Heat pump system for vehicle

• US 10,183,544 B2
• Filed: 12/05/2016
• Issued: 01/22/2019
• 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, An, Jai Young, Kim, Myunghwan, Cho, Wan Je, Kim, Yeon Ho, Choi, Yong Hyun, Kim, Tae Han
• Primary Examiner(s): Tran, Len
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hopkins, Jenna M
• Application Number:
  US15/369,423
• Publication Number:
  US 20180117985A1
• Time in Patent Office: 778 Days
• Field of Search: 623241
• 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 1/00921 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 1/2225 arrangements of electric heaters for heating air
• 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 3/024 for only dehumidifying the air
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 25/005 using primary and secondary systems
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 30/02 of the compression type
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries

Abstract

Disclosed herein is a heat pump system for a vehicle having a battery module and an electric module. The heat pump system includes: a first cooling line connected to the battery module and having a coolant flowing therein; a chiller disposed on the first cooling line and connected to a refrigerant line of an air conditioning system through a connection line, and exchanging heat between a coolant selectively introduced therein and a refrigerant to control a temperature of the coolant; a cooling system including a radiator connected to a cooling line and a first pump circulating the coolant along the second cooling line so as to cool an electric module, and connected to the first cooling line through a first valve; and a bypass line selectively connecting the connection line and the refrigerant line to each other through a second valve provided on the refrigerant line.

Claims

1. A heat pump system for a vehicle having a battery module and an electric module, the heat pump system comprising:

a first cooling line connected to the battery module and having a first coolant flowing therein;

a cooling system comprising a radiator connected to a second cooling line and a first pump, wherein the first pump is connected to the first cooling line through a first valve;

a first chiller disposed on the first cooling line, connected to a refrigerant line of an air conditioning system through a first connection line; and

a second chiller connected to the first cooling line and connected to a second connection line through a second valve disposed on the refrigerant line,

wherein the cooling system circulates the coolant along the second cooling line in order to cool the electric module;

the first chiller exchanges heat between a second coolant selectively introduced thereinto and a refrigerant to control a temperature of the coolant; and

the second chiller recovers waste heat from the coolant selectively introduced thereinto to raise a temperature of the refrigerant by exchanging heat between the coolant and the refrigerant;

wherein the air conditioning system includes;

a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning module connected through the refrigerant line, and including a door controlling external air passing through an evaporator;

a compressor connected between the evaporator and the internal condenser through the refrigerant line;

an accumulator disposed on the refrigerant line between the compressor and the evaporator;

an external condenser connected to the internal condenser through the refrigerant line;

a first expansion valve disposed on the refrigerant line connecting the external condenser and the evaporator to each other;

a dehumidifying line having one end connected to the refrigerant line between the internal condenser and the external condenser and the other end connected to the refrigerant line between the evaporator and the first expansion valve and including a third valve;

a defrosting valve connected to the refrigerant line between the external condenser and the first expansion valve through a fourth valve disposed on the refrigerant line between the internal condenser and the external condenser; and

a second expansion valve provided on the first connection line;

wherein the door selectively introduces the external air into an internal condenser and an internal heater depending on whether the vehicle is in a cooling mode, a heating mode, or a heating and dehumidifying mode; and

the first valve connects the second cooling line connected to the electric module to the first cooling line between the radiator and the first chiller;

a first branch line connecting the first chiller to the battery module through the first valve is disposed on the first cooling line;

a fifth valve selectively connecting the second cooling line to the first cooling line between the radiator and the battery module is disposed on the second cooling line, and

a second branch line connecting the radiator to the electric module through the fifth valve is disposed on the second cooling line connecting the electric module to the first valve; and

wherein, when cooling the battery module using a coolant cooled in the radiator, the first valve and the fifth valve connect the second cooling line to the first cooling line and close the first and second branch lines.

2. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein, when cooling the battery module using the refrigerant, the second expansion valve is operated, expands the refrigerant introduced through the first connection line, and introduces the expanded refrigerant into the first chiller.

3. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein, when raising a temperature of the battery module or when cooling the battery module using the coolant exchanging heat with the refrigerant:

the first valve opens the first branch line and closes the connection between the second cooling line and the first cooling line, and

the fifth valve closes the connection between the second cooling line and the first cooling line simultaneously with closing the second branch line.

4. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein, when cooling the battery module when the vehicle is in a cooling mode, the dehumidifying line and the defrosting line are closed by operation of third valve and the fourth valve.

5. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 1, wherein, when cooling the battery module using the refrigerant when the vehicle cooling mode is not operated:

the dehumidifying line and the defrosting line are closed by operation of third valve and the fourth valve,

operation of first expansion valve is stopped,

and the second expansion valve is operated.

6. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 1, further comprising a reservoir tank disposed on the second cooling line between the radiator and the fifth valve, wherein the reservoir tank is connected to a third branch line through a sixth valve disposed on the second cooling line between the radiator and the electric module and is connected to the first branch line through a degassing line.

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

the second chiller is disposed on the third branch line and is selectively connected to the second cooling line based on an operation of sixth valve, and

the second connection line is connected to the first connection line.

8. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 6, wherein, when recovering waste heat of the battery module and the electric module when the vehicle is in a heating mode:

the first cooling line and the second cooling line are connected to each other, and the first branch line and the second branch line are closed, by operation of first valve and the fifth valve;

the refrigerant line connected to the evaporator is closed and the second connection line is opened, by operation of second valve;

the dehumidifying line and the defrosting line are closed by operation of third valve and the fourth valve,

the third branch line is opened while the second cooling line connected to the radiator is closed by operation of sixth valve, and

operation of the first and second expansion valves is stopped.

9. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 6, wherein, when recovering waste heat of the battery module and the electric module when the vehicle is in a heating and dehumidifying mode:

the first cooling line and the second cooling line are connected to each other and the first branch line and the second branch line are closed, by operation of first valve and the fifth valve,

the refrigerant line connected to the evaporator is closed and the second connection line is opened, by operation of second valve,

the dehumidifying line is opened by operation of third valve;

the defrosting line is closed by operation of fourth valve;

the third branch line is opened while the second cooling line connected to the radiator is closed by operation of sixth valve, and

operation of the first and second expansion valves is stopped.

10. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 6, wherein when recovering waste heat of the battery module and the electric module when the vehicle is in a heating and defrosting mode:

the first cooling line and the second cooling line are connected to each other and the first branch line and the second branch line are closed, by operation of first valve and the fifth valve;

the refrigerant line connected to the evaporator is closed and the second connection line is opened, by operation of second valve;

the dehumidifying line is closed by operation of third valve and the defrosting line is opened by operation of fourth valve;

the refrigerant line connected to the external condenser is closed by operation of fourth valve;

the third branch line is opened while the second cooling line connected to the radiator is closed by operation of sixth valve, and

operation of the first and second expansion valves is stopped.

11. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 6, wherein the degassing line exhausts bubbles generated in a coolant passing through the first branch line to the reservoir tank or introduces bubbles generated and collected from a coolant circulated along the second cooling line into the first branch line so as to maintain a pressure balance between the second cooling line and the first cooling line.

12. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 6, wherein, when cooling the battery module using the coolant exchanging heat with the refrigerant, and when coolant is not circulated along the second cooling line, the degassing line introduces bubbles included in a coolant passing through the first branch line into the reservoir tank to prevent generation of a pressure differential between the second cooling line and the first branch line.

13. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 6, wherein the first, second, fourth, fifth and sixth valves are 3-way valves.

14. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 1, further comprising an orifice disposed on the refrigerant line between the internal condenser and the fourth valve, wherein the orifice selectively opens or closes the refrigerant line or selectively expands a refrigerant passing therethrough.

15. The heat pump system for a vehicle of claim 14, wherein the dehumidifying line is connected to the refrigerant line between the fourth valve and the orifice.

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

a second pump disposed on the first cooling line between the first chiller and the battery module.

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

a heater disposed on the first cooling line between the battery module and the first chiller,

wherein the heater is activated when raising a temperature of the battery module to heat the coolant circulated along the first cooling line, and

wherein the heater is selectively activated when the vehicle is in a heating mode or a heating and defrosting mode of the vehicle to heat the coolant circulated along the first cooling line.