HEATING SYSTEM OF HYBRID VEHICLE AND METHOD FOR CONTROLLING THE SAME

• US 20170021694A1
• Filed: 11/17/2015
• Published: 01/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 07/23/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Original Assignee: Hyundai Motor Company (Hyundai Motor Group)
• Inventors: OH, Man Ju, Park, Jae Woo, Kim, Jae Woong
• Granted Patent: US 10,166,834 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00271 HVAC devices specially adapted for particular vehicle parts or components and being connected to the vehicle HVAC unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00385 for vehicles having an electrical drive, e.g. hybrid or fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00478 Air-conditioning devices using the Peltier effect for air-conditioning in general F24F5/0042; for refrigeration F25B21/02; electric devices exhibiting the Peltier effect H10N10/00
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/034 from the cooling liquid of the propulsion plant and from an electric heating device
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00307 Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow

Abstract

A heating system may include a cooling water line connected to a vehicle engine, a heat exchanger provided at the cooling line, the heat exchanger being arranged within an air conditioning duct, thermoelectric elements each attached, and a controller for controlling start or stop of the engine, to maintain a temperature of the cooling water between an upper limit temperature and a lower limit temperature.

Claims

1. A heating system of a hybrid vehicle comprising:

a cooling water line connected to an engine of the vehicle;

at least one heat exchanger provided at the cooling line such that cooling water flows through the heat exchanger, the heat exchanger being arranged within an air conditioning duct, through which air flows;

at least one thermoelectric element each attached, at a first surface thereof, to the heat exchanger while being exposed, at a second surface thereof, to air flowing through the air conditioning duct such that the second surface functions as a heating surface; and

a controller for controlling start or stop of the engine, to maintain a temperature of the cooling water between an upper limit temperature and a lower limit temperature while controlling operation of the at least one thermoelectric element such that a temperature measured at an outlet of the air conditioning duct satisfies a target temperature.

2. The heating system according to claim 1, wherein the controller controls the engine to stop when the measured temperature at the outlet of the air conditioning duct satisfies the target temperature, and the temperature of the cooling water reaches the upper limit temperature during operation of the engine.

3. The heating system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a heater core provided at the cooling water line such that the cooling water flows through the heater core while being arranged within the air conditioning duct, through which air flows,

wherein the heater core and the heat exchanger have a cooling water inlet in common such that the cooling water is introduced into both the heater core and the heat exchanger through the common cooling water inlet, and the heater core and the heat exchanger have a cooling water outlet in common such that the cooling water from the heater core and the cooling water from the heat exchanger are simultaneously discharged into the cooling line through the common cooling water outlet.

4. The heating system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a heater core provided at the cooling water line such that the cooling water flows through the heater core while being arranged within the air conditioning duct, through which air flows,

wherein the cooling water first flows through one of the heater core and the heat exchanger, and then flows the other of the heater core and the heat exchanger.

5. The heating system according to claim 1, wherein the at least one heat exchanger comprises a plurality of heat exchangers arranged within the air conditioning duct.

6. The heating system according to claim 1, further comprising:

a cooling water temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of cooling water of the engine;

a discharge air temperature sensor for sensing a temperature of discharge air supplied to a passenger compartment; and

an engine start sensor for sensing whether or not the engine starts.

7. A method for controlling the heating system according to claim 1, comprising:

lower limit determination for comparing the cooling water temperature with the lower limit temperature, to determine whether or not the cooling water temperature is lower than the lower limit temperature; and

upper limit determination for comparing the cooling water temperature with the upper limit temperature, to determine whether or not the cooling water temperature is higher than the upper limit temperature,

wherein the engine is controlled to operate when the cooling water temperature is lower than the lower limit temperature, and is controlled to stop when the cooling water temperature is higher than the upper limit temperature.

8. The method according to claim 7, further comprising:

primary temperature determination for determining whether or not a temperature of discharge air supplied to a passenger compartment is lower than the target temperature,

wherein, when it is determined through the primary temperature determination that the discharge air temperature is lower than the target temperature, a number of the at least one thermoelectric element to be operated is increased, and the primary temperature determination is then again executed.

9. The method according to claim 8, wherein, when it is determined through the primary temperature determination that the temperature of discharge air supplied to the passenger compartment is not lower than the target temperature, the number of the at least one thermoelectric element to be operated is reduced.

10. The method according to claim 9, further comprising:

secondary temperature determination for determining whether or not the temperature of discharge air supplied to the passenger compartment is equal to the target temperature,

wherein, when it is determined through the secondary temperature determination that the discharge air temperature is equal to the target temperature, operation of the at least one thermoelectric element is stopped.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein, when it is determined through the secondary temperature determination that the discharge air temperature is not equal to the target temperature, a number of the at least one thermoelectric element to be operated is reduced, and the secondary temperature determination is then again executed.

12. A method for controlling the heating system according to claim 1, comprising:

lower limit determination executed by the controller to compare a temperature of cooling water sensed by a cooling water temperature sensor with the lower limit temperature, and to determine whether or not the sensed cooling water temperature is lower than the lower limit temperature;

upper limit determination executed by the controller to compare the sensed cooling water temperature with the upper limit temperature, and to determine whether or not the sensed cooling water temperature is higher than the upper limit temperature,

wherein the engine is controlled by the controller to operate when the sensed cooling water temperature is lower than the lower limit temperature, and is controlled by the controller to stop when the sensed cooling water temperature is higher than the upper limit temperature.

13. The method according to claim 12, further comprising:

primary temperature determination executed by the controller to sense the temperature of discharge air supplied to the passenger compartment by a discharge air temperature sensor, and to determine whether or not the sensed temperature is lower than the target temperature,

wherein, when it is determined through the primary temperature determination that the discharge air temperature is lower than the target temperature, a number of the at least one thermoelectric element to be operated is increased by the controller, and the primary temperature determination is then again executed by the controller.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising:

secondary temperature determination executed by the controller to sense the temperature of discharge air supplied to the passenger compartment by the discharge air temperature sensor, and to determine whether or not the sensed temperature is equal to the target temperature,

wherein, when it is determined through the secondary temperature determination that the sensed temperature is equal to the target temperature, the at least one thermoelectric element is controlled to be stopped by the controller.