Air conditioning system for electric vehicles

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11760163-B2
Application number	US-202117379757-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 19, 2021
Priority date	Nov 6, 2020
Publication date	Sep 19, 2023
Grant date	Sep 19, 2023

Abstract

An air conditioning system for electric vehicles reduces a thermal load endured by the air conditioning system using desiccant-coated heat exchangers and improves energy efficiency using waste heat resulting from cooling of an electronic device when the desiccant-coated heat exchanger is regenerated.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air conditioning system for electric vehicles, the air conditioning system comprising:
a refrigerant line configured to circulate a refrigerant therealong and to be connected to a compressor, a condenser, an expander, and an evaporator;
a cooling water line configured to circulate cooling water therealong, to be connected to a first dehumidification heat exchanger and a second dehumidification heat exchanger, to remove moisture from air, a radiator, and an electronic device, and to switch between circulation of low-temperature cooling water and circulation of high-temperature cooling water depending on whether or not the first dehumidification heat exchanger and the second dehumidification heat exchanger perform a dehumidification operation or a regeneration operation;
an indoor air line configured to enable indoor air to selectively pass through the first dehumidification heat exchanger and the second dehumidification heat exchanger and to enable the indoor air having passed through the first dehumidification heat exchanger or the second dehumidification heat exchanger to be provided to an interior of a vehicle via the evaporator and a heater;
an additional heat exchanger provided on the cooling water line and configured to exchange heat with the outdoor air;
a first outdoor air line configured to enable the outdoor air to pass through the condenser and the radiator and then to be discharged outside; and
a second outdoor air line configured to enable the outdoor air to flow thereinto at a position different from a position of the first outdoor air line, to pass through the additional heat exchanger, and then to selectively pass through the first dehumidification heat exchanger and the second dehumidification heat exchanger.

2. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein, when the first dehumidification heat exchanger performs the dehumidification operation and the second dehumidification heat exchanger performs the regeneration operation, the low-temperature cooling water having passed through the additional heat exchanger is circulated to the first dehumidification heat exchanger along the cooling water line, and the high-temperature cooling water having passed through the electronic device is circulated to the second dehumidification heat exchanger and the radiator along the cooling water line.

3. The air conditioning system according to claim 2 , wherein, when a temperature of the cooling water having passed through the electronic device does not satisfy a temperature required for regeneration of the second dehumidification heat exchanger, the high-temperature cooling water having passed through the electronic device is circulated only to the second dehumidification heat exchanger along the cooling water line.

4. The air conditioning system according to claim 2 , wherein:
the indoor air passes through the first dehumidification heat exchanger along the indoor air line;
the outdoor air passes through the condenser and the radiator along the first outdoor air line; and
the outdoor air passes through the additional heat exchanger and the second dehumidification heat exchanger along the second outdoor air line.

5. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein, when the first dehumidification heat exchanger performs the regeneration operation and the second dehumidification heat exchanger performs the dehumidification operation, the low-temperature cooling water having passed through the additional heat exchanger is circulated to the second dehumidification heat exchanger along the cooling water line, and the high-temperature cooling water having passed through the electronic device is circulated to the first dehumidification heat exchanger and the radiator along the cooling water line.

6. The air conditioning system according to claim 5 , wherein, when a temperature of the cooling water having passed through the electronic device does not satisfy a temperature required for regeneration of the first dehumidification heat exchanger, the high-temperature cooling water having passed through the electronic device is circulated only to the first dehumidification heat exchanger along the cooling water line.

7. The air conditioning system according to claim 5 , wherein:
the indoor air passes through the second dehumidification heat exchanger along the indoor air line;
the outdoor air passes through the condenser and the radiator along the first outdoor air line; and
the outdoor air passes through the additional heat exchanger and the first dehumidification heat exchanger along the second outdoor air line.

8. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein the indoor air line, the first outdoor air line, and the second outdoor air line are provided with a first duct valve configured to enable the indoor air or the outdoor air to be selectively circulated to the first dehumidification heat exchanger and the second dehumidification heat exchanger, and with a second duct valve configured to enable the indoor air or the outdoor air having passed through the first dehumidification heat exchanger and the second dehumidification heat exchanger to be circulated to the interior of the vehicle or outside, the indoor air, and the outdoor air being circulated to the first duct valve and the second duct valve.

9. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein a plurality of valves is provided on the cooling water line so as to determine a circulation path of the cooling water circulated to the first dehumidification heat exchanger, the second dehumidification heat exchanger, the radiator, and the electronic device depending on whether or not the valves are opened or closed.

10. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling water line comprises:
a first cooling water line configured to connect the first dehumidification heat exchanger to the radiator;
a second cooling water line configured to connect the second dehumidification heat exchanger to the first cooling water line;
a third cooling water line and a fourth cooling water line configured to branch off from the radiator and to be respectively connected to the first dehumidification heat exchanger and the second dehumidification heat exchanger;
a fifth cooling water line and a sixth cooling water line configured to branch off from the electronic device and to be respectively connected to the first dehumidification heat exchanger and the second dehumidification heat exchanger;
a seventh cooling water line configured to branch off from the first cooling water line and to be connected to the electronic device; and
an eighth cooling water line configured to branch off from the second cooling water line and to be connected to the electronic device.

11. The air conditioning system according to claim 10 , wherein
a first valve is provided at a connection point between the first cooling water line and the second cooling water line,
a second valve is provided at a branching point between the third cooling water line and the fourth cooling water line,
a third valve is provided at a branching point between the fifth cooling water line and the sixth cooling water line,
a fourth valve is provided at a branching point between the first cooling water line and the seventh cooling water line, and
a fifth valve is provided at a branching point between the second cooling water line and the eighth cooling water line.

12. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 ,
wherein the cooling water line includes
a first connection line configured to connect the first dehumidification heat exchanger to the radiator,
a second connection line con

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp
• Seoul Nat Univ R&Db Foundation

Inventors

• Shin Gee Young
• Kwon Dong Ho
• Kim Myung Hoe
• Han Seung Sik
• Kim Min Soo
• Kim Gwi Taek
• Na Sun Ik

Classifications

• B60H1/00392 Primary

  for electric vehicles having only electric drive means · CPC title

• B60H3/024 Primary

  for only dehumidifying the air · CPC title

• B60H1/143 Primary

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

• B60H1/00328

  of the liquid-air type · CPC title

• B60H1/00028

  Constructional lay-out of the devices in the vehicle · CPC title