Air conditioner for vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9539880-B2
Application number	US-201214117804-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 12, 2012
Priority date	Jul 5, 2011
Publication date	Jan 10, 2017
Grant date	Jan 10, 2017

Abstract

An air-conditioner for a vehicle includes: a heater core which heats air for air-conditioning by using cooling water of a cooling circuit which cools a fuel cell of a fuel cell vehicle or an engine of a hybrid car as a heat source; a heat exchanger arranged upstream of the heater core in a flow of the air for air-conditioning to heat the air for air-conditioning by using refrigerant which flows through a heat pump cycle as a heat source; and a control part which controls operation of the heat pump cycle in a manner that a target temperature of the air for air-conditioning heated by the heat exchanger is changed in accordance with a temperature of the cooling water.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An air-conditioner for a vehicle comprising:
a heater core which heats air for air-conditioning by using cooling water of a cooling circuit which cools a fuel cell of a fuel-cell vehicle as a heat source;
a heat exchanger arranged upstream of the heater core in a flow direction of the air for air-conditioning, the heat exchanger heating the air for air-conditioning by using refrigerant which flows through a heat pump cycle as a heat source; and
a control part which controls operation of the heat pump cycle by executing a cooperative operation control using both the heater core and the heat exchanger in a manner that a target temperature of the air for air-conditioning heated by the heat exchanger is changed in accordance with a temperature of the cooling water, wherein
when the temperature of the cooling water is higher than a heating possible temperature, the control part lowers the target temperature as the temperature of the cooling water becomes higher at least in a first predetermined temperature range,
when the temperature of the cooling water is lower than the heating possible temperature, the control part raises the target temperature as the temperature of the cooling water becomes lower at least in a second predetermined temperature range, and
when the target temperature becomes higher than the heating possible temperature, the control part controls the cooling water to be heated by the air for air-conditioning heated by the heat exchanger.

2. The air-conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein
the cooling circuit has a bypass channel through which the cooling water bypasses the heater core, and
the control part controls the cooling water to flow through the bypass channel, when the temperature of the cooling water is lower than the heating possible temperature at which the heater core is possible to perform a heating operation.

3. The air-conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein
the control part sets the target temperature to be the same value as the temperature of the cooling water when the temperature of the cooling water is lower than the heating possible temperature at which the heater core is possible to perform a heating operation.

4. The air-conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein
the control part sets the target temperature to be higher than the temperature of the cooling water when the temperature of the cooling water is lower than the heating possible temperature at which the heater core is possible to perform a heating operation.

5. The air-conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein
the control part sets the target temperature to be lower than the heating possible temperature when the temperature of the cooling water is higher than the heating possible temperature.

6. The air-conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein
the control part is configured to
compare the temperature of the cooling water with the heating possible temperature, and
compare the target temperature of the air for air-conditioning heated by the heat exchanger with the heating possible temperature.

7. The air-conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein
only the heat exchanger is used for a heating operation when the temperature of the cooling water is lower than the heating possible temperature.

Assignees

• Inaba Atsushi
• Denso Corp

Inventors

• Inaba Atsushi

Classifications

• B60H1/00899 Primary

  Controlling the flow of liquid in a heat pump system (controlling the properties of the refrigerant liquid, e.g. pressure or temperature, B60H1/3204) · CPC title

• B60H2001/00928

  comprising a secondary circuit · CPC title

• B60H1/02 Primary

  the heat being derived from the propulsion plant · CPC title

• B64D13/08

  the air being heated or cooled · CPC title

• B60H1/03

  and from a source other than the propulsion plant · CPC title