Heating pump system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12427837-B2
Application number	US-202218074450-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 2, 2022
Priority date	Dec 3, 2021
Publication date	Sep 30, 2025
Grant date	Sep 30, 2025

Abstract

A heat pump system for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The heat pump system includes a refrigerant circuit that is flowable through by a refrigerant. The refrigerant circuit has a first partial circuit with a low pressure accumulator, a compressor, a heat pump heater, and an exterior heat exchanger. The refrigerant circuit has a second partial circuit with an evaporator and a chiller. The refrigerant circuit has a valve arrangement. The first partial circuit and the second partial circuit are fluidically connected with one another exclusively via the valve arrangement.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A heat pump system for a motor vehicle, comprising:
a refrigerant circuit that is flowable through by a refrigerant,
the refrigerant circuit having a first partial circuit with a low pressure accumulator, a compressor, a heat pump heater and an exterior heat exchanger,
the refrigerant circuit having a second partial circuit with an evaporator and a chiller,
wherein the refrigerant circuit has a valve arrangement, and the first partial circuit and the second partial circuit are fluidically connected with one another exclusively via the valve arrangement, and
wherein the valve arrangement comprises at least one valve and lines of the refrigerant circuit interconnected with one another in a structural unit.

2. The heat pump system according to claim 1 , wherein:
in the first partial circuit the low pressure accumulator, the compressor, the heat pump heater and the exterior heat exchanger are connected with one another in a fluid-directing and serial manner via a first partial circuit line,
the first partial circuit line is connected in a fluid-directing manner with the valve arrangement at a first partial circuit inlet arranged upstream of the low pressure accumulator and at a first partial circuit outlet arranged downstream of the exterior heat exchanger,
in the first partial circuit the exterior heat exchanger flowable around via a bypass line, and
the bypass line is connected at a bypass inlet, arranged upstream of the exterior heat exchanger to the first partial circuit line and at a bypass outlet with the valve arrangement in a fluid-directing manner.

3. The heat pump system according to claim 1 , wherein:
in the second partial circuit the evaporator and the chiller are connected with one another in a fluid-directing and parallel manner via a second partial circuit line, and
the second partial circuit line is connected with the valve arrangement in a fluid-directing manner at a second partial circuit inlet arranged upstream of the evaporator and the chiller, and at a second partial circuit outlet arranged downstream of the evaporator and the chiller.

4. The heat pump system according to claim 2 , further comprising at least one of:
a regulatable expansion valve arranged directly upstream of the exterior heat exchanger,
a regulatable expansion valve arranged directly upstream of the evaporator, and
a regulatable expansion valve arranged directly upstream of the chiller.

5. The heat pump system according to claim 4 , wherein the heat pump system is operable in a cooling mode, wherein:
in the cooling mode, the regulatable expansion valve arranged upstream of the exterior heat exchanger is opened in a throttle-free manner at the exterior heat exchanger; and the regulatable expansion valve at the evaporator and the regulatable expansion valve at the chiller respectively form a throttle, and
in the cooling mode, the bypass line in the first partial circuit is closed through the valve arrangement; the first partial circuit outlet is fluidically connected to a second partial circuit inlet; and a second partial circuit outlet is fluidically connected to the first partial circuit inlet.

6. The heat pump system according to claim 4 , wherein the heat pump system is operable in a first heating mode, wherein
in the first heating mode, the regulatable expansion valve at the exterior heat exchanger and the regulatable expansion valve at the chiller respectively form a throttle; and the regulatable expansion valve at the evaporator is closed, and
in the first heating mode, the bypass outlet is fluidically connected with a second partial circuit inlet through the valve arrangement; and the first partial circuit outlet and a second partial circuit outlet are fluidically connected to the first partial circuit inlet.

7. The heat pump system according to claim 4 , wherein the heat pump system is operable in a second heating mode, wherein:
in the second heating mode, the regulatable expansion valve at the exterior heat exchanger and the first partial circuit outlet are closed; the regulatable expansion valve is closed at the evaporator; and the regulatable expansion valve at the chiller forms a throttle, and
in the second heating mode, through the valve arrangement the bypass outlet is fluidically connected with a second partial circuit inlet; and a second partial circuit outlet is fluidically connected to the first partial circuit inlet.

8. The heat pump system according to claim 2 , wherein:
the at least one valve of the valve arrangement includes a first 2/1-way valve, a second 2/1-way valve and a non-return valve,
the first 2/1-way valve interconnects the first partial circuit outlet and the first partial circuit inlet with one another,
the second 2/1-way valve interconnects the bypass outlet and a second partial circuit inlet with one another,
the non-return valve fluidically connects a first connection point, arranged upstream of the first 2/1-way valve, and a second connection point, arranged downstream of the second 2/1-way valve, and
a second partial circuit outlet is fluidically connected with the first partial circuit inlet at a third connection point arranged downstream of the first 2/1-way valve.

9. The heat pump system according to claim 2 , wherein:
the at least one valve of the valve arrangement includes a 2/1-way valve and a 3/2-way valve,
the 2/1-way valve interconnects the bypass outlet and a second partial circuit inlet with one another,
the 3/2-way valve interconnects with one another the first partial circuit outlet, the first partial circuit inlet and a first connection point arranged downstream of the 2/1-way valve, and
a second partial circuit outlet is fluidically connected with the first partial circuit inlet at a second connection point arranged downstream of the 3/2-way valve.

10. The heat pump system according to claim 2 , wherein:
the at least one valve of the valve arrangement includes a 4-way valve,
the 4-way valve interconnects with one another the first partial circuit outlet, the first partial circuit inlet, the bypass outlet and a second partial circuit inlet, and
a second partial circuit outlet is fluidically connected with the first partial circuit inlet at a connection point arranged downstream of the 4-way valve.

11. The heat pump system according to claim 1 , wherein the structural unit is securely connected with the low pressure accumulator.

12. A motor vehicle, comprising:
a heat pump system, the heat pump system including a refrigerant circuit;
the refrigerant circuit having a first partial circuit with a low pressure accumulator, a compressor, a heat pump heater, and an exterior heat exchanger;
the refrigerant circuit having a second partial circuit with an evaporator and a chiller;
the refrigerant circuit having a valve arrangement;
wherein the first partial circuit and the second partial circuit are fluidically connected with one another exclusively via the valve arrangement; and
wherein the valve arrangement comprises at least one valve and lines of the refrigerant circuit interconnected with one another in a structural unit.

13. The motor vehicle according to claim 12 , wherein:
in the first partial circuit the low pressure accumulator, the compressor, the heat pump heater and the exterior heat exchanger are connected with one another in a fluid-directing and serial manner via a first partial circuit line;
the first partial circuit line is connected in a fluid-directing manner with the valve arrangement at a first partial circuit inlet arranged upstream of the low pressure accumulator and at a first partial circuit outlet arranged downstream

Assignees

• Mahle Int Gmbh

Inventors

• Behnert Dominik
• Boger Markus
• Jung Matthias

Classifications

• F25B41/20

  Disposition of valves, e.g. of on-off valves or flow control valves (expansion valves F25B41/31) · CPC title

• B60H1/3213

  for increasing the efficiency in a vehicle heat pump · CPC title

• F25B2400/04

  Refrigeration circuit bypassing means · CPC title

• F25B41/31

  Expansion valves · CPC title

• B60H1/00278

  for the battery · CPC title