Heating system for an electric or hybrid vehicle, and method for operating such a heating system

• US 10,836,233 B2
• Filed: 04/20/2018
• Issued: 11/17/2020
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Original Assignee: Bayerische Motoren Werke AG
• Inventors: Allgaeuer, Christian, Horn, Oliver, Moser, Markus, Flahaut, Nicolas
• Primary Examiner(s): Jules, Frantz F
• Assistant Examiner(s): Nouketcha, Lionel
• Application Number:
  US15/958,194
• Publication Number:
  US 20180236842A1
• Time in Patent Office: 942 Days
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00278 for the battery arrangement of batteries B60R16/04
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00385 for vehicles having an electrical drive, e.g. hybrid or fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00392 for electric vehicles having only electric drive means
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/004 for vehicles having a combustion engine and electric drive means, e.g. hybrid electric vehicles
• 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 1/143 the heat being derived from cooling an electric component, e.g. electric motors, electric circuits, fuel cells or batteries
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/32284 comprising two or more secondary circuits, e.g. at evaporator and condenser side
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00307 Component temperature regulation using a liquid flow
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/00928 comprising a secondary circuit

Abstract

A heating system for an electric or hybrid vehicle is provided. The heating system includes a refrigerant circuit, a heater heat exchanger which is arranged in a heating circuit, for air-conditioning the interior, a high-voltage storage device which is arranged in an HVS circuit, and a cooler which is arranged in a cooling circuit. The heating circuit, the HVS circuit, and the cooling circuit are integrated into a common coolant circuit. In a first HVS cooling operation, the HVS circuit is separated from the cooling circuit and connected to a chiller in order to discharge heat into the refrigerant circuit. In a second HVS cooling operation, the HVS circuit is connected to the cooling circuit via a chiller bypass in order to discharge heat via the cooler.

Claims

1. A heating system for an electric or a hybrid vehicle, comprising:

a refrigerant circuit; and

a common coolant circuit, comprising;

a heating circuit, including a heater heat exchanger configured for interior-space air-conditioning with a high-voltage storage device,

an HVS circuit, including the high-voltage storage device, and

a cooling circuit, including a cooler,

wherein the heating circuit, the HVS circuit, and the cooling circuit define distinct closed loop paths that are integrated into the common coolant circuit,

wherein in a first HVS cooling mode, the HVS circuit is separated from the cooling circuit and connected to a chiller for heat dissipation into the refrigerant circuit,

wherein the common coolant circuit and the refrigerant circuit are thermally coupled at the chiller, and

wherein in a second HVS cooling mode, the HVS circuit is connected to the cooling circuit via a chiller bypass for the heat dissipation via the cooler.

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

a valve arrangement with a plurality of switch positions to switch between the first and the second HVS cooling modes, wherein

in a first switch position, the high-voltage storage device and the chiller are connected in series, and

in a second switch position, the high-voltage storage device and the cooler are connected in series.

3. The heating system according to claim 2, wherein the valve arrangement has a third switch status, in which the heating circuit is connected to the HVS circuit to supply heat from an auxiliary heater to the high-voltage storage device.

4. The heating system according to claim 1, wherein the heating system has a heat pump mode, in which the heating circuit is separated from the cooling circuit and in which, by way of a condenser, which is arranged within the heating circuit, heat dissipation from the refrigerant circuit occurs for heating an interior.

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

a heating circuit valve, by way of which the heating circuit is separable from the cooling circuit.

6. The heating system according to claim 4, wherein the heating system is operable in the heat pump mode and in the first HVS cooling mode at the same time to supply the heater heat exchanger with the high-voltage storage device'"'"'s waste heat by way of the chiller and the condenser.

7. The heating system according to claim 6, wherein a heat source is arranged in the cooling circuit, which is connected to the chiller via the chiller bypass to transfer the heat source'"'"'s waste heat to the heater heat exchanger.

8. The heating system according to claim 7, further comprising:

a cooling circuit valve with a plurality of switch positions to switch a heat supply to the heater heat exchanger in the heat pump mode, wherein

in a first switch position, the high-voltage storage device is connected to the chiller and

in a second switch position, the heat source is connected to the chiller.

9. The heating system according to claim 4, wherein a heat source is arranged in the cooling circuit, which is connected to the chiller via the chiller bypass to transfer the heat source'"'"'s waste heat to the heater heat exchanger.

10. The heating system according to claim 9, further comprising:

a cooling circuit valve with a plurality of switch positions to switch a heat supply to the heater heat exchanger in the heat pump mode, wherein

in a first switch position, the high-voltage storage device is connected to the chiller and

in a second switch position, the heat source is connected to the chiller.

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

a cooler bypass to circumvent the cooler with a bypass valve.

12. The heating system according to claim 11, wherein the cooler includes at least two cooling units, which are a main cooler unit and an auxiliary cooler unit, wherein, downstream from the main cooler unit, a cooler branch is arranged, at which a first partial coolant flow is led to a heat source and a second partial coolant flow is led to the auxiliary cooler unit and then to the heating circuit and to the HVS circuit.

13. The heating system according to claim 12, wherein an auxiliary heater is arranged in the heating circuit to add heat.

14. The heating system according to claim 13, wherein the heating system has a HVS heating mode, in which the auxiliary heater and the high-voltage storage device are connected in series to heat the high-voltage storage device.

15. The heating system according to claim 14, wherein the valve arrangement has a third switch status, in which the heating circuit is connected to the HVS circuit to supply heat from the auxiliary heater to the high-voltage storage device.

16. The heating system according to claim 1, wherein the cooler includes at least two cooling units, which are a main cooler unit and an auxiliary cooler unit, wherein, downstream from the main cooler unit, a cooler branch is arranged, at which a first partial coolant flow is led to a heat source and a second partial coolant flow is led to the auxiliary cooler unit and then to the heating circuit and to the HVS circuit.

17. The heating system according to claim 1, wherein an auxiliary heater is arranged in the heating circuit to add heat.

18. The heating system according to claim 17, wherein the heating system has a HVS heating mode, in which the auxiliary heater and the high-voltage storage device are connected in series to heat the high-voltage storage device.

19. The heating system according to claim 1, wherein in the refrigerant circuit, a compressor is arranged as well as an additional compressor, which is connected to the compressor in parallel to increase performance of the refrigerant circuit according to the needs at hand.

20. A method for operating a heating system for an electric or a hybrid vehicle, the method comprising the acts of:

providing a refrigerant circuit; and

providing a common coolant circuit, comprising;

a heating circuit that includes a heater heat exchange for interior-space air-conditioning with a high-voltage storage device,

an HVS circuit that includes the high-voltage storage device, and

a cooling circuit that includes a cooler,

wherein the heating circuit, the HVS circuit, and the cooling circuit define distinct closed loop paths that are integrated into the common coolant circuit, and

wherein the common coolant circuit and the refrigerant circuit are thermally coupled at the chiller;

in a first HVS cooling mode, separating the HVS circuit from the cooling circuit and connecting the HVS circuit to a chiller, by way of which waste heat from the high-voltage storage device is transferred to the refrigerant circuit; and

in a second HVS cooling mode, connecting the HVS circuit to the cooling circuit via a chiller bypass so that waste heat from the high-voltage storage device is dissipated via the cooler.