Heat pump system for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12496874-B2
Application number	US-202318330619-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 7, 2023
Priority date	Dec 12, 2022
Publication date	Dec 16, 2025
Grant date	Dec 16, 2025

Abstract

An embodiment heat pump system of a vehicle includes a valve controlling a flow of a coolant, a first line having ends connected to the valve, a radiator and an electrical component on the first line, a second line having ends connected to the valve, a battery module on the second line, a first connection line including a first end connected to the valve, a chiller on the first connection line, a second connection line including ends connected to the second and first connection lines, and a third connection line including a first end connected to a second end of the first connection line and a second end connected to the first line between the radiator and the electrical component, wherein the valve operates such that the first, second, or first connection line is connected to another line or to itself depending on the selected mode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A heat pump system of a vehicle, the system comprising:
a valve configured to control a flow of a coolant that is interiorly introduced according to a mode selected from a plurality of modes for temperature adjustment of a vehicle interior and temperature adjustment of a battery module; a first cooling apparatus comprising at least one first line comprising a first end and a second end directly connected to the valve to allow circulation of the coolant; a radiator on the first line; an electrical component on the first line; a second cooling apparatus comprising at least one second line comprising a first end and a second end directly connected to the valve to allow circulation of the coolant, wherein the battery module is on the second line; a first connection line comprising a first end connected to the valve to allow circulation of the coolant; a chiller on the first connection line; a second connection line comprising a first end connected to the second line and a second end connected to the first connection line; and a third connection line comprising a first end connected to a second end of the first connection line and a second end connected to the first line between the radiator and the electrical component; and wherein the valve is configured to operate such that the first line, the second line, or the first connection line is connected to another line or to itself depending on the selected mode.

2 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first water pump on the first line between the valve and the electrical component; and a second water pump on the second line between the valve and the battery module.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein:
the third connection line maintains an opened state in the selected mode; and the coolant is configured to selectively flow depending on a connection structure of the first line, the second line, or the first connection line.

4 . A heat pump system of a vehicle, the system comprising:
a valve configured to control a flow of a coolant that is interiorly introduced according to a mode selected from a plurality of modes for temperature adjustment of a vehicle interior and temperature adjustment of a battery module; a first cooling apparatus comprising at least one first line comprising a first end and a second end directly connected to the valve to allow circulation of the coolant; a radiator on the first line; an electrical component on the first line; a second cooling apparatus comprising at least one second line comprising a first end and a second end directly connected to the valve to allow circulation of the coolant, wherein the battery module is on the second line; a first connection line comprising a first end connected to the valve to allow circulation of the coolant; an air conditioner unit; a refrigerant connection line; a chiller on the first connection line, wherein the chiller is connected to the air conditioner unit through the refrigerant connection line; a second connection line comprising a first end connected to the second line and a second end connected to the first connection line; and a third connection line comprising a first end connected to a second end of the first connection line and a second end connected to the first line between the radiator and the electrical component; and wherein the valve is configured to operate such that the first line, the second line, or the first connection line is connected to another line or to itself depending on the selected mode.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the chiller comprises a water-cooled heat-exchanger configured to heat-exchange the coolant with a refrigerant supplied from the air conditioner unit.

6 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a coolant heater on the second line.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein, in order to increase a temperature of the battery module, the coolant heater is configured to be operated such that the coolant supplied to the battery module along the second line is heated.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the valve comprises a 5-way valve.

9 . A heat pump system of a vehicle, the system comprising:
a valve configured to control a flow of a coolant that is interiorly introduced according to a mode selected from a plurality of modes for temperature adjustment of a vehicle interior and temperature adjustment of a battery module, the plurality of modes comprising:
a first mode for cooling an electrical component by using the coolant cooled at a radiator and for increasing a temperature of the battery module;
a second mode for cooling the electrical component and the battery module by using the coolant cooled at the radiator;
a third mode for heating the vehicle interior and for increasing the temperature of the battery module while recollecting waste heat of the electrical component; and
a fourth mode for heating the vehicle interior and for recollecting the waste heat of the electrical component and the battery module;
a first cooling apparatus comprising at least one first line comprising a first end and a second end directly connected to the valve to allow circulation of the coolant, wherein the radiator and the electrical component are on the at least one first line; a second cooling apparatus comprising at least one second line comprising a first end and a second end directly connected to the valve to allow circulation of the coolant, wherein the battery module is on the at least one second line; a first connection line comprising a first end connected to the valve to allow circulation of the coolant; a chiller on the first connection line; a second connection line comprising a first end connected to the second line and a second end connected to the first connection line; and a third connection line comprising a first end connected to a second end of the first connection line and a second end connected to the first line between the radiator and the electrical component; and wherein the valve is configured to operate such that the first line, the second line, or the first connection line is connected to another line or to itself depending on the selected mode.

10 . The system of claim 9 , wherein, in the first mode:
the first end of the at least one first line is connected to the second end of the at least one first line by an operation of the valve such that the at least one first line defines an independent closed circuit in order to supply the coolant cooled at the radiator to the electrical component; the first end of the at least one second line is connected to the second end of the at least one second line by the operation of the valve such that the second line defines an independent closed circuit; the first connection line is closed by the operation of the valve; the second connection line is closed by the closed first connection line; and the coolant does not flow through the third connection line.

11 . The system of claim 9 , wherein, in the second mode:
the second end of the at least one first line is connected to the first end of the at least one second line by an operation of the valve; a portion of the at least one second line connecting the valve and a downstream side of the battery module, with reference to a flow direction of the coolant, is closed; the first end of the first connection line is connected to a first end of the at least one first line by the operation of the valve; and the second connection line is opened such that the at least one second line is connected to the first connection line.

12 . The system of claim 11 , wherein the third connection line is configured to allow flo

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

• Cha Yong Woong
• Cho Wan Je
• Park Jungha
• Yun Eon Soo
• Kang Byeonggu
• Lee Seongjae
• Park Jong Il
• An Jai Young
• Jeong Seong-Bin

Classifications

• B60H1/3213

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

• B60Y2200/90

  Vehicles comprising electric prime movers · CPC title

• B60H1/00485

  Valves for air-conditioning devices, e.g. thermostatic valves · CPC title

• B60H1/143

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

• B60H1/00278

  for the battery · CPC title