Heat pump system for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11034207-B2
Application number	US-201514907928-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 19, 2015
Priority date	Jan 12, 2015
Publication date	Jun 15, 2021
Grant date	Jun 15, 2021

Abstract

A heat pump system including a compressor mounted on a refrigerant circulation line for compressing and discharging refrigerant. An internal heat exchanger is mounted inside an air-conditioning case. An evaporator is mounted inside the air-conditioning case. An external heat exchanger is mounted outside the air-conditioning case. A first expansion means is mounted on the refrigerant circulation line between the internal heat exchanger and the external heat exchanger to selectively expand refrigerant discharged from the internal heat exchanger. A second expansion means is mounted on the refrigerant circulation line of an inlet side of the evaporator to expand the refrigerant supplied to the evaporator. A coolant circulation line is configured to circulate coolant toward electronic units of the vehicle. A refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger is configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant flowing the refrigerant circulation line and the coolant circulating through the coolant circulation line.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heat pump system for a vehicle, comprising:
a compressor mounted on a refrigerant circulation circuit for compressing and discharging refrigerant;
an internal heat exchanger mounted inside an air-conditioning case for exchanging heat between the air inside the air-conditioning case and the refrigerant discharged from the compressor;
an evaporator mounted inside the air-conditioning case for exchanging heat between the air inside the air-conditioning case and the refrigerant supplied to the compressor;
an external heat exchanger mounted outside the air-conditioning case for exchanging heat between the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circulation circuit and the outdoor air;
a first expansion valve mounted on the refrigerant circulation circuit and located between the internal heat exchanger and the external heat exchanger to selectively expand refrigerant discharged from the internal heat exchanger;
wherein the first expansion valve defines a path through which refrigerant flows and includes a valve member defining an orifice and moveable between an open position and a closed position, wherein when the valve member is in the open position the path is opened such that refrigerant passing therethrough is unexpanded, and wherein when the valve is in the closed position the path is closed except for the orifice such that the refrigerant expands as it passes through the valve member;
a second expansion valve mounted on the refrigerant circulation circuit of an inlet side of the evaporator to expand the refrigerant supplied to the evaporator;
a coolant circulation circuit configured to circulate coolant toward units of the vehicle to cool the electronic units; and
a refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger mounted on the refrigerant circulation circuit at an inlet side of the external heat exchanger in series with the external heat exchanger and configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant flowing into the external heat exchanger and the coolant circulating through the coolant circulation circuit;
wherein the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circulation circuit radiates heat to the coolant and the outdoor air while passing through the refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger and the external heat exchanger in an air-conditioning mode;
wherein the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circulation circuit absorbs heat from the coolant and the outdoor air while passing through the refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger and the external heat exchanger in a heat pump mode;
wherein, in the air conditioning mode, the refrigerant circulation circuit is configured in such a way that the refrigerant circulates sequentially through the compressor, the internal heat exchanger, the first expansion valve in the open position, the refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger, the external heat exchanger, the second expansion valve, the evaporator and back to the compressor, and wherein in the heat pump mode, the refrigerant circulation circuit is configured in such a way that the refrigerant circulates sequentially through the compressor, the internal heat exchanger, the first expansion valve in the closed position, the refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger, the external heat exchanger and back to the compressor;
wherein the refrigerant circulation circuit includes a first bypass line extending between the refrigerant circulation circuit at an inlet side of the second expansion valve and the refrigerant circulation circuit at an outlet side of the evaporator to make the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circulation circuit bypass the second expansion valve and the evaporator;
wherein a chiller is positioned along the first bypass line for exchanging heat between the refrigerant flowing along the first bypass line and the coolant circulating through the coolant circulation circuit such that the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circulation circuit absorbs heat through the refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger, the external heat exchanger and the chiller in the heat pump mode;
wherein a radiator is disposed along and fluidly connected to the coolant circulation circuit;
wherein the coolant circulation circuit comprises a first coolant circulation circuit which extends from the electronic units to the radiator and from the radiator back to the electronic units;
wherein the coolant circulation circuit further comprises a second coolant circulation circuit which extends from the electronic units to the chiller and from the chiller to the electronic units;
wherein in the heat pump mode, the coolant circulates through the second coolant circulation circuit and does not circulate through the first coolant circulation circuit.

2. The heat pump system according to claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger is mounted inside the radiator.

3. The heat pump system according to claim 1 , wherein a dehumidification line which supplies some of the refrigerant passing through the first expansion valve toward the evaporator is mounted on the refrigerant circulation circuit to perform dehumidification inside the vehicle in the heat pump mode.

4. The heat pump system according to claim 2 , wherein the radiator is mounted on the first coolant circulation circuit in the flow direction of the air passing through the external heat exchanger.

5. The heat pump system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the radiator includes a first header tank and a second header tank, and wherein the first header tank has an inlet pipe and an outlet pipe connected to the coolant circulation circuit for receiving the coolant of the coolant circulation circuit;
wherein the refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger is positioned inside the second header tank to allow refrigerant flowing inside the refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger to exchange heat with coolant flowing inside the radiator; and
wherein the refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger has an inlet and an outlet connected to the refrigerant circulation circuit, and wherein the inlet and outlet each pass through the second header tank.

6. The heat pump system according to claim 1 , wherein the internal heat exchanger is disposed along and fluidly connected to the refrigerant circulation circuit, the external heat exchanger is disposed along and fluidly connected to the refrigerant circulation circuit, and the refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger is mounted on the refrigerant circulation circuit between the first expansion valve and the external heat exchanger.

7. The heat pump system according to claim 1 wherein the refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger is not disposed along the first bypass line.

Assignees

• Hanon Systems

Inventors

• Choi Young Ho
• Kang Sung Ho
• Kim Hak Kyu
• Lee Seung Ho
• Lee Jae Min
• Lee Jung Jae

Classifications

• B60H2001/00949

  comprising additional heating/cooling sources, e.g. second evaporator · CPC title

• B60H2001/00928

  comprising a secondary circuit · CPC title

• B60H2001/00307

  Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow · CPC title

• B60H1/32281 Primary

  comprising a single secondary circuit, e.g. at evaporator or condenser side · 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