Vehicle air-conditioning device

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2017326945-A1
Application number	US-201515529658-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 25, 2015
Priority date	Nov 27, 2014
Publication date	Nov 16, 2017
Grant date	—

Abstract

A vehicle air-conditioning device includes: a first coolant-water circulation path in which coolant water passes through an engine ; a second coolant-water circulation path that is communicated with the first coolant-water circulation path and in which the coolant water passes through a vehicle-cabin radiator; a shutting off mechanism that shuts off, when switched to a shut-off state, the communication between the first coolant-water circulation path and the second coolant-water circulation path; and a refrigeration cycle. The refrigeration cycle has: a compressor for compressing cooling medium; a secondary evaporator in which the cooling medium absorbs heat from the coolant water in the first coolant-water circulation path; a secondary condenser that releases heat of the cooling medium that has absorbed the heat at the secondary evaporator to the coolant water in the second coolant-water circulation path; and a secondary expander that decompresses the cooling medium that has passed through the secondary condenser.

First claim

1 . A vehicle air-conditioning device having a vehicle-cabin radiator for heating air guided into a vehicle cabin of a vehicle, comprising:
a first coolant-water circulation path in which coolant water passes through an engine; a second coolant-water circulation path communicated with the first coolant-water circulation path and in which the coolant water passes through the vehicle-cabin radiator; a shutting off mechanism configured to, when switched to a shut-off state, shut off communication between the first coolant-water circulation path and the second coolant-water circulation path; and a refrigeration cycle having a compressor for compressing cooling medium, a secondary evaporator in which the cooling medium absorbs heat from the coolant water in the first coolant-water circulation path, a secondary condenser for releasing heat of the cooling medium that has absorbed the heat at the secondary evaporator to the coolant water in the second coolant-water circulation path, and a secondary expander for decompressing the cooling medium that has passed through the secondary condenser.

2 . The vehicle air-conditioning device according to claim 1 , wherein the first coolant-water circulation path has:
a first coolant water path formed to a part of the engine and in which the coolant water passes through; a second coolant water path in which the coolant water passes through, the second coolant water path being formed to other parts of the engine at which calorific value generated by operation of the engine is smaller than that in the part at which the first coolant water path is formed; and a temperature open/close valve configured to be switched from a closed state to an opened state, when temperature of the coolant water guided to the second coolant water path exceeds a predetermined temperature, such that the coolant water passes through the second coolant water path.

3 . The vehicle air-conditioning device according to claim 2 , wherein
the first coolant-water circulation path further has, on an upstream side of a position at which the secondary evaporator is provided, an exhaust heat exchanger in which the coolant water absorbs heat from exhaust gas of the engine.

4 . The vehicle air-conditioning device according to claim 1 , wherein a heating-operation is performed in
an engine heating-operation mode in which the first coolant-water circulation path is communicated with the second coolant-water circulation path by the shutting off mechanism; or a heat pump heating-operation mode in which communication between the first coolant-water circulation path and the second coolant-water circulation path is shut off by the shutting off mechanism and the refrigeration cycle is operated.

5 . The vehicle air-conditioning device according to claim 4 , wherein
in a state in which the engine is operated, when temperature of the coolant water in the first coolant-water circulation path is equal to or lower than a first preset temperature set in advance, the heating-operation is performed in the heat pump heating-operation mode, and when the temperature of the coolant water in the first coolant-water circulation path is higher than the first preset temperature, the heating-operation is performed in the engine heating-operation mode.

6 . The vehicle air-conditioning device according to claim 5 , wherein
in a state in which the engine is stopped, when the temperature of the coolant water in the first coolant-water circulation path is equal to or lower than a second preset temperature that is set so as to be lower than the first preset temperature, the heating-operation is performed in the heat pump heating-operation mode, and when the temperature of the coolant water in the first coolant-water circulation path is higher than the second preset temperature, the heating-operation is performed in the engine heating-operation mode.

7 . The vehicle air-conditioning device according to claim 1 , wherein
the refrigeration cycle further has: an outside heat exchanger for cooling the cooling medium by heat exchange with outside air; a primary expander for decompressing the cooling medium that has been cooled at the outside heat exchanger; a primary evaporator for cooling air to be guided into the vehicle cabin with the cooling medium that has been decompressed at the primary expander; a switching valve for switching a state in which the cooling medium that has been compressed by the compressor is guided to the secondary evaporator and a state in which the cooling medium is guided to the primary evaporator; and a bypass valve for circulating, when the switching valve is switched to the opened state, the cooling medium that has been compressed in the compressor by bypassing the secondary expander, and wherein a cooling-operation is performed by switching the switching valve to a state in which the cooling medium is guided to the primary evaporator and by switching the bypass valve to the opened state.

8 . The vehicle air-conditioning device according to claim 7 , wherein
in a state in which the engine is stopped during the cooling-operation, the shutting off mechanism is switched to a shut-off state, and the vehicle-cabin radiator is cooled with the air to be guided into the vehicle cabin.

9 . The vehicle air-conditioning device according to claim 7 , wherein
in a case in which the cooling-operation or dehumidifying-heating-operation is switched to the heating-operation, by switching the switching valve to a state in which the cooling medium is guided to the primary evaporator and by switching the bypass valve to a closed state, the cooling medium that has been decompressed at the secondary expander is evaporated at the outside heat exchanger to reduce pressure in the outside heat exchanger.

Assignees

• Calsonic Kansei Corp

Inventors

• Hatakeyama Jun
• Ogihara Satoshi
• Ohno Hiroyuki

Classifications

• B60H1/00385

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

• B60H1/00921 Primary

  where the flow direction of the refrigerant does not change and there is an extra subcondenser, e.g. in an air duct · CPC title

• B60H1/3211

  for increasing the efficiency of a vehicle refrigeration cycle · CPC title

• B60H1/00807 Primary

  the input being a specific way of measuring or calculating an air or coolant temperature · CPC title

• B60H2001/00928

  comprising a secondary circuit · CPC title