Refrigeration-cycle device

• US 6,347,528 B1
• Filed: 07/24/2000
• Issued: 02/19/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 07/26/1999
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Iritani, Kunio, Itoh, Satoshi, Ishikawa, Hiroshi, Hirose, Takayuki
• Primary Examiner(s): Doerrler, William
• Assistant Examiner(s): Shulman, Mark S.
• Application Number:
  US09/624,697
• Time in Patent Office: 575 Days
• Field of Search: 623/241, 623/231, 624/34, 623/246
• US Class Current: 62/324.6
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00342 of the liquid-liquid type
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00357 Air-conditioning arrangements specially adapted for particular vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00385 for vehicles having an electrical drive, e.g. hybrid or fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00914 where the flow direction of the refrigerant does not change and there is a bypass of the condenser
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/143 the heat being derived from cooling an electric component, e.g. electric motors, electric circuits, fuel cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/3207 for minimizing the humidity of the air
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00949 comprising additional heating/cooling sources, e.g. second evaporator
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00961 comprising means for defrosting outside heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/003 to auxiliary motors, e.g. for pumps, compressors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 1/02 to electric heating circuits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 15/20 for control of the vehicle or its driving motor to achieve a desired performance, e.g. speed, torque, programmed variation of speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2210/40 DC to AC converters
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/34 Cabin temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/36 Temperature of vehicle components or parts
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/421 Speed
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/662 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2240/80 Time limits
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/12 by confirmation, e.g. of the input
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2250/16 by display
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/44 Heat storages, e.g. for cabin heating
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 2270/46 : Heat pumps, e.g. for cabin heating
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 3/0046 : relating to electric energy storage systems, e.g. batteries or capacitors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 50/51 : characterised by AC-motors
• CPC Class Codes: B60L 58/40 : for controlling a combination of batteries and fuel cells
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/13 : Economisers
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/23 : Separators
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 30/06 : characterised by the source of low potential heat
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 39/00 : Evaporators; Condensers
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 41/20 : Disposition of valves, e.g. of on-off valves or flow control valves expansion valves F25B41/31
• 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 49/025 : Motor control arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 5/00 : Compression machines, plants or systems, with several evaporator circuits, e.g. for varying refrigerating capacity with cascade operation F25B7/00
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 2021/0073 : Gas coolers
• CPC Class Codes: F28D 7/0025 : the conduits for one medium or the conduits for both media being flat tubes or arrays of tubes
• CPC Class Codes: Y02B 30/52 : Heat recovery pumps, i.e. heat pump based systems or units able to transfer the thermal energy from one area of the premises or part of the facilities to a different one, improving the overall efficiency
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/64 : Electric machine technologies in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/70 : Energy storage systems for electromobility, e.g. batteries
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/72 : Electric energy management in electromobility
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/16 : Information or communication technologies improving the operation of electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 90/40 : Application of hydrogen technology to transportation, e.g. using fuel cells

Abstract

A gas-injection type refrigeration-cycle device has heat exchanger where refrigerant extracts waste heat from heating devices. In the refrigeration-cycle device, the mode is changed between where lower-pressure refrigerant extracts heat and where intermediate-pressure refrigerant extracts the heat of the hot water. The lower-pressure refrigerant is drawn into compressor, after heat exchanger is set at the lower-pressure side of the refrigeration cycle. The intermediate-pressure refrigerant is introduced into compressor-gas-injection port, after heat exchanger is set at the intermediate-pressure side of the refrigeration cycle. In another aspect, a defrosting mode of outdoor heat exchanger includes a heating mode, and gas refrigerant discharged from compressor flows through condenser without heat exchange. Thereafter, the flow of the gas refrigerant is divided to two portions, and the gas refrigerant of one portion flows into outdoor heat exchanger, thereby defrosting outdoor heat exchanger. The other portion flows into evaporator, thereby heating blown air within an air-conditioning duct by evaporator.

Claims

1. A refrigeration-cycle device comprising:

an air-conditioning duct channeling air into a passenger compartment;

a blower blowing air through said air-conditioning duct;

a compressor having a gas-injection port for introducing intermediate-pressure refrigerant into said compressor;

an indoor heat-exchanger disposed within said air-conditioning duct which heats air with higher-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from said compressor during a heating mode;

outdoor heat exchanger which evaporates lower-pressure refrigerant by extracting heat from outside air during heating; and

heat-exchanging means where refrigerant extracts heat from a waste-heat recovering fluid containing heat recovered from a heating device;

a plurality of changeable operation modes including a lower-pressure-side heat-extraction heat-pump mode, an intermediate-pressure-side heat-extraction heat-pump mode and a gas-injection heat-pump mode;

wherein said heat-exchanging means is set to a lower-pressure side and lower-pressure refrigerant drawn into said compressor which has extracted heat from the waste-heat recovering fluid, when in the lower-pressure-side heat-extraction heat-pump mode;

wherein said heat-exchanging means is set in an intermediate-pressure side and intermediate-pressure refrigerant is introduced into said compressor-gas-injection port which has extracted heat from the waste-heat recovering fluid, when in the intermediate-pressure-side heat-extraction heat-pump mode; and

wherein heat extraction from the waste-heat recovering fluid is stopped and the intermediate-pressure refrigerant is drawn into said gas-injection port when in the gas-injection heat-pump mode.

8. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 1, wherein:

when the temperature of the waste-heat recovering fluid is lower than first set value, heat extraction from the waste-heat recovering fluid is stopped and a gas-injection heat-pump mode where the intermediate-pressure refrigerant is introduced into said gas-injection port is performed;

when a temperature of the waste-heat recovering fluid is higher than said first set value and lower than a second set value, a lower-pressure-side heat-extraction heat-pump mode is performed, a lower-pressure refrigerant extracting heat from the waste-heat recovering fluid in said lower-pressure-side heat-extraction heat-pump mode; and

when a temperature of the waste-heat recovering fluid is higher than said second set value, an intermediate-pressure-side heat-extraction heat-pump mode is performed, said intermediate-pressure refrigerant extracting heat from the waste-heat recovering fluid when in said intermediate-pressure-side heat-extraction heat-pump mode is performed.

19. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 1, wherein:

the heat-pump mode is changed between a lower-pressure-side heat-extraction heat-pump mode, an intermediate-pressure-side heat-extraction heat-pump mode and a gas-injection heat-pump mode, based on an amount of waste heat generated by said heating device.

20. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 19, wherein:

a first set value and a second set value which is larger than said first set value are set as standards to determine the amount of waste heat;

when the amount of waste heat is smaller than said first set value, a gas-injection heat-pump mode is set;

when the amount of waste heat is between said first set value and said second set value, an intermediate-pressure-side heat-extraction heat-pump mode is set; and

when the amount of waste heat is larger than said second set value, a lower-pressure-side heat-extraction heat-pump mode is set.

21. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 19, wherein:

a first set value and a second set value which is larger than said first set value are set as standards to determine an amount of waste heat;

first set value and second set value are set as standards to determine the temperature of the waste-heat recovering fluid;

when the amount of waste heat is larger than said second set value and the temperature of the waste-heat recovering fluid is higher than said first set value, the lower-pressure-side heat-extraction heat-pump mode is set;

when the amount of waste heat is larger than said first set value and the temperature of the waste-heat recovering fluid is higher than said second set value, the intermediate-pressure-side heat-extraction heat-pump mode is set; and

when the amount of waste heat is smaller than said first set value and the temperature of the waste-heat recovering fluid is lower than the first set value, the gas-injection heat-pump mode is set.

22. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 19, wherein:

the amount of waste heat is calculated based on a changing ratio of waste-heat recovering fluid temperature to time.

2. A refrigeration-cycle device comprising:

an air-conditioning duct channeling air toward a passenger compartment;

a blower blowing air into said air-conditioning duct;

a compressor including gas-injection port which introduces intermediate-pressure refrigerant into said compressor;

an indoor heat-exchanger disposed within said air-conditioning duct which heats air with higher-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from said compressor during a heating mode;

outdoor heat exchange which evaporates lower-pressure refrigerant by extracting heat from outside air during heating; and

heat-exchanging means in which refrigerant extracts heat from a waste-heat recovering fluid containing recovered waste heat from a heating device;

a plurality of changeable operation modes including a lower-pressure-side heat-extraction heat-pump mode, an intermediate-pressure-side heat-extraction heat-pump mode;

wherein said heat-exchanging means is set to a lower-pressure side and lower-pressure refrigerant drawn into said compressor extracts heat from the waste-heat recovering fluid when in the lower-pressure-side heat-extraction heat-pump mode;

wherein said heat-exchanging means is set in an intermediate-pressure side and intermediate-pressure refrigerant is introduced into said compressor-gas-injection port which has extracted heat from the waste-heat recovering fluid, when in the intermediate-pressure-side heat-extraction heat-pump mode.

3. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 2, wherein:

said heat-exchanging means includes at least a refrigerant passage wherein refrigerant flows and a fluid passage wherein the waste-heat recovering fluid flows; and

wherein the lower-pressure refrigerant or the intermediate-pressure refrigerant flows in said refrigerant passage.

4. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 2, wherein:

said heat-exchanging means includes at least refrigerant passage wherein refrigerant flows and fluid passage wherein the waste-heat recovering fluid flows;

when the temperature of the waste-heat recovering fluid is below a predetermined value, the lower-pressure refrigerant flows in said refrigerant passage; and

when the temperature of the waste-heat recovering fluid is higher than a predetermined value, the intermediate-pressure refrigerant flows in said refrigerant passage.

5. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 2, wherein:

said heat-exchanging means includes heat exchanger formed by integrating first passage, second passage and third passage;

the higher-pressure refrigerant passing through said indoor heat-exchanger flows in said first passage;

the intermediate-pressure refrigerant flows in said second passage;

the waste-heat recovering fluid flows in said third passage; and

the intermediate-pressure refrigerant exchanges heat with both the higher-pressure refrigerant and the waste-heat recovering fluid.

6. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 2, wherein:

said heat-exchanging means includes first heat exchanger and second heat exchanger which are separately formed;

heat exchange is performed at said first heat exchanger between the higher-pressure refrigerant passing through said indoor heat exchanger and the intermediate-pressure refrigerant; and

heat exchange is performed in said second heat exchanger between the waste-heat recovering fluid and the intermediate-pressure refrigerant.

7. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 2, wherein:

said heat-exchanging means includes intermediate-pressure side heat-exchanger and lower-pressure side heat-exchanger;

when the temperature of the waste-heat recovering fluid is higher than a predetermined value, the intermediate refrigerant extracts heat from the waste-heat recovering fluid in said intermediate-pressure side heat-exchanger; and

when the temperature of the waste-heat recovering fluid is lower than a predetermined value, the lower-pressure refrigerant extracts heat from the waste-heat recovering fluid in said lower-pressure side heat-exchanger.

16. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 2, wherein when said outdoor heat-exchanger is frosted during the heating mode, said outdoor heat-exchanger is defrosted by making the higher-pressure refrigerant passing through said indoor heat-exchanger (12) flow into said outdoor heat-exchanger.

17. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 2, wherein:

when said outdoor heat-exchanger is frosted during the heating mode, the gas refrigerant discharged from said compressor is divided to two streams; and

the refrigerant of one stream flows into said indoor heat-exchanger and the refrigerant of the other stream flows into said outdoor heat-exchanger, thereby defrosting said outdoor heat-exchanger.

18. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 2, wherein:

the evaporator is disposed upstream of said condenser within said air-conditioning duct; and

during the heating mode, said condenser heats the air cooled in said evaporator, thereby performing a dehumidifying operation.

9. A refrigeration-cycle device comprising:

air-conditioning duct wherein air flows toward a passenger compartment;

blower for blowing air to said air-conditioning duct;

compressor including gas-injection port for introducing intermediate-pressure refrigerant into compressor;

indoor heat exchanger disposed within said air-conditioning duct for heating air by higher-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from said compressor during a heating mode;

outdoor heat exchanger for evaporating lower-pressure refrigerant by extracting heat from outside air during heating;

heat-exchanging means where refrigerant extracts heat from waste-heat recovering fluid containing recovered waste heat from heating device (81); and

wherein said heat-exchanging means extracts heat from the waste-heat recovering fluid and the higher-pressure refrigerant passing through said indoor heat-exchanger.

10. A refrigeration-cycle device comprising:

air-conditioning duct channeling air toward a passenger compartment;

blower for blowing air to said air-conditioning duct;

compressor including gas-injection port for introducing intermediate-pressure refrigerant into said compressor;

indoor heat-exchanger disposed within said air-conditioning duct for heating air by higher-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from said compressor during heating;

outdoor heat exchanger evaporating lower-pressure refrigerant by extracting heat from outside air during heating; and

heat-exchanging means where refrigerant extracts heat from waste-heat recovering fluid containing recovered the waste heat from a heating device, wherein;

said heat-exchanging means extracting heat from both the waste-heat recovering fluid and the higher-pressure refrigerant passing through said indoor heat-exchanger.

11. A refrigeration-cycle device comprising:

air-conditioning duct channeling air toward a passenger compartment;

blower for blowing air to said air-conditioning duct;

compressor including gas-injection port for introducing intermediate-pressure refrigerant into said compressor;

indoor heat-exchanger disposed within said air-conditioning duct for heating air with higher-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from said compressor during a heating mode;

outdoor heat exchanger for evaporating lower-pressure refrigerant by extracting heat from outside air during heating; and

heat-exchanging means where refrigerant extracts heat from waste-heat recovering fluid containing waste heat from a heating device (81), wherein;

said heat-exchanging means are set at a lower-pressure side and the lower-pressure refrigerant drawn into said compressor extracts heat from the waste-heat recovering fluid.

12. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 11, wherein:

during a cooling mode said outdoor heat-exchanger operates as a condenser, said heat-exchanging means operates as a condenser and cools higher-pressure refrigerant with the waste-heat recovering fluid.

14. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 12, wherein said heat-exchanging means is disposed in parallel with said outdoor heat-exchanger.

15. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 12, wherein said heat-exchanging means is disposed in series with and downstream of said outdoor heat-exchanger.

13. A refrigeration-cycle device comprising:

air-conditioning duct channeling air toward a passenger compartment;

a blower blowing air into said air-conditioning duct;

a compressor for compressing and discharging refrigerant;

an indoor heat-exchanger disposed within said air-conditioning duct which heats air with higher-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from said compressor during a heating mode;

outdoor heat exchanger which evaporates lower-pressure refrigerant by extracting heat from outside air during heating; and

heat-exchanging means where refrigerant extracts heat from waste-heat recovering fluid containing waste heat from a heating device (81), wherein;

said heat-exchanging means is set at a lower-pressure side and lower-pressure refrigerant drawn into said compressor extracts heat from the waste-heat recovering fluid; and

during a cooling mode when said outdoor heat-exchanger operates as a condenser, said heat-exchanging means operate as a condenser for cooling higher-pressure refrigerant with the waste-heat recovering fluid.

36. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 13, wherein said heat-exchanging means is disposed in parallel with said outdoor heat-exchanger.

37. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 13, wherein said heat-exchanging means is disposed in series with and downstream of said outdoor heat-exchanger.

23. A refrigeration-cycle device comprising:

air-conditioning duct wherein air flows toward a passenger compartment;

indoor heat-exchanger disposed within said air-conditioning duct which heats air with higher-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from a discharge port of said compressor during a heating mode;

heat-exchanging means for exchanging heat during the heating mode between higher-pressure refrigerant passing through said indoor heat-exchanger and the intermediate-pressure refrigerant, said intermediate-pressure refrigerant formed by depressurizing a portion of higher-pressure refrigerant by passing said higher-pressure refrigerant through a bypass;

second depressurizing device depressurizing the higher-pressure refrigerant passing through said heat-exchanging means to a lower pressure during the heating mode; and

outdoor heat-exchanger exchanging heat between the lower-pressure refrigerant passing through said second depressurizing device and outside air during the heating mode, wherein;

in the heating mode, the intermediate-pressure gas refrigerant gasified by the heat exchange in said heat-exchanging means is introduced into said gas-injection port;

said heat-exchanging means includes first flat passage wherein the higher-pressure refrigerant flows, second flat passage wherein the intermediate-pressure refrigerant flows, first header member connected to the end of said first passage and second header member connected to the end of said second passage; and

first passage and said second passage penetrates any at least said first header member or said second header member.

24. A refrigeration-cycle device comprising:

air-conditioning duct channeling air toward a passenger compartment;

indoor heat-exchanger disposed within said air-conditioning duct for heating air with higher-pressure gas refrigerant discharged from said compressor during a heating mode;

heat-exchanging means where intermediate-pressure refrigerant exchanges heat during the heating mode with higher-pressure refrigerant passing through said indoor heat-exchanger and waste-heat recovering fluid from heating device, the intermediate-pressure refrigerant formed by depressurizing a portion of the higher-pressure refrigerant passing through a bypass to an intermediate pressure;

second depressurizing device for depressurizing the higher-pressure refrigerant passing through said heat-exchanging means to a lower pressure during the heating mode; and

outdoor heat-exchanger for exchanging heat between the lower-pressure refrigerant passing through said second depressurizing device and outside air during the heating mode, wherein;

during the heating mode, the intermediate-pressure gas refrigerant gasified by heat exchange in said heat-exchanging means is introduced into said gas-injection port;

said heat-exchanging means including first flat passage wherein the higher-pressure refrigerant flows, second flat passage wherein the intermediate-pressure refrigerant flows, third flat passage wherein the waste-heat recovering fluid flows, first header member connected to an end of said first passage, second header member connected to an end of said second passage and third header member connected to an end of said third passage; and

any one of said first passage, said second passage and said third passage penetrates at least one of said first header member, said second header member and said third header member.

25. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 24, wherein said a plurality of flat passages are composed of flat tubes separately formed, said a plurality of flat tubes are integrally connected with one another.

26. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 24, wherein a plurality of flat passages are composed of integrally-formed flat tubes.

27. A refrigeration-cycle device comprising:

an air-conditioning duct channeling air toward a passenger compartment;

a compressor which compresses and discharges refrigerant;

an indoor heat exchanger disposed within said air-conditioning duct;

outdoor heat exchanger; and

during a heating mode, the indoor heat-exchanger acts as a condenser, the outdoor heat-exchanger acts as an evaporator, and the hot air heated by the indoor heat-exchanger is blown into the passenger compartment;

during a defrosting mode for defrosting the outdoor heat-exchanger is set, gas refrigerant discharged from the compressor is divided into two portions, a first of said two portions flow into the outdoor heat-exchanger to defrost the outdoor heat exchanger, a second of the two portions flows into the indoor heat exchanger, and the hot air heated by the indoor heat-exchanger is blown into the passenger compartment.

28. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 27, further comprising:

a first heat exchanger for recovering waste heat from heating device,

wherein the refrigerant flowing into said indoor heat exchanger extracts waste heat from said heating device through said first heat exchanger during the defrosting mode.

29. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 27, wherein:

said compressor includes discharge port which discharges the compressed refrigerant, intake port which intakes lower-pressure-side refrigerant, and gas-injection port which draws intermediate-pressure-side gas refrigerant; and

when in the heating mode, a higher-pressure refrigerant condensed at said condenser is depressurized to intermediate pressure, the intermediate-pressure refrigerant extracts waste heat from said heating device through said first heat exchanger by gasifying the intermediate-pressure refrigerant, and the intermediate-pressure gas refrigerant flows into said gas-injection port.

30. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 29, further comprising:

a second heat exchanger which exchanges heat between higher-pressure refrigerant condensed in said condenser and intermediate-pressure refrigerant.

31. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 30, wherein:

said first heat exchanger and said second heat exchanger are integrated as one heat exchanger.

32. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 27, wherein:

during the heating mode and defrosting mode, the lower-pressure-side refrigerant drawn into said compressor extracts waste heat from said heating device with said first heat exchanger.

33. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 32, further comprising:

an accumulator which separates gas and liquid refrigerant, the accumulator being disposed at an inlet side of said intake port, wherein liquid refrigerant containing oil is mixed with the gas refrigerant and is drawn into said intake port; and

said first heat exchanger is disposed at the inlet side of said accumulator.

34. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 27, wherein:

the indoor heat-exchanger includes an upstream-side indoor heat-exchanger disposed at the air-upstream side within the air-conditioning duct and a downstream-side indoor heat-exchanger disposed at the air-downstream side of the upstream side indoor heat-exchanger;

an operation mode is changeable between a heating mode, a cooling mode and a dehumidifying mode;

the downstream-side indoor heat-exchanger acts as a condenser and the outdoor heat exchanger acts as an evaporator during the heating mode, the outdoor heat exchanger acts as a condenser and the upstream side indoor heat exchanger acts as an evaporator during the cooling mode, cool air cooled by the upstream side indoor heat exchanger is heated by the downstream side indoor heat exchanger during the dehumidifying mode; and

when the defrosting mode is set, the second divided portion flows into the upstream side indoor heat exchanger and the hot air heated by the upstream side indoor heat exchanger is blown into the passenger compartment.

35. The refrigeration-cycle device according to claim 34, further comprising:

bypass passage for bypassing air around said downstream-side indoor heat exchanger, bypass passage being provided within air-conditioning duct; and

door for changing the airflow between said downstream-side indoor heat exchanger and said bypass passage;

wherein the gas refrigerant discharged from said compressor at all times flows into said outdoor heat-exchanger in one direction through said downstream-side indoor heat exchanger.