Slim-type heat management system for electric vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12330477-B2
Application number	US-202218053791-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 9, 2022
Priority date	Mar 29, 2022
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

A slim-type heat management system for an electric vehicle is provided. The system includes various heat management modes using a number of parts including at least two three-way expansion valves. The various heat management modes include a heat pump dehumidification mode and a dehumidification max mode, which are for defogging, in addition to an indoor cooling mode, a battery cooling mode, and a heat pump mode for heating.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A heat management system for an electric vehicle,
the system comprising:
an inner condenser mounted inside an air conditioner casing and connected to a discharge portion of an electric compressor by a first refrigerant flow path;
a first three-way expansion valve connected to the inner condenser by a second refrigerant flow path;
an outer condenser connected to a 1-1 outlet of the first three-way expansion valve by a third refrigerant flow path;
a second three-way expansion valve connected to the outer condenser by a fourth refrigerant flow path;
an expansion valve connected to a fifth refrigerant flow path branched off from the fourth refrigerant flow path;
an evaporator mounted inside the air conditioner casing and connected to the expansion valve by a sixth refrigerant flow path;
a seventh refrigerant flow path connected between a 1-2 outlet of the first three-way expansion valve and the sixth refrigerant flow path;
an accumulator connected to the evaporator by a refrigerant return flow path and connected to an inlet portion of the electric compressor;
an eighth refrigerant flow path connected between a 2-1 outlet of the second three-way expansion valve and the refrigerant return flow path;
a battery chiller connected to a 2-2 outlet of the second three-way expansion valve by a ninth refrigerant flow path; and
a tenth refrigerant flow path connected between the battery chiller and the refrigerant return flow path.

2. The system of claim 1 , wherein the outer condenser is adapted to perform a condenser function in an air conditioning mode and to serve as an evaporator in a heat pump mode.

3. The system of claim 1 , wherein the first three-way expansion valve comprises:
a first valve body having a first inlet connected to the second refrigerant flow path, the 1-1 outlet connected to the third refrigerant flow path, and the 1-2 outlet connected to the seventh refrigerant flow path; and
a first valve rotating member having a first main flow path provided in a form being bent at a right angle therein, a 1-1 expansion flow path provided at a first section of a circular arc thereof for allowing communication between the first inlet and the 1-1 outlet, and a 1-2 expansion flow path provided at a section of a circular arc thereof for allowing communication between the first inlet and the 1-2 outlet.

4. The system of claim 3 , wherein the 1-1 expansion flow path is provided as concave at a first section of the circular arc of the first valve rotating member, which is spaced apart from the first main flow path, and
the 1-2 expansion flow path is provided as concave at a second section of the circular arc of the first valve rotating member, which is spaced apart from the first main flow path.

5. The system of claim 1 , wherein the second three-way expansion valve comprises:
a second valve body having a second inlet connected to the fourth refrigerant flow path, the 2-1 outlet connected to the eighth refrigerant flow path, and the 2-2 outlet connected to the ninth refrigerant flow path; and
a second valve rotating member having a second main flow path provided in a form being bent at a right angle therein and a second expansion flow path provided at a partial circular arc section of an outer diameter surface for allowing communication to be accomplished between the second inlet and the 2-2 outlet.

6. The system of claim 5 , wherein the second expansion flow path is provided to be concave at a partial circular arc section on one side, deviated out of the second main flow path, of an outer diameter surface of the second valve rotating member.

7. The system of claim 1 , wherein an air conditioning mode for indoor cooling is implemented in a state in which the first three-way expansion valve is controlled to be fully open so as to accomplish communication between the second refrigerant flow path and the third refrigerant flow path, the second three-way expansion valve is controlled to be closed so as to block refrigerant flow, and the expansion valve is controlled to be opened.

8. The system of claim 7 , wherein, in the air conditioning mode, there sequentially and repeatedly proceed processes including a process in which a gaseous refrigerant with high temperature and high pressure having been discharged into the first refrigerant flow path by driving of the electric compressor is firstly subjected to heat dissipation in the inner condenser, a process in which the refrigerant flowing to the third refrigerant flow path by passing through the second refrigerant flow path and the first three-way expansion valve is converted into a liquid refrigerant with the high temperature and high pressure by secondary heat dissipation of the outer condenser, a process in which the refrigerant flowing along the fourth refrigerant flow path and the fifth refrigerant flow path is converted into the liquid refrigerant with low temperature and low pressure in the expansion valve, a process in which the refrigerant flowing along the sixth refrigerant flow path is converted into the gaseous refrigerant with the low temperature and low pressure in the evaporator, and a process in which the refrigerant that has passed through the evaporator returns to the accumulator and the electric compressor through the refrigerant return flow path.

9. The system of claim 1 , wherein a battery cooling mode is implemented in a state in which the first three-way expansion valve is controlled to be fully open so as to accomplish communication between the second refrigerant flow path and the third refrigerant flow path, the second three-way expansion valve is controlled to be closed so as to block refrigerant flow between the fourth refrigerant flow path and the eighth refrigerant flow path and is controlled, at the same time, to allow the refrigerant to flow to be expandable from the fourth refrigerant flow path to the ninth refrigerant flow path, and the expansion valve is controlled to be closed.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein, in the battery cooling mode, there sequentially and repeatedly proceed processes including a process in which a gaseous refrigerant with high temperature and high pressure having been discharged into the first refrigerant flow path by driving of the electric compressor is firstly subjected to heat dissipation in the inner condenser, a process in which the refrigerant flowing to the third refrigerant flow path by passing through the second refrigerant flow path and the first three-way expansion valve is converted into a liquid refrigerant with the high temperature and high pressure by secondary heat dissipation of the outer condenser, a process in which the refrigerant flowing along the fourth refrigerant flow path is expanded while passing through the second three-way expansion valve and is converted into the liquid refrigerant with low temperature and low pressure, a process in which the refrigerant flowing along the ninth refrigerant flow path cools a battery while being converted into the gaseous refrigerant with the low temperature and low pressure in the battery chiller, and a process in which the refrigerant that has passed through the battery chiller returns to the accumulator and the electric compressor through the tenth refrigerant flow path and the refrigerant return flow path.

11. The system of claim 1 , wherein an air conditioning mode and a battery cooling mode are simultaneously implemented in a state in which the first three-way expansion valve is controlled to be fully open so as to accomplish communication between the second refrigerant flow path and the third refrigerant flow path, the second three-way expansion valve is controlled so as to block refrigerant flow between the

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Cho Wan Je
• Son Ji Wan
• Lee Sueng Ho
• Yun Eon Soo
• Jeong Seong Bin
• Kim Myung Hwan
• Kim Tae Hee
• Jeong Jae Eun
• Lee Seong Jae
• Lee Hyun Jae
• Kang Jun Young
• Kong Dong Hyun
• Chae Kyu Ho

Classifications

• F16K47/045

  and the closure member being rotatable · CPC title

• F25B41/31

  Expansion valves · CPC title

• B60H2001/00307

  Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow · CPC title

• F25B2313/02732

  using two three-way valves · CPC title

• F16K5/0407

  with particular plug arrangements, e.g. particular shape or built-in means · CPC title