Refrigerant module of integrated thermal management system for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11993134-B2
Application number	US-202217972323-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 24, 2022
Priority date	Nov 11, 2021
Publication date	May 28, 2024
Grant date	May 28, 2024

Abstract

A refrigerant module of an integrated thermal management system of a vehicle is provided in which components of the module may be compactified by modularizing the components related to a refrigerant. In the refrigerant module of the integrated thermal management system for the vehicle in which the refrigerant module is configured such that a refrigerant circulates through a compressor, a condenser, an expansion valve, an evaporator, and an accumulator, the refrigerant module includes the compressor having a first suction port and a first discharge port, the condenser having a second suction port and a second discharge port, the expansion valve having a third suction port and a third discharge port, the evaporator having a fourth suction port and a fourth discharge port, the accumulator having a fifth suction port and a fifth discharge port, and a connection passage enabling the refrigerant discharged from the accumulator to flow to the compressor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A refrigerant module of an integrated thermal management system for a vehicle, the refrigerant module comprising:
a compressor having a first suction port into which a refrigerant is suctioned and having a first discharge port through which the refrigerant that is compressed is discharged;
a condenser having a second suction port into which the refrigerant discharged from the compressor is suctioned and having a second discharge port through which the refrigerant that is heat-exchanged is discharged;
an expansion valve having a third suction port into which the refrigerant discharged from the condenser is suctioned and having a third discharge port through which the refrigerant that is expanded is discharged;
an evaporator having a fourth suction port into which the refrigerant discharged from the expansion valve is suctioned and having a fourth discharge port through which the refrigerant that is heat-exchanged is discharged;
an accumulator having a fifth suction port into which the refrigerant discharged from the evaporator is suctioned and having a fifth discharge port through which the refrigerant separated into liquid and gas phases is discharged; and
a connection passage enabling the refrigerant discharged from the accumulator to flow to the compressor;
wherein the refrigerant module is configured such that a refrigerant circulates through the compressor, the condenser, the expansion valve, the evaporator, and the accumulator,
wherein the first discharge port of the compressor is directly connected to the second suction port of the condenser, the second discharge port of the condenser is directly connected to the third suction port of the expansion valve, the third discharge port of the expansion valve is directly connected to the fourth suction port of the evaporator, the fourth discharge port of the evaporator is directly connected to the fifth suction port of the accumulator, and the fifth discharge port of the accumulator is indirectly connected to the first suction port of the compressor by the connection passage; and
wherein the first discharge port is oriented in an upward direction from an upper end portion of the compressor, the second suction port is oriented in a downward direction from a lower end portion of the condenser, and the second suction port of the condenser is disposed directly above the first discharge port of the compressor such that the first discharge port and the second suction port are directly connected to each other and are in communication with each other.

2. The refrigerant module of claim 1 , wherein the second discharge port is oriented in a downward direction from a lower end portion of the condenser, the third suction port is oriented in an upward direction from an upper end portion of the expansion valve, and the third suction port of the expansion valve is disposed directly below the second discharge port of the condenser such that the second discharge port and the third suction port are directly connected to each other and are in communication with each other.

3. The refrigerant module of claim 1 , wherein the third discharge port is oriented in an upward direction from an upper end portion of the expansion valve, the fourth suction port is oriented in a downward direction from a lower end portion of the evaporator, and the fourth suction port of the evaporator is disposed directly above the third discharge port of the expansion valve such that the third discharge port and the fourth suction port are directly connected to each other and are in communication with each other.

4. The refrigerant module of claim 1 , wherein the fourth discharge port is oriented in a downward direction from a lower end portion of the evaporator, the fifth suction port is oriented in an upward direction from an upper end portion of the accumulator, and the fifth suction port of the accumulator is disposed directly below the fourth discharge port of the evaporator such that the fourth discharge port and the fifth suction port are directly connected to each other and are in communication with each other.

5. The refrigerant module of claim 1 , wherein the fifth discharge port is oriented in an upward direction from an upper end portion of the accumulator, the first suction port is oriented in an upward direction from an upper end portion of the compressor, and the fifth discharge port of the accumulator and the first suction port of the compressor are disposed to be spaced apart from each other in a horizontal direction and are indirectly connected to each other by the connection passage.

6. The refrigerant module of claim 5 , wherein the connection passage is formed in a hollow pipe shape so that the refrigerant flows through an internal portion of the connection passage, the connection passage has a first end thereof provided with a suction flange that is directly connected to the fifth discharge port of the accumulator and has a second end thereof provided with a discharge flange that is directly connected to the first suction port of the compressor, and opposite side end regions of the connection passage are bent downward, so that the suction flange is disposed directly above the fifth discharge port of the accumulator and the discharge flange is disposed directly above the first suction port of the compressor.

7. The refrigerant module of claim 1 , further comprising a fixing plate portion that is configured to fix the compressor, the condenser, the expansion valve, the evaporator, and the accumulator.

8. The refrigerant module of claim 7 , wherein the compressor and the accumulator are disposed side by side in a horizontal direction, the condenser and the evaporator are disposed side by side in the horizontal direction on a region above the compressor and the accumulator, and the fixing plate portion comprises a first vertical plate oriented in a vertical direction and fixed to a vehicle body of the vehicle, and a first horizontal plate horizontally fixed to a middle portion of the first vertical plate,
wherein the compressor and the accumulator are fixed to a lower surface of the first horizontal plate, the condenser and the evaporator are fixed to an upper surface of the first horizontal plate, and opposite sides of an upper end of the expansion valve are respectively fixed to a lower end portion of the condenser and a lower end portion of the evaporator.

9. The refrigerant module of claim 7 , wherein the compressor and the accumulator are disposed side by side in a horizontal direction, the condenser and the evaporator are disposed side by side in the horizontal direction on a region above the compressor and the accumulator, and the fixing plate portion comprises a second horizontal plate oriented in a horizontal direction and fixed to a vehicle body of the vehicle, and a second vertical plate vertically fixed to a middle portion of the second horizontal plate,
wherein the compressor and the accumulator are fixed to an upper surface of the second horizontal plate, the condenser and the evaporator are respectively fixed to opposite side surfaces of the second vertical plate, and opposite sides of an upper end of the expansion valve are respectively fixed to a lower end portion of the condenser and a lower end portion of the evaporator.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp
• Hyundai Wia Corp

Inventors

• Oh Man Ju
• Lee Sang Shin
• Kim Ki Mok
• Kim Man Hee
• Lee Se Min
• Park Bong Jun

Classifications

• B60H1/3229 Primary

  characterised by constructional features, e.g. housings, mountings, conversion systems (B60H1/3227, B60H1/3233 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60H1/00385

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

• F25B2500/18

  Optimization, e.g. high integration of refrigeration components · CPC title

• B60H1/3204 Primary

  using compression (B60H1/3233 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60H1/3223

  characterised by the arrangement or type of the compressor (B60H1/3222 takes precedence) · CPC title