Air conditioner for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10457117-B2
Application number	US-201415107149-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 28, 2014
Priority date	Dec 26, 2013
Publication date	Oct 29, 2019
Grant date	Oct 29, 2019

Abstract

An air conditioner for a vehicle including a pump that takes in and discharges a heat medium, a heat medium/air heat exchanger which regulates a temperature of ventilation air by conducting sensible-heat exchange between the ventilation air and the heat medium circulated by the pump, a heat transfer device having a passage through which the heat medium flows and conducts heat transfer with the heat medium, a compressor, a heat medium/refrigerant heat exchanger which regulates the temperature of the heat medium, and a controller which regulates a heat transfer amount with the heat medium in the heat transfer device or heat exchange capability of the heat medium/air heat exchanger such that a temperature of the ventilation air regulated by the heat medium/air heat exchanger approaches a target temperature.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air conditioner for a vehicle, comprising:
a pump configured to take in and discharge a heat medium;
a heat medium/air heat exchanger that regulates a temperature of ventilation air blown into a vehicle interior by conducting sensible-heat exchange between the ventilation air and the heat medium circulated by the pump;
a heat transfer device having a passage through which the heat medium flows and configured to conduct heat transfer with the heat medium circulated by the pump;
a compressor disposed to take in and discharge a refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle;
a heat medium/refrigerant heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange between the heat medium circulated by the pump and the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle to regulate a temperature of the heat medium circulated by the pump; and
a controller configured to control a heat transfer amount with the heat medium in the heat transfer device or heat exchange capability of the heat medium/air heat exchanger such that a temperature of the ventilation air regulated by the heat medium/air heat exchanger approaches a first target temperature, wherein
the heat medium/refrigerant heat exchanger is disposed to heat the heat medium by performing heat exchange between the refrigerant discharged by the compressor and the heat medium,
the heat medium/air heat exchanger is disposed to heat the ventilation air by conducting sensible-heat exchange between the heat medium heated in the heat medium/refrigerant heat exchanger and the ventilation air, and
the controller is configured to
regulate a flow rate of the heat medium in at least one of the heat medium/air heat exchanger and the heat transfer device, and
regulate one of a flow rate of the refrigerant or the flow rate of the heat mediums such that the temperature of the ventilation air approaches the first target temperature, and regulate the other one of the flow rate of the refrigerant or the flow rate of the heat medium such that a temperature of the heat transfer device approaches a second target temperature,

when the first target temperature is higher than the second target temperature, the controller regulates the flow rate of the refrigerant such that the temperature of the ventilation air heated in the heat medium/air heat exchanger approaches the first target temperature, and the controller regulates the flow rate of the heat medium such that the temperature of the heat transfer device approaches the second target temperature, and
when the second target temperature is higher than the first target temperature, the controller regulates the flow rate of the refrigerant such that the temperature of the heat transfer device approaches the second target temperature, and the controller regulates the flow rate of the heat medium such that the temperature of the ventilation air heated in the heat medium/air heat exchanger approaches the first target temperature.

2. The air conditioner for a vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller regulates the amount of the heat transfer with the heat medium in the heat transfer device by regulating the flow rate of the heat medium in the heat transfer device.

3. The air conditioner for a vehicle of claim 1 , wherein
the heat transfer device is a heat generating device, and
the controller regulates the amount of the heat transfer with the heat medium in the heat transfer device by regulating a heat generating amount of the heat generating device.

4. The air conditioner for a vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller regulates the heat exchange capability of the heat medium/air heat exchanger by regulating the flow rate of the heat medium in the heat medium/air heat exchanger.

5. The air conditioner for a vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller regulates the heat exchange capability of the heat medium/air heat exchanger by regulating an air volume of the ventilation air in the heat medium/air heat exchanger.

6. The air conditioner for a vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the controller regulates the flow rate of the refrigerant such that the temperature of the ventilation air approaches the first target temperature, and
the controller regulates the flow rate of the heat medium such that the temperature of the heat transfer device approaches the second target temperature.

7. The air conditioner for a vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
an air-cooling heat exchanger disposed to cool the ventilation air;
an air-heating heat exchanger disposed to heat the ventilation air, wherein the heat medium/air heat exchanger is the air-cooling heat exchanger or the air-heating heat exchanger; and
an air volume ratio adjuster configured to adjust a volume ratio of a first portion of the ventilation air flowing in the air-heating heat exchanger to a second portion of the ventilation air by passing the air-heating heat exchanger among the ventilation air cooled in the air-cooling heat exchanger such that the temperature of the ventilation air regulated by at least one of the air-cooling heat exchanger and the air-heating heat exchanger and blown into the vehicle interior approaches a third target temperature.

8. The air conditioner for a vehicle of claim 1 , further comprising:
an air-cooling heat exchanger disposed to cool the ventilation air;
an air-heating heat exchanger disposed to heat the ventilation air, wherein the heat medium/air heat exchanger is the air-cooling heat exchanger or the air-heating heat exchanger; and
an air volume controller configured to control an air volume of the ventilation air such that the temperature of the ventilation air regulated by at least one of the air-cooling heat exchanger and the air-heating heat exchanger and blown into the vehicle interior approaches a third target temperature.

9. The air conditioner for a vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer device is a rear seat heat exchanger disposed to conduct sensible-heat exchange between the heat medium and the ventilation air to be blown into a rear-seat occupant.

10. The air conditioner for a vehicle of claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer device is a battery temperature regulation heat exchanger disposed to regulate a temperature of a battery equipped in the vehicle by conducting sensible-heat exchange between the battery and the heat medium.

11. An air conditioner for a vehicle, comprising:
a pump configured to take in and discharge a heat medium;
a heat medium/air heat exchanger that regulates a temperature of ventilation air blown into a vehicle interior by conducting sensible-heat exchange between the ventilation air and the heat medium circulated by the pump;
a heat transfer device having a passage through which the heat medium flows and configured to conduct heat transfer with the heat medium circulated by the pump;
a compressor disposed to take in and discharge a refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle;
a heat medium/refrigerant heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange between the heat medium circulated by the pump and the refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle to regulate a temperature of the heat medium circulated by the pump; and
a controller configured to control a heat transfer amount with the heat medium in the heat transfer device or heat exchange capability of the heat medium/air heat exchanger such that a temperature of the ventilation air regulated by the heat medium/air heat exchanger approaches a first target temperature, wherein
the heat medium/refrigerant heat exchanger is disposed to cool the heat medium by performing heat exchange between the refrigerant decompressed and expanded in a decompression device and the heat medium,
the heat medium/air heat exchanger is disposed to cool the ven

Assignees

• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Enomoto Norihiko
• Kakehashi Nobuharu
• Katoh Yoshiki
• Kuwayama Kazutoshi
• Makihara Masamichi

Classifications

• B60H1/32284

  comprising two or more secondary circuits, e.g. at evaporator and condenser side · CPC title

• B60H2001/00307

  Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow · CPC title

• B60H1/00899 Primary

  Controlling the flow of liquid in a heat pump system (controlling the properties of the refrigerant liquid, e.g. pressure or temperature, B60H1/3204) · CPC title

• B60H1/00278

  for the battery · CPC title

• B60H2001/00928

  comprising a secondary circuit · CPC title