Compact heat exchanger unit and air conditioning module, particularly for electric vehicles

Abstract

Compact heat exchanger units and air conditioning modules, particularly for electric vehicles, are disclosed. A compact heat exchanger unit in which, within an air conditioning device for a vehicle, condensation of a refrigerant using liquid cooling, a condenser region for condensation of the refrigerant, a separate supercooling region for supercooling of the refrigerant, and an internal heat exchanger region are combined into a plate group in a plate heat exchanger, a single high-pressure refrigerant collector is arranged downstream of the condenser region and is integrated in the air conditioning module as a refrigerant collector, the condenser region and the supercooling region are arranged side by side as a plate group of the plate heat exchanger, and the refrigerant flowing through the condenser region is guided and collected into the high-pressure refrigerant collector. The plates of the condenser region and the plates of the supercooling region are formed in a chevron design, are then directed into the supercooling region and the internal heat exchanger region, and are then passed through the expansion engine into the evaporator region.

Description

[0001] This application is a divisional application of an invention patent application with an application date of July 2, 2019, application number 201980045804.4 (international stage application number PCT / KR2019 / 008051), and invention name “Compact heat exchanger unit and air conditioning module specifically for electric vehicles”. Technical Field

[0002] The present disclosure relates to a compact heat exchanger unit and an air conditioning module which are particularly suitable for electric vehicles due to their own construction method, compactness and connection conditions.

[0003] As part of an air conditioning unit, an air conditioning module can be understood as a device for generating or providing hot and / or cold air for conditioning the interior air of a vehicle. The air conditioning module has all the important components of a refrigerant cycle system and is designed in a special way for electric vehicles, which preferably have a generally low level of waste heat temperature and use an electric compressor. Background Art

[0004] In the related art, air-cooled condensers are mainly used in air conditioning systems for vehicles. This is related to the fact that air coolers allow for a heat dissipation possibility that is advantageous for the cost of operating the cooling device.

[0005] Alternatively, however, water-cooled condensers of air conditioning modules are also known, so that when heat is exchanged by liquid cooling as opposed to air cooling, there is the possibility of designing a smaller condenser which utilizes liquid cooling with higher efficiency.

[0006] The disadvantage of water-cooled condensers in the field of vehicle air conditioning is that the additional coolant circulation system leads to the consumption of additional equipment and high costs due to the consumption of additional equipment, and unlike the above, it can be determined that the air-cooled condenser is positioned in parallel with the engine cooler for the internal combustion engine without the consumption of additional equipment and operates in the engine room.

[0007] A disadvantage of air conditioning systems with water-cooled condensers as well as air-cooled condensers is that, since the integration of the individual components in the air conditioning system is carried out at different locations inside the vehicle, these components may be inevitably and mutually related to some complex work sequences in the vehicle assembly facility.

[0008] Furthermore, there are efforts by those skilled in the art to provide air conditioning modules and compact heat exchanger units which can be simply installed and can also be simply replaced or substituted for repairs. Summary of the invention

[0009] An object of the present disclosure is to provide an air conditioning module which is particularly suitable for electric vehicles and which can be simply integrated around components of the electric vehicle.

[0010] A further object of the present disclosure is to provide a compact heat exchanger unit integrating various heat exchanger areas, which can be produced cost-effectively and realized in a particularly space-saving manner.

[0011] The objects of the present disclosure are solved by an air conditioning module and a compact heat exchanger unit having the features according to the independent claims. Improved examples are described in the dependent claims.

[0012] In particular, the problem of the present invention is solved by a compact heat exchanger unit in an air conditioning system of a motor vehicle, characterized in that a condenser area for condensation of the refrigerant is designed as a heat transfer surface, a separate supercooling area for supercooling the refrigerant, and an internal heat exchanger area are combined as a plate group of a heat exchanger in a plate heat exchanger; and characterized in that a separate high-pressure refrigerant collector is arranged downstream of the condenser area and integrated into the air conditioning system as a collector for the refrigerant, wherein the condenser area and the supercooling area are arranged closely to each other as a plate group of a plate heat exchanger, wherein the refrigerant is introduced into the separate high-pressure refrigerant collector and collected after flowing through the condenser area, and then introduced into the supercooling area and the internal heat exchanger area, and subsequently via an expansion element to the evaporator area, and wherein the plates of the condenser area and the plates of the supercooling area have a herringbone design.

[0013] In this configuration, the compact heat exchanger unit can be used in particular, preferably, as a condenser with liquid cooling and in particular with water cooling in an air conditioning device. According to the understanding of the present disclosure, the plate heat exchanger is implemented as a plate group integrated in the region according to the function. Therefore, the condenser region becomes the region of the heat exchange surface on which the refrigerant is condensed. The condenser region is formed as a plate group and a heat exchange surface with corresponding dimensions and is coupled together with the plate group in the high-pressure refrigerant collector region as an integrated plate heat exchanger. The heat exchanger plates of the plate group can be implemented by having ribs or thin plates to improve the heat exchange characteristics.

[0014] Preferably, the high pressure side of the internal heat exchanger is connected to the supercooling section. As further described in the exemplary embodiment below, the relaxation engine, evaporator and low pressure side of the internal heat exchanger arranged within a component of the compact heat exchanger unit or alternatively outside the compact heat exchanger unit are continuous within the refrigerant cycle system.

[0015] As described above, in the construction of a compact heat exchanger unit having a condenser area, a supercooling area, a high-pressure refrigerant collector area and an internal heat exchanger area, according to the present invention, the high-pressure refrigerant collector area is implemented as a separate high-pressure refrigerant collector, and the plates of the condenser area and the supercooling area are formed in a herringbone design.

[0016] According to the present invention, a separate supercooling region for supercooling the refrigerant is formed in a state of being connected downstream of the condenser region and is integrated as an additional plate package in the compact heat exchanger unit.

[0017] The condenser region, the supercooling region and the internal heat exchanger region are preferably arranged parallel to one another and in this case these regions are implemented as plate packages of a plate heat exchanger. The refrigerant first reaches the condenser region and reaches the high-pressure refrigerant collector region via a direct connection from the high-pressure refrigerant collector region. The refrigerant is collected in the high-pressure refrigerant collector region and then directed to the supercooling region and the internal heat exchanger region.

[0018] Preferably, the high-pressure refrigerant collector area of ​​the compact heat exchanger unit is formed to be filled and emptied from the bottom. According to this exemplary embodiment, the high-pressure refrigerant collector area is filled with liquid refrigerant from bottom to top, and in this case, the liquid refrigerant is also discharged from the bottom and guided into the supercooling area.

[0019] According to a preferred exemplary embodiment, the evaporator region, the internal heat exchanger region and the condenser region are formed as a plate package and are arranged in a state of being integrated in an integrated plate heat exchanger. This configuration is supplemented in some cases by a high-pressure refrigerant collector region, so that the compact heat exchanger unit has all heat exchange functions of the cooling device circulation system and in some cases additionally has a collection function. The high functional integration rate particularly allows a space-saving structural solution for the air conditioning module.

[0020] Preferably, the refrigerant filter and / or dryer and the expansion engine are integrated inside the compact heat exchanger unit.

[0021] In order to ensure the best efficiency of the circulation system from the point of view of thermodynamics, the various heat exchanger areas and functional areas are preferably formed in a state of being thermally insulated from each other at different temperature levels by insulating plates between the areas. Depending on the application, temperature level and space conditions, at least two or more areas are thermally insulated from each other by insulating plates. In this case, in order to minimize the heat transfer process from one area to another through the insulating plates, the insulating plates can be formed as plates through which no heat flows in a vacuum state or filled with air or nitrogen.

[0022] According to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, a conveying channel as a plate pack of a plate heat exchanger for guiding the refrigerant from the lower surface of the compact heat exchanger unit to its upper surface is arranged between heat exchange areas of the compact heat exchanger unit and / or functional areas. In this case, the conveying channel consists of one or more plates and can guide the refrigerant vertically between the two areas, and thus, for example, the refrigerant can be collected on the bottom in one area, guided upward through the conveying channel, and then redistributed in an adjacent area from the top.

[0023] In particular, according to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the compact heat exchanger unit, the refrigerant is not collected and distributed on the same side within a single area, but there is a case where it is performed on the side facing the compact heat exchange unit. In this case, for example, the refrigerant can inevitably be guided from the lower surface of the condenser area to the upper surface of the high-pressure refrigerant collector area or the supercooling area. Preferably, such a process is also called a collector channel and is performed by means of said conveying channel integrated inside the compact heat exchanger unit, the collector channel being realized as a conveying plate within the plate heat exchanger, and within the collector channel, the refrigerant is guided from the bottom to the top in a cavity in the form of a channel or in some cases by bypassing in another way.

[0024] Depending on the heat exchange objects and the wiring of the areas of the compact heat exchanger unit, the refrigerant can also be guided from the bottom to the top or in the reverse direction within the plate heat exchanger via the integrated conveyor plate.

[0025] Generally, the refrigerant flow and the coolant flow may be formed by a single pass design or a multi-pass design.

[0026] In terms of production technology, the individual regions and the plate packages are preferably welded together.

[0027] In particular, the objects of the present disclosure are solved by an air conditioning module suitable for electric vehicles, in particular by a compact structure of the air conditioning module itself. The air conditioning module has a completely closed refrigerant circulation system inside the air conditioning module and in this case, if the connecting lines and the compressor are implemented accordingly as a closed compressor, it is not necessary to form refrigerant connections between the components in the refrigeration circulation system when the air conditioning module is installed on the vehicle.

[0028] The air conditioning module has two connections for a coolant circulation system for supplying coolant to the air conditioning unit. In addition, the air conditioning module has two connections for a coolant circulation system for cooling the refrigerant. The refrigerant circulation system has one or more compressors, an expansion engine and two or more heat exchangers for evaporating and condensing the refrigerant. Due to a special method, the air conditioning module is formed in the form of a heat exchanger integrated in a compact heat exchanger unit as a heat exchanger area. In this case, the compact heat exchanger unit is formed as an integrated plate heat exchanger consisting of a plurality of plate groups.

[0029] According to the concept of the present disclosure, a separate heat exchanger is not implemented as a separate component of a refrigerant circulation system, but is implemented in a form integrated in an integrated plate heat exchanger forming the core of an air conditioning module. Therefore, as a result, refrigerant connections can be made in advance between the various components of the refrigerant circulation system inside the air conditioning module. The air conditioning module has a coolant circulation system and a forward flow connection part and a backward flow connection part for the coolant circulation system, respectively, which should be continuously connected when installed in a vehicle.

[0030] Thus, in particular, a concept of a component which is leak-safe and has a compact and space-saving structure by integrating the heat exchanger in a compact heat exchanger unit is achieved. Thus, a lower refrigerant charge is achieved with a strongly reduced risk of leakage.

[0031] Therefore, the compact heat exchanger unit is formed by a small number of partitions which are spaced apart functionally and according to temperature ranges. These partitions are structurally integrated in the lower unit of the air conditioning module of the compact heat exchanger unit.

[0032] According to the present invention, the high-pressure refrigerant collector area is implemented as a separate container or bottle according to the related art and is integrated in the air conditioning module near the compact heat exchanger unit. Even in this exemplary embodiment, in order to achieve simple, cost-effective and error-free assembly even in the modified example of the current shape, the refrigerant connection portion can be formed to have rigidity or be formed in a pre-manufactured form.

[0033] Preferably, additional components of the refrigeration cycle system are directly integrated in the compact heat exchanger unit. For example, these additional components are filters for the refrigerant and / or dryers and / or expansion engines for the refrigerant, which are formed in a form that is directly integrated in the compact heat exchanger unit.

[0034] Alternatively, these components are arranged outside the compact heat exchanger unit.

[0035] Integration of functionally different regions of a compact heat exchanger unit is thermodynamically performed without disadvantages compared to methods of forming components separately if these regions are formed in a state of being insulated from one another. Therefore, an insulating plate of a plate heat exchanger is arranged between the respective regions, so that the respective regions are formed in a state of being arranged spaced apart from one another and insulated from one another thermally. The insulating plate can be omitted accordingly, as long as adjacent regions can have no significant temperature difference.

[0036] In terms of manufacturing technology, in particular, preferably, areas of the compact heat exchanger unit are welded together, so that the various circulation systems, i.e. the refrigerant circulation system and the coolant or water circulation system for the coolant, are realized to be particularly safe against leakage to each other and the surroundings by welding individual plates, plate groups and areas.

[0037] The heat exchange feature of the compact heat exchanger unit is that the plates of the plate heat exchanger preferably have ribs, and these ribs are formed by an offset design, a dimple design or a herringbone design, and in this case, the ribs by the offset design are implemented as insert plates between two plates.

[0038] In this case, the plate of the plate heat exchanger in the high-pressure refrigerant collector area preferably has a rib as an insert portion formed by an offset design, and in this case, the insert portion has a recess for increasing the volume of the high-pressure refrigerant collector area, and the recess has a granular structure, a fir structure, or a long hole structure. In order to achieve a pressure-resistant shape as much as possible, the insert portion is connected to the plate through a plurality of contact points.

[0039] Preferably, if the plates are arranged in parallel with each other, the characteristics are further improved by replacing the structure of the insert part having a recess for increasing the volume of the high-pressure refrigerant collector area. Therefore, the structure and the pattern overlap each other, and thus, the connection parts between the insert parts are formed on various planes, and this situation causes an improved distribution of points for the connection parts, and realizes a more uniform overall structure.

[0040] Preferably, the plates of the plate heat exchanger in the inner heat exchanger area are realized by having ribs formed by dimple design on the low pressure side of the refrigerant cycle and the ribs are realized as inserts formed by offset design on the high pressure side.

[0041] The plates of the plate heat exchanger in the condenser area and the supercooling area preferably have ribs as inserts formed by an offset design and / or are implemented as ribs formed by a herringbone design, and the reason is because such a design is more suitable for high pressure.

[0042] In contrast to the above, the plates of the plate heat exchanger in the evaporator region preferably have ribs formed by a dimple design and the reason for this is because this design is suitable for lower pressures.

[0043] The plate groups of the area of ​​the compact heat exchanger unit for the flow of fluid are formed as channels in the section, which have double, triple or quadruple tubes. These channels allow the flow of fluid inside the compact heat exchanger unit. Such a flow-through method is preferred in an exemplary embodiment of a compact heat exchanger unit in which, for example, the plate groups are arranged parallel to each other, but the fluid guide first passes over this group and is then finally directed back into the group over which the fluid passes.

[0044] According to another preferred exemplary embodiment, a refrigerant dryer is provided and is also integrated in the plates of the plate heat exchanger. As an alternative to this, the dryer is realized as an element to be completed separately and assembled on the refrigerant outlet of the compact heat exchanger unit formed as a plate heat exchanger.

[0045] In particular, preferably, the use of waste heat of the air conditioning module can be realized by being performed in a state of connecting a coolant circulation system of a condenser for supplying heat to the air conditioning unit. In this case, the condensation heat of the refrigerant can be used as effective heat for heating the interior of the vehicle as needed inside the air conditioning unit. Preferably, the compressor is implemented as an electric compressor so that the air conditioning module has only one electrical connection part that can be implemented for easy assembly.

[0046] As the refrigerant, a flammable or toxic refrigerant such as R134a, R152a, R1234yf, R1234ze, R744, propane, propylene or ammonia, which is characterized by having a smaller global warming potential (GWP) and is therefore preferably used in the future, is preferably used in the refrigerant cycle system.

[0047] Preferably, the coolant circulation system of the air conditioning module has a low-temperature heat exchanger, and the low-temperature heat exchanger discharges heat of a relatively low temperature level from condensation of the refrigerant to the surroundings through the low-temperature heat exchanger.

[0048] In particular, preferably, the coolant circulation system is connected in series or in parallel to the battery cooling circulation system near the air conditioning unit as long as the vehicle is implemented as an electric vehicle. Therefore, the coolant provided by the air conditioning module can be used to cool the battery in a common battery cooling circulation system.

[0049] Alternatively, the battery cooling cycle is formed in a state where the evaporator region is connected in parallel or in series to the compact heat exchanger unit within the refrigerant cycle. In this case, the refrigerant is used to directly cool the battery or the battery cooling cycle.

[0050] In particular, according to a preferred exemplary embodiment of the present disclosure, components of the refrigeration cycle system may be formed such that the refrigeration cycle system may be operated even in a heat pump mode.

[0051] In particular, in a preferred method, a compact component provided with only four water connections and only one current connection is provided by an air conditioning module according to the present disclosure. The refrigeration cycle is connected to the compressor and additional components on the refrigerant side and is completely closed, so that when the air conditioning module is assembled in the vehicle, the air conditioning module, which does not guide the refrigerant at all, can inevitably be closed inside the refrigeration cycle. Therefore, the air conditioning module can be simply installed and only requires a relatively small refrigerant filling amount. In the case of a low risk of leakage, the process of integrating the heat exchanger area into a compact heat exchanger unit can be economically advantageous, and the reason is that the connecting pipeline can be implemented to have rigidity, thereby reducing the possibility of leakage.

[0052] In summary, it is preferred to use a compact heat exchanger unit as a component of a water-cooled condenser between zones in a refrigerant cycle system of an air conditioning device for a vehicle, in which a receiver and / or condensate and / or supercooling and insulation are integrated. In this case, the component can be realized by having an insulating portion between the internal heat exchanger and / or zones. In addition, the component is preferably realized by having an insulating portion between the internal or external expansion device and / or zones. According to a refinement of the component, the component is realized by having an insulating portion between the evaporator and / or zones. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0053] Additional details, features and advantages of the present disclosure are described in detail in the following description of the exemplary embodiments described with reference to the corresponding drawings.

[0054] Figure 1 A circuit diagram of an air conditioning module with a compact heat exchanger unit is shown.

[0055] Figure 2 A compact heat exchanger unit with a separate high-pressure refrigerant receiver is shown.

[0056] Figure 3 An air conditioning module is shown with a heat exchanger region or an integrated high-pressure refrigerant collector within a compact heat exchanger unit.

[0057] Figure 4 An air conditioning module is shown which has a compact heat exchanger unit and directly performs battery cooling.

[0058] Figure 5 A compact heat exchanger unit with a high pressure refrigerant collector area is shown.

[0059] Figure 6 A condenser with liquid cooling is shown, in which the internal heat exchanger and the high-pressure refrigerant collector region are integrated.

[0060] Figure 7 A condenser utilizing liquid cooling with an external high pressure refrigerant receiver is shown.

[0061] Figure 8 A compact heat exchanger unit with a transfer channel is shown.

[0062] Fig. 9 A condenser with liquid cooling is shown with a dryer.

[0063] Fig.10 A side view of a plate with three ducts as channels is shown.

[0064] Fig.11 A panel with ribs formed by a herringbone design is shown.

[0065] Fig.12 A plate with ribs formed by an offset design is shown.

[0066] Fig.13 A plate with ribs formed by a dimple design is shown.

[0067] Figures 14 to 17 A plate having a recess and formed by an offset design is shown. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0068] Figure 1A circuit diagram of an air conditioning module is shown, and a compact heat exchanger unit 1 is formed in the center of the air conditioning module. In this figure, the compact heat exchanger unit 1 is divided into three heat exchanger areas indicated by Roman symbols. The division particularly relates to the evaporator area 2 (III), the internal heat exchanger area 3 (II) and the condenser area 6 (I). These heat exchange functional areas inside the refrigerant circulation system are integrated in a compact heat exchanger unit 1. The compact heat exchanger unit 1 is constructed as a plate heat exchanger consisting of a small number of heat exchanger plates. Each area is formed by a plurality of plates, and the plurality of plates are integrated by a plate group.

[0069] The plate packages of the individual functional areas are thus integrated in a plate heat exchanger which is formed as an integrated component.

[0070] The condenser region 6 is formed as a condenser which is cooled with liquid or with water within the compact heat exchanger unit 1 .

[0071] An expansion device may be arranged within the component between 1 (II) and 2 (III) or separately.

[0072] The refrigerant circulation system of the air conditioning module comprises common components, namely a compressor 7, a condenser area 6, an internal heat exchanger area 3, in particular, an expansion engine (not shown) and an evaporator area 2. After the evaporator area 2, in a common method, the refrigerant circulation system is connected to the compressor 7 via the internal heat exchanger area 3. The loop of the refrigerant circulation system shown in the drawings comprises a functional area for the internal heat exchanger, and the functional area does not have to be used for all refrigerants in each design, thereby having an alternative characteristic within the refrigerant circulation system. The internal heat exchanger area 3 is preferably connected as a supercooling counterflow machine and is also referred to as an IHX.

[0073] The air conditioning module supplies cold air to the vehicle and, in some cases, hot air, and in this case, a coolant circulation system 8 with a pump (not specifically shown) within the cooling device circuit is delivered from the evaporator region 2 to the air conditioning unit 14 and from the air conditioning unit 14 to the cooler / heater 13. If the coolant circulation system 8 is in operation, the heat exchanger of the air conditioning unit 14 operates as a cooler 13 within the cooling device circuit. In vehicle operating states that require additional heating, the air conditioning unit 14 receives heat via the coolant circulation system 12, so that, in this case, the heat exchanger of the air conditioning unit 14 operates as a heater 13. The coolant circulation system 12 absorbs heat from the condenser region 6 of the refrigerant circulation system during operation and discharges the heat to the surroundings, for example, via the low-temperature heat exchanger 11.

[0074] Figure 2 An air conditioning module is shown with a compact heat exchanger unit 1 using a separate high-pressure refrigerant collector 15. In the exemplary embodiment shown, the compact heat exchanger unit 1 comprises four heat exchanger zones that are functionally separated. The heat exchanger zones are equivalent to Figure 1 The evaporator area 2, the internal heat exchanger area 3 and the condenser area 6 shown in the figure. As an additional functional area for heat exchange, the supercooling area 4 is formed as a unique area of ​​the compact heat exchanger unit 1 in a functionally spaced state. These areas are insulated from each other and are separated by insulating plates 16 arranged between these areas. Inside the compact heat exchanger unit 1, fluid connection parts are integrated between the various areas connected to each other in sequence, so that, in a preferred method, connecting pipelines arranged outside can be omitted between the functional areas of the compact heat exchanger unit 1. The great advantage provided by this situation is that the risk of leakage is significantly reduced by the short connecting pipelines integrated in the compact heat exchanger unit 1, and in addition, the compact heat exchanger unit 1, which is very convenient to assemble, can also be arranged inside the air conditioning module. The high-pressure refrigerant collector 15 (also called a receiver) is arranged in the refrigerant circulation system. In Figure 2 In the schematic diagram shown, the high-pressure refrigerant collector 15 is formed as a separate component in the form of a bottle in a general way. The refrigerant circulation system is completed by the compressor 7 and the expansion engine, and the expansion engine is arranged as an expansion valve 9 between the internal heat exchanger area 3 and the evaporator area 2. The refrigerant connecting pipeline and the expansion valve 9 are also compactly integrated in the compact heat exchanger unit 1 in a special way. The air conditioning unit 14 receives the coolant for conditioning the air inside the vehicle from the evaporator area 2 through the coolant circulation system 8 with a coolant pump (not specifically shown in the figure).

[0075] Figure 3 An air conditioning module with additional functional areas inside the compact heat exchanger unit 1 is shown. In this case, in order to complement each other functionally and form a Figure 2 In the air conditioning module shown, the functional area of ​​the high-pressure refrigerant collector as the high-pressure refrigerant collector area 5 is also formed in a state integrated in the compact heat exchanger unit 1. In order to insulate the heat exchanger areas operating at different temperature levels from each other, insulation plates 16 are arranged again between the functional areas.

[0076] and Figure 2 The content shown is different. Figure 3 A coolant circulation system 12 having the low-temperature heat exchanger 11 is also shown, and connects the condenser region 6 and the supercooling region 4 inside the coolant circulation system 12 to the low-temperature heat exchanger 11 .

[0077] at last, Figure 4 An air conditioning module is shown having a compact heat exchanger unit 1 which is similar to the heat exchanger unit 1 in the construction of the compact heat exchanger unit 1. Figure 2 According to the exemplary embodiment shown, a battery cooling cycle system 10 is additionally provided, and the additional battery cooling cycle system can directly cool the battery for the electric vehicle according to the vehicle control demand condition using the refrigerant. Figure 4 In FIG. 1 , an air conditioning unit 14 having a coolant circulation system 8 is schematically shown, but the coolant circulation system is not explicitly shown.

[0078] Alternatively, in contrast to direct cooling of the battery by the refrigerant circulation system, the battery may also be cooled indirectly by the coolant circulation system 8 .

[0079] Ultimately, however, it is particularly preferred to form the air conditioning module by means of an assembly-friendly implementation having only connections for two water circulation systems, each with a supply and a discharge, and an electric connection for the electric compressor.

[0080] Figure 5A compact heat exchanger unit 1 consisting of three plate groups is shown. One plate group is formed by the condenser region 6, the other plate group is formed by the supercooling region 4, and the plate heat exchanger is supplemented by the plate group of the high-pressure refrigerant collector region 5. The individual plate groups are thermally insulated from each other by insulating plates 16. The two heat exchanger regions, the condenser region 6 and the supercooling region 4, operate as condensers cooled by water or by liquid and operate as supercoolers. The refrigerant is input into the condenser region 6 from the refrigerant inlet 18 at the head at the top under high pressure, and flows under the condenser region 6 in the opposite flow direction to the coolant introduced into the condenser region 6 from the bottom at the coolant inlet 20. The condensed refrigerant reaches the high-pressure refrigerant collector region 5 from the bottom of the condenser region 6 to the inside of the refrigerant pipeline integrated perpendicular to the bottom inside the compact heat exchanger unit and is discharged upward from the pipeline, thereby filling the high-pressure refrigerant collector region 5 from the bottom. Liquid refrigerant is guided from the high-pressure refrigerant collector area 5 to the adjacent supercooling area 4, the liquid refrigerant is discharged on the bottom of the plate group in the supercooling area and flows in the top direction toward the end of the head of the supercooling area 4, and the liquid refrigerant is discharged from the end of the head of the supercooling area 4 through the refrigerant outlet 19 in a high-pressure state. In the supercooling area 4, the coolant flows from the bottom to the top, thereby flowing in the opposite direction to the refrigerant, and flows upward to the coolant outlet 21 together with the coolant from the condenser area 6 through the coolant line corresponding to the end of the head. Therefore, the compact heat exchanger unit 1 is formed as a condenser cooled by water in the first stage, and the condenser is combined with the high-pressure refrigerant collector area 5, which is also called a receiver. Integrating the receiver into the condenser cooled by water can cause preferred space saving, and can also be applied together with the module method to reduce the refrigerant connection and coolant connection between the various components. The overall volume and cost can be saved by two measures.

[0081] Various forms of ribs are used within the plate pack within the compact heat exchanger unit 1. These ribs are formed by various designs and, for example, by an offset design, a dimple design or a herringbone design. These designs can be combined and, for example, the ribs can be implemented as offset pins or herringbone pins on the high-pressure side and as a dimple design on the low-pressure side. Within the integrated high-pressure refrigerant collector area 5, in order to have as large a refrigerant storage capacity as possible, the offset pin channel can be formed as a recess formed in a circular shape or an elongated hole shape or by a serpentine design or a fir-shaped design. In order to enhance the stability of the component, the design of the ribs within the integrated high-pressure refrigerant collector area 5 can be replaced.

[0082] Figure 6A condenser with liquid cooling having an internal heat exchanger is shown as a compact heat exchanger unit 1. Figure 5 In contrast to the exemplary embodiment shown, the plate heat exchanger as a compact heat exchanger unit 1 is supplemented by an internal heat exchanger region 3 as in the present case. Figure 6 Relative to the plate group in Figure 5 The functional method and the forming method shown are supplemented by the fact that the refrigerant inlet 22 in the low-pressure state is arranged on the bottom of the internal heat exchanger area 3 and the refrigerant outlet 23 in the low-pressure state is arranged on the end of the head of the internal heat exchanger area 3, for exchanging internal heat from the high-pressure area of ​​the refrigerant cycle system to its low-pressure area according to the function of the internal heat exchanger area 3 through the compact heat exchanger unit 1. In this exemplary embodiment of the supercooling counterflow, the refrigerant flow is realized by flowing in the opposite direction. For this purpose, the refrigerant from the supercooling area 4 is directly guided from the end of the head to the end of the head of the internal heat exchanger area 3 and discharged from the compact heat exchanger unit 1 through the refrigerant outlet 19 in the high-pressure state at the bottom. In such a second stage, the condenser cooled by water is now extended to the compact heat exchanger unit 1 by the integration of the internal heat exchanger and the integration of the receiver and in some cases also by the integration of the dryer 24. In addition to the evaporator, all heat exchanger areas of the refrigerant cycle system are now integrated inside the compact heat exchanger unit 1.

[0083] Preferably, depending on the application field and structural realization of the air conditioning device in the vehicle, an evaporator region (not shown in the figure) is integrated to form cold air inside the compact heat exchanger unit 1 .

[0084] Figure 7 Shown for Figure 6 An alternative exemplary embodiment of a condenser is shown. In this case, the compact heat exchanger unit 1 consists of a condenser region 6, a supercooling region 4 and an internal heat exchanger region 3, wherein the regions 6, 4, 3 are thermally insulated from one another by insulating plates 16. Figure 6 In contrast to the exemplary embodiment shown, the high-pressure refrigerant collector 15 is realized as an external collector.

[0085] Figure 8 Shows something like Figure 5The exemplary embodiment shown is a compact heat exchanger unit 1 with two heat exchanger areas and a functional area as a collector area for refrigerant. The condenser area 6, the supercooling area 4 and the high-pressure refrigerant collector area 5 are arranged in parallel to each other as a plate group and are integrated into a plate heat exchanger. A delivery channel 17 is formed between the condenser area 6 and the supercooling area 4, and in the delivery channel, the refrigerant is guided from the lower surface of the compact heat exchanger unit 1 to the upper surface of the compact heat exchanger unit 1. In this case, the refrigerant is accommodated and collected in the lower part of the heat exchanger area and is delivered to the inside of the horizontally adjacent delivery channel 17, and in the delivery channel, the refrigerant is delivered vertically and upwardly to the upper area of ​​the compact heat exchanger unit 1. In the upper area, the refrigerant is delivered toward the distributor in the horizontally corresponding heat exchanger area and, in the present case, is distributed to the upper area in the high-pressure refrigerant collector area 5. The delivery channel 17 is formed in a form that is thermally insulated by an insulating plate 16 toward the adjacent supercooling region 4, and unlike the above, no insulating plate 16 is arranged at all toward the condenser region 6. In the compact heat exchanger unit 1 shown, the refrigerant is introduced into the condenser region 6 in the upper region of the head of the plate heat exchanger. The refrigerant is collected in the lower region and is vertically guided to the upper region through the delivery channel 17, and in the upper region, the refrigerant is horizontally guided to the high-pressure refrigerant collector region 5 and distributed in the high-pressure refrigerant collector region 5. In the lower region of the high-pressure refrigerant collector region 5, the refrigerant is collected and horizontally guided to the lower region of the supercooling region 4, and in the lower region, the refrigerant is distributed to leave the compact heat exchanger unit 1 through the refrigerant outlet 19 in the upper region. The coolant, usually water or a water-glycol mixture, is supplied to the compact heat exchanger unit 1 through the coolant inlet 20 arranged in the lower area of ​​the condenser area 6 and the supercooling area 4, and is collected in the upper area of ​​the heat exchanger area to be discharged through the coolant outlet 21. The principle of the transport channel 17 is to use the heat exchanger plate area to vertically transport the fluid from the bottom of one area to the head of another area, and in this case, the refrigerant or coolant can also be transported in the transport channel. At this time, the heat exchanger plate area can be reduced to one heat exchanger plate according to the required volume flow. According to the use example, in order to avoid thermodynamic disadvantages caused by the transport of heat from the transport channel 17 to the adjacent area, the heat exchanger plate used for the transport channel 17 should be limited by the insulating plate 16 on its side surface.

[0086] Fig. 9A compact heat exchanger unit 1 is schematically shown with a refrigerant inlet 18 in a high-pressure state at the head of the condenser region (not specifically shown in the figure). The coolant is introduced from the bottom of the compact heat exchanger unit 1 through the coolant inlet 20 and is discharged from the head of the compact heat exchanger unit 1 again through the coolant outlet 21. The particularity of the exemplary embodiment shown lies in the plate design of the dryer 24, which is arranged directly in the compact heat exchanger unit 1 and the refrigerant outlet 19 in a high-pressure state is also arranged at the end of the head of the dryer. Therefore, the separate dryer 24 is formed in a state of being integrated in the compact heat exchanger unit 1, and this integration method has the advantage of being realized by the aforementioned structural separation form, wherein the replacement possibility of the dryer 24 is not complicated.

[0087] The preferred flow pattern of the coolant within the compact heat exchanger unit 1 is a single-flow pattern, but in this case it can also be achieved by having a multi-flow pattern with the compact heat exchanger unit 1 .

[0088] The refrigerant flow is realized by two flows, one of which is realized by condensation and one is realized by supercooling, and in this case, a multi-flow design is also available. The preferred flow of the refrigerant during condensation is from the head to the bottom, and double or triple pipes can be used to transport the refrigerant in the delivery channel 17.

[0089] Fig.10 A side view of one plate of a plate heat exchanger is shown. Three channels 25 entering the interior of the superplane are shown in the lower region of the plate. These channels 25 are formed by one or more coaxial double tubes. The exemplary embodiment shown shows three tubes, and a total of three channels 25 shown in the figure are formed by three tubes inside the tube with the smallest diameter or between two additional tubes. Alternatively, the channels 25 can also be implemented in parallel with each other or as a section. According to an exemplary embodiment, even if the tubes or channels outside the plate heat exchanger are not used, the channels 25 allow the fluid to flow through the plate group or area. Therefore, the channels 25 are integrated inside the plate heat exchanger, thereby producing a particularly compact component that prevents incorrect assembly due to fluid connections made sporadically inside the heat exchanger and can be implemented very firmly.

[0090] Fig.11 One plate of a plate heat exchanger is shown with ribs 26 and in this case two channels 25 can be shown in the lower region of the figure. The structure of the ribs 26 corresponding to the herringbone design is also suitable for high pressures.

[0091] Fig.12One plate of a plate heat exchanger with ribs 26 is shown, and in this case two channels 25 can be shown on the side surface of the ribs 26, respectively. The structure of the ribs 26 corresponding to the offset design is particularly suitable for high pressures. The particularity is that the ribs 26 formed by the offset design are realized by insert plates 27, which are inserted and connected to the two side plates of the plate heat exchanger, preferably welded or soldered. The heat exchange fluid flows through the insert plates 27 between the side plates.

[0092] Fig.13 One plate of a plate heat exchanger is shown with ribs 26 indicated by a dimple design. The design is implemented as a ridge with the plate in the form of a protrusion connected to each of the plates of the adjacent plate. Thus, a plurality of connection points that also serve as flow components appear above the surface of the plate. For example, the dimple design can be used for smaller pressures on the low-pressure side of the refrigerant cycle system.

[0093] Figures 14 to 17 The variation examples shown in the various figures exemplarily illustrate Fig.11 A preferred exemplary embodiment of an offset design insert plate 17 is shown. The insert plate 27 has a recess 28 that increases the volume between the side plates. The recess 28 is formed as a structure or pattern in the insert plate 27 in the integrated high-pressure refrigerant collector area 5 of the compact heat exchanger unit. In order to have a sufficiently large volume to match the refrigerant reservoir inside the integrated high-pressure refrigerant collector area, the recess is formed in a circular shape or an elongated hole shape or by a serpentine design or a fir-shaped design.

[0094] Fig.14 Recesses 28 formed by a fir-shaped design are shown within the offset design insert plate 27. The recesses 28 are evenly distributed and arranged over the surface of the insert plate 27 between the fixing portions for the channels 25. As shown, the width of the gaps between the recesses 28 is about 3 mm.

[0095] same, Fig.15 The recess 28 in the offset design insert plate 27 is shown as a channel having a width of about 3 mm and formed obliquely.

[0096] Fig.16 The recesses 28 formed by the long hole design in the offset design insert plate 27 are shown. Even in this case, the recesses 28 are evenly distributed and arranged over the surface of the insert plate 27 between the fixing parts for the channels 25. The present exemplary embodiment shows an arrangement in which the long holes are placed and arranged vertically, and in this case, as a preferred alternative, there is an alternative arrangement or a horizontal arrangement.

[0097] Fig.17It shows a state in which the circular recess 28 in the offset design insert plate 27 is replaced and arranged in series.

[0098] Industrial Applicability

[0099] The present disclosure relates to a compact heat exchanger unit and an air conditioning module which are particularly suitable for electric vehicles due to their own construction method, compactness and connection conditions.

[0100] As part of an air conditioning unit, an air conditioning module can be understood as a device for generating or providing hot and / or cold air for conditioning the air in the vehicle interior. The air conditioning module has all the important components of a refrigerant cycle system and is designed in a special way for electric vehicles, which preferably have a generally low level of waste heat temperature and use an electric compressor.

Claims

1. A compact heat exchanger unit (1) for condensing a refrigerant using liquid cooling in an air conditioning device for a vehicle, wherein: A condenser region (6) formed as a heat exchange surface for condensing the refrigerant, a separate supercooling region (4) for supercooling the refrigerant, and an internal heat exchanger region (3) are combined into a plate group in a plate heat exchanger, and a separate high-pressure refrigerant collector (15) is placed downstream of the condenser region (6) and integrated into the air conditioning module as a refrigerant collector, wherein the condenser region (6) and the supercooling region (4) are arranged side by side as a plate group of a plate heat exchanger, wherein the refrigerant after flowing through the condenser region (6) is guided and collected into the separate high-pressure refrigerant collector (15), and then guided into the supercooling region (4) and the internal heat exchanger region (3), and then via an expansion engine (9) to the evaporator region (2), and wherein the plates of the condenser region (6) and the plates of the supercooling region (4) are formed in a herringbone design.

2. The compact heat exchanger unit (1) according to claim 1, wherein: The plates of the plate heat exchanger of the condenser region (6) and the subcooling region (4) have ribs realized as inserts formed in an offset design and / or ribs (26) formed in the herringbone design.

3. The compact heat exchanger unit (1) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein: The plates of the plate heat exchanger in the inner heat exchanger area (3) on the low-pressure side are realized by having ribs (26) formed in a dimple design, and the ribs on the high-pressure side are realized as inserts formed in the offset design.

4. The compact heat exchanger unit (1) according to claims 1 to 3, wherein: A transfer channel (17) is arranged between the condenser area (6) for condensing the refrigerant and the separate supercooling area (4) for supercooling the refrigerant as a plate package of the plate heat exchanger for guiding the refrigerant from the lower surface to the upper surface of the compact heat exchanger unit (1).

5. The compact heat exchanger unit (1) according to claims 1 to 4, wherein: The heat exchanger regions (2, 3, 4, 6) of the compact heat exchanger unit (1) are formed in a state of being thermally insulated from each other, and insulating plates (16) are arranged between the regions (2, 3, 4, 6).

6. The compact heat exchanger unit (1) according to claims 1 to 5, wherein: The evaporator region (2) is formed as a plate package and is arranged within the plate heat exchanger.

7. The compact heat exchanger unit (1) according to claims 1 to 6, wherein: The filter and / or the dryer (24) and / or the expansion engine (9) are formed in a state of being integrated in the compact heat exchanger unit (1).

8. The compact heat exchanger unit (1) according to claims 1 to 7, wherein: The plates, the plate packages and the regions (2, 3, 4, 6) of the compact heat exchanger unit (1) are welded together.

9. The compact heat exchanger unit (1) according to claims 1 to 8, wherein: The plates of the plate heat exchanger have ribs (26) which are formed in an offset design, a dimple design or a herringbone design, whereby the ribs formed in the offset design are realized as insert plates (27) between two plates.

10. The compact heat exchanger unit (1) according to claim 9, wherein: The plate of the plate heat exchanger in the high-pressure refrigerant collector area (5) has ribs as an insert plate (27) formed with the offset design, whereby the insert plate (27) has a recess (28) for increasing the volume of the high-pressure refrigerant collector area (5), the recess having a granular structure, a fir structure or a long hole structure, and the insert plate (27) is connected to the plate via multiple contact points.

11. The compact heat exchanger unit (1) according to claim 10, wherein: The structure of the insert plates (27) with recesses (28) for increasing the volume of the high-pressure refrigerant collector area (5) is alternating to increase the pressure strength of the parallel arranged plates.

12. The compact heat exchanger unit (1) according to claims 1 to 11, wherein: The plates of the plate heat exchanger in the evaporator region (2) have ribs (26) formed in the dimple design.

13. The compact heat exchanger unit (1) according to claims 1 to 12, wherein: The plate packages of the region (2, 3, 4, 5, 6) of the compact heat exchanger unit (1) for a fluid to flow through have sections which have double, triple or quadruple tubes as channels (25).

14. An air conditioning module for an electric vehicle, in particular having a refrigerant circulation system, whereby the refrigerant circulation system has a compressor (7), an expansion engine (9), two or more heat exchangers as evaporators and condensers, and the air conditioning module has a connection part formed in the air conditioning module to the coolant circulation system (8) for supplying coolant to an air conditioning unit (14) and a connection part to the coolant circulation system (12) for cooling the refrigerant, wherein The heat exchanger is formed as a heat exchanger region in a state of being integrated in a compact heat exchanger unit (1), and the compact heat exchanger unit (1) is formed as an integrated plate heat exchanger.

15. The air conditioning module according to claims 1 to 14, wherein: The coolant circulation system (12) is implemented in a state of being connected to supply heat to the air conditioning unit (14).

16. The air conditioning module according to claims 1 to 15, wherein: The compressor (7) is implemented as an electric compressor and the air conditioning module has an electrical connection.

17. The air conditioning module according to claims 1 to 16, wherein: R134a, R152a, R1234yf, R1234ze, R744, propane, propylene or ammonia is used as a refrigerant in the refrigeration cycle system.

18. The air conditioning module according to claims 1 to 17, wherein: The coolant circulation system (12) has a low-temperature heat exchanger (11).

19. The air conditioning module according to claims 1 to 18, wherein: The coolant circulation system (8) is connected in series or in parallel to a battery cooling circulation system (10) near the air conditioning unit (14).

20. The air conditioning module according to claims 1 to 19, wherein: The battery cooling cycle system (10) is formed in a state of being connected in parallel with the evaporator region (2) of the compact heat exchanger unit (1) inside the refrigerant cycle system.

21. The air conditioning module according to claims 1 to 20, wherein: The dryer (24) is realized as a component to be completed separately and assembled on the refrigerant outlet of the compact heat exchanger unit (1).

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