Climate control system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10131205-B2
Application number	US-201314010057-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 26, 2013
Priority date	Aug 26, 2013
Publication date	Nov 20, 2018
Grant date	Nov 20, 2018

Abstract

A climate control system having a coolant subsystem, a heat pump subsystem, and an intermediate heat exchanger. The intermediate heat exchanger may transfer thermal energy from the heat pump subsystem to the coolant to increase the temperature of the coolant when the climate control system is in a heating mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A climate control system comprising:
a coolant subsystem for circulating coolant;
a heat pump subsystem for circulating refrigerant;
an intermediate heat exchanger for transferring thermal energy from the refrigerant to increase coolant temperature, the intermediate heat exchanger being fluidly connected to the coolant subsystem and the heat pump subsystem;
an engine;
a coolant heater;
a first coolant pump disposed outside the engine;
a second coolant pump;
a bypass loop control valve disposed between the first and second coolant pumps; and
a heater core;
wherein coolant can circulate sequentially from the engine through the coolant heater, the first coolant pump, the bypass loop control valve, the second coolant pump, the intermediate heat exchanger, and the heater core when the climate control system is in a heating mode.

2. The system of claim 1 wherein the engine heats the coolant.

3. The system of claim 2 wherein the coolant heater for heating the coolant is disposed outside the engine.

4. The system of claim 2 wherein the first coolant pump circulates the coolant when the engine is on.

5. The system of claim 1 wherein the heat pump subsystem is a vapor compression heat pump subsystem.

6. The system of claim 1 wherein the intermediate heat exchanger is disposed outside a passenger compartment.

7. The system of claim 1 wherein the heat pump subsystem circulates high pressure refrigerant through the intermediate heat exchanger to transfer heat from the refrigerant to the coolant.

8. The system of claim 1 wherein the heat pump subsystem includes an exterior heat exchanger and an interior heat exchanger, wherein the heat pump subsystem circulates refrigerant through the exterior heat exchanger and the intermediate heat exchanger but not the interior heat exchanger in the heating mode.

9. The system of claim 8 wherein the heat pump subsystem further comprises a compressor that compresses vapor refrigerant, wherein the intermediate heat exchanger is disposed between the compressor and the exterior heat exchanger.

10. The system of claim 9 further comprising a first expansion device fluidly connected between the intermediate heat exchanger and the exterior heat exchanger for decreasing refrigerant pressure in the heating mode.

11. The system of claim 9 further comprising an accumulator fluidly connected between the exterior heat exchanger and the compressor.

12. The system of claim 11 further comprising a second expansion device that is disposed between the exterior heat exchanger and the interior heat exchanger, wherein the second expansion device is closed to inhibit refrigerant from circulating through the interior heat exchanger in the heating mode.

13. The system of claim 12 further comprising a first control valve disposed along a bypass path that permits some refrigerant to bypass the exterior heat exchanger and flow to the interior heat exchanger via the second expansion device, wherein the first control valve is closed when in heating mode.

14. The system of claim 13 further comprising a second control valve disposed between the exterior heat exchanger and the bypass path, wherein refrigerant does not flow through the second control valve from the exterior heat exchanger to the bypass path in the heating mode.

15. The system of claim 14 further comprising a third control valve disposed between the exterior heat exchanger and the accumulator, wherein the third control valve is open to permit refrigerant to circulate from the exterior heat exchanger to the accumulator in the heating mode.

16. A method for controlling a system, comprising:
circulating coolant in a coolant subsystem from an engine sequentially through a coolant heater, a first coolant pump outside the engine, an intermediate heat exchanger, a heater core, and directly back to the engine to heat the heater core; and
circulating refrigerant through the intermediate heat exchanger and operating a second coolant pump to circulate coolant through a bypass loop so coolant is not heated by the engine.

17. The method of claim 16 wherein the intermediate heat exchanger is disposed between a compressor and an exterior heat exchanger and is disposed outside a passenger compartment of a vehicle.

18. A method of controlling a climate control system, comprising:
circulating coolant in a coolant subsystem from an engine sequentially through a coolant heater, first and second coolant pumps disposed outside the engine, an intermediate heat exchanger, a heater core, and directly back to the engine to heat the heater core in a passenger compartment of a vehicle; and
circulating a refrigerant through the intermediate heat exchanger to transfer thermal energy from the refrigerant to the coolant,
wherein circulating coolant in the coolant subsystem includes providing the second coolant pump to circulate coolant through a bypass loop such that coolant is not heated by the engine and such that coolant is then circulated to the intermediate heat exchanger and the heater core, and not circulating the refrigerant through an interior heat exchanger of a heat pump subsystem that is disposed in the passenger compartment when heating the coolant so that the coolant subsystem does not transfer thermal energy from the passenger compartment.

Assignees

• Ford Global Tech Llc

Inventors

• Smith Mark G
• Gebbie James George
• Ragazzi Franco
• Maranville Clay Wesley

Classifications

• F25B27/02 Primary

  using waste heat, e.g. from internal-combustion engines · CPC title

• B60H2001/00928

  comprising a secondary circuit · CPC title

• B60H1/3227

  characterised by the arrangement or the type of heat exchanger, e.g. condenser, evaporator (condensed liquid drainage means B60H1/3233) · CPC title

• B60H1/00921 Primary

  where the flow direction of the refrigerant does not change and there is an extra subcondenser, e.g. in an air duct · CPC title

• B60H1/04 Primary

  from cooling liquid of the plant {(B60H1/025, B60H1/03 take precedence)} · CPC title