Device for air conditioning a drive train and a passenger compartment of a vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10099531-B2
Application number	US-201214365378-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 30, 2012
Priority date	Dec 15, 2011
Publication date	Oct 16, 2018
Grant date	Oct 16, 2018

Abstract

The invention relates to an air conditioning device comprising a refrigerant circuit and a coolant circuit. The refrigerant circuit comprises at least a compressor, an internal heat exchanger, an external heat exchanger and an evaporator The coolant circuit comprises at least a first heat exchanger associated with a first component, a second heat exchanger associated with a second component and a radiator. A fluid/fluid heat exchanger is installed in the refrigerant circuit and in the coolant circuit, with the coolant circuit comprising a first loop and a second loop which are interconnected by an interconnection device. The first loop comprises the fluid/fluid heat exchanger, the first heat exchanger associated with the first component and a means for heating the coolant with the means interposed between the interconnection device and the fluid/fluid heat exchanger, the second loop comprising the second heat exchanger associated with the second component and the radiator.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air conditioning device ( 1 ) comprising:
a refrigerant circuit ( 2 ) comprising at least a compressor ( 4 ), an interior heat exchanger ( 5 ), an exterior heat exchanger ( 6 ) and an evaporator ( 7 );
a coolant circuit ( 3 ) comprising at least a first heat exchanger associated with a first component ( 8 ), a second heat exchanger associated with a second component ( 9 ) and a radiator ( 11 ) and a third heat exchanger associated with a third component ( 10 ) installed in the second loop ( 14 ), wherein said first component ( 8 ) is at least one battery, said second component ( 9 ) is at least one inverter and said third component ( 10 ) is an electric motor; and
a fluid/fluid heat exchanger ( 12 ) installed in the refrigerant circuit ( 2 ) and in the coolant circuit ( 3 );

wherein the coolant circuit ( 3 ) comprising a first loop ( 13 ) and a second loop ( 14 ) interconnected by an interconnection device ( 15 ), with the first loop ( 13 ) comprising the fluid/fluid heat exchanger ( 12 ), the first heat exchanger associated with the first component ( 8 ) and a means ( 16 ) for heating coolant with the heating means ( 16 ) interposed between the interconnection device ( 15 ) and the fluid/fluid heat exchanger ( 12 ), and the second loop ( 14 ) comprising the second heat exchanger associated with the second component ( 9 ) and the radiator ( 11 ).

2. The air conditioning device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the heating means ( 16 ) comprise an electrical heating element.

3. The air conditioning device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the heating means ( 16 ) is installed immediately upstream of the fluid/fluid heat exchanger ( 12 ), according to the direction of circulation of the coolant in the first loop ( 13 ).

4. The air conditioning device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the heating means ( 16 ) is installed immediately downstream of the interconnection device ( 15 ), according to the direction of circulation of the coolant in the first loop ( 13 ).

5. The air conditioning device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the first loop ( 13 ) comprises a first pump ( 17 ) for circulation of the coolant, and wherein the second loop ( 14 ) comprises a second pump ( 18 ) for circulation of the coolant.

6. The air conditioning device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the second loop ( 14 ) comprises a radiator bypass conduit ( 19 ) of the radiator ( 11 ).

7. The air conditioning device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the fluid/fluid heat exchanger ( 12 ) is installed parallel to the evaporator ( 7 ).

8. The air conditioning device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant circuit ( 2 ) includes an interior heat exchanger bypass conduit ( 20 ) of the interior heat exchanger ( 5 ).

9. The air conditioning device ( 1 ) according to claim 8 , wherein the refrigerant circuit ( 2 ) includes an exterior heat exchanger bypass conduit ( 21 ) of the exterior heat exchanger ( 6 ).

10. The air conditioning device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein an interior air flow ( 22 ) is channeled through a housing ( 23 ) in which the evaporator ( 7 ) and the interior heat exchanger ( 5 ) are disposed in order for the interior air flow ( 22 ) to pass through the housing ( 23 ) prior to distribution in a passenger compartment of a vehicle.

11. The air conditioning device ( 1 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the refrigerant fluid circulates in the refrigerant circuit ( 2 ), successively, in the compressor ( 4 ), the interior heat exchanger bypass conduit ( 20 ), the exterior heat exchanger ( 6 ) or the exterior heat exchanger bypass conduit ( 21 ), the evaporator ( 7 ) and/or the fluid/fluid heat exchanger ( 12 ), in order to return to the compressor ( 4 ).

12. The air conditioning device ( 1 ) according to claim 9 , wherein the refrigerant fluid circulates in the refrigerant circuit ( 2 ), successively, in the compressor ( 4 ), the interior heat exchanger ( 5 ), the exterior heat exchanger ( 6 ) or the exterior heat exchanger bypass conduit ( 21 ), the evaporator ( 7 ) and/or the fluid/fluid heat exchanger ( 12 ), in order to return to the compressor ( 4 ).

13. The air conditioning device ( 1 ) according to claim 1 , wherein the coolant circulates in the first loop ( 13 ), successively, in the first heat exchanger associated with the first component ( 8 ), the interconnection device ( 15 ), the heating means ( 16 ), the fluid/fluid heat exchanger ( 12 ), in order to return to the first heat exchanger associated with the first component ( 8 ).

14. The air conditioning device ( 1 ) according to claim 6 , wherein the coolant circulates in the second loop ( 14 ), successively, in the second heat exchanger associated with the second component ( 9 ), the radiator ( 11 ) and/or the radiator bypass conduit ( 19 ), the interconnection device ( 15 ), in order to return to the second heat exchanger associated with the second component ( 9 ).

15. The air conditioning device ( 1 ) according to claim 6 , wherein the coolant circulates in the coolant circuit ( 3 ), successively, in the first heat exchanger associated with the first component ( 8 ), the interconnection device ( 15 ), the second heat exchanger associated with the second component ( 9 ), the radiator ( 11 ) and/or the radiator bypass conduit ( 19 ), the interconnection device ( 15 ), the heating means ( 16 ), the fluid/fluid heat exchanger ( 12 ), in order to return to the first heat exchanger associated with the first component ( 8 ).

Assignees

• Valeo Systemes Thermiques

Inventors

• Labaste Mauhe Laurent
• Haller Regine
• Taklanti Abdelmajid

Classifications

• B60L3/0061

  relating to electrical machines · CPC title

• B60L1/02

  to electric heating circuits · CPC title

• F25B1/005

  of the single unit type (F25B1/10 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60H1/00385

  for vehicles having an electrical drive, e.g. hybrid or fuel cell · CPC title

• Y02T90/16

  Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles · CPC title