Vehicular air-conditioning system with a switching heat exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9862251-B2
Application number	US-201615294830-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 17, 2016
Priority date	Sep 16, 2013
Publication date	Jan 9, 2018
Grant date	Jan 9, 2018

Abstract

An air-conditioning system for a vehicle includes a switching heat exchanger. The switching heat exchanger includes a heat exchanger core, a receiver tank, and a switch valve. The switch valve may be arranged between the heat exchanger core and the receiver tank to control the flow of refrigerant. A controller can be configured to control the switch valve in an access position during a cooling mode and a bypass position during a heating mode. In the access position, the heat exchanger core is in communication with the receiver tank such that the refrigerant flows from a primary region of the heat exchanger core to the receiver tank. In the bypass position, the heat exchanger core is in communication with its outlet such that the refrigerant from the primary region flows out from the switching heat exchanger.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An air-conditioning system for a vehicle comprising:
a switching heat exchanger disposed at a front portion of the vehicle and including a heat exchanger core, a receiver tank, a bypass tube, and a switch valve, the heat exchanger core having a primary region and a secondary region, the primary region being before the secondary region, the heat exchanger core exchanging heat between refrigerant flowing therein and air blowing through, an inlet of the receiver tank communicating with the primary region of the heat exchanger core for receiving the refrigerant and an outlet of the receiver tank communicating with the secondary region for providing the refrigerant to the heat exchanger core, the bypass tube having one end communicating with an outlet of the heat exchanger core and having the other end communicating with the receiver tank for defining a passage between the receiver tank and the outlet of the heat exchanger core, the switch valve being arranged along the bypass tube to control the flow of refrigerant to the outlet via the passage provided by the bypass tube; and
a controller configured to control the switch valve to an access position during a cooling mode and a bypass position during a heating mode, wherein in the access position, the switch valve closes the passage between the receiver tank and the outlet provided by the bypass tube to have the refrigerant from the receiver tank flow through the secondary region and flow out from the outlet, and in the bypass position, the switch valve opens the passage between the receiver tank and the outlet provided by the bypass tube to have the refrigerant flow from the receiver tank to the outlet of the heat exchanger core;
wherein the switching heat exchanger further comprises:
an exit channel that has one end communicating with the outlet of the heat exchanger core and has the other end communicating with the secondary region, the exit channel runs parallel with the bypass tube, the exit channel defines a first passage to the outlet of the heat exchanger core and the passage defined by the bypass tube is a second passage to the outlet of the heat exchanger core, wherein
the switch valve is arranged along the bypass tube and the exit channel to control the flow of refrigerant to the outlet of the heat exchanger core from the first passage and the second passage,
the switch valve, in the access position, opens the first passage and closes the second passage to have the refrigerant flow from the secondary region to the outlet of the heat exchanger core, and
the switch valve, in the bypass position, opens the second passage and closes the first passage to have the refrigerant flow from the receiver tank to the outlet of the heat exchanger core.

2. The air-conditioning system of claim 1 , wherein the receiver tank is arranged above the heat exchanger core.

3. An air-conditioning system for a vehicle comprising:
a switching heat exchanger disposed at a front portion of the vehicle and including a heat exchanger core, a receiver tank, a bypass tube, and a switch valve, the heat exchanger core having a primary region and a secondary region, the primary region being before the secondary region, the heat exchanger core exchanging heat between refrigerant flowing therein and air blowing through, an inlet of the receiver tank communicating with the primary region of the heat exchanger core for receiving the refrigerant and an outlet of the receiver tank communicating with the secondary region for providing the refrigerant to the heat exchanger core, the bypass tube having one end communicating with an outlet of the heat exchanger core and having the other end communicating with the receiver tank for defining a passage between the receiver tank and the outlet of the heat exchanger core, the switch valve being arranged along the bypass tube to control the flow of refrigerant to the outlet via the passage provided by the bypass tube; and
a controller configured to control the switch valve to an access position during a cooling mode and a bypass position during a heating mode, wherein in the access position, the switch valve closes the passage between the receiver tank and the outlet provided by the bypass tube to have the refrigerant from the receiver tank flow through the secondary region and flow out from the outlet, and in the bypass position, the switch valve opens the passage between the receiver tank and the outlet provided by the bypass tube to have the refrigerant flow from the receiver tank to the outlet of the heat exchanger core;
wherein the switching heat exchanger has the bypass tube, the switch valve, and the outlet of the heat exchanger core positioned above the receiver tank.

4. An air-conditioning system for a vehicle comprising:
a switching heat exchanger disposed at a front portion of the vehicle and including a heat exchanger core, a receiver tank, a bypass tube, and a switch valve, the heat exchanger core having a primary region and a secondary region, the primary region being before the secondary region, the heat exchanger core exchanging heat between refrigerant flowing therein and air blowing through, an inlet of the receiver tank communicating with the primary region of the heat exchanger core for receiving the refrigerant and an outlet of the receiver tank communicating with the secondary region for providing the refrigerant to the heat exchanger core, the bypass tube having one end communicating with an outlet of the heat exchanger core and having the other end communicating with the receiver tank for defining a passage between the receiver tank and the outlet of the heat exchanger core, the switch valve being arranged along the bypass tube to control the flow of refrigerant to the outlet via the passage provided by the bypass tube; and
a controller configured to control the switch valve to an access position during a cooling mode and a bypass position during a heating mode, wherein in the access position, the switch valve closes the passage between the receiver tank and the outlet provided by the bypass tube to have the refrigerant from the receiver tank flow through the secondary region and flow out from the outlet, and in the bypass position, the switch valve opens the passage between the receiver tank and the outlet provided by the bypass tube to have the refrigerant flow from the receiver tank to the outlet of the heat exchanger core;
wherein the switching heat exchanger further comprises:
a gas-liquid separator disposed at the inlet of the receiver tank to separate the refrigerant entering the receiver tank, wherein
the bypass tube communicates with the inlet of the receiver tank and the outlet of the heat exchanger to define the passage between the outlet of the heat exchanger core and the receiver tank, and
the switch valve is arranged along the bypass tube at a position downstream of the gas-liquid separator.

5. The air-conditioning system of claim 4 , wherein
the switch valve, in the access position, closes the passage provided by the bypass tube to have the vapor form of refrigerant retained in the receiver tank and the liquid form of refrigerant flow through the secondary region and then flow out from the outlet, and
the switch valve, in the bypass position, opens the passage provided by the bypass tube to have the vapor form of refrigerant flow out from the outlet of the heat exchanger core via the bypass tube and have the liquid form of refrigerant substantially retained in the receiver tank.

6. The air-conditioning system of claim 4 , wherein
the switch valve is arranged along the exit channel and the bypass tube at a position downstream of the gas-liquid separator to control the flow of refrigerant to the outlet of the heat exchanger core from the first passage and the second passage,
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Assignees

• Denso Int America Inc

Inventors

• Brodie Bradley
• Huyghe Erik
• Kurata Masafumi

Classifications

• B60H1/00914

  where the flow direction of the refrigerant does not change and there is a bypass of the condenser · CPC title

• F25B2400/0409

  for evaporators · CPC title

• F28F1/126

  consisting of zig-zag shaped fins (F28F1/105 takes precedence) · CPC title

• F25B2339/00

  Details of evaporators; Details of condensers · CPC title

• B60H1/00907 Primary

  where the flow direction of the refrigerant changes and an evaporator becomes condenser · CPC title