Coolant circuit of a motor vehicle having a coolant/refrigerant heat exchanger

• US 6,722,147 B2
• Filed: 08/19/2002
• Issued: 04/20/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 08/20/2001
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Hanon Systems (Hahn & Co. Auto Holdings Co. Ltd.)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Fröhling, Jörn, Heyl, Peter
• Primary Examiner(s): Tapolcai, William E.
• Application Number:
  US10/223,268
• Publication Number:
  US 20030046945A1
• Time in Patent Office: 610 Days
• Field of Search: 622/39, 622/44, 623/246, 624/34, 624/35, 622/387
• US Class Current: 62/244
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00907 where the flow direction of the refrigerant changes and an evaporator becomes condenser
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00928 comprising a secondary circuit
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00957 comprising locations with heat exchange within the refrigerant circuit itself, e.g. cross-, counter-, or parallel heat exchange
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2003/182 with multiple heat-exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2025/50 using two or more temperature sensors
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2050/06 using liquid-to-liquid heat exchangers
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2060/08 Cabin heater
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 2070/00 Details
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 7/165 characterised by systems with two or more loops
• CPC Class Codes: F01P 9/06 by use of refrigerating apparatus, e.g. of compressor or absorber type
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2309/061 with cycle highest pressure above the supercritical pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/2501 Bypass valves
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 40/00 Subcoolers, desuperheaters or superheaters
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 9/008 the refrigerant being carbon dioxide

Abstract

A heat exchanger module includes a glycol coolant circuit adapted to function as a heat pump for the heating of the interior passenger compartment of the motor vehicle with a glycol/water mixture as the heat carrier, a refrigerant circuit, and a glycol/refrigerant heat exchanger positioned between and interconnecting the cooling circuit and the refrigerant circuit, wherein the glycol/refrigerant heat exchanger has integrated connection lines for heat transfer from the coolant circuit to the refrigerant circuit.

Claims

1. A heat exchanger module comprising:

a glycol coolant circuit adapted to function as a heat pump and to provide heated air to an interior passenger compartment of a motor vehicle with a glycol/water mixture as a heat carrier;

a refrigerant circuit adapted to provide cooled air to the interior passenger compartment of the motor vehicle, said refrigerant circuit having a high-pressure selector valve and a low-pressure selector valve integrated therein;

a glycol/refrigerant heat exchanger positioned between and interconnecting said coolant circuit and said refrigerant circuit, said glycol/refrigerant heat exchanger having integrated connection lines for heat transfer from said coolant circuit to said refrigerant circuit; and

a connection line from said glycol/refrigerant heat exchanger and said low-pressure selector valve, said connection line being installed within an accumulator/collector and internal heat exchanger.

2. The heat exchanger module of claim 1 further including a plurality of refrigerant ports adapted to connect to a suction side of a compressor, to a pressure side of the compressor, to a flash element, and to an internal heat exchanger.

3. The heat exchanger module of claim 1 further including a plurality of coolant ports for connecting to a radiator and to said glycol/refrigerant heat exchanger.

4. The heat exchanger module of claim 1 wherein said glycol circuit and said glycol/refrigerant heat exchanger are switched parallel to a heating heat exchanger, said heat exchanger module further including a multi-way directional valve adapted to control the proportions of the flow of coolant through said glycol/refrigerant heat exchanger and said heating heat exchanger based upon the heat demand within the passenger compartment and the temperature of the coolant.

5. The heat exchanger module of claim 1 further including at least one two-way water valve positioned within said glycol circuit and adapted to allow the coolant flow to bypass said glycol/refrigerant heat exchanger and said heating heat exchanger.