Thermal management system for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11325445-B2
Application number	US-201916663721-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 25, 2019
Priority date	Jul 2, 2019
Publication date	May 10, 2022
Grant date	May 10, 2022

Abstract

A vehicle thermal management system includes a cooling apparatus including a radiator, a first water pump, and a valve connected through a coolant line, a battery cooling apparatus including a second water pump and a battery module connected by a battery coolant line; a chiller connected to the battery coolant line and connected to an air conditioner through a refrigerant connection line connected to the battery coolant line and connected to a refrigerant line of the air conditioner through a refrigerant connection line, to adjust a temperature of the coolant by performing heat exchange between a coolant supplied to the battery coolant line and a refrigerant selectively supplied from the air conditioner; and a heating circuit for warming an interior of the vehicle by use of the coolant having a temperature increased while the coolant passes through at least one electrical component.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A thermal management system for a vehicle, the system comprising:
a cooling apparatus including a radiator, a first water pump, and a valve connected through a coolant line, and configured to circulate a coolant in the coolant line to cool at least one electrical component mounted in the coolant line;
a battery cooling apparatus including a second water pump and a battery module connected by a battery coolant line, and configured to circulate the coolant in the battery module;
a chiller connected to the battery coolant line and connected to an air conditioner through a refrigerant connection line connected to the battery coolant line and connected to a refrigerant line of the air conditioner, and is configured to adjust a temperature of the coolant by performing heat exchange between the coolant supplied to the battery coolant line and a refrigerant selectively supplied from the air conditioner; and
a heating circuit for warming an interior of the vehicle by use of the coolant having a temperature increased while the coolant passes through the at least one electrical component,
wherein a reservoir tank having a diaphragm formed in the reservoir tank is mounted in the coolant line between the radiator and the first water pump, and
wherein the reservoir tank includes a first storage unit partitioned by the diaphragm and a second storage unit, wherein the coolant line is connected to the diaphragm and the battery coolant line is connected to the second storage unit.

2. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the valve is a three-way valve configured for distributing a flow.

3. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the at least one electrical component includes at least one selected from the group of an electric power control unit, a motor, an inverter, and an on board charger.

4. The thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the heating circuit includes:
a branch line having a first end portion connected to the coolant line through the valve, and a second end portion connected to the coolant line between the radiator and the at least one electrical component to bypass the radiator; and
a heater connected to the coolant line connecting the at least one electrical component and the valve,
wherein the heater is mounted inside a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning module disposed in the air conditioner.

5. The thermal management system of claim 4 ,
wherein a coolant heater is mounted in the coolant line between the at least one electrical component and the heater, and
wherein the coolant heater selectively heats the coolant supplied to the heater.

6. A thermal management system for a vehicle, the system comprising:
a cooling apparatus including a radiator, a first water pump, and a valve connected through a coolant line, and configured to circulate a coolant in the coolant line to cool at least one electrical component mounted in the coolant line;
a battery cooling apparatus including a second water pump and a battery module by a battery coolant line, and configured to circulate the coolant in the battery module;
a chiller connected to the battery coolant line and connected to an air conditioner through a refrigerant connection line connected to the battery coolant line and connected to a refrigerant line of the air conditioner, and is configured to adjust a temperature of the coolant by performing heat exchange between the coolant supplied to the battery coolant line and a refrigerant selectively supplied from the air conditioner; and
a heating circuit for warming an interior of the vehicle by use of the coolant having a temperature increased while the coolant passes through the at least one electrical component,
wherein the heating circuit includes:
a first connection line having a first end portion connected to the coolant line through the valve, and a second end portion connected to a heater; and
a second connection line having a first end portion connected to the coolant line between the radiator and a reservoir tank, and a second end portion connected to the heater, and

wherein the heater is mounted inside a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning module disposed in the air conditioner.

7. The thermal management system of claim 6 ,
wherein the heating circuit further includes a coolant heater mounted in the first connection line, and
wherein the coolant heater is selectively operated to heat the coolant supplied to the heater through the first connection line.

8. The thermal management system of claim 6 , wherein the air conditioner includes:
the HVAC module including:
an evaporator connected thereto through the refrigerant line; and
a door configured to control outside air passing through the evaporator to be selectively introduced into the heater in accordance with a cooling mode, a heating mode, and a heating/dehumidifying mode of the vehicle;

a condenser connected to the coolant line and the refrigerant line, to circulate the coolant in the condenser to perform heat exchange between the coolant and the refrigerant supplied in the condenser through the refrigerant line;
a compressor connected between the evaporator and the condenser through the refrigerant line;
a sub-condenser mounted in the refrigerant line between the condenser and the evaporator;
a first expansion valve mounted in the refrigerant line between the sub-condenser and the evaporator; and
a second expansion valve mounted in the refrigerant connection line.

9. The thermal management system of claim 8 ,
wherein a first end portion of the refrigerant connection line is connected to the refrigerant line between the sub-condenser and the first expansion valve, and
wherein a second end portion of the refrigerant connection line is connected to the refrigerant line between the evaporator and the compressor.

10. The thermal management system of claim 8 ,
wherein each of the chiller and the condenser is a water-cooled heat exchanger, and the sub-condenser is an air-cooled heat exchanger.

11. The thermal management system of claim 8 ,
wherein the HVAC module further includes an air heater mounted at an opposite side of the evaporator, with the heater disposed between the air heater and the evaporator to selectively heat outside air passing through the heater.

12. The thermal management system of claim 11 ,
wherein the air heater is operated to raise a temperature of the outside air passing through the heater when a temperature of the coolant supplied to the heater is lower than a target temperature for internal heating.

13. The thermal management system of claim 8 , wherein
when the battery module is cooled in the cooling mode of the vehicle,
the coolant is configured to circulate through the coolant line by an operation of the first water pump in the cooling apparatus;
the first connection line is closed through operation of the valve, and the second connection line is closed;
in the battery cooling apparatus, the coolant is configured to be circulated along the battery coolant line through operation of the second water pump;
the refrigerant line connecting the sub-condenser and the evaporator is open through operation of the first expansion valve in the air conditioner;
the refrigerant connection line is open through operation of the second expansion valve; and
the first and second expansion valves are configured to expand the refrigerant supplied to the refrigerant line and the refrigerant connection line, respectively, and to supply the expanded refrigerant to the evaporator and the chiller.

14. The thermal management system of claim 8 , wherein
in th

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Motors Corp
• Kia Motors Gorporation

Inventors

• Kim Jae Yeon
• Kim Su Whan

Classifications

• B60H1/00899

  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

• B60H1/00342

  of the liquid-liquid type · CPC title

• B60L58/26

  by cooling · CPC title

• B60H1/00571

  of liquid ducts, e.g. for coolant liquids or refrigerants · CPC title

• B60H1/00278 Primary

  for the battery · CPC title