Heat pump system for vehicle

Abstract

The present invention provides a heat pump system for a vehicle, which cools or heats the interior of the vehicle by using a natural refrigerant, and effectively adjusts the temperature of a battery module by using a single cooler that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and a coolant.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0113274 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on August 29, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a heat pump system for a vehicle, and more particularly to a heat pump system for a vehicle that can perform cooling or heating of the interior of a vehicle by using a natural refrigerant and effectively adjust the temperature of a battery module by using a single cooler that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and a coolant. Background Art

[0004] Generally, an air conditioning system for a vehicle includes an air conditioning device that circulates a refrigerant to heat or cool the interior of the vehicle.

[0005] An air conditioning device that maintains the interior of a vehicle at an appropriate temperature regardless of changes in the outside temperature is configured to heat or cool the interior of the vehicle. This is achieved by using a condenser and an evaporator to perform heat exchange in a process in which the refrigerant exhausted by the drive of the compressor circulates back to the compressor via a condenser, a receiver-dryer, an expansion valve, and an evaporator.

[0006] In other words, in cooling mode, the air conditioning device condenses the high-temperature and high-pressure gas-phase refrigerant compressed from the compressor through the condenser, passes the refrigerant through the receiver-drier and the expansion valve, and then evaporates the refrigerant in the evaporator, thereby reducing the temperature and humidity inside the vehicle.

[0007] The development of environmentally friendly technologies for vehicles is likely to be a core technology for the future automotive industry. Advanced automobile manufacturers are focusing their efforts on developing environmentally friendly vehicles to comply with environmental and fuel efficiency regulations.

[0008] Recently, with the increasing concern about energy efficiency and environmental pollution, there is a need to develop environmentally friendly vehicles that can basically replace internal combustion engine vehicles. Environmentally friendly vehicles are divided into electric vehicles driven by using fuel cells or electricity as a power source, and hybrid vehicles driven by using an engine and a battery.

[0009] Currently, electric vehicles are attracting much attention as a future means of transportation that can solve environmental and energy problems.

[0010] A heat pump system as an air conditioning device for adjusting the temperature inside the vehicle is applied to such an electric vehicle.

[0011] However, the refrigerant commonly used in heat pump systems contains a large amount of environmentally restricted materials such as PFAS (perfluoroalkyl substances and polyfluoroalkyl substances). Therefore, it is necessary to develop a system that can control the temperature inside the vehicle by using a new refrigerant or natural refrigerant that does not contain PFAS and flammability.

[0012] The above information disclosed in the Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention. Therefore, the Background section may contain information that does not constitute the prior art that is already known to a person skilled in the art. Summary of the invention

[0013] The present invention provides a heat pump system for a vehicle that can cool or heat the interior of a vehicle by using a natural refrigerant. In addition, the present invention provides a heat pump system for a vehicle that can effectively adjust the temperature of a battery module by using a single cooler that exchanges heat between a refrigerant and a coolant to cope with environmental regulations.

[0014] In addition, the heat pump system can maximize cooling and heating performance by operating in a supercritical cycle in which the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant are higher than a threshold pressure and temperature by applying R744 refrigerant, which is a natural refrigerant using carbon dioxide.

[0015] A heat pump system for a vehicle may include: an air conditioning device including a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a third heat exchanger, and a fourth heat exchanger, which are connected by a refrigerant line so that the refrigerant circulates through the refrigerant line. The system may also include a cooler connected to the refrigerant line through a first connecting line. The cooler may be configured to perform heat exchange between the refrigerant supplied from the air conditioning device and the coolant to adjust the temperature of the coolant. The air conditioning device may also include a second connecting line, a first end of which is connected to the refrigerant line between the compressor and the first heat exchanger, and a second end of which is connected to the refrigerant line between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger. The air conditioning device may also include a third connecting line, a first end of which is connected to the refrigerant line between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, and a second end of which is connected to the refrigerant line between the third heat exchanger and the fourth heat exchanger. The air conditioning device may also include a first control device, which is arranged in the refrigerant line between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, is connected to the second connecting line and the third connecting line respectively, and is configured to control the flow of the refrigerant. The air conditioning device may further include a second control device, which is disposed in the refrigerant pipeline between the fourth heat exchanger and the compressor. The air conditioning device may further include a third control device, which is disposed in the refrigerant pipeline between the third heat exchanger and the fourth heat exchanger and is configured to control the flow of the refrigerant and selectively expand the refrigerant. In addition, the air conditioning device may further include a fourth connecting pipeline, whose first end is connected to the refrigerant pipeline between the first heat exchanger and the first control device, and whose second end is connected to the second control device.

[0016] The first control device may include a first valve disposed in the refrigerant line between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, and may include a second valve disposed in the second connecting line. The first control device may further include a first expansion valve disposed in the third connecting line.

[0017] The second control device may include a third valve provided in the refrigerant line between the fourth heat exchanger and the compressor, and may include a second expansion valve provided in the fourth connecting line.

[0018] The third control device may include a third expansion valve provided in the refrigerant line between the third heat exchanger and the fourth heat exchanger, and may include a fourth expansion valve provided in the first connecting line upstream of the cooler.

[0019] A first end of the first connecting line may be connected to a refrigerant line between the compressor and the fourth heat exchanger. A second end of the first connecting line may be connected to a third control device.

[0020] The air conditioning device may further include a fourth control device, which is arranged in the refrigerant pipeline between the third heat exchanger and the third control device. The air conditioning device may further include a fifth connecting pipeline, whose first end is connected to the refrigerant pipeline between the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger, and whose second end is connected to the refrigerant pipeline between the fourth heat exchanger and the compressor. The air conditioning device may further include a fifth control device, which is arranged in the fifth connecting pipeline.

[0021] In the cooling mode of the vehicle interior: the refrigerant line connecting the compressor and the first heat exchanger, and the refrigerant line connecting the first heat exchanger and the first control device can be closed by the operation of the first control device. In addition, the refrigerant line connecting the third heat exchanger and the third control device can be opened by the operation of the fourth control device. The second connecting line can be opened by the operation of the first control device so that the compressor and the second heat exchanger are connected. The third connecting line can be closed by the operation of the first control device. The fourth connecting line can be closed by the operation of the second control device, and the fifth connecting line can be closed by the operation of the fifth control device.

[0022] In the cooling mode inside the vehicle, when the battery module needs to be cooled, the first connecting line may be opened by operation of the third control device.

[0023] The third control device may be configured to expand the refrigerant introduced into the first connecting line and flow the expanded refrigerant to the cooler, thereby cooling the battery module using the coolant that has exchanged heat with the refrigerant in the cooler. The third control device may also be configured to expand the refrigerant introduced into the refrigerant line and flow the expanded refrigerant to the fourth heat exchanger, thereby introducing the expanded refrigerant into the fourth heat exchanger.

[0024] In the heating mode of the vehicle interior: the refrigerant line connecting the first heat exchanger and the first control device can be closed by the operation of the first control device. The first connecting line can also be closed by the operation of the third control device; and the second connecting line can be closed by the operation of the first control device. The third connecting line can also be opened by the operation of the first control device; and the fourth connecting line can be opened by the operation of the second control device. In addition, the fifth connecting line can be opened by the operation of the fifth control device; and a part of the refrigerant line connecting the second control device and the compressor can be closed by the operation of the second control device.

[0025] The third control device may be configured to expand the refrigerant introduced from the fourth heat exchanger and flow the expanded refrigerant to the refrigerant line.

[0026] The third control device may be configured to flow the refrigerant introduced from the fourth heat exchanger to the refrigerant line. The fourth control device may be configured to expand the refrigerant introduced through the refrigerant line and introduce the expanded refrigerant into the third heat exchanger.

[0027] The first control device may be configured to expand the refrigerant introduced through the third connecting line and introduce the expanded refrigerant into the second heat exchanger.

[0028] A portion of the refrigerant introduced into the refrigerant line from the third control device may be introduced into the third heat exchanger along the refrigerant line opened by the operation of the fourth control device. The remaining portion of the refrigerant introduced into the refrigerant line from the third control device may be introduced into the second heat exchanger along the third connecting line opened by the operation of the first control device.

[0029] The refrigerant exhausted from the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger may be supplied to the compressor along the opened fifth connecting line and the refrigerant line connecting the fifth connecting line and the compressor.

[0030] In the hot gas heating mode of the vehicle interior: the refrigerant line connecting the first heat exchanger and the first control device can be closed by the operation of the first control device. The first connecting line can also be opened by the operation of the third control device; and the second connecting line can be opened by the operation of the first control device. The third connecting line can also be opened by the operation of the first control device; and the fourth connecting line can be opened by the operation of the second control device. The fifth connecting line can also be closed by the operation of the fifth control device; and the refrigerant lines connecting the first control device, the second heat exchanger, the third heat exchanger and the fourth control device can be closed by the operation of the first control device and the operation of the fourth control device, and further, a part of the refrigerant line connecting the second control device and the first connecting line can be closed by the operation of the second control device. Furthermore, a part of the refrigerant line connecting the third connecting line and the third control device can be opened by the operation of the third control device.

[0031] The first control device may be configured to expand the refrigerant supplied from the compressor through the second connecting line and to flow the expanded refrigerant to the third connecting line.

[0032] The second control device may be configured to cause the refrigerant supplied from the first heat exchanger through the fourth connecting line to flow to the fourth heat exchanger. The third control device may be configured to expand the refrigerant introduced from the fourth heat exchanger along the refrigerant line, and cause the expanded refrigerant to flow to the cooler through the first connecting line together with the refrigerant introduced from the first control device through the third connecting line.

[0033] The second heat exchanger, the third heat exchanger, and the fourth heat exchanger may be configured to cool or evaporate the introduced refrigerant based on selective operation of the first control device, the second control device, or the third control device.

[0034] The refrigerant may be R744 refrigerant made from carbon dioxide.

[0035] A liquid accumulator may be provided in the refrigerant line between the fourth heat exchanger and the compressor. The first heat exchanger, the third heat exchanger, and the fourth heat exchanger may be air-cooled gas coolers configured to perform heat exchange between the introduced refrigerant and the air. The second heat exchanger and the cooler may be water-cooled gas coolers configured to perform heat exchange between the introduced refrigerant and the coolant.

[0036] The second heat exchanger may be connected to the electric component through a first line through which the coolant circulates, and the cooler may be connected to the battery module through a second line through which the coolant circulates.

[0037] As described above, by adopting the heat pump system for a vehicle according to the embodiment, since cooling or heating of the vehicle interior is performed by using a natural refrigerant, it is possible to cope with environmental regulations and improve the overall marketability of the vehicle.

[0038] In addition, according to the present invention, by applying R744 refrigerant, which is a natural refrigerant using carbon dioxide, cooling and heating performance can be maximized by operating in a supercritical region, which is a state where the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant are higher than the threshold pressure and temperature, for cooling and heating the interior of the vehicle.

[0039] Furthermore, according to the present invention, by effectively adjusting the temperature of the battery module using a single cooler that heat-exchanges the coolant and the refrigerant based on the vehicle mode, it is possible to achieve streamlining and simplification of the system.

[0040] Furthermore, according to one embodiment, by effectively regulating the temperature of the battery module, optimal performance of the battery module can be achieved, and the overall driving distance of the vehicle can be increased due to the effective management of the battery module.

[0041] In addition, according to the present invention, in the heating mode inside the vehicle, when the refrigerant is expanded and supplied to each heat exchanger in a branched manner, the flow rate of the refrigerant can be easily controlled, the ambient air heat and the waste heat of the electrical components can be smoothly recovered, and the cooler for cooling the battery module can be optimized.

[0042] Furthermore, according to one embodiment, it is possible to reduce manufacturing cost and weight, and improve space utilization by simplifying the entire system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an embodiment;

[0044] Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a first control device for a heat pump system for a vehicle according to a first embodiment;

[0045] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of a first control device for a heat pump system for a vehicle according to a second embodiment;

[0046] Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a first control device for a heat pump system for a vehicle according to a third embodiment;

[0047] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a second control device for a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an embodiment;

[0048] Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a third control device for a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an embodiment;

[0049] Figure 7 is an operation diagram for cooling a battery module in a cooling mode of an interior of a vehicle in a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an embodiment;

[0050] Figure 8 is an operation diagram based on a heating mode of a vehicle interior in a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an embodiment;

[0051] Fig. 9 is an operation diagram based on a hot gas heating mode inside a vehicle in the heat pump system for a vehicle according to the embodiment.

[0052] Description of reference numerals:

[0053] 2, 4: First and second pipelines

[0054] 3: Electrical components

[0055] 5: Battery module

[0056] 10: Compressor

[0057] 11: Refrigerant pipeline

[0058] 12, 13, 14, 16: first, second, third and fourth heat exchangers

[0059] 17: Liquid reservoir

[0060] 20: Cooler

[0061] 21: First connecting pipeline

[0062] 30: First control device

[0063] 31: Second connecting pipeline

[0064] 32: Third connecting pipeline

[0065] 40: Second control device

[0066] 41: Fourth connecting pipeline

[0067] 50: Third control device

[0068] 60: Fourth control device

[0069] 70: Fifth control device

[0070] 71: Fifth connecting pipeline. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0071] Embodiments will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0072] The embodiments disclosed in this specification and the configurations shown in the accompanying drawings are only some embodiments of the present invention and do not cover the entire scope of the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that various equivalents and modifications may exist when applying this specification.

[0073] In order to clarify the present invention, parts that are not related to the description are omitted, and the same reference numerals are used throughout the specification to designate the same or equivalent elements.

[0074] In addition, the size and thickness of each element are arbitrarily shown in the drawings, but the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. In addition, in the drawings, the thickness of layers, films, panels, regions, etc. are exaggerated for clarity.

[0075] In addition, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the term “comprise” and variations such as “comprises” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of any other elements.

[0076] In addition, each term described in the specification, such as “unit,” “means,” “portion,” “section,” and “member,” refers to a unit of a comprehensive element that performs at least one function or operation.

[0077] When a component, device, element, etc. of the present invention is described as having a purpose or performing an operation, function, etc., the component, device or element should be considered herein as being "configured" to achieve the purpose or perform the operation or function.

[0078] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an embodiment, Figure 2 is a schematic diagram of a first control device for a heat pump system for a vehicle according to a first embodiment, Figure 3is a schematic diagram of a first control device for a heat pump system for a vehicle according to a second embodiment, Figure 4 is a schematic diagram of a first control device for a heat pump system for a vehicle according to a third embodiment, Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of a second control device for a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an embodiment, Figure 6 is a schematic diagram of a third control device of a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an embodiment.

[0079] A heat pump system for a vehicle according to one embodiment can perform cooling or heating of the vehicle interior by using a natural refrigerant and effectively adjust the temperature of the battery module 5 by using a single cooler 20 that exchanges heat between the refrigerant and the coolant to cope with environmental regulations.

[0080] The refrigerant may be R744 refrigerant formed from carbon dioxide, which has an ozone depletion potential (ODP) of 0 and a global warming potential (GWP) of 1.

[0081] In other words, by applying R744 refrigerant which is a natural refrigerant using carbon dioxide, the heat pump system for a vehicle according to an embodiment can maximize cooling and heating performance by operating in a supercritical cycle, which is a state in which the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant are higher than threshold pressure and temperature.

[0082] To this end, the heat pump system according to the embodiment may include an air conditioning device and a cooler 20 .

[0083] refer to Figure 1 The air conditioning device includes: a compressor 10, a first heat exchanger 12, a second heat exchanger 13, a third heat exchanger 14 and a fourth heat exchanger 16. The air conditioning device also includes a first connecting line 21, a first control device 30, a second connecting line 31, a third connecting line 32, a second control device 40, a fourth connecting line 41 and a third control device 50. All components are connected through a refrigerant line 11 so that the refrigerant circulates through the refrigerant line 11.

[0084] First, the compressor 10 may compress the refrigerant and flow (eg, transfer) the refrigerant to the refrigerant line 11 so that the refrigerant may circulate through the refrigerant line 11 .

[0085] The first heat exchanger 12 may perform heat exchange (ie, a process of exchanging heat or thermal energy) between the refrigerant selectively supplied from the compressor 10 and the air.

[0086] The second heat exchanger 13 may be connected to the first heat exchanger 12 via the refrigerant line 11. Therefore, the refrigerant supplied to the refrigerant line 11 may pass through the second heat exchanger 13.

[0087] The second heat exchanger 13 may be connected to the electric component 3 via a first line 2 through which a coolant circulates.

[0088] The electrical components 3 may include a power conversion device such as an electric power control unit (EPCU), a motor, an inverter, an on-board charger (OBC), and an automatic driving controller.

[0089] The electric component 3 thus configured can be water-cooled by being connected to the first pipeline 2 .

[0090] That is, the second heat exchanger 13 may cool or evaporate the refrigerant by exchanging heat with the coolant supplied through the first line 2. The second heat exchanger 13 may be a water-cooled gas cooler that exchanges heat between the refrigerant introduced inside and the coolant.

[0091] In this embodiment, the third heat exchanger 14 may be connected to the second heat exchanger 13 through the refrigerant line 11. The third heat exchanger 14 is disposed at the front side of the vehicle and may cool or evaporate the refrigerant by exchanging heat with air introduced from the outside while the vehicle is traveling.

[0092] Since R744 refrigerant is a supercritical refrigerant and, unlike typical refrigerants, does not undergo a phase change, it is described as a gas cooling refrigerant rather than a condensing refrigerant.

[0093] In addition, the fourth heat exchanger 16 may be disposed in the refrigerant line 11 between the third heat exchanger 14 and the compressor 10 .

[0094] The first heat exchanger 12, the third heat exchanger 14, and the fourth heat exchanger 16 configured in this way may be an air-cooling type gas cooler that exchanges heat between the refrigerant introduced into the interior and the air.

[0095] The first heat exchanger 12 and the fourth heat exchanger 16 may be disposed inside an HVAC module (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning module) (not shown).

[0096] In the present embodiment, the accumulator 17 may be disposed in the refrigerant line 11 between the fourth heat exchanger 16 and the compressor 10 .

[0097] The accumulator 17 supplies only gaseous refrigerant to the compressor 10 , thereby improving efficiency and durability of the compressor 10 .

[0098] In addition, although not shown in the drawings, an internal heat exchanger may be provided inside the accumulator 17 .

[0099] The internal heat exchanger may heat-exchange the refrigerant cooled in the third heat exchanger 14 with the low-temperature refrigerant discharged from the fourth heat exchanger 16. Also, the internal heat exchanger may supply the heat-exchanged refrigerant to the compressor 10 and the fourth heat exchanger 16, respectively.

[0100] In the present embodiment, the cooler 20 may be connected to the battery module 5 through the second line 4 through which the coolant circulates. Therefore, the coolant may selectively circulate through the cooler 20.

[0101] The cooler 20 may perform heat exchange between the refrigerant supplied from the air conditioner and the coolant, thereby adjusting the temperature of the coolant. In other words, the cooler 20 may be a water-cooled gas cooler that performs heat exchange between the refrigerant introduced inside and the coolant.

[0102] The cooler 20 may be connected to the refrigerant line 11 through the first connecting line 21. Therefore, the cooler 20 is provided at the second connecting line 21.

[0103] A first end of the first connecting line 21 is connected to the refrigerant line 11 between the compressor 10 and the fourth heat exchanger 16. A second end of the first connecting line 21 may be connected to the third control device 50.

[0104] A first end of the second connection line 31 may be connected to the refrigerant line 11 between the compressor 10 and the first heat exchanger 12. A second end of the second connection line 31 may be connected to the refrigerant line 11 between the first heat exchanger 12 and the second heat exchanger 13.

[0105] A first end of the third connection line 32 may be connected to the refrigerant line 11 between the first heat exchanger 12 and the second heat exchanger 13. A second end of the third connection line 32 may be connected to the refrigerant line 11 between the third heat exchanger 14 and the fourth heat exchanger 16.

[0106] In this embodiment, the first control device 30 may be disposed in the refrigerant line 11 between the first heat exchanger 12 and the second heat exchanger 13 so that the refrigerant introduced from the compressor 10 or the first heat exchanger 12 may be selectively supplied to the second heat exchanger 13 or the third control device 50 .

[0107] The second connecting line 31 and the third connecting line 32 may be connected to the first control device 30 , respectively.

[0108] The first control device 30 configured in this way can control the flow of the refrigerant and can selectively expand the refrigerant based on the configuration.

[0109] like Figures 2 to 4 As shown, the first control device 30 can be implemented as the first, second and third embodiments.

[0110] First, if Figure 2 As shown, the first control device 30 according to the first embodiment may include a first valve 33 , a second valve 34 and a first expansion valve 35 .

[0111] First, the first valve 33 may be provided at the refrigerant line 11 between the first heat exchanger 12 and the second heat exchanger 13. The second valve 34 may be provided at the second connection line 31.

[0112] The first valve 33 and the second valve 34 may be two-way valves that control opening and closing of the refrigerant line 11 and the second connection line 31 .

[0113] In addition, a first expansion valve 35 may be provided at the third connecting line 32 .

[0114] In the cooling mode of the vehicle interior, the first control device 30 according to the first embodiment configured in the above-described manner may allow the refrigerant supplied from the compressor 10 through the second connecting line 31 to flow to the second heat exchanger 13 .

[0115] On the other hand, in the heating mode of the vehicle interior, the first control device 30 can expand the refrigerant introduced from the compressor 10 through the first heat exchanger 12, the fourth connecting pipeline 41, the second control device 40, the fourth heat exchanger 16, the third control device 50, and the third connecting pipeline 32, and make the expanded refrigerant flow to the second heat exchanger 13.

[0116] In addition, in the hot gas heating mode, the first control device 30 may expand the refrigerant introduced from the compressor 10 through the second connecting line 31 and make the expanded refrigerant flow to the third connecting line 32 .

[0117] like Figure 3 As shown, the first control device 130 according to the second embodiment may include a first valve 133 , a second valve 134 and a control valve 135 .

[0118] First, the first valve 133 may be provided at the refrigerant line 11 between the first heat exchanger 12 and the second heat exchanger 13. The second valve 134 may be provided at the second connection line 31.

[0119] In addition, a control valve 135 may be provided at the third connecting line 32 .

[0120] The first valve 133 , the second valve 134 , and the control valve 135 may be two-way valves that control opening and closing of the refrigerant line 11 , the second connection line 31 , and the third connection line 32 .

[0121] The first control device 130 according to the second embodiment thus configured may allow the refrigerant supplied from the compressor 10 through the second connecting line 31 to flow to the second heat exchanger 13 in the cooling mode of the vehicle interior.

[0122] On the other hand, in the heating mode of the vehicle interior, the first control device 130 can allow the refrigerant introduced from the compressor 10 through the first heat exchanger 12, the fourth connecting pipeline 41, the second control device 40, the fourth heat exchanger 16, the third control device 50 and the third connecting pipeline 32 to flow into the second heat exchanger 13.

[0123] In addition, if Figure 4 As shown, the first control device 230 according to the third embodiment may include a first valve 233 , a first expansion valve 234 , and a second valve 235 .

[0124] The first valve 233 may be provided at the refrigerant line 11 between the first heat exchanger 12 and the second heat exchanger 13. The first expansion valve 234 may be provided at the second connection line 31.

[0125] In addition, a second valve 235 may be provided in the third connecting line 32 .

[0126] The first valve 233 and the second valve 235 may be two-way valves that control opening and closing of the refrigerant line 11 and the third connection line 32 .

[0127] The first control device 230 according to the third embodiment thus configured may allow the refrigerant supplied from the compressor 10 through the second connecting line 31 to flow to the second heat exchanger 13 in the cooling mode of the vehicle interior.

[0128] On the other hand, in the heating mode of the vehicle interior, the first control device 230 can allow the refrigerant introduced from the compressor 10 through the first heat exchanger 12, the fourth connecting pipeline 41, the second control device 40, the fourth heat exchanger 16, the third control device 50 and the third connecting pipeline 32 to flow into the second heat exchanger 13.

[0129] In addition, in the hot gas heating mode, the first control device 230 may expand the refrigerant introduced from the compressor 10 through the second connecting line 31 , and may make the expanded refrigerant flow to the third connecting line 32 .

[0130] In this embodiment, the second control device 40 may be disposed in the refrigerant line 11 between the fourth heat exchanger 16 and the compressor 10 .

[0131] A first end of the fourth connecting line 41 is connected to the refrigerant line 11 between the first heat exchanger 12 and the first control device 30 , and a second end of the fourth connecting line 41 is connected to the second control device 40 .

[0132] like Figure 5 As shown, the second control device 40 may include a third valve 42 and a second expansion valve 44 .

[0133] First, the third valve 42 is provided at the refrigerant line 11 between the fourth heat exchanger 16 and the compressor 10. The third valve 42 may be a two-way valve that controls opening and closing of the refrigerant line 11.

[0134] In addition, a second expansion valve 44 may be provided at the fourth connecting line 41 .

[0135] When dehumidification is required in the heating mode of the vehicle interior, the second expansion valve 44 may expand the refrigerant introduced through the fourth connecting line 41 so that the expanded refrigerant may be supplied to the fourth heat exchanger 16 .

[0136] The second control device 40 thus configured may cause the refrigerant supplied from the fourth heat exchanger 16 to flow to the compressor 10 in the cooling mode of the vehicle interior.

[0137] On the other hand, in the vehicle interior heating mode and the hot gas heating mode, the second control device 40 may allow the refrigerant introduced from the first heat exchanger 12 through the fourth connecting line 41 to flow into the fourth heat exchanger 16 .

[0138] In the present embodiment, the third control device 50 may be disposed in the refrigerant line 11 between the third heat exchanger 14 and the fourth heat exchanger 16. The third control device 50 may control the flow of the introduced refrigerant and selectively expand the refrigerant.

[0139] like Figure 6 As shown, the third control device 50 may include a third expansion valve 52 and a fourth expansion valve 54 .

[0140] First, the third expansion valve 52 is disposed in the refrigerant line 11 between the third heat exchanger 14 and the fourth heat exchanger 16. In addition, the fourth expansion valve 54 may be disposed upstream of the cooler 20 in the first connecting line 21.

[0141] The upstream of the cooler 20 and the rear end of the cooler 20 may be disposed based on the flow direction of the refrigerant.

[0142] In other words, based on the direction in which the refrigerant flows along the first connecting line 21 , the position where the refrigerant is introduced into the cooler 20 may be defined as the upstream of the cooler 20 , and the position where the refrigerant is discharged from the cooler 20 may be defined as the rear end of the cooler 20 .

[0143] The third control device 50 configured in this way can selectively expand the refrigerant introduced through the refrigerant line 11 .

[0144] In addition, the third control device 50 may supply the refrigerant to the fourth heat exchanger 16 , the cooler 20 , or a combination thereof through the refrigerant line 11 and the first connecting line 21 .

[0145] That is, the third control device 50 can selectively expand the refrigerant while controlling the flow of the refrigerant.

[0146] Therefore, the cooler 20 may heat-exchange the coolant selectively introduced through the second line 4 with the refrigerant selectively supplied from the air-conditioning device, thereby adjusting the temperature of the coolant.

[0147] The coolant that has undergone heat exchange in the cooler 20 may circulate in the battery module 5 through the second line 4 .

[0148] A water pump (not shown) may be provided in the first pipeline 2 and the second pipeline 4 .

[0149] In other words, the coolant may circulate in the first line 2 and the second line 4 according to the operation of each water pump (not shown).

[0150] Therefore, the coolant having exchanged heat with the refrigerant at the second heat exchanger 13 and the cooler 20 can adjust the temperatures of the electric components 3 and the battery module 5 by being selectively supplied to the electric components 3 and the battery module 5 .

[0151] The third control device 50 may selectively expand the refrigerant based on a cooling mode or a heating mode of the interior of the vehicle, and flow the expanded refrigerant into the cooler 20 through the first connecting line 21 .

[0152] In addition, the third control device 50 may expand the introduced refrigerant and introduce the expanded refrigerant into the cooler 20 through the first connecting line 21. Conversely, the third control device 50 may close the first connecting line 21 so that the refrigerant is not supplied to the cooler 20.

[0153] In more detail, when cooling the battery module 5 by using the coolant heat-exchanged with the refrigerant at the cooler 20 , the third control device 50 may open the first connecting line 21 .

[0154] At the same time, the third control device 50 may expand the introduced refrigerant, and the expanded refrigerant may flow to the cooler 20 through the first connecting line 21 .

[0155] In other words, when the battery module 5 is cooled in the cooling mode inside the vehicle, the third control device 50 can expand the refrigerant discharged from the third heat exchanger 14 to lower its temperature, and make the expanded refrigerant flow to the cooler 20, thereby further lowering the temperature of the coolant flowing through the inside of the cooler 20.

[0156] Therefore, the battery module 5 can be cooled more efficiently by causing the coolant that has been cooled by passing through the cooler 20 to flow in.

[0157] Furthermore, in the cooling mode of the vehicle interior, the third control device 50 may expand the introduced refrigerant, and may make the expanded refrigerant flow to the fourth heat exchanger 16 through the refrigerant line 11 .

[0158] On the contrary, in the heating mode of the vehicle interior, the third control device 50 may expand the refrigerant introduced from the fourth heat exchanger 16. Then, the third control device 50 may flow the expanded refrigerant to the second heat exchanger 13 or the third heat exchanger 14.

[0159] In the vehicle interior heating mode, the third control device 50 may flow the refrigerant introduced from the fourth heat exchanger 16 without expansion according to the selective operation of the fourth control device 60 described later.

[0160] In the hot gas heating mode, the third control device 50 may expand the refrigerant introduced from the fourth heat exchanger 16 and supply it to the cooler 20 from the first connecting line 21 together with the refrigerant introduced through the third connecting line 32 .

[0161] In this embodiment, the air conditioning unit may further include a fourth control device 60 , a fifth control device 70 and a fifth connecting line 71 .

[0162] First, the fourth control device 60 may be disposed in the refrigerant line 11 between the third heat exchanger 14 and the third control device 50 .

[0163] The fourth control device 60 may be configured as a two-way valve that controls opening and closing of the refrigerant line 11 , or an expansion valve that controls opening and closing of the refrigerant line 11 and selectively expands the refrigerant.

[0164] When the fourth control device 60 is a two-way valve, in the cooling mode of the vehicle interior, the fourth control device 60 may open the refrigerant line 11 so that the refrigerant flowing through the third heat exchanger 14 may be supplied to the third control device 50 .

[0165] In contrast, in the heating mode of the vehicle interior, the fourth control device 60 may open the refrigerant line 11 connected to the third heat exchanger 14 so that the refrigerant supplied from the third control device 50 may be introduced into the third heat exchanger 14 .

[0166] When the fourth control device 60 is an expansion valve, in a cooling mode of the vehicle interior, the fourth control device 60 may open the refrigerant line 11 so that the refrigerant flowing through the third heat exchanger 14 may be supplied to the third control device 50 in an unexpanded state.

[0167] Conversely, in the heating mode of the vehicle interior, the fourth control device 60 may open the refrigerant line 11 connected to the third heat exchanger 14 while expanding the refrigerant so that the refrigerant supplied from the third control device 50 may be introduced into the third heat exchanger 14 in an expanded state.

[0168] The third control device 50 may allow the refrigerant introduced from the fourth heat exchanger 16 to flow to the refrigerant line 11 connected to the fourth control device 60 in an unexpanded state.

[0169] In this embodiment, the fifth control device 70 may be disposed in the fifth connecting line 71 .

[0170] A first end of the fifth connecting line 71 is connected to the refrigerant line 11 between the second heat exchanger 13 and the third heat exchanger 14. A second end of the fifth connecting line 71 is connected to the refrigerant line 11 between the fourth heat exchanger 16 and the compressor 10.

[0171] That is, the fifth control device 70 is provided at the fifth connecting line 71 to selectively open and close the fifth connecting line 71. The fifth control device 70 may be a two-way valve that controls the opening and closing of the fifth connecting line 71.

[0172] The fifth control device 70 thus configured can selectively open and close the fifth connecting line 71 according to a cooling mode or a heating mode of the vehicle interior.

[0173] In more detail, the fifth control device 70 may close the fifth connecting line 71 in the cooling mode and the hot air heating mode of the vehicle interior.

[0174] In contrast, in the heating mode of the vehicle interior, the fifth control device 70 may open the fifth connecting line 71 .

[0175] That is, in the heating mode of the vehicle interior, the fifth connecting line 71 is opened by the operation of the fifth control device 70 so that the refrigerant exhausted from the second heat exchanger 13 and the third heat exchanger 14 can flow.

[0176] In the heat pump system thus configured, the second heat exchanger 13 , the third heat exchanger 14 , and the fourth heat exchanger 16 may cool or evaporate introduced refrigerant according to the selective operation of the third control device 50 .

[0177] That is, the second heat exchanger 13 , the third heat exchanger 14 , and the fourth heat exchanger 16 may evaporate the refrigerant when the expanded refrigerant is introduced, and cool the refrigerant when the unexpanded refrigerant is introduced.

[0178] In the following, reference is made to Figures 7 to 9 The operation and action of the heat pump system for a vehicle according to the embodiment configured as described above are described in detail.

[0179] First, refer to Figure 7 The operation for cooling the battery module 5 in the vehicle interior cooling mode will be described.

[0180] Figure 7 is an operation diagram for cooling a battery module in a cooling mode of a vehicle interior in a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an embodiment.

[0181] refer to Figure 7 , the coolant can be circulated through the first pipeline 2 by the action of a water pump (not shown).

[0182] Therefore, the coolant having passed through the electric component 3 may be supplied to the second heat exchanger 13 along the first line 2 .

[0183] The various components in the air conditioning unit operate to cool the interior of the vehicle. Therefore, the refrigerant circulates along the refrigerant line 11.

[0184] The refrigerant line 11 connecting the compressor 10 and the first heat exchanger 12 is closed by the operation of the first control device 30. At the same time, the refrigerant line 11 connecting the first heat exchanger 12 and the first control device 30 is closed by the operation of the first control device 30.

[0185] In addition, the second connecting line 31 is opened by the operation of the first control device 30 , so that the compressor 10 and the second heat exchanger 13 are connected.

[0186] Therefore, the refrigerant supplied from the compressor 10 may be supplied to the second heat exchanger 13 along the second connecting line 31 .

[0187] At the same time, the third connecting line 32 may be closed by the operation of the first control device 30 .

[0188] The refrigerant line 11 connecting the third heat exchanger 14 and the third control device 50 may be opened by the operation of the fourth control device 60 .

[0189] In addition, the fourth connecting line 41 is closed by the operation of the second control device 40. In addition, the fifth connecting line 71 is closed by the operation of the fifth control device 70.

[0190] The first connecting line 21 is opened by the operation of the third control device 50 for cooling the battery module 5 .

[0191] The coolant may be circulated through the second line 4 by operation of a water pump (not shown). Therefore, the coolant having passed through the battery module 5 may be supplied to the cooler 20 along the second line 4.

[0192] The third control device 50 may expand the refrigerant cooling the battery module 5 by using the coolant heat-exchanged with the refrigerant in the cooler 20, and may flow the expanded refrigerant to the first connection line 21. The expanded refrigerant may be introduced into the cooler 20 along the first connection line 21.

[0193] Therefore, the coolant having passed through the cooler 20 may be cooled by heat exchange with the expanded refrigerant supplied to the cooler 20 .

[0194] In other words, the coolant of the cooler 20 is cooled by heat exchange with the expanded refrigerant supplied to the cooler 20. The coolant cooled in the cooler 20 is supplied to the battery module 5 along the second line 4. Therefore, the battery module 5 can be effectively cooled by the coolant cooled in the cooler 20.

[0195] The refrigerant supplied from the compressor 10 may sequentially flow through the second heat exchanger 13 and the third heat exchanger 14 along the second connection line 31 connected to the refrigerant line 11 .

[0196] The second heat exchanger 13 may primarily cool the refrigerant by using the coolant flowing along the first line 2. In addition, the third heat exchanger 14 may secondarily cool the refrigerant introduced from the second heat exchanger 13 by exchanging heat with air.

[0197] The refrigerant, which has sequentially passed through the second heat exchanger 13 and the third heat exchanger 14 , is introduced into the third control device 50 along the refrigerant line 11 .

[0198] The third control device 50 may expand the refrigerant introduced into the refrigerant line 11 and make the expanded refrigerant flow to the fourth heat exchanger 16 so that the expanded refrigerant may flow into the fourth heat exchanger 16 .

[0199] In other words, the third control device 50 can expand the refrigerant passing through the third heat exchanger 14, and can make some of the expanded refrigerant, that is, a portion of the refrigerant flow to the first connecting pipeline 21, and can make some of the expanded refrigerant flow to the fourth heat exchanger 16, so that the expanded refrigerant can be supplied to the fourth heat exchanger 16 and the cooler 20.

[0200] Therefore, the refrigerant expanded into a low-temperature and low-pressure state by the operation of the third control device 50 flows to the cooler 20 through the first connecting line 21 .

[0201] Then, the refrigerant introduced into the cooler 20 exchanges heat with the coolant supplied through the second line 4 , flows through the accumulator 17 along the refrigerant line 11 connected to the first connecting line 21 , and then flows to the compressor 10 .

[0202] The remaining part of the refrigerant in the refrigerant expanded in the third control device 50 may flow along the refrigerant line 11, thereby cooling the vehicle interior. Therefore, the refrigerant passes through the fourth heat exchanger 16, the second control device 40, the accumulator 17, and the compressor 10 in sequence.

[0203] The air introduced into the HVAC module is cooled by the low-temperature refrigerant introduced into the fourth heat exchanger 16 while passing through the fourth heat exchanger 16 .

[0204] The cooled air may be directly introduced into the vehicle interior through the first heat exchanger 12 to which the refrigerant is not supplied, thereby cooling the vehicle interior.

[0205] The refrigerant, whose cooling level is increased while sequentially passing through the second heat exchanger 13 and the third heat exchanger 14 , is expanded and supplied to the fourth heat exchanger 16 , so the refrigerant may be evaporated at a lower temperature.

[0206] In other words, in this embodiment, the second heat exchanger 13 cools the refrigerant by heat exchange with the coolant, and the third heat exchanger 14 cools the refrigerant by heat exchange with the air, so that the R744 refrigerant formed by carbon dioxide can be cooled more effectively. Therefore, such a configuration is beneficial for the formation of sub-cooling of the refrigerant.

[0207] In addition, since the supercooled refrigerant evaporates at a lower temperature at the fourth heat exchanger 16, the temperature of the air passing through the fourth heat exchanger 16 may be further reduced, thereby improving cooling performance and efficiency.

[0208] While the above-described process is repeatedly performed, the refrigerant may cool the vehicle interior in the vehicle interior cooling mode, and at the same time, the coolant may be cooled through heat exchange while passing through the cooler 20 .

[0209] The low-temperature coolant cooled in the cooler 20 flows to the battery module 5 through the second line 4. Therefore, the battery module 5 can be effectively cooled by the supplied low-temperature coolant.

[0210] In this embodiment, refer to Figure 8 Explains the operation of the vehicle's interior heating mode.

[0211] Figure 8 is an operation diagram of a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an embodiment based on a heating mode of a vehicle interior.

[0212] refer to Figure 8 , the coolant may circulate through the first pipeline 2 by operation of a water pump (not shown).

[0213] Therefore, the coolant having passed through the electric component 3 may be supplied to the second heat exchanger 13 along the first line 2 .

[0214] The various components in the air conditioning unit operate to heat the interior of the vehicle. Therefore, the refrigerant circulates along the refrigerant line 11.

[0215] The refrigerant line 11 connecting the first heat exchanger 12 and the first control device 30 is closed by the operation of the first control device 30 .

[0216] The first connecting line 21 is closed by the operation of the third control device 50. The second connecting line 31 is closed by the operation of the first control device 30.

[0217] The third connecting line 32 is opened by the operation of the first control device 30 .

[0218] The fourth connecting line 41 is opened by the operation of the second control device 40. Meanwhile, a portion of the refrigerant line 11 connecting the second control device 40 and the compressor 10 may be closed by the operation of the second control device 40.

[0219] In addition, the fifth connecting line 71 can be opened by operation of the fifth control device 70 .

[0220] Therefore, refrigerant discharged from the compressor 10 is introduced into the first heat exchanger 12 along the refrigerant line 11 .

[0221] Then, the refrigerant discharged from the first heat exchanger 12 is introduced into the second control device 40 along the fourth connecting line 41 opened by the operation of the second control device 40 .

[0222] The refrigerant discharged from the second control device 40 is introduced into the fourth heat exchanger 16 along the refrigerant line 11 connected to the fourth heat exchanger 16 .

[0223] Therefore, the first heat exchanger 12 and the fourth heat exchanger 16 may cool the refrigerant using the air introduced into the HVAC module.

[0224] The refrigerant having passed through the fourth heat exchanger 16 is introduced into the third control device 50 along the refrigerant line 11 .

[0225] The third control device 50 may expand the refrigerant introduced from the fourth heat exchanger 16 , and may make the expanded refrigerant flow to the refrigerant line 11 .

[0226] A portion of the refrigerant introduced into the refrigerant line 11 from the third control device 50 may be introduced into the third heat exchanger 14 along the refrigerant line 11 opened by the operation of the fourth control device 60 .

[0227] In this case, the fourth control device 60 may be a two-way valve for selectively opening and closing the refrigerant line 11 connected to the third heat exchanger 14 .

[0228] The third heat exchanger 14 may recover heat from the ambient air while exchanging heat with the air to evaporate the expanded refrigerant.

[0229] In addition, the refrigerant having passed through the third heat exchanger 14 may flow along the opened fifth connecting line 71 .

[0230] Meanwhile, the remaining refrigerant of the refrigerant introduced into the refrigerant line 11 from the third control device 50 may flow to the first control device 30 along the third connecting line 32 and then flow to the second heat exchanger 13 .

[0231] Therefore, the second heat exchanger 13 may evaporate the expanded refrigerant by exchanging heat with the coolant supplied through the first line 2. The second heat exchanger 13 may recover waste heat of the heated coolant from the electric component 3.

[0232] The refrigerant having passed through the second heat exchanger 13 may flow along the opened fifth connecting line 71 .

[0233] That is, refrigerant discharged from the second and third heat exchangers 13 and 14 may flow along the opened fifth connecting line 71 and the refrigerant line 11 connecting the fifth connecting line 71 and the compressor 10. In addition, refrigerant may be supplied to the compressor 10 through the accumulator 17.

[0234] The first heat exchanger 12 and the fourth heat exchanger 16 may cool the refrigerant by exchanging heat between the air introduced into the HVAC module 12 and the refrigerant. The refrigerant primarily cooled at the first heat exchanger 12 may be further cooled at the fourth heat exchanger 16.

[0235] In other words, when the refrigerant having passed through the first heat exchanger 12 is supplied to the fourth heat exchanger 16 by operation of the second control device 40 , the fourth heat exchanger 16 may cool the refrigerant by heat-exchanging air introduced into the HVAC module with the refrigerant.

[0236] The refrigerant having passed through the fourth heat exchanger 16 is introduced into the third control device 50 along the refrigerant line 11. As described above, the third control device 50 may expand the refrigerant and supply the expanded refrigerant to the second heat exchanger 13 and the third heat exchanger 14, respectively.

[0237] The refrigerant discharged from the third control device 50 may be branched through the third connecting line 32 and supplied to the second heat exchanger 13 and the third heat exchanger 14 , respectively.

[0238] Therefore, the second heat exchanger 13 may cool the supplied refrigerant by exchanging heat with the coolant, while the third heat exchanger 14 may cool the supplied coolant by exchanging heat with the air.

[0239] When such operation is repeatedly performed, the second heat exchanger 13 and the third heat exchanger 14 can recover waste heat of the electric component 3 and ambient air heat.

[0240] That is, since the recovered waste heat of the electric components 3 and the heat of the surrounding air are used to increase the temperature of the refrigerant, the heat pump system can reduce the power consumption of the compressor 10 and improve the heating efficiency.

[0241] The refrigerant discharged from the second heat exchanger 13 and the third heat exchanger 14 is supplied to the fifth control device 70 along the opened fifth connecting line 71 .

[0242] Then, the refrigerant is supplied from the fifth control device 70 to the accumulator 17 along the refrigerant line 11 connected to the fifth connecting line 71 .

[0243] The refrigerant having passed through the accumulator 17 may be supplied to the compressor 10 .

[0244] In addition, the refrigerant compressed to a high-temperature and high-pressure state by the compressor 10 flows back to the first heat exchanger 12 along the refrigerant line 11 .

[0245] As described above, the refrigerant supplied to the first heat exchanger 12 and the fourth heat exchanger 16 may increase the temperature of the air introduced into the HVAC module.

[0246] Therefore, the air introduced from the outside can be converted into a high temperature state while passing through the fourth heat exchanger 16 and the first heat exchanger 12 in sequence and flow into the vehicle interior, thereby achieving heating of the vehicle interior.

[0247] When dehumidification is required while operating a heating mode of the vehicle interior, the second control device 40 may expand the refrigerant having passed through the first heat exchanger 12 and supply the expanded refrigerant to the fourth heat exchanger 16 .

[0248] Then, the air introduced into the HVAC module is dehumidified by the refrigerant in a low temperature state introduced into the fourth heat exchanger 16 while passing through the fourth heat exchanger 16. Thereafter, since the air can be converted into a high temperature state while passing through the first heat exchanger 12 and flow into the vehicle interior, the vehicle interior can be smoothly heated and dehumidified.

[0249] In one embodiment, as described above, the heating mode of the vehicle interior is explained for the case where the fourth control device 60 is a two-way valve, but is not limited thereto.

[0250] In the following, as another embodiment, when the fourth control device 60 is an expansion valve, reference is made to Figure 8 Describes the operation in the heating mode of the vehicle interior.

[0251] That is, as another embodiment, when the fourth control device 60 is an expansion valve, Figure 8 As shown, the connection structure of the refrigerant line 11 and the first to fifth connection lines 21, 31, 32, 41 and 71 is the same as that of the above embodiment.

[0252] The coolant may be circulated through the first line 2 by operation of a water pump (not shown).

[0253] Therefore, the coolant having passed through the electric component 3 may be supplied to the second heat exchanger 13 along the first line 2 .

[0254] The various components in the air conditioning unit operate to heat the interior of the vehicle. Therefore, the refrigerant circulates along the refrigerant line 11.

[0255] The refrigerant line 11 connecting the first heat exchanger 12 and the first control device 30 is closed by the operation of the first control device 30 .

[0256] The first connecting line 21 is closed by the operation of the third control device 50. The second connecting line 31 is closed by the operation of the first control device 30.

[0257] The third connecting line 32 is opened by the operation of the first control device 30 .

[0258] The fourth connecting line 41 is opened by the operation of the second control device 40. Meanwhile, a portion of the refrigerant line 11 connecting the second control device 40 and the compressor 10 may be closed by the operation of the second control device 40.

[0259] In addition, the fifth connecting line 71 can be opened by operation of the fifth control device 70 .

[0260] Therefore, refrigerant discharged from the compressor 10 is introduced into the first heat exchanger 12 along the refrigerant line 11 .

[0261] Then, the refrigerant discharged from the first heat exchanger 12 is introduced into the second control device 40 along the fourth connecting line 41 opened by the operation of the second control device 40 .

[0262] The refrigerant discharged from the second control device 40 is introduced into the fourth heat exchanger 16 along the refrigerant line 11 connected to the fourth heat exchanger 16 .

[0263] Therefore, the first heat exchanger 12 and the fourth heat exchanger 16 may cool the refrigerant by using the air introduced into the HVAC module.

[0264] The refrigerant having passed through the fourth heat exchanger 16 is introduced into the third control device 50 along the refrigerant line 11 .

[0265] The third control device 50 may allow the refrigerant introduced from the fourth heat exchanger 16 to flow to the refrigerant line 11 without expansion.

[0266] Some of the refrigerant introduced into the refrigerant line 11 from the third control device 50 may be introduced into the third heat exchanger 14 along the refrigerant line 11 opened by the operation of the fourth control device 60 .

[0267] The fourth control device 60 may expand the refrigerant introduced through the refrigerant line 11 and allow the expanded refrigerant to flow to the third heat exchanger 14 .

[0268] Therefore, the third heat exchanger 14 may recover heat from the ambient air while evaporating the expanded refrigerant through heat exchange with the air.

[0269] In addition, the refrigerant having passed through the third heat exchanger 14 may flow along the opened fifth connecting line 71 .

[0270] Meanwhile, the remaining refrigerant among the refrigerant introduced into the refrigerant line 11 from the third control device 50 may flow to the first control device 30 along the third connecting line 32 , and then flow to the second heat exchanger 13 .

[0271] The first control device 30 may expand the refrigerant introduced through the third connecting line 32 and allow the expanded refrigerant to flow to the second heat exchanger 13 .

[0272] Therefore, the second heat exchanger 13 may evaporate the expanded refrigerant by exchanging heat with the coolant supplied through the first line 2. The second heat exchanger 13 may recover waste heat of the electric component 3 from heat collected by the coolant leaving the electric component 3.

[0273] The refrigerant having passed through the second heat exchanger 13 may flow along the opened fifth connecting line 71 .

[0274] That is, refrigerant discharged from the second and third heat exchangers 13 and 14 may flow along the opened fifth connecting line 71 and the refrigerant line 11 connecting the fifth connecting line 71 and the compressor 10. The refrigerant may be supplied to the compressor 10 through the accumulator 17.

[0275] The first heat exchanger 12 and the fourth heat exchanger 16 may cool the refrigerant by exchanging heat between the air introduced into the HVAC module 12 and the refrigerant. The refrigerant primarily cooled in the first heat exchanger 12 may be further cooled in the fourth heat exchanger 16.

[0276] In other words, when the refrigerant flowing through the first heat exchanger 12 is supplied to the fourth heat exchanger 16 by operation of the second control device 40 , the fourth heat exchanger 16 may cool the refrigerant by exchanging heat between the air introduced into the HVAC module and the refrigerant.

[0277] While such operation is repeatedly performed, the second heat exchanger 13 and the third heat exchanger 14 can recover waste heat of the electric component 3 and heat of the surrounding air.

[0278] In other words, since the recovered waste heat of the electric components 3 and the ambient air heat are used to increase the temperature of the refrigerant, the heat pump system can reduce the power consumption of the compressor 10 and improve the heating efficiency.

[0279] The refrigerant discharged from the second heat exchanger 13 and the third heat exchanger 14 is supplied to the fifth control device 70 along the opened fifth connecting line 71 .

[0280] Then, the refrigerant is supplied from the fifth control device 70 to the accumulator 17 along the refrigerant line 11 connected to the fifth connecting line 71 .

[0281] The refrigerant having passed through the accumulator 17 may be supplied to the compressor 10 .

[0282] Furthermore, the refrigerant compressed to a high-temperature and high-pressure state by the compressor 10 is introduced back to the first heat exchanger 12 along the refrigerant line 11 .

[0283] As described above, the refrigerant supplied to the first heat exchanger 12 and the fourth heat exchanger 16 may increase the temperature of the air introduced into the HVAC module.

[0284] Therefore, the air introduced from the outside may be converted into a high temperature state while sequentially passing through the fourth heat exchanger 16 and the first heat exchanger 12 , and flow into the interior of the vehicle, thereby achieving heating of the interior of the vehicle.

[0285] When dehumidification is required while operating a heating mode of the vehicle interior, the second control device 40 may expand the refrigerant having passed through the first heat exchanger 12 and supply the expanded refrigerant to the fourth heat exchanger 16 .

[0286] Then, the air introduced into the HVAC module is dehumidified by the refrigerant in a low temperature state introduced into the fourth heat exchanger 16 while passing through the fourth heat exchanger 16. Thereafter, since the air can be converted into a high temperature state while passing through the first heat exchanger 12 and flow into the vehicle interior, the vehicle interior can be smoothly heated and dehumidified.

[0287] In addition, refer to Fig. 9 Describes the operation in hot gas heating mode.

[0288] Fig. 9 is an operation diagram of a hot gas heating mode of a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an embodiment.

[0289] refer to Fig. 9 When the ambient air heat, the waste heat of the electrical components 3 and the waste heat of the battery module 5 are insufficient, the heat pump system may not recover heat.

[0290] In other words, when the outside temperature is low and the heat generated by the electrical components 3 and the battery module 5 is insufficient in the early stages of vehicle travel and the vehicle interior needs to be heated, the heat pump system can directly use high-pressure and high-temperature refrigerant to perform heating of the vehicle interior.

[0291] Therefore, heating the vehicle interior using only refrigerant may be referred to as a hot gas heating mode.

[0292] In the present embodiment, in the hot gas heating mode of the vehicle interior, the refrigerant line 11 connecting the first heat exchanger 12 and the first control device 30 is closed by the operation of the first control device 30 .

[0293] Meanwhile, the refrigerant line 11 connecting the first control device 30 , the second heat exchanger 13 , the third heat exchanger 14 , and the fourth control device 60 may be closed by operations of the first control device 30 and the fourth control device 60 .

[0294] Therefore, the coolant may not circulate through the first line 2 .

[0295] In other words, since the waste heat of the electric components 3 and the heat of the surrounding air are insufficient, the refrigerant does not flow through the second heat exchanger 13 and the third heat exchanger 14 .

[0296] In the present embodiment, the first connecting line 21 can be opened by the operation of the third control device 50. The second connecting line 31 is opened by the operation of the first control device 30.

[0297] The third connecting line 32 is opened by the operation of the first control device 30 .

[0298] Therefore, some of the refrigerant supplied from the compressor 10 may be introduced into the first heat exchanger 12 along the refrigerant line 11 .

[0299] In addition, the remaining refrigerant among the refrigerant supplied from the compressor 10 is introduced into the first control device 30 along the second connecting line 31 .

[0300] The first control device 30 may expand the refrigerant supplied from the compressor 10 through the second connecting line 31 , and may make the expanded refrigerant flow to the third connecting line 32 .

[0301] A portion of the refrigerant line 11 connecting the third connecting line 32 and the third control device 50 is opened by the operation of the third control device 50 .

[0302] The third control device 50 may expand the refrigerant introduced from the fourth heat exchanger 16 along the refrigerant line 11 .

[0303] Then, the third control device 50 may discharge the expanded refrigerant to the first connecting line 21 together with the refrigerant introduced from the first control device 30 along the third connecting line 32 .

[0304] That is, the refrigerant expanded in the third control device 50 may flow into the cooler 20 through the first connection line 21 in a state of being mixed with the refrigerant introduced from the first control device 30 along the third connection line 32 .

[0305] The fourth connecting line 41 is opened by the operation of the second control device 40 .

[0306] Meanwhile, a portion of the refrigerant line 11 connecting the second control device 40 and the first connecting line 21 may be closed by the operation of the second control device 40 .

[0307] The second control device 40 may allow the refrigerant supplied from the first heat exchanger 12 through the fourth connecting line 41 to flow to the fourth heat exchanger 16 without expansion.

[0308] In addition, the fifth connecting line 71 is closed by the operation of the fifth control device 70 .

[0309] Therefore, some of the refrigerant compressed in the compressor 10 is introduced into the first heat exchanger 12 along the refrigerant line 11. The refrigerant having passed through the first heat exchanger 12 flows through the second control device 40 along the fourth connecting line 41 and then flows into the fourth heat exchanger 16.

[0310] The first heat exchanger 12 and the fourth heat exchanger 16 may cool the refrigerant by exchanging heat between the air introduced into the HVAC module and the refrigerant. The refrigerant primarily cooled in the first heat exchanger 12 may be further cooled in the fourth heat exchanger 16.

[0311] The refrigerant supplied to the first heat exchanger 12 and the fourth heat exchanger 16 may increase the temperature of air introduced into the HVAC module.

[0312] Therefore, the air introduced from the outside may be converted into a high temperature state while sequentially passing through the fourth heat exchanger 16 and the first heat exchanger 12 , and flow into the interior of the vehicle, thereby achieving heating of the interior of the vehicle.

[0313] The remaining refrigerant among the refrigerant compressed in the compressor 10 is introduced into the first control device 30 along the second connecting line 31. The first control device 30 may expand the introduced refrigerant and discharge the expanded refrigerant through the third connecting line 32.

[0314] The refrigerant flowing along the third connecting line 32 flows to the third control device 50 through the opened refrigerant line 11 .

[0315] The refrigerant introduced from the fourth heat exchanger 16 is expanded by the operation of the third control device 50 .

[0316] The expanded refrigerant may be introduced into the cooler 20 along the first connecting line 21 in a state of being mixed with the refrigerant introduced through the third connecting line 32 .

[0317] The refrigerant having passed through the cooler 20 is introduced into the accumulator 17 along the refrigerant line 11. Thereafter, the refrigerant may flow through the accumulator 17 to be introduced into the compressor 10.

[0318] When dehumidification is required while the hot gas heating mode of the vehicle interior is operated, the second control device 40 may expand the refrigerant having passed through the first heat exchanger 12 and supply the expanded refrigerant to the fourth heat exchanger 16 .

[0319] Then, the air introduced into the HVAC module is dehumidified by the refrigerant in a low temperature state introduced into the fourth heat exchanger 16 while passing through the fourth heat exchanger 16. Thereafter, since the air can be converted into a high temperature state while passing through the first heat exchanger 12 and flow into the vehicle interior, the vehicle interior can be smoothly heated and dehumidified.

[0320] That is, in the present embodiment, in a case where the outside temperature is low, when the heat source is insufficient in the early stage of vehicle travel, the vehicle interior can be heated by using the high-temperature refrigerant supplied from the compressor 10 .

[0321] Thus, as described above, when the heat pump system for a vehicle according to the embodiment is applied, since cooling or heating of the vehicle interior is performed by using a natural refrigerant, environmental regulations can be coped with, and the overall marketability of the vehicle can be improved.

[0322] In addition, according to the present invention, by adopting R744 refrigerant as a natural refrigerant using carbon dioxide, cooling and heating performance can be maximized by operating in a supercritical region, which is a state where the pressure and temperature of the refrigerant are higher than the threshold pressure and temperature, for cooling and heating the interior of the vehicle.

[0323] Furthermore, according to the present invention, by using the single cooler 20 to perform heat exchange of the coolant and the refrigerant based on the vehicle mode, the temperature of the battery module 5 can be effectively adjusted, thereby streamlining and simplifying the system.

[0324] Furthermore, according to one embodiment, by effectively regulating the temperature of the battery module 5 , the battery module 5 can perform at its best, and the overall driving distance of the vehicle can be increased due to the effective management of the battery module 5 .

[0325] In addition, in the heating mode of the vehicle interior, according to the present invention, since the expanded refrigerant is branched through the operation of the first control device 30 and the fourth control device 60 and supplied to the second and third heat exchangers 13 and 14, it is easy to control the flow rate of the refrigerant, smoothly recover the ambient air heat and the waste heat of the electrical components 3, and at the same time optimize the design of the cooler 20 for cooling the battery module 5.

[0326] Furthermore, according to the embodiments, manufacturing cost and weight can be reduced, and space utilization can be improved by simplifying the entire system.

[0327] The present invention has been described above in conjunction with the embodiments currently considered to be practical, but it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, the present invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included in the spirit and scope of the invention.

Claims

1. A heat pump system for a vehicle, comprising: an air conditioning device including a compressor, a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, a third heat exchanger, and a fourth heat exchanger connected by a refrigerant line so that a refrigerant circulates through the refrigerant line; as well as a cooler connected to the refrigerant line through a first connecting line and configured to perform heat exchange between the refrigerant supplied from the air conditioning device and the coolant to adjust the temperature of the coolant, Wherein, the air conditioning device further comprises: a second connecting line having a first end connected to the refrigerant line between the compressor and the first heat exchanger and a second end connected to the refrigerant line between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger; a third connecting line, a first end of which is connected to the refrigerant line between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, and a second end of which is connected to the refrigerant line between the third heat exchanger and the fourth heat exchanger; a first control device, disposed in the refrigerant line between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger, connected to the second connecting line and the third connecting line, respectively, and configured to control the flow of the refrigerant; a second control device disposed in the refrigerant line between the fourth heat exchanger and the compressor; a third control device disposed in the refrigerant line between the third heat exchanger and the fourth heat exchanger and configured to control the flow of the refrigerant and selectively expand the refrigerant; and A fourth connecting line has a first end connected to the refrigerant line between the first heat exchanger and the first control device, and a second end connected to the second control device.

2. The heat pump system according to claim 1, wherein: The first control device comprises: a first valve disposed in the refrigerant line between the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger; a second valve, disposed in the second connecting line; and The first expansion valve is arranged on the third connecting pipeline.

3. The heat pump system according to claim 1, wherein: The second control device comprises: a third valve disposed in the refrigerant line between the fourth heat exchanger and the compressor; and The second expansion valve is arranged on the fourth connecting pipeline.

4. The heat pump system according to claim 1, wherein: The third control device comprises: a third expansion valve disposed in the refrigerant line between the third heat exchanger and the fourth heat exchanger; and A fourth expansion valve is provided in the first connecting line upstream of the cooler.

5. The heat pump system according to claim 1, wherein: A first end of the first connecting line is connected to the refrigerant line between the compressor and the fourth heat exchanger, and The second end of the first connecting line is connected to the third control device.

6. The heat pump system according to claim 1, wherein: The air conditioning device further comprises: a fourth control device, disposed in the refrigerant line between the third heat exchanger and the third control device; a fifth connecting line having a first end connected to the refrigerant line between the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger and a second end connected to the refrigerant line between the fourth heat exchanger and the compressor; and The fifth control device is arranged on the fifth connecting pipeline.

7. The heat pump system according to claim 6, wherein: In cooling mode for the vehicle interior: The refrigerant line connecting the compressor and the first heat exchanger, and the refrigerant line connecting the first heat exchanger and the first control device are closed by operation of the first control device; The refrigerant line connecting the third heat exchanger and the third control device is opened by the operation of the fourth control device; The second connecting pipeline is opened by operating the first control device, so that the compressor and the second heat exchanger are connected; The third connecting pipeline is closed by operation of the first control device; The fourth connecting line is closed by operation of the second control device; and The fifth connecting line is closed by operation of the fifth control device.

8. The heat pump system according to claim 7, wherein: In a cooling mode inside the vehicle, when cooling of the battery module is required, the first connecting line is opened by operation of the third control device.

9. The heat pump system according to claim 8, wherein: The third control device is configured to: expanding the refrigerant introduced into the first connecting line and causing the expanded refrigerant to flow to the cooler, thereby cooling the battery module using the coolant that has exchanged heat with the refrigerant at the cooler; and The refrigerant introduced into the refrigerant line is expanded and the expanded refrigerant is caused to flow to the fourth heat exchanger, thereby introducing the expanded refrigerant into the fourth heat exchanger.

10. The heat pump system according to claim 6, wherein: In vehicle interior heating mode: The refrigerant line connecting the first heat exchanger and the first control device is closed by operation of the first control device; The first connecting pipeline is closed by operation of the third control device; The second connecting pipeline is closed by operation of the first control device; The third connecting line is opened by operation of the first control device; The fourth connecting line is opened by operation of the second control device; The fifth connecting line is opened by operation of the fifth control device; and A portion of the refrigerant line connecting the second control device and the compressor is closed by the operation of the second control device.

11. The heat pump system according to claim 10, wherein: The third control device is configured to expand the refrigerant introduced from the fourth heat exchanger and to flow the expanded refrigerant to the refrigerant line.

12. The heat pump system according to claim 10, wherein: The third control device is configured to make the refrigerant introduced from the fourth heat exchanger flow to the refrigerant line; and The fourth control device is configured to expand the refrigerant introduced through the refrigerant line and introduce the expanded refrigerant into the third heat exchanger.

13. The heat pump system according to claim 12, wherein: The first control device is configured to expand the refrigerant introduced through the third connecting line and introduce the expanded refrigerant into the second heat exchanger.

14. The heat pump system according to claim 10, wherein: a portion of the refrigerant introduced into the refrigerant line from the third control device is introduced into the third heat exchanger along the refrigerant line opened by the operation of the fourth control device; and The remaining part of the refrigerant introduced into the refrigerant line from the third control device is introduced into the second heat exchanger along the third connecting line opened by the operation of the first control device.

15. The heat pump system according to claim 10, wherein: The refrigerant exhausted from the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger is supplied to the compressor along the opened fifth connecting line and the refrigerant line connecting the fifth connecting line and the compressor.

16. The heat pump system according to claim 6, wherein: In hot air heating mode for the vehicle interior: The refrigerant line connecting the first heat exchanger and the first control device is closed by operation of the first control device; The first connecting line is opened by operation of the third control device; The second connecting pipeline is opened by operation of the first control device; The third connecting line is opened by operation of the first control device; The fourth connecting line is opened by operation of the second control device; The fifth connecting line is closed by operation of the fifth control device; The refrigerant line connecting the first control device, the second heat exchanger, the third heat exchanger and the fourth control device is closed by the operation of the first control device and the operation of the fourth control device; a portion of the refrigerant line connecting the second control device and the first connecting line is closed by operation of the second control device; and A portion of the refrigerant line connecting the third connecting line and the third control device is opened by the operation of the third control device.

17. The heat pump system according to claim 16, wherein: The first control device is configured to expand the refrigerant supplied from the compressor through the second connecting line and to flow the expanded refrigerant to the third connecting line.

18. The heat pump system according to claim 16, wherein: the second control device is configured to cause the refrigerant supplied from the first heat exchanger through the fourth connecting line to flow to the fourth heat exchanger; and The third control device is configured to expand the refrigerant introduced from the fourth heat exchanger along the refrigerant line and to flow the expanded refrigerant to the cooler through the first connecting line together with the refrigerant introduced from the first control device through the third connecting line.

19. The heat pump system according to claim 1, wherein: The second heat exchanger, the third heat exchanger, and the fourth heat exchanger are configured to cool or evaporate refrigerant based on selective operation of the first control device, the second control device, or the third control device.

20. The heat pump system according to claim 1, wherein: The refrigerant is R744 refrigerant made of carbon dioxide.

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