Cooling system and vehicle that includes cooling system

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9631544-B2
Application number	US-201314384429-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 7, 2013
Priority date	Mar 16, 2012
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

A cooling system includes: a compressor; a first condenser; a cooling portion; a heat exchanger; a first line; a second line; a switching device; and an ejector. The first line forms a vapor compression refrigeration cycle by flowing refrigerant in order of the heat exchanger, the compressor, the first condenser and the cooling portion. The second line forms a heat pipe by circulating refrigerant between the first condenser and the cooling portion. The switching device flows refrigerant through the first line when air conditioning is performed, and flows refrigerant through the second line when air conditioning is stopped. The ejector is configured to, when refrigerant flows from the compressor to the first condenser via the ejector, draw refrigerant from the second line and join the drawn refrigerant into refrigerant from the compressor.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A cooling system comprising:
a compressor configured to compress refrigerant flowing inside the cooling system;
a first condenser configured to cool the refrigerant;
a cooling portion configured to cool a heat generating source using the refrigerant;
a heat exchanger configured to perform air conditioning using the refrigerant;
a first line configured to form a vapor compression refrigeration cycle by flowing the refrigerant in order of the heat exchanger, the compressor, the first condenser and the cooling portion;
a second line configured to form a heat pipe by circulating the refrigerant between the first condenser and the cooling portion, wherein the heat pipe is configured to operate in a case where the compressor is stopped;
a switching device configured to flow the refrigerant through the first line when the air conditioning is performed and to flow the refrigerant through the second line when the air conditioning is stopped; and
an ejector provided between the compressor and the first condenser, the ejector being configured to draw the refrigerant from the second line and to join the drawn refrigerant into the refrigerant from the compressor when the refrigerant flows from the compressor to the first condenser.

2. The cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein
the ejector includes: a first pipe configured to flow the refrigerant discharged from the compressor; a second pipe configured to be formed on an outer peripheral side of the first pipe and the second line being connected to the second pipe; and a confluent portion used to join the refrigerant flowing through the second pipe into the refrigerant flowing through the first pipe, and
the second line is connected to the second pipe at a location upstream of the confluent portion.

3. The cooling system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a second condenser configured to cool the refrigerant, wherein
the first line flows the refrigerant in order of the heat exchanger, the compressor, the first condenser, the cooling portion and the second condenser,
the switching device includes: a first valve provided in a first tube provided in parallel with the cooling portion, the first tube flowing the refrigerant from the first condenser to the second condenser; a second valve provided in a second tube flowing the refrigerant from the cooling portion to the second condenser; and a third valve provided in a third tube branching off from the second tube, the third tube flowing the refrigerant from the cooling portion to the ejector, wherein
when the refrigerant is caused to flow through the first line, the second valve is opened and the third valve is closed, and
when the refrigerant is caused to flow through the second line, the second valve is closed and the third valve is opened.

4. The cooling system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a check valve interrupting flow of the refrigerant from the first condenser to the compressor.

5. The cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling portion is arranged vertically below the first condenser.

6. The cooling system according to claim 1 , further comprising:
a reservoir storing the refrigerant in a liquid phase, the refrigerant flowing from the first condenser to the cooling portion.

7. The cooling system according to claim 1 , wherein the heat generating source includes an electrical device mounted on a vehicle.

8. A vehicle comprising:
a cooling system, the cooling system comprises:
a compressor configured to compress refrigerant flowing inside the cooling system;
a first condenser configured to cool the refrigerant;
a cooling portion configured to cool a heat generating source using the refrigerant;
a heat exchanger configured to perform air conditioning using the refrigerant;
a first line configured to form a vapor compression refrigeration cycle by flowing the refrigerant in order of the heat exchanger, the compressor, the first condenser and the cooling portion;
a second line configured to form a heat pipe by circulating the refrigerant between the first condenser and the cooling portion, wherein the heat pipe is configured to operate in a case where the compressor is stopped;
a switching device configured to flow the refrigerant through the first line when the air conditioning is performed and to flow the refrigerant through the second line when the air conditioning is stopped; and
an ejector provided between the compressor and the first condenser, the ejector being configured to draw the refrigerant from the second line and to join the drawn refrigerant into the refrigerant from the compressor when the refrigerant flows from the compressor to the first condenser.

Assignees

• Uchida Kazuhide
• Ohno Yuichi
• Kawakami Yoshiaki
• Toyota Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Uchida Kazuhide
• Ohno Yuichi
• Kawakami Yoshiaki

Classifications

• F25B1/06

  with compressor of jet type, e.g. using liquid under pressure ({F25B1/005,} F25B1/10 take precedence) · CPC title

• B60H2001/3298

  Ejector-type refrigerant circuits · CPC title

• B60H1/00278 Primary

  for the battery · CPC title

• B60H2001/3288

  Additional heat source · CPC title

• F01P3/00 Primary

  Liquid cooling · CPC title