Integrated thermal management system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2024270049-A1
Application number	US-202318219053-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 6, 2023
Priority date	Feb 14, 2023
Publication date	Aug 15, 2024
Grant date	—

Abstract

Proposed is an integrated thermal management system of which the cooling performance is secured because the entire area of a radiator is used when cooling a PE part and a battery. In particular, heat of the PE part and heat of the battery are selectively shared and thus the entire circuit of the system becomes compact and the energy efficiency is improved.

First claim

1 . An integrated thermal management system comprising:
a refrigerant circuit including a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, an outdoor heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and an evaporator, wherein a refrigerant circulates in the refrigerant circuit; a cooling water circuit including a first cooling water line including a power electronics (PE) part, a second cooling water line including a battery, and a third cooling water line connected to the first cooling water line and the second cooling water line and including a radiator, wherein cooling water circulate in the cooling water circuit; an integrated heat exchanger connected to the refrigerant circuit, the first cooling water line, and the second cooling water line such that the refrigerant and cooling water exchange heat with each other; a first valve disposed in the first cooling water line such that cooling water circulating to the PE part selectively flows to the radiator or the integrated heat exchanger; and a second valve disposed in the second cooling water line such that cooling water circulating to the battery selectively flows to the radiator or the integrated heat exchanger.

2 . The integrated thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the cooling water circuit further includes a fourth cooling water line connected to the first cooling water line and the second cooling water line and including a reservoir.

3 . The integrated thermal management system of claim 2 , wherein a first water pump is disposed in the first cooling water line,
a second water pump is disposed in the second cooling water line, and the fourth cooling water line is connected to a front end of the first water pump of the first cooling water line and a front end of the second water pump of the second cooling water line.

4 . The integrated thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein a front end of the third cooling water line is connected to a rear end of the PE part of the first cooling water line and a rear end of the integrated heat exchanger in the second cooling water line, and a rear end of the third cooling water line is connected to a front end of the first valve of the first cooling water line and a front end of the second valve of the second cooling water line.

5 . The integrated thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant circuit includes:
a first refrigerant line including the compressor, the indoor heat exchanger, a first expansion valve, the outdoor heat exchanger, a second expansion valve, and the evaporator; a second refrigerant line diverging from a front end of the integrated heat exchanger of the first refrigerant line through a switch valve and connected to a front end of the compressor; and a third refrigerant line diverging through a third expansion valve between the switch valve of the second refrigerant line and the integrated heat exchanger and connected to the first refrigerant line.

6 . The integrated thermal management system of claim 5 , further comprising a controller configured to control the compressor and the valves in accordance with an air-conditioning mode and a thermal management mode.

7 . The integrated thermal management system of claim 6 , wherein the controller controls the first valve and the second valve such that cooling water circulates to the radiator through the first cooling water line and the third cooling water line in order to cool the PE part and such that cooling water circulates to the integrated heat exchanger in the first cooling water line in order to increase and maintain temperature of the PE part.

8 . The integrated thermal management system of claim 6 , wherein the controller controls the first valve and the second valve such that cooling water circulates to the radiator through the second cooling water line and the third cooling water line in order to cool the battery and such that cooling water circulates to the battery in the second cooling water line in order to increase and maintain temperature of the battery.

9 . The integrated thermal management system of claim 6 , wherein the controller controls the first valve and the second valve such that cooling water that has passed through the PE part circulates to the battery in the first cooling water line and the second cooling water line in order to increase temperature of the battery using heat of the PE part.

10 . The integrated thermal management system of claim 6 , wherein the controller controls the first valve and the second valve such that cooling water that has passed through the battery circulates to the PE part in the first cooling water line and the second cooling water line in order to increase temperature of the PE part using heat of the battery.

11 . The integrated thermal management system of claim 6 , wherein, in order to implement interior cooling or heat pumping, the second expansion valve and the third expansion valve are operated for expansion and the controller controls the switch valve and the third expansion valve such that the refrigerant, which has passed through the compressor, the indoor heat exchanger, the first expansion valve, and the outdoor heat exchange valve, circulates to the evaporator and the integrated heat exchanger in the refrigerant circuit.

12 . The integrated thermal management system of claim 6 , wherein, in order to implement interior heating or heat pumping via external air heat absorption, the first expansion valve is operated for expansion, the second expansion valve is closed, and the controller controls the switch valve such that the refrigerant, which has passed through the compressor, the indoor heat exchanger, and the first expansion valve, absorbs heat through the outdoor heat exchanger and then circulates to the compressor in the refrigerant circuit.

13 . The integrated thermal management system of claim 6 , wherein, in order to implement heat pumping via heat absorption of the PE part or the battery, the first expansion valve is operated for expansion, the second expansion valve is closed, the third expansion valve is opened, and the controller controls the switch valve such that the refrigerant, which has passed through the compressor, the indoor heat exchanger, and the first expansion valve, absorbs heat through the outdoor heat exchanger and the integrated heat exchanger and then circulates to the compressor in the refrigerant circuit, and controls the first valve or the second valve such that cooling water circulates to the integrated heat exchanger in the first cooling water line or the second cooling water line.

14 . The integrated thermal management system of claim 6 , wherein, in order to implement dehumidification, the first expansion valve is closed, the second expansion valve is operated for expansion, and the controller controls the switch valve and the third expansion valve such that the refrigerant flows to the compressor, the indoor heat exchanger, the second expansion valve, and the evaporator in the refrigerant circuit.

15 . The integrated thermal management system of claim 6 , wherein, in order to implement heat pumping via external air heat absorption during interior dehumidification, the first expansion valve is operated for expansion, the second expansion valve is opened, and the controller controls the switch valve such that the refrigerant flows to the compressor, the indoor heat exchanger, the first expansion valve, the outdoor heat exchanger, and the evaporator in the refrigerant circuit.

16 . The integrated thermal management system of claim 1 , wherein the radiator is configured such that an entire area thereof is an available area.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd
• Kia Corp

Inventors

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

Classifications

• 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

• B60H1/00921

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

• B60H1/00278

  for the battery · CPC title

• B60H2001/00307

  Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow · CPC title

• B60Y2200/91

  Electric vehicles · CPC title