VEHICLE AIR CONDITIONING APPARATUS

• US 20150040594A1
• Filed: 03/02/2012
• Published: 02/12/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 03/03/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanden Corporation (Hisense Home Appliances Group Co., Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Sanden Corporation (Hisense Home Appliances Group Co., Ltd.)
• Inventors: Suzuki, Kenichi, Inoue, Atsuo, Takei, Hidenori
• Granted Patent: US 9,517,680 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/159
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00007 Combined heating, ventilating, or cooling devices control systems or mechanisms B60H1/00642
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00064 for sending air streams of different temperatures into the passenger compartment
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00335 of the gas-air type B60H1/18 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00392 for electric vehicles having only electric drive means
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00457 Ventilation unit, e.g. combined with a radiator control systems for ventilators B60H1/00828
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00485 Valves for air-conditioning devices, e.g. thermostatic valves valves per se F16K; thermostatic valves per se G05D23/02
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/0075 the input being solar radiation
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00807 the input being a specific way of measuring or calculating an air or coolant temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00864 Ventilators and damper doors
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00892 Devices specially adapted for avoiding uncomfortable feeling, e.g. sudden temperature changes B60H1/00885 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00899 Controlling the flow of liquid in a heat pump system controlling the properties of the refrigerant liquid, e.g. pressure or temperature, B60H1/3204
• 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 1/00978 Control systems or circuits characterised by failure of detection or safety means; Diagnostic methods
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/04 from cooling liquid of the plant B60H1/025, B60H1/03 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/3207 for minimizing the humidity of the air
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3251 of the refrigerant at a condensing unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3252 of the refrigerant at an evaporating unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/326 of the refrigerant at a condensing unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3263 of the refrigerant at an evaporating unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 3/024 for only dehumidifying the air
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2341/063 : Feed forward expansion valves
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2500/19 : Calculation of parameters
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/21 : Refrigerant outlet evaporator temperature
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/2513 : Expansion valves
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/04 : Refrigerant level
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/195 : of the condenser
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/197 : of the evaporator
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/2102 : at the outlet of the gas cooler
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/21163 : of the refrigerant at the outlet of the condenser
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/21175 : of the refrigerant at the outlet of the evaporator
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 41/22 : between evaporator and compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 41/24 : Arrangement of shut-off valves for disconnecting a part of the refrigerant cycle, e.g. an outdoor part
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/027 : Condenser control arrangements

Abstract

A vehicle air conditioning apparatus is provided that can prevent temperature variations of the air after the heat exchange in a radiator to reliably control the temperature of the air supplied to the vehicle interior. During the heating operation and the heating and dehumidifying operation, target degree of supercooling SCt when target air-blowing temperature TAO is a predetermined temperature or higher is set to SCt1 that is greater than SCt2 when the target air-blowing temperature TAO is lower than the predetermined temperature. When amount of air Ga supplied from indoor fan 12 is lower than a predetermined value, the target degree of supercooling SCt is corrected, which is set such that the degree of supercooling is lower than target degree of supercooling corrected when the amount of air Ga supplied from the indoor fan 12 is a predetermined value or higher.

Claims

1. A vehicle air conditioning apparatus comprising:

a compressor configured to compress and discharge a refrigerant;

a radiator provided in a vehicle interior and configured to release heat from the refrigerant;

a heat exchanger provided in the vehicle interior and configured to absorb the heat into the refrigerant; and

an outdoor heat exchanger provided outside the vehicle interior and configured to release the heat from or absorb the heat into the refrigerant,

the vehicle air conditioning apparatus performing;

a heating operation to release the heat from the refrigerant discharged from the compressor in the radiator, to decompress the refrigerant by an expansion valve, and to absorb the heat into the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger; and

a heating and dehumidifying operation to release the heat from the refrigerant discharged from the compressor in the radiator, to decompress the refrigerant by the expansion valve and to absorb the heat into the refrigerant in the heat exchanger and the outdoor heat exchanger, or at least in the heat exchanger,

the vehicle air conditioning apparatus further comprising;

an indoor fan configured to allow air to flow, the air being subjected to a heat exchange with the refrigerant flowing through both or one of the radiator and the heat exchanger and then blowing to the vehicle interior;

a target supercooling setting part configured to set a target degree of supercooling of the refrigerant such that the target degree of supercooling of the refrigerant flowing out of the radiator when a target air temperature of the air having been heated in the radiator is higher than a predetermined temperature is higher than the target degree of supercooling that is set when the target air temperature is lower than the predetermined temperature; and

a valve opening control part configured to control an opening of the expansion valve such that a degree of supercooling of the refrigerant flowing out of the radiator is the target degree of supercooling set by the target supercooling setting part, wherein;

the target supercooling setting part includes a first correction part configured to correct the set target degree of supercooling according to an amount of the air supplied from the indoor fan; and

the target supercooling setting part corrects the target degree of supercooling such that when the amount of the air supplied from the indoor fan is smaller than a predetermined value, the degree of supercooling is lower than the target degree of supercooling that is corrected when the amount of the air supplied from the indoor fan is the predetermined value or greater.

2. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, wherein:

the target supercooling setting part includes a second correction part configured to correct the set target degree of supercooling according to an amount of the refrigerant flowing through a refrigerant flow passage; and

the target supercooling setting part corrects the target degree of supercooling such that when the amount of the refrigerant is a predetermined value or greater, the degree of supercooling is higher than the target degree of supercooling that is corrected when the amount of the refrigerant is smaller than the predetermined value.

3. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a temperature detection part configured to detect a temperature of the refrigerant flowing out of the radiator;

a pressure detection part configured to detect a pressure of the refrigerant flowing out of the radiator; and

a supercooling calculation part configured to calculate the degree of supercooling of the refrigerant flowing out of the radiator, based on the temperature detected by the temperature detection part and the pressure detected by the pressure detection part,

wherein the valve opening control part controls the opening of the expansion valve such that the degree of supercooling is the target degree of supercooling set by the target supercooling setting part, based on the degree of supercooling calculated by the supercooling calculation part.

4. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the valve opening control part includes:

a feedforward target value calculation part configured to calculate a feedforward target value for the opening, based on the target degree of supercooling set by the target supercooling setting part; and

a feedback target value calculation part configured to calculate a feedback target value for the opening, based on the degree of supercooling calculated by the supercooling calculation part and the target degree of supercooling set by the target supercooling setting part, and

the valve opening control part controls the opening of the expansion valve based on the feedfoward target value calculated by the feedfoward target value calculation part and the feedback target value calculated by the feedback target value calculation part.

5. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

a low-pressure refrigerant temperature detection part configured to detect the temperature of the refrigerant flowing from the outdoor heat exchanger to the compressor;

a low-pressure refrigerant pressure detection part configured to detect the pressure of the refrigerant flowing from the outdoor heat exchanger to the compressor; and

a superheat calculation part configured to calculate a superheat of the refrigerant flowing from the outdoor heat exchanger to the compressor, based on the temperature detected by the low-pressure refrigerant temperature detection part and the pressure detected by the low-pressure refrigerant pressure detection part,

wherein the valve opening control part controls the opening of the expansion valve based on the superheat calculated by the superheat calculation part when the superheat calculated by the superheat calculation part is a predetermined value or higher.

6. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 5, further comprising an enclosed refrigerant determination part configured to determine whether or not the amount of the refrigerant enclosed in a refrigerant circuit is within an approximate range, based on the degree of supercooling calculated by the supercooling calculation part, the opening of the expansion valve, and the superheat calculated by the superheat calculation part.

7. A vehicle air conditioning apparatus comprising:

a compressor configured to compress and discharge a refrigerant;

a radiator configured to release heat from the refrigerant;

a heat exchanger configured to absorb the heat into the refrigerant;

an outdoor heat exchanger configured to release the heat from or absorb the heat into the refrigerant;

a heating refrigerant circuit configured to allow the refrigerant discharged from the compressor to flow into the radiator, to allow the refrigerant to flow into the outdoor heat exchanger via an expansion part, and allow the refrigerant to be sucked into the compressor;

a heating and dehumidifying refrigerant circuit configured to allow the refrigerant discharged from the compressor to flow into the radiator, to allow part of the refrigerant to flow into the heat exchanger via the expansion part while allowing a remaining refrigerant to flow into the outdoor heat exchanger via the expansion part, and to allow the refrigerant to be sucked into the compressor;

a cooling/cooling and dehumidifying refrigerant circuit configured to allow the refrigerant discharged from the compressor to flow into the radiator, to allow the refrigerant to flow into the outdoor heat exchanger, to allow the refrigerant to flow into the heat exchanger via the expansion part and to allow the refrigerant to be sucked into the compressor; and

a high-pressure refrigerant flow regulating valve provided in a refrigerant flow passage between the radiator and the outdoor heat exchanger in the cooling/cooling and dehumidifying refrigerant circuit, the high-pressure refrigerant flow regulating valve being able to regulate an amount of the refrigerant flowing out of the radiator and into the outdoor heat exchanger.

8. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a low-pressure refrigerant flow regulating valve provided in the refrigerant flow passage between the heat exchanger and the compressor in the heating and dehumidifying refrigerant circuit, the low-pressure refrigerant flow regulating valve being able to regulate the amount of the refrigerant flowing out of the heat exchanger and sucked into the compressor.

9. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising a refrigerant flow control valve including the expansion part and the high-pressure refrigerant flow regulating valve that are formed integrally with one another, the expansion part expanding the refrigerant flowing into the outdoor heat exchanger in the heating refrigerant circuit and the heating and dehumidifying refrigerant circuit.

10. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the refrigerant flow control valve includes a refrigerant flow channel to the expansion part, a refrigerant flow channel to the high-pressure refrigerant flow regulating valve, and a refrigerant flow channel switching part configured to allow the refrigerant flowing out of the radiator to flow into one of the refrigerant flow channel to the expansion part and the refrigerant flow channel to the high-pressure refrigerant flow regulating valve.

11. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 9, wherein the refrigerant flow control valve includes a valve opening switching part configured to switch a range of the opening between the range for the expansion part and the range for the high-pressure refrigerant flow regulating valve.

12. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 9, wherein at least one of two-way valves, the outdoor heat exchanger, and the refrigerant flow control valve are integrally formed as an outdoor heat exchanger unit, the two-way valves being used to switch a refrigerant circuit among the heating refrigerant circuit, the heating and dehumidifying refrigerant circuit, and the cooling/cooling and dehumidifying refrigerant circuit.

13. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 7, further comprising:

an accumulator provided in the refrigerant flow passage to the suction side of the compressor into which the refrigerant is sucked, and configured to separate refrigerant vapor from refrigerant liquid and to allow the refrigerant vapor to be sucked into the compressor;

an expansion valve as the expansion part configured to expand the refrigerant flowing into the outdoor heat exchanger in the heating refrigerant circuit; and

a valve opening regulating part configured to regulate an opening of the expansion valve.

14. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the expansion valve is an electronic expansion valve.

15. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 13, wherein the expansion valve is a mechanical expansion valve.

16. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

the outdoor heat exchanger includes a supercooling part configured to place the refrigerant flowing out of the outdoor heat exchanger in a supercooling state in the cooling/cooling and dehumidifying refrigerant circuit; and

the expansion part configured to decompress the refrigerant flowing into the heat exchanger is an expansion valve that can regulate a superheat of the refrigerant flowing out of the heat exchanger.

17. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 7, wherein the heating refrigerant circuit includes a defrost refrigerant flow passage configured to allow at least part of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor to flow not into the radiator but into the outdoor heat exchanger.

18. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 7, wherein:

the radiator includes a heat medium flow passage configured to allow a heat medium to flow through, the heat medium being subjected to a heat exchange with the refrigerant discharged from the compressor; and

the heat medium flow passage is connected to a heat medium circuit including a heat medium radiator configured to release heat from the heat medium having been subjected to the heat exchange with the refrigerant discharged from the compressor and absorbed the heat.

19. A vehicle air conditioning apparatus comprising:

a compressor configured to compress and discharge a refrigerant;

a radiator provided in a vehicle interior and configured to release heat from the refrigerant;

a heat exchanger provided in the vehicle interior and configured to absorb the heat into the refrigerant; and

an outdoor heat exchanger provided outside the vehicle interior and configured to release the heat from or absorb the heat into the refrigerant,

the vehicle air conditioning apparatus performing;

a heating operation to release the heat from the refrigerant discharged from the compressor in the radiator, and to absorb the heat into the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger; and

a cooling and dehumidifying operation to release the heat from the refrigerant discharged from the compressor in the radiator, and additionally to release the heat from the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger, and then to absorb the heat into the refrigerant in the heat exchanger,

the vehicle air conditioning apparatus further comprising;

an expansion valve provided in a refrigerant flow passage between the radiator and the outdoor heat exchanger during the heating operation, the expansion valve having an adjustable opening and configured to decompress the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow passage;

a condensing pressure regulating valve provided in a refrigerant flow passage parallel to the refrigerant flow passage in which the expansion valve is provided, the condensing pressure regulating valve configured to regulate an amount of the refrigerant flowing out of the radiator and into the outdoor heat exchanger to regulate a condensing pressure of the refrigerant in the radiator during the cooling and dehumidifying operation; and

a valve opening control part configured to close a refrigerant flow channel to the condensing pressure regulating valve to control the opening of the expansion valve during the heating operation, and configured to close a refrigerant flow channel to the expansion valve to control an opening of the condensing pressure regulating valve during the cooling and dehumidifying operation.

20. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 19, further comprising:

a target condensing pressure calculation part configured to calculate a target value of the condensing pressure of the refrigerant in the radiator;

a condensing pressure detection part configured to detect the condensing pressure of the refrigerant in the radiator;

an evaporating temperature detection part configured to detect an evaporating temperature of the refrigerant in the heat exchanger; and

a cooling and dehumidifying performance control part configured to control the opening of the condensing pressure regulating valve based on the target condensing pressure calculated by the target condensing pressure calculation part and the pressure detected by the condensing pressure detection part, and to control a number of rotations of the compressor based on the evaporating temperature detected by the evaporating temperature detection part during the cooling and dehumidifying operation.

21. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the expansion valve is formed integrally with the condensing pressure regulating valve.

22. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the valve opening control part sets the opening of the condensing pressure regulating valve to one of two different openings.

23. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 19, wherein the valve opening control part switches the opening of the condensing pressure regulating valve between a fully open state and a state to regulate a pressure difference between the refrigerant flowing into the radiator and the refrigerant flowing out of the radiator.

24. A vehicle air conditioning apparatus comprising:

a compressor configured to compress and discharge a refrigerant;

a radiator provided in a vehicle interior and configured to release heat from the refrigerant;

a heat exchanger provided in the vehicle interior and configured to absorb the heat into the refrigerant; and

an outdoor heat exchanger provided outside the vehicle interior and configured to release the heat from or absorb the heat into the refrigerant,

the vehicle air conditioning apparatus performing;

a heating operation to release the heat from the refrigerant discharged from the compressor in the radiator, and to absorb the heat into the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger; and

a cooling and dehumidifying operation to release the heat from the refrigerant discharged from the compressor in the radiator, and additionally to release the heat from the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger, and then to absorb the heat into the refrigerant in the heat exchanger,

the vehicle air conditioning apparatus further comprising;

a flow regulating valve provided in a refrigerant flow passage that allows the refrigerant flowing out of the radiator to flow into the outdoor heat exchanger, an opening of the flow regulating valve being regulated within following two ranges;

a decompression range that allows the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow passage to be decompressed during the heating operation; and

a condensing pressure regulating range that allows an opening area of the flow regulating valve to be a same as an opening area of an upstream or downstream refrigerant flow channel when the opening of the flow regulating valve is maximized, and that can regulate the condensing pressure of the refrigerant in the radiator by regulating an amount of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow channel during the cooling and dehumidifying operation; and

a valve opening control part configured to control the opening of the flow regulating valve within the decompression range during the heating operation, and to control the opening of the flow regulating valve within the condensing pressure regulating range during the cooling and dehumidifying operation.

25. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 24, further comprising:

a target condensing pressure calculation part configured to calculate a target value of the condensing pressure of the refrigerant in the radiator;

a condensing pressure detection part configured to detect the condensing pressure of the refrigerant in the radiator;

an evaporating temperature detection part configured to detect an evaporating temperature of the refrigerant in the heat exchanger; and

a cooling and dehumidifying performance control part configured to control the opening of the flow regulating valve within the condensing pressure regulating range based on the target condensing pressure calculated by the target condensing pressure calculation part and the pressure detected by the condensing pressure detection part, and to control a number of rotations of the compressor based on the evaporating temperature detected by the evaporating temperature detection part.

26. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the valve opening control part sets the opening of the flow regulating valve in the condensing pressure regulating range to one of two different openings.

27. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 24, wherein the valve opening control part switches the opening of the flow regulating valve in the condensing pressure regulating range between a fully open state and a state to regulate a pressure difference between the refrigerant flowing into the radiator and the refrigerant flowing out of the radiator.

28. A vehicle air conditioning apparatus comprising:

a compressor configured to compress and discharge a refrigerant;

a radiator provided in a vehicle interior and configured to release heat from the refrigerant;

a heat exchanger provided in the vehicle interior and configured to absorb the heat into the refrigerant; and

an outdoor heat exchanger provided outside the vehicle interior and configured to release the heat from or absorb the heat into the refrigerant,

the vehicle air conditioning apparatus performing;

a heating and dehumidifying operation to release the heat from the refrigerant discharged from the compressor in the radiator, to decompress part of the refrigerant by an expansion valve, and to absorb the heat into the refrigerant in the heat exchanger while decompressing a remaining refrigerant by the expansion valve and then absorbing the heat into the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger,

the vehicle air conditioning apparatus further comprising;

an evaporating temperature regulating valve provided in a refrigerant flow passage to an output side of the heat exchanger from which the refrigerant is discharged and configured to regulate an evaporating temperature of the refrigerant in the heat exchanger by regulating an amount of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow passage; and

a valve opening control part configured to control an opening of the evaporating temperature regulating valve during the heating and dehumidifying operation,

wherein the opening of the evaporating temperature regulating valve can be set to two different openings, and the valve opening control part sets the opening to one of the two different openings.

31. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 28, further comprising:

an evaporating temperature detection part configured to detect the evaporating temperature of the refrigerant in the heat exchanger;

a target evaporating temperature calculation part configured to calculate a target evaporating temperature of the refrigerant in the heat exchanger; and

an evaporating pressure regulating part configured to regulate an opening of an evaporating pressure regulating valve, based on the temperature detected by the evaporating temperature detection part and the target evaporating temperature calculated by the target evaporating temperature calculation part.

29. A vehicle air conditioning apparatus comprising:

a compressor configured to compress and discharge a refrigerant;

a radiator provided in a vehicle interior and configured to release heat from the refrigerant;

a heat exchanger provided in the vehicle interior and configured to absorb the heat into the refrigerant; and

an outdoor heat exchanger provided outside the vehicle interior and configured to release the heat from or absorb the heat into the refrigerant,

the vehicle air conditioning apparatus performing;

a heating and dehumidifying operation to release the heat from the refrigerant discharged from the compressor in the radiator, to decompress part of the refrigerant by an expansion valve, and to absorb the heat into the refrigerant in the heat exchanger while decompressing a remaining refrigerant by the expansion valve and then absorbing the heat into the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger,

the vehicle air conditioning apparatus further comprising;

an evaporating temperature regulating valve provided in a refrigerant flow passage to an output side of the heat exchanger from which the refrigerant is discharged and configured to regulate an evaporating temperature of the refrigerant in the heat exchanger by regulating an amount of the refrigerant flowing through the refrigerant flow passage; and

a valve opening control part configured to control an opening of the evaporating temperature regulating valve during the heating and dehumidifying operation,

wherein the opening of the evaporating temperature regulating valve can be optionally set by the valve opening control part.

30. The vehicle air conditioning apparatus according to claim 29, further comprising:

an evaporating temperature detection part configured to detect the evaporating temperature of the refrigerant in the heat exchanger;

a target evaporating temperature calculation part configured to calculate a target evaporating temperature of the refrigerant in the heat exchanger; and

an evaporating pressure regulating part configured to regulate an opening of an evaporating pressure regulating valve, based on the temperature detected by the evaporating temperature detection part and the target evaporating temperature calculated by the target evaporating temperature calculation part.