Heating, ventilation and air conditioning system of vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10836235-B2
Application number	US-201816212189-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 6, 2018
Priority date	Oct 11, 2018
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

A heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system of a vehicle includes: an indoor air conditioning circuit which produces to supply cooling air to a vehicle interior by heat-exchanging inflow air through an indoor air inlet or an outdoor air inlet with an evaporator, and which produces to supply warm air to the vehicle interior or to discharge to the outside of the vehicle interior by heat-exchanging inflow air with a heat exchanger. The heat exchanger is connected with an engine cooling circuit so that engine coolant is used as a heat source of the heat exchanger, thereby improving the cooling performance of the ERG cooler.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of a vehicle, comprising:
an indoor air conditioning circuit configured to supply cooling air to a vehicle interior by heat-exchanging inflow air through an indoor air inlet or an outdoor air inlet with an evaporator, and supply warm air to the vehicle interior or discharge warm air to outside the vehicle interior by heat-exchanging inflow air with a heat exchanger;
a case having first and second discharge ports, which include the evaporator and the heat exchanger, respectively, wherein the case includes:
a first door, which selectively opens or closes the indoor air inlet and the outdoor air inlet, rotatably disposed inside the case; and
a second door, which controls a flow rate of inflow air flowing to the heat exchanger and the evaporator, rotatably disposed inside the case,

wherein the heat exchanger is connected with an engine cooling circuit so that engine coolant is used as a heat source of the heat exchanger,
wherein the case further includes:
a third discharge port communicating with the outside of the vehicle interior and a fourth discharge port communicating with an inside of the vehicle interior, so that the warm air heated through the heat exchanger is selectively discharged to the outside of the vehicle interior or supplied to the inside of the vehicle interior; and
a third door, which selectively opens or closes the third discharge port and the fourth discharge port, rotatably disposed in the case,

wherein the heat exchanger is connected with an engine through a coolant supply passage to receive the engine coolant,
wherein the heat exchanger is connected with the engine through a coolant return passage so that the engine coolant heat-exchanged with inflow air in the heat exchanger can be returned to the engine,
wherein the HVAC system further comprises an exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooler, which cools EGR gas, connected with the coolant supply passage through a first branch flow passage to receive the engine coolant through the coolant supply passage,
wherein the EGR cooler is connected with the coolant return passage through a second branch flow passage to return the engine coolant, which is heat-exchanged with the EGR gas in the EGR cooler, to the engine,
wherein the first branch flow passage and the second branch flow passage include a first valve and a second valve, respectively, for controlling a flow direction of the engine coolant,
wherein the HVAC system further comprises:
a temperature sensor disposed in the first branch flow passage and configured to sense a temperature of the engine coolant flowing into the EGR cooler through the first branch flow passage; and
a coolant pump disposed in the second branch flow passage and configured to pump and supply the engine coolant,

wherein, when a temperature of the vehicle interior is higher than a target temperature that is set by a passenger, indoor air circulation, cooling of the vehicle interior, and cooling of the EGR cooler are performed in a first driving mode,
wherein in the first driving mode:
the first door is pivoted to the outdoor air inlet to block the outdoor air inlet and to open the indoor air inlet,
the second door is pivoted between the heat exchanger and the evaporator according to a difference between the temperature of the vehicle interior and the target temperature,
the third door is pivoted to open the third discharge port and to block the fourth discharge port, and
the first valve and the second valves block a flow path to the engine and open a flow path to the EGR cooler,

wherein the first, second, and third door are operated by motor controlled by a controller and the operation of the first and second valves is controlled by the controller.

2. The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein, when the temperature of the vehicle interior and the target temperature are the same, indoor air circulation, cooling and heating of the vehicle interior, and cooling of the EGR cooler are performed in a second driving mode,
wherein, in the second driving mode:
the first door is pivoted to the outdoor air inlet to block the outdoor air inlet and to open the indoor air inlet;
the second door is pivoted between the heat exchanger and the evaporator according to the difference the temperature of the vehicle interior and the target temperature;
the third door is pivoted to the third discharge port to block the third discharge port and to open the fourth discharge port; and
the first and second valves are operated to block the flow path to the engine and to open the flow path to the EGR cooler.

3. The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein, when the temperature of the vehicle interior is lower than the target temperature, indoor air circulation and heating of the vehicle interior are performed in a third driving mode,
wherein in the third driving mode:
the first door is pivoted to the outdoor air inlet to block the outdoor air inlet and to open the indoor air inlet;
the second door is pivoted to the evaporator to block the air inflow toward the evaporator and to allow the air inflow only toward the heat exchanger;
the third door is pivoted to the third discharge port to block the third discharge port and to open the fourth discharge port; and
the first and second valves are operated to block the flow path to the EGR cooler and to open the flow path to the engine.

4. The HVAC system of claim 3 , wherein the third driving mode is switched to the second driving mode when the temperature of the vehicle interior increases to the target temperature in the third driving mode.

5. The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein, when the temperature of the vehicle interior is higher than the target temperature, dehumidification, outdoor air circulation, cooling of the vehicle interior, and cooling of the EGR cooler are performed in a fourth driving mode,
wherein, in the fourth driving mode:
the first door is pivoted to the indoor air inlet to block the indoor air inlet and to open the outdoor air inlet;
the second door is rotated at a predetermined angle so that a portion of inflow air is cooled through the evaporator and then flowed into the vehicle interior to perform the cooling and dehumidification, simultaneously, and the remaining air flows to the heat exchanger to cool the engine coolant in the heat exchanger;
the third door is pivoted to open the third discharge port and to block the fourth discharge port; and
the first and second valves are operated to block the flow path to the engine and to open the flow path to the EGR cooler.

6. The HVAC system of claim 1 , wherein, in a fifth driving mode used under a severe driving condition, which includes towing or uphill driving of the vehicle:
the first door is pivoted to the indoor air inlet to block the indoor air inlet and to open the outdoor air inlet;
the second door is pivoted to the evaporator to block the air inflow toward the evaporator and to allow the air inflow only toward the heat exchanger;
the third door is pivoted to the fourth discharge port to block the fourth discharge port and to open the third discharge port; and
the first and second valves block the flow path to the EGR cooler and open the flow path to the engine.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp

Inventors

• Han Jongwan
• Yang Il Suk
• Woo Soo Hyung
• Park Danghee
• Park Yong Beom

Classifications

• F02M26/28

  with liquid-cooled heat exchangers · CPC title

• B60H1/00842

  the system comprising a plurality of damper doors; Air distribution between several outlets · CPC title

• F01P2007/146

  using valves · CPC title

• F01P5/10

  Pumping liquid coolant; Arrangements of coolant pumps · CPC title

• B60H1/00885

  Controlling the flow of heating or cooling liquid, e.g. valves or pumps (B60H1/00899 takes precedence; constructions of valves B60H1/00485) · CPC title