Climate-control device and method for its operation

• US 9,555,691 B2
• Filed: 10/24/2011
• Issued: 01/31/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 12/10/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Original Assignee: Robert Bosch GmbH
• Inventors: Tschismar, Oliver
• Primary Examiner(s): Ali, Mohammad M
• Application Number:
  US13/992,986
• Publication Number:
  US 20140053584A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,926 Days
• Field of Search: 621/15, 624/98, 165/104.33
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00278 for the battery arrangement of batteries B60R16/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00392 for electric vehicles having only electric drive means
• 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 2001/00307 Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00928 comprising a secondary circuit
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00949 comprising additional heating/cooling sources, e.g. second evaporator
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00957 comprising locations with heat exchange within the refrigerant circuit itself, e.g. cross-, counter-, or parallel heat exchange

Abstract

A climate control device for conditioning the climate of a plurality of components and an interior of an electric vehicle, the climate control device having a plurality of fluid circuit units, which are configured to heat and/or cool the electric vehicle, a first fluid circuit unit being configured to control the climate of a first component of the electric vehicle, a second fluid circuit unit being configured to control the climate of the interior of the electric vehicle, a coolant circuit being configured to control the climate and dehumidify the interior of the electric vehicle, and a third fluid circuit unit being configured to utilize the waste heat of the second heat source.

Claims

1. A climate control device for controlling at least one of a climate of a plurality of components and an interior of an electric vehicle, comprising:

a plurality of fluid circuit units configured to at least one of heat and cool the electric vehicle, including;

a first fluid circuit unit, from a first pump, via a first heat source, further via a first three-way valve and via a first heat conductor, back again to the first pump, being activatable and configured to control the climate of a first component of the electric vehicle;

a second fluid circuit unit, from the first pump, via the first heat source, further via the first three-way valve, further via a second heat conductor and via a third heat conductor, back again to the first pump, being activatable and configured to control the climate of the interior of the electric vehicle;

a third fluid circuit unit, from a second three-way valve, further via an internal heat conductor, further via a third three-way valve, for one, further via a first expansion organ and a fourth heat conductor, to a storage reservoir and, for another, further via a second expansion organ and a fifth heat conductor to the storage reservoir, from storage reservoir via a compressor having a second pump, further via the second heat conductor, further via a fourth three-way valve, further via a sixth heat conductor, back again to the second three-way valve, being activatable and configured to condition and dehumidify the climate of the interior of the electric vehicle;

a fourth fluid circuit unit, from a third pump, via a second heat source of a second component of the electric vehicle, further via the fifth heat conductor back again to the third pump, being activatable and configured to utilize the waste heat of the second heat source.

2. The climate control device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first heat source and the second heat source includes a thermal mass of at least one of an electric motor, power electronics, and a traction battery of the electric vehicle.

3. The climate control device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first fluid circuit unit, the second fluid circuit unit, the third fluid circuit unit, and the fourth fluid circuit unit is implemented as a coolant circuit having a coolant as working medium, which circulates within the fluid circuit units, and wherein there is a corresponding pump to circulate the working medium.

4. The climate control device of claim 1, wherein the third fluid circuit unit has a bridging unit to heat the interior of the electric vehicle and to air-condition a component of the electric vehicle.

5. The climate control device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the second heat conductor, the fifth heat conductor, and the internal heat conductor is configured as a cross-counter flow heat conductor.

6. The climate control device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first heat conductor, the second heat conductor, the fourth heat conductor, and the sixth heat conductor is implemented as an active heat conductor having additionally installed blowers.

7. The climate control device of claim 1, wherein at least one of the plurality of components of the electric vehicle to be air-conditioned includes an electric energy store of the electric vehicle which is to be operated in a specific temperature range.

8. The climate control device of claim 1, further comprising:

a third expansion organ in the third fluid circuit for actuating the sixth heat conductor at a lower operating pressure, so as to provide at least one of simultaneous heating, cooling and dehumidifying of the interior of the electric vehicle.

9. The climate control device of claim 1, wherein thermal masses of a body shell, a chassis or an underbody of the electric vehicle having lower temperatures are provided as heat source of the climate control device.

10. A climate control unit, comprising:

an internal heat exchanger;

an external fluid circuit;

a first internal fluid circuit, a second internal fluid circuit, and a third internal fluid circuit, the internal fluid circuits having an interior air conditioning unit to at least one of heating and cooling an interior of an electric vehicle;

wherein the first internal fluid circuit is configured from the internal heat exchanger, via a first expansion valve, via a first evaporator, via a fluid collector, back again to the internal heat exchanger,

wherein the second internal fluid circuit is configured from the internal heat exchanger, via an electric air-conditioner compressor, via a first heat conductor unit, via a second valve, back again to the internal heat exchanger,

wherein the third internal fluid circuit is configured from the internal heat exchanger, via a third expansion valve, via a second evaporator, via the fluid collector, back again to the internal heat exchanger, and

wherein the external fluid circuit is configured from the internal heat exchanger, via a second expansion valve, via a second heat conductor unit, via a first valve, via the fluid collector, back again to the internal heat exchanger.

11. A method for operating a climate-control unit, the method comprising:

operating the climate control unit, wherein the climate control unit, includes;

an internal heat exchanger;

an external fluid circuit;

a first internal fluid circuit, a second internal fluid circuit, and a third internal fluid circuit, the internal fluid circuits having an interior air conditioning unit to at least one of heating and cooling an interior of an electric vehicle,

wherein the first internal fluid circuit is configured from the internal heat exchanger, via a first expansion valve, via a first evaporator, via a fluid collector, back again to the internal heat exchanger,

wherein the second internal fluid circuit is configured from the internal heat exchanger, via an electric air-conditioner compressor, via a first heat conductor unit, via a second valve, back again to the internal heat exchanger,

wherein the third internal fluid circuit is configured from the internal heat exchanger, via a third expansion valve, via a second evaporator, via the fluid collector, back again to the internal heat exchanger, and

wherein the external fluid circuit is configured from the internal heat exchanger, via a second expansion valve, via a second heat conductor unit, via a first valve, via the fluid collector, back again to the internal heat exchanger;

wherein the operating includes performing at least one of the following;

(i) operating the climate control unit using an external fluid circuit and a second internal fluid circuit;

(ii) operating the climate control unit using a first internal fluid circuit, a second internal fluid circuit, and a third internal fluid circuit; and

(iii) operating the climate control unit using a second external fluid circuit, a first internal fluid circuit, and a second internal fluid circuit.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein the climate-control unit is operated using the first internal fluid circuit, the second internal fluid circuit, and the third internal fluid circuit.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the climate-control unit is operated using the second external fluid circuit, the first internal fluid circuit, and the second internal fluid circuit.

14. The method of claim 11, wherein the climate-control unit is operated using the external fluid circuit and the second internal fluid circuit.

15. A method for controlling at least one of a climate of an interior and at least one component of an electric vehicle using a climate control device, which includes a plurality of fluid circuit units, and which is configured to at least one of heat and cool the electric vehicle, the method comprising:

activating a first fluid circuit unit, from a first pump, via a first heat source, further via a first three-way valve and via a first heat conductor, back again to the first pump, and using it to control the climate of a first component of the electric vehicle;

activating a second fluid circuit unit, from the first pump, via the first heat source, further via the first three-way valve, further via a second heat conductor and via a third heat conductor, back again to the first pump, being activated and using it to control the climate of the interior of the electric vehicle;

activating a third fluid circuit unit, from a second three-way valve, further via an internal heat conductor, further via a third three-way valve, further, for one, via a first expansion organ and a fourth heat conductor, to a storage reservoir and for another, further via a second expansion organ and a fifth heat conductor to the storage reservoir, from the storage reservoir via a compressor having a second pump, further via the second heat conductor, further via a fourth three-way valve, further via a sixth heat conductor, back again to the second three-way valve, and using it to control the climate and to dehumidify the interior of the electric vehicle; and

activating a fourth fluid circuit unit, from a third pump, via a second heat source of a second component of the electric vehicle, further via the fifth heat conductor back again to the third pump, and using it to utilize waste heat of the second heat source.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the third fluid circuit is used as a coolant circuit having carbon dioxide.

17. The method of claim 15, wherein the third fluid circuit is used as a coolant circuit having carbon dioxide, which is R744 coolant.