Heat pump system for vehicle

Abstract

A heat pump system may include a cooling assembly disposed on a vehicle to circulate electric devices with coolant through a cooling line, wherein the cooling assembly includes a radiator disposed at a front side of the vehicle, uses a water pump to circulate coolant through the cooling line, and cools the supplied coolant through heat exchange with outside air, and a cooling fan that blows wind through the radiator, an air conditioning assembly connected to a refrigerant line connected to the cooling assembly to control heating and cooling, and a heat exchanger connected to the cooling line such that the coolant is circulated therein, selectively uses the waste heat generated from the electric devices according to modes to vary the temperature of the coolant, and is connected to the refrigerant line of the air conditioning assembly such that an inflow refrigerant exchanges heat with the coolant.

Description

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION[0001]The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2011-0059768 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on Jun. 20, 2011, the entire contents of which is incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference.BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION[0002]1. Field of the Invention[0003]The present invention relates to a heat pump system and a control method thereof. More particularly, the present invention relates to a heat pump system that uses waste heat that is generated from electric devices, improves heating and dehumidifying performance, prevents front accumulation on an outside condenser at a low temperature, and simultaneously increases a travel distance, and a control method thereof.[0004]2. Description of Related Art[0005]Generally, an air conditioning system for a vehicle includes an air conditioning module warming or cooling a cabin of the vehicle.[0006]Such an air conditioning module circulates a heat-excha...

AI Technical Summary

Benefits of technology

[0019]Various aspects of the present invention are directed to providing a heat pump system for a vehicle having advantages of using a waste heat source in electric devices to heat coolant and exchanging the heat between the coolant and refrigerant to improve heating performance and dehumidification efficiency, and to prevent frost accumulation on the outside condenser in a low temperature, and a control method thereof.

[0020]Also, various aspects of the present invention are directed to providing a heat pump system for a vehicle having advantages of reducing a heating load in a heating mode of a vehicle and increasing overall travel distance of a vehicle with same power source, and a control method thereof.

[0032]In the heat pump system for a vehicle and the control method according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a heat exchanger using coolant as a heat exchange assembly is applied and a waste heat source from the electric devices is used to exchange heat with the refrigerant to improve heating performance, efficiency, and dehumidification performance and to prevent the frost accumulation on the outside condenser in chilly weather.

[0034]Further, in the cooling mode of the vehicle, the system maintains air conditioner condition of air cooled type through an outside condenser to improve cooling performance, and the first, second, and third valves are 3-way valves to reduce frequent opening / closing operations such that the noise and vibration can be reduced.

Problems solved by technology

But, the electric heater excessively consumes electric power to reduce a travel distance of the electric vehicle.

Also, the refrigerant that is cooled by outside air of a very low temperature or a low temperature in winter is cooled by an interior condenser to be exhausted in a very low temperature condition to an outside condenser, and therefore ice is formed on a surface of the outside condenser and heat exchange efficiency of the heat exchange media and heating performance and efficiency are deteriorated, and in a case that the cooling mode is transformed to the heating mode, the condensate that stays on the evaporator increases humidity such that moisture is formed on the interior of the glass of the vehicle.

Therefore, heating performance may be seriously deteriorated, the heating load may be increased due to the increase of power consumption, and the mileage may be decreased when driving while warming.

In addition, since heat for converting the liquid refrigerant into a gaseous refrigerant is insufficient when the liquid refrigerant flows into the interior condenser, compressing efficiency may be deteriorated, heating performance may be seriously deteriorated when the air temperature is low, the system may be unstable, and durability of the compressor may be deteriorated when the liquid refrigerant flows into the compressor

In addition, noise and vibration may occur due to a frequent open / close operation of a 2-way valve in a dehumidification mode where moisture is removed from the cabin of the vehicle.

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