Heat pump system for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10486493-B2
Application number	US-201715610549-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 31, 2017
Priority date	Nov 1, 2016
Publication date	Nov 26, 2019
Grant date	Nov 26, 2019

Abstract

A heat pump system for a vehicle may include a cooling device including a radiator connected to a cooling line and a first water pump to cool an electric component; a battery module provided on a battery cooling line selectively connectable to the cooling line through a first valve; a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) module including an internal heater connected to the cooling line through a first connection line, a cooler connected to the battery cooling line through a second connection line, and an opening or closing door provided between the internal heater and the cooler and controlling external air passing through the cooler to be selectively introduced into the internal heater depending on cooling, heating, and heating and dehumidifying modes of the vehicle; and a centralized energy (CE) module connected to each of the battery cooling line and the cooling line.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heat pump system for a vehicle, comprising:
a cooling device including a radiator connected to a cooling line and a first water pump and circulating a coolant along the cooling line to cool an electric component;
a battery module provided on a battery cooling line selectively connectable to the cooling line through a first valve;
a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) module including an internal heater connected to the cooling line through a first connection line, a cooler connected to the battery cooling line through a second connection line, and an opening or closing door mounted between the internal heater and the cooler and controlling an external air passing through the cooler to be selectively introduced into the internal heater depending on cooling, heating, and heating and dehumidifying modes of the vehicle; and
a centralized energy (CE) module connected to each of the battery cooling line and the cooling line, exchanging thermal energy generated at a time of condensing and evaporating a refrigerant circulated therein with heat of a coolant, and supplying a low-temperature or high-temperature coolant of which the heat is exchanged to the HVAC module;
wherein the CE module is further provided with a sub-condenser which further condenses the refrigerant so that a condensing amount of the refrigerant is configured to be increased,
wherein the CE module includes:
a condenser provided on the cooling lines connected to each other through a second valve provided on the cooling line between the radiator and the battery module and a third valve provided on the cooling between the electric component and the first valve;
the sub-condenser connected to the condenser through a refrigerant line, and an expansion valve connected to the sub-condenser through the refrigerant line;
an evaporator connected to the expansion valve through the refrigerant line and provided on the battery cooling line between the battery module and the first valve; and
a compressor provided on the refrigerant line between the evaporator and the condenser, and

wherein a reservoir tank connected to the second branch line is mounted between the radiator and the water pump.

2. The heat pump system for the vehicle of claim 1 , wherein
the first valve is configured to connect the cooling line connected to the electric component and the battery cooling line to each other between the radiator and the evaporator, and
the first connection line is configured to selectively connect the cooling line and the internal heater to each other through the second valve and the third valve.

3. The heat pump system for the vehicle of claim 1 , wherein
a first branch line connecting the evaporator and the battery module to each other through the first valve is provided on the battery cooling line,
the second connection line is connected to the battery cooling line through a fourth valve between the evaporator and the battery module connected to each other through the first branch line, and
a second branch line connected to the cooling line between the radiator and the first water pump through a fifth valve is provided on the cooling line connecting between the electric component and the radiator.

4. The heat pump system for the vehicle of claim 1 , wherein
in a case of cooling the electric component in a cooling mode of the vehicle,
the first branch line is configured to be opened through an operation of the first valve and the second connection line is configured to be opened in a state in which the battery cooling line connected to the battery module is closed through an operation of the fourth valve,
the first connection line is configured to be closed and the cooling line connecting the electric component and the condenser to each other is configured to be opened, through operations of the second and third valves,
the connection between the cooling line and the battery cooling line is configured to be closed through operations of the first, second and third valves,
the cooling line connecting the electric component and the radiator to each other is configured to be opened in a state in which the second branch line is configured to be closed through an operation of the fifth valve, and
the refrigerant is circulated in the CE module.

5. The heat pump system for the vehicle of claim 4 , wherein
the sub-condenser is configured of an air-cooled type, and is further configured to condense the refrigerant, condensed through heat-exchange with the coolant in the condenser, through heat exchange with the external air so that the condensing amount of the refrigerant is configured to be increased, and
the evaporator exchanges heat between a coolant circulated along the battery cooling line and a low-temperature refrigerant evaporated therein and supplies a low-temperature coolant to the cooler, in the cooling mode of the vehicle.

6. The heat pump system for the vehicle of claim 4 , wherein
in a case of cooling the battery module together with the electric component in the cooling mode of the vehicle, the battery cooling line connected to the battery module is configured to be opened through an operation of the fourth valve.

7. The heat pump system for the vehicle of claim 1 , wherein
in a case of recovering waste heat of the battery module and the electric component in a heating mode of the vehicle,
the first branch line is configured to be closed through an operation of the first valve and the second connection line is configured to be closed in a state in which the battery cooling line connected to the battery module is opened through an operation of the fourth valve,
the cooling line connecting the electric component and the condenser to each other and the first connection line are configured to be opened through operations of the second and third valves,
the cooling line is connected to the battery cooling line through operations of the first, second and third valves,
the cooling line connecting the electric component and the radiator to each other is configured to be closed in a state in which the second branch line is opened through an operation of the fifth valve, and
the refrigerant is circulated in the CE module.

8. The heat pump system for the vehicle of claim 7 , wherein
the waste heat generated in the electric component and the battery module raises a temperature of a coolant circulated along the cooling line and the battery cooling line, and the coolant of which the temperature is raised raises a temperature of a refrigerant exhausted from the evaporator.

9. The heat pump system for the vehicle of claim 7 , wherein
in a case of recovering the waste heat from only the battery module in the heating mode of the vehicle,
the first branch line is configured to be opened through an operation of the first valve, and
the connection between the cooling line and the battery cooling line is configured to be closed through operations of the first, second and third valves.

10. The heat pump system for the vehicle of claim 1 , wherein
in a heating and dehumidifying mode of the vehicle,
the first branch line is configured to be opened through an operation of the first valve and the second connection line is configured to be opened in a state in which the battery cooling line connected to the battery module is closed through an operation of the fourth valve,
the cooling line connecting the electric component and the condenser to each other and the first connection line are configured to be opened through operations of the second and third valves,
the connection between the cooling line and the battery cooling line is configured to be closed through operations of the first, second and third

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Kim Jae Yeon
• Hwang Yunho

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

• B60H1/00342

  of the liquid-liquid type · CPC title

• B60H1/143

  the heat being derived from cooling an electric component, e.g. electric motors, electric circuits, fuel cells or batteries · CPC title

• B60H1/00385

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