a motor mounted on a vehicle and driven to output driving power, said cooling device comprising:

• a heat exchange unit configured to cool down the flow of cooling oil through heat exchange with outside air;
• a pressure feed unit that is provided in a cooling oil circulation path formed between the motor and the heat exchange unit, the pressure feed unit configured to pressure feed the flow of cooling oil and circulate the flow of cooling oil through the cooling oil circulation path;
• a motor temperature measurement unit configured to measure temperature of the motor;
• an outside air temperature measurement unit configured to measure outside air temperature;
• a start control module configured to perform a start-up control for a start of the pressure feed unit at a rise in measured temperature of the motor to a preset starting temperature;
• and
• an abnormality specification module configured to specify, in the event of a failed start-up of the pressure feed unit by the start-up control of said start control module, occurrence of an abnormality at the measured outside air temperature of not lower than a preset low reference temperature, while not specifying the occurrence of an abnormality at the measured outside air temperature of lower than the preset low reference temperature.

A cooling device control method of controlling a cooling device, said cooling device including:

• a heat exchange unit that cools down a flow of cooling oil through heat exchange with outside air;
• and a pressure feed unit that is provided in a cooling oil circulation path formed between a motor, which is driven to output driving power of a vehicle, and the heat exchange unit to pressure feed the flow of cooling oil and circulate the flow of cooling oil through the cooling oil circulation path,
• said cooling device control method performing a start-up control for a start of the pressure feed unit at a rise in measured temperature of the motor to a preset starting temperature and, in the event of a failed start-up of the pressure feed unit, repeating the start-up control up to a predetermined number of times at every rise in measured temperature of the motor to one of multiple different temperatures, which are higher than the preset starting temperature, until a successful start-up of the pressure feed unit,
• said cooling device control method specifying occurrence of an abnormality in the event of the failed start-up of the pressure feed unit by the predetermined number of repetitions of the start-up control, and
• said cooling device control method not specifying the occurrence of an abnormality even in the event of the failed start-up of the pressure feed unit by the predetermined number of repetitions of the start-up control, when a measured outside air temperature is lower than a preset low reference temperature.

An abnormality specification method of specifying an abnormality at a start of a cooling device, said cooling device including:

• a heat exchange unit that cools down a flow of cooling oil through heat exchange with outside air;
• and a pressure feed unit that is provided in a cooling oil circulation path formed between a motor, which is driven to output driving power of a vehicle, and the heat exchange unit to pressure feed the flow of cooling oil and circulate the flow of cooling oil through the cooling oil circulation path, said abnormality specification method comprising the steps of:
• performing a start-up control for a start of the pressure feed unit at a rise in measured temperature of the motor to a preset starting temperature;
• and
• in the event of a failed start-up of the pressure feed unit by the start-up control, specifying occurrence of an abnormality at a measured outside air temperature of not lower than a preset low reference temperature, while not specifying the occurrence of an abnormality at the measured outside air temperature of lower than the preset low reference temperature.