Heat pump system for vehicle

• US 10,118,458 B2
• Filed: 12/07/2016
• Issued: 11/06/2018
• Est. Priority Date: 10/31/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: Kim, Jae Yeon, Kim, Myunghwan, Cho, Wan Je, Kim, Yeon Ho, Choi, Yong Hyun, An, Jai Young
• Primary Examiner(s): Atkisson, Jianying
• Assistant Examiner(s): Febles, Antonio R
• Application Number:
  US15/371,559
• Publication Number:
  US 20180117986A1
• Time in Patent Office: 699 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00278 for the battery arrangement of batteries B60R16/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00385 for vehicles having an electrical drive, e.g. hybrid or fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00907 where the flow direction of the refrigerant changes and an evaporator becomes condenser
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00921 where the flow direction of the refrigerant does not change and there is an extra subcondenser, e.g. in an air duct
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/22 the heat being derived otherwise than from the propulsion plant B60H1/0025, B60H1/00492 and B60H1/03 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00307 Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00928 comprising a secondary circuit
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00949 comprising additional heating/cooling sources, e.g. second evaporator
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 1/04 of the electric storage means for propulsion exchanging batteries for electric propulsion of vehicles B60L53/80; for auxiliary purposes only B60R16/04; supplying batteries to, or removing batteries from, vehicles B60S5/06
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 11/02 with liquid cooling
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/005 the electric storage means
• CPC Class Codes: B60K 2001/006 the electric motors
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/625 Vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/6568 characterised by flow circuits, e.g. loops, located externally to the cells or cell casings
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 10/663 the system being an air-conditioner or an engine
• CPC Class Codes: H01M 2220/20 Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane

Abstract

A heat pump system for a vehicle includes: a battery cooling line connected with a battery module, and water flowing through the battery cooling line; a chiller provided at the battery cooling line, connected with a coolant line of an air conditioner through a connection line, and configured to control the cooling water selectively introduced into the chiller by heat-exchanging the cooling water with coolant; a cooling part comprising a radiator and a first water pump connected with each other by a cooling line, configured to circulate the water through the cooling line to cool an electrical device, and connected with the battery cooling line through a first valve; and a bypass line configured to selectively connect the connection line with the coolant line through a second valve provided at the coolant line.

Claims

1. A heat pump system for a vehicle comprising:

an air conditioner;

a battery cooling line connected with a battery module, and water flowing through the battery cooling line;

a chiller provided at the battery cooling line, connected with a coolant line of the air conditioner through a connection line, and configured to control the cooling water selectively introduced into the chiller by heat-exchanging the cooling water with a coolant;

a cooling part comprising a radiator and a first water pump connected with each other by a cooling line, configured to circulate the water through the cooling line to cool an electrical device, and connected with the battery cooling line through a first valve; and

a bypass line configured to selectively connect the connection line with the coolant line through a second valve provided at the coolant line,

wherein the air conditioner comprises;

an HVAC module comprising an opening/closing door connected with through the coolant line to control external air passed through an evaporator to be selectively introduced into an internal condenser according to a cooling mode, a heating mode, or a heating and dehumidification mode of the vehicle,

a compressor connected with through the coolant line between the evaporator and the internal condenser,

an accumulator provided between the compressor and the evaporator at the coolant line,

an external condenser connected with the internal condenser through the coolant line, and disposed forward of the vehicle,

a first expansion valve provided at the coolant line to connect the external condenser with the evaporator,

a dehumidification line including one end connected with the coolant line between the internal condenser and the external condenser and another end connected with the coolant line between the evaporator and the first expansion valve, and comprising a third valve,

a defrost line connected with the coolant line between the external condenser and the first expansion valve through a fourth valve provided at the coolant line between the internal condenser and the external condenser, and

a second expansion valve provided at the connection line,

wherein the first valve connects the battery cooling line with the cooling line connected with the electrical device between the radiator and the chiller, the battery cooling line comprises a first branch line to connect the chiller with the battery module through the first valve, the cooling line comprises a fifth valve to selectively connect the cooling line with the battery cooling line between the radiator and the battery module, and the cooling line for connecting the first valve with the electrical device comprises a second branch line to connect the radiator with the electrical device through the fifth valve.

2. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

the second expansion valve is operated when the water cools the battery module to expand the coolant introduced through the connection line to introduce the expanded coolant into the chiller.

3. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

the first valve and the fifth valve connect the cooling line with the battery cooling line during cooling the battery module using cooling water cooled from the radiator, and closes the first and second branch lines.

4. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

when increasing a temperature of the battery module, or cooling the battery module using the cooling water heat-exchanged with the coolant,

the first valve opens the first branch line, and closes connection of the cooling line with the battery cooling line, and

the fifth valve closes the second branch line, and closes connection of the cooling line with the battery cooling line.

5. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

when cooling the battery module in a cooling mode of the vehicle,

the bypass line, the dehumidification line and the defrost line are closed through operations of the second, third and fourth valves.

6. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

when cooling the battery module when the cooling mode of the vehicle is not operated,

the bypass line, the dehumidification line, and the defrost line are closed through operations of the second, third and fourth valves, and

an operation of the first expansion valve stops, and the second expansion valve is operated.

7. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

a reservoir tank is provided between the radiator and the fifth valve in the cooling line,

the reservoir tank is connected with a third branch line through a sixth valve provided at a cooling line between the radiator and the electrical device, and is connected with the first branch line through a degassing line.

8. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 7, wherein:

when recovering waste heat of the battery module and waste heat of the electrical device in the heating mode of the vehicle,

the battery cooling line is connected with the cooling line through operations of the first valve and the fifth valve, and the first branch line and the second branch line are closed,

the coolant line connected with the evaporator is closed through an operation of the second valve, and the bypass line is open to be connected with the connection line,

the dehumidification line and the defrost line are closes through operations of the third valve and the fourth valve,

when the cooling line for connecting the radiator is closed through an operation of the sixth valve, the third branch line is open, and

operations of the first and second expansion valves stop.

9. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 7, wherein:

when recovering waste heat of the battery module and waste heat of the electrical device in the heating and dehumidification mode of the vehicle,

the battery cooling line is connected with the cooling line through operations of the first valve and the fifth valve, and the first branch line and the second branch line are closed,

the coolant line connected with the evaporator is closed through an operation of the second valve, and the bypass line is open to be connected with the connection line,

the dehumidification line is open through an operation of the third valve, and the defrost line is closed through an operation of the fourth valve,

when the cooling line for connecting the radiator is closed through an operation of the sixth valve, the third branch line is open, and

operations of the first and second expansion valves stop.

10. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 7, wherein:

when recovering waste heat of the battery module and waste heat of the electrical device in the heating and defrost mode of the vehicle,

the battery cooling line is connected with the cooling line through operations of the first valve and the fifth valve, and the first branch line and the second branch line are closed,

the coolant line connected with the evaporator is closed through an operation of the second valve, and the bypass line is open to be connected with the connection line,

the dehumidification line is closed through an operation of the third valve, and the defrost line is open through an operation of the fourth valve,

the coolant line connected with the external condenser is closed through an operation of the fourth valve,

when the cooling line for connecting the radiator is closed through an operation of the sixth valve, the third branch line is open, and

operations of the first and second expansion valves stop.

11. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 7, wherein:

the degassing line exhausts bubbles generated from the water passed through the first branch line to the reservoir tank or introduces bubbles collected from the water circulated through the cooling line to the first branch line in order to maintain pressure balancing of the cooling line and the battery cooling line.

12. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 7, wherein:

the degassing line partially introduces the bubbles included in the cooling water passed through the first branch line to the reservoir tank to prevent pressure difference generation between the cooling line and the first branch line when the cooling water heat-exchanged with the coolant cools the battery module in a state that the water is not circulated to the cooling line.

13. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 7, wherein:

the first, second, fourth, fifth and sixth valves comprise

a 3-way valve which allows division of a fluid amount.

14. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

an orifice is provided between the internal condenser and the fourth valve in the coolant line, and

the orifice selects opens/closes the coolant line, or selectively expands passing coolant.

15. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 14, wherein:

the dehumidification line is connected with the coolant line the fourth valve and the orifice.

16. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

a second water pump is provided between the chiller and the battery module in the battery cooling line.

17. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

a heater is provided between the battery module and the chiller in the battery cooling line,

the heater is operated when increasing a temperature of the battery module to heat cooling water circulating through the battery cooling line and to introduced the heated cooling water into the battery module, and

the heater is selectively operated in a heating mode or a heating and defrost mode to heat the cooling water circulating through the battery cooling line.

18. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein:

the electrical device is serially disposed on the cooling line between the radiator and the first water pump.