INTEGRATED HOT AND COLD STORAGE SYSTEMS LINKED TO HEAT PUMP

• US 20140208793A1
• Filed: 01/30/2013
• Published: 07/31/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 01/30/2013
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Hanon Systems (Hahn & Co. Auto Holdings Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Goenka, Lakhi Nandlal, Finn, Thomas
• Application Number:
  US13/753,897
• Publication Number:
  US 20140208793A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/404
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00278 for the battery arrangement of batteries B60R16/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00328 of the liquid-air type
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00335 of the gas-air type B60H1/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00307 Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow
• CPC Class Codes: F25D 31/00 Other cooling or freezing apparatus
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 20/02 using latent heat
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/14 Thermal energy storage

Abstract

A control module for a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system includes a housing having an air flow conduit formed therein. An evaporator core is disposed in the air flow conduit, wherein at least a portion of the evaporator is configured to receive a fluid from a fluid source therein. An internal thermal energy exchanger is disposed in the air flow conduit downstream of at least a portion of the evaporator core and upstream of a blend door disposed in the air flow conduit. The internal thermal energy exchanger is configured to receive a second fluid from a second fluid source and a third fluid from a third fluid source, wherein the second fluid absorbs thermal energy from a flow of air through the air flow conduit and the third fluid releases thermal energy from the flow of air through the air flow conduit.

Claims

1. A heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system for a vehicle, comprising:

a control module including a housing having an air flow conduit formed therein, the air flow conduit in fluid communication with a passenger compartment of the vehicle;

an evaporator core disposed in the air flow conduit, at least a portion of the evaporator core configured to receive a first fluid from a first fluid source; and

a thermal energy exchanger disposed in the air flow conduit downstream of the at least a portion the evaporator core, the thermal energy exchanger configured to receive a second fluid from a second fluid source and a third fluid from a third fluid source, wherein the first fluid and the second fluid are different fluid types, and wherein the second fluid absorbs thermal energy from a flow of air through the air flow conduit and the third fluid releases thermal energy to the flow of air through the air flow conduit.

2. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the thermal energy exchanger is one of another portion of the evaporator core and separate from the evaporator core.

3. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the first fluid source is a refrigerant circuit of the vehicle.

4. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the second fluid source is one of an external thermal energy exchanger and a fluid reservoir containing at least one of a phase change material, a coolant, and a phase change material coolant.

5. The HVAC system of claim 1, wherein the third fluid source is one of an external thermal energy exchanger and a fluid reservoir containing at least one of a phase change material, a coolant, and a phase change material coolant.

6. The HVAC system of claim 1, further comprising at least one of a fourth fluid source and a fifth fluid source in fluid communication with the thermal energy exchanger.

7. The HVAC system of claim 6, wherein the fourth fluid source is a fuel-powered engine of the vehicle.

8. The HVAC system of claim 6, wherein the fifth fluid source is a battery system of the vehicle.

9. The HVAC system of claim 6, further comprising a heater core disposed in the air flow conduit, wherein the heater core is in fluid communication with the fourth fluid source.

10. The HVAC system of claim 9, further comprising an external thermal energy exchanger in fluid communication with at least one of the heater core, the thermal energy exchanger, the third fluid source, and the fourth fluid source.

11. The HVAC system of claim 10, further comprising a condenser disposed in the air flow conduit.

12. The HVAC system of claim 11, wherein the condenser is in fluid communication with the external thermal energy exchanger.

13. A heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system for a vehicle, comprising:

a control module including a housing having an air flow conduit formed therein, the air flow conduit in fluid communication with a passenger compartment of the vehicle; and

an evaporator core having a plurality of layers disposed in the air flow conduit, wherein at least one of the layers is configured to receive a first fluid from a first fluid source therein, and at least another one of the layers is configured to receive a second fluid from a second fluid source and a third fluid from a third fluid source, wherein the first fluid and the second fluid are different fluid types, and wherein the second fluid absorbs thermal energy from a flow of air through the air flow conduit and the third fluid releases thermal energy to the flow of air through the air flow conduit.

14. The HVAC system of claim 13, wherein the at least another one of the layers of the evaporator core configured to receive the second fluid and the third fluid therein is disposed downstream from the at least one layer of the evaporator core configured to receive the first fluid therein.

15. The HVAC system of claim 13, wherein the at least another one of the layers of the evaporator core configured to receive the second fluid and the third fluid therein is disposed between a plurality of the layers of the evaporator core configured to receive the first fluid therein.

16. The HVAC system of claim 13, wherein the least another one of the layers of the evaporator core configured to receive the second fluid and the third fluid therein is disposed downstream of and spaced apart from the at least one layer of the evaporator core configured to receive the first fluid therein.

17. A heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC) system of a vehicle, comprising:

a control module including a housing having an air flow conduit formed therein;

an evaporator core disposed in the air flow conduit, the evaporator core configured to receive a first fluid from a first fluid source therein;

a thermal energy exchanger disposed in the air flow conduit, the thermal energy exchanger configured to receive a second fluid from a second fluid source and a third fluid from a third fluid source therein, wherein the first fluid and the second fluid are different fluid types, and wherein the second fluid absorbs thermal energy from a flow of air through the air flow conduit and the third fluid releases thermal energy to the flow of air through the air flow conduit; and

a condenser disposed in the air flow conduit downstream of the thermal energy exchanger, wherein the condenser is configured to receive a working fluid from a heat pump system of the vehicle.

18. The HVAC system of claim 17, further comprising an external thermal energy exchanger configured to receive at least one of a fourth fluid from a fourth fluid source and the working fluid from the heat pump system of the vehicle.

19. The HVAC system of claim 18, wherein the thermal energy exchanger is in fluid communication with at least one of the external thermal energy exchanger and the fourth fluid source.

20. The HVAC system of claim 18, wherein the external thermal energy exchanger is a chiller of the heat pump system of the vehicle.