Integrated-type air-conditioning system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12397607-B2
Application number	US-202318301602-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 17, 2023
Priority date	Dec 2, 2022
Publication date	Aug 26, 2025
Grant date	Aug 26, 2025

Abstract

An embodiment integrated-type air-conditioning system includes a refrigerant circuit including first and second refrigerant lines, a first coolant circuit including a battery, and a second coolant circuit including a PE part. The first refrigerant line includes a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, a first expansion device, and an outdoor heat exchanger, and the second refrigerant line includes a second expansion device and an integrated heat exchanger. The second refrigerant line branches from a branch point between the indoor heat exchanger and the first expansion device in the first refrigerant line and branches from a point between the compressor and the indoor heat exchanger through a switching valve to be connected to the compressor. The first coolant circuit and the second coolant circuit are each connected to the integrated heat exchanger so as to allow a coolant to exchange heat with a refrigerant.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An integrated-type air-conditioning system comprising:
a refrigerant circuit configured to allow a refrigerant to flow therethrough, the refrigerant circuit comprising:
a first refrigerant line comprising a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, a first expansion device, and an outdoor heat exchanger; and
a second refrigerant line comprising a second expansion device and an integrated heat exchanger, the second refrigerant line branching from a branch point between the indoor heat exchanger and the first expansion device in the first refrigerant line and branching from a point between the compressor and the indoor heat exchanger through a switching valve to be connected to the compressor;

a first coolant circuit comprising a battery, the first coolant circuit being configured to allow a coolant to flow therethrough and being connected to the integrated heat exchanger so as to allow the coolant to exchange heat with the refrigerant; and
a second coolant circuit comprising a PE (power electric) part, the second coolant circuit being configured to allow the coolant to flow therethrough and being connected to the integrated heat exchanger so as to allow the coolant to exchange heat with the refrigerant.

2. The integrated-type air-conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein the first expansion device is disposed in the first refrigerant line at a position between the outdoor heat exchanger and the branch point to which the second refrigerant line is connected.

3. The integrated-type air-conditioning system according to claim 1 , wherein:
the first coolant circuit comprises a first water pump, a first radiator, and a first valve; and
the coolant selectively flows through the first radiator or the integrated heat exchanger due to the first valve.

4. The integrated-type air-conditioning system according to claim 3 , wherein:
the second coolant circuit comprises a second water pump, a second radiator, and a second valve; and
the coolant selectively flows through the second radiator or the integrated heat exchanger due to the second valve.

5. The integrated-type air-conditioning system according to claim 4 , further comprising a controller configured to control the compressor, the first expansion device, the second expansion device, the first water pump, the second water pump, the switching valve, the first valve, and the second valve according to an air-conditioning mode and a heat management mode.

6. An integrated-type air-conditioning system comprising:
a refrigerant circuit configured to allow a refrigerant to flow therethrough, the refrigerant circuit comprising:
a first refrigerant line comprising a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, a first expansion device, and an outdoor heat exchanger; and
a second refrigerant line comprising a second expansion device and an integrated heat exchanger, the second refrigerant line branching from a branch point between the indoor heat exchanger and the first expansion device in the first refrigerant line and branching from a point between the compressor and the indoor heat exchanger through a switching valve to be connected to the compressor;

a first coolant circuit comprising a battery, a first water pump, a first radiator, and a first valve, the first coolant circuit being configured to allow a coolant to flow therethrough and being connected to the integrated heat exchanger so as to allow the coolant to exchange heat with the refrigerant;
a second coolant circuit comprising a PE part, a second water pump, a second radiator, and a second valve, the second coolant circuit being configured to allow the coolant to flow therethrough and being connected to the integrated heat exchanger so as to allow the coolant to exchange heat with the refrigerant; and
a controller configured to control the compressor, the first expansion device, the second expansion device, the first water pump, the second water pump, the switching valve, the first valve, and the second valve according to an air-conditioning mode and a heat management mode.

7. The integrated-type air-conditioning system according to claim 6 , wherein, in order to perform indoor cooling, the controller is further configured to:
control the switching valve such that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor flows into the outdoor heat exchanger;
control the first expansion device to perform an expansion operation; and
control the second expansion device to be closed.

8. The integrated-type air-conditioning system according to claim 6 , wherein, in order to perform indoor cooling and cooling of the battery, the controller is further configured to:
control the switching valve such that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor flows into the outdoor heat exchanger;
control the first expansion device to perform an expansion operation;
control the second expansion device to perform an opening or expansion operation;
drive the first water pump; and
control the first valve such that the coolant in the first coolant circuit circulates through the integrated heat exchanger.

9. The integrated-type air-conditioning system according to claim 6 , wherein, in order to perform indoor heating, the controller is further configured to:
control the switching valve such that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor flows into the indoor heat exchanger;
control the first expansion device to perform an expansion operation; and
control the second expansion device to be closed.

10. The integrated-type air-conditioning system according to claim 6 , wherein, in order to cool the battery during indoor heating, the controller is further configured to:
control the switching valve such that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor flows into the indoor heat exchanger;
control the first expansion device and the second expansion device to perform an expansion operation;
drive the first water pump; and
control the first valve such that the coolant in the first coolant circuit circulates through the integrated heat exchanger.

11. The integrated-type air-conditioning system according to claim 6 , wherein, in order to cool the PE part during indoor heating, the controller is further configured to:
control the switching valve such that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor flows into the indoor heat exchanger;
control the first expansion device and the second expansion device to perform an expansion operation;
drive the second water pump; and
control the second valve such that the coolant in the second coolant circuit circulates through the integrated heat exchanger.

12. The integrated-type air-conditioning system according to claim 6 , wherein, when the outdoor heat exchanger is frosted during indoor heating, the controller is further configured to:
control the switching valve such that the refrigerant discharged from the compressor flows into the indoor heat exchanger;
control the first expansion device to be closed;
control the second expansion device to perform an expansion operation;
drive the second water pump; and
control the second valve such that the coolant in the second coolant circuit circulates through the integrated heat exchanger.

13. A method of operating an integrated-type air-conditioning system in an electric vehicle, the method comprising:
allowing a refrigerant to flow through a refrigerant circuit that comprises a first refrigerant line and a second refrigerant line, the first refrigerant line comprising a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, a first expansion device, and an outdoor heat exchanger and the second refrigerant line comprising a second expansion device and an

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp
• Hyundai Motor Company Kia Corp

Inventors

• Kim Ki Mok
• Lee Sang Shin
• Oh Man Ju

Classifications

• B60H1/143

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

• B60H1/00885

  Controlling the flow of heating or cooling liquid, e.g. valves or pumps (B60H1/00899 takes precedence; constructions of valves B60H1/00485) · CPC title

• B60H2001/00307

  Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow · CPC title

• B60Y2304/01

  Minimizing space with more compact designs or arrangements · CPC title

• B60Y2200/91

  Electric vehicles · CPC title