Heat pump system for vehicle

Abstract

The present invention relates to a heat pump system for a vehicle. The system can heat or cool a battery module by using a cooler in which a refrigerant and a coolant perform heat exchange, and can improve heating efficiency by using another cooler that recovers waste heat of an electric device.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] The present application claims priority to Korean Patent Application No. 10-2019-0059304 filed on May 21, 2019, the entire contents of which application is incorporated herein for all purposes by this reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a heat pump system for a vehicle. More specifically, the present invention relates to a heat pump system for a vehicle that can heat or cool a battery module by using a cooler in which a refrigerant and a coolant perform heat exchange, and can improve heating efficiency by using another cooler that recovers waste heat from an electric device. Background Art

[0004] Generally, an air conditioning system of a vehicle may include an air conditioning device configured to circulate a refrigerant to heat or cool the interior of the vehicle.

[0005] This air conditioning device maintains a suitable interior environment by maintaining the interior temperature of the vehicle at an appropriate temperature regardless of changes in the outside temperature. It is configured to heat or cool the interior of the vehicle through heat exchange of the evaporator, and at the same time, by driving the compressor so that the exhausted refrigerant passes through the condenser, the receiver drier, the expansion valve and the evaporator and then circulates to the compressor again.

[0006] That is, in the summer cooling mode, in the air conditioning unit, the high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant compressed by the compressor is condensed through the condenser, and then evaporated in the evaporator through the receiver dryer and the expansion valve to reduce the internal temperature and humidity.

[0007] Meanwhile, in recent years, as interest in energy efficiency and environmental pollution has increased, there is a need to develop environmentally friendly vehicles that are used to substantially replace internal combustion engine vehicles. Environmentally friendly vehicles are generally fuel cell vehicles or electric vehicles driven by electricity or hybrid vehicles driven by an engine and a battery.

[0008] Unlike the air conditioner of a general vehicle, in an eco-friendly vehicle, an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, a separate heater is not used, and the air conditioner adopted by the eco-friendly vehicle is called a heat pump system.

[0009] On the other hand, in the case of electric vehicles, the chemical reaction energy of oxygen and hydrogen is converted into electrical energy to generate driving force. In this process, since heat energy is generated by the chemical reaction in the fuel cell, it is necessary to effectively remove the generated heat to ensure the performance of the fuel cell.

[0010] In addition, even in a hybrid vehicle, electricity is supplied by a fuel cell or battery and an engine (which runs on general fuel), and the electric drive motor is used to generate driving force. Therefore, the performance of the motor can only be ensured by effectively removing the heat generated by the fuel cell or battery and the motor.

[0011] Therefore, in a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle, a battery cooling system needs to separately form a separate sealed circuit with a cooler and a heat pump system to prevent heat generated by the motor and electrical components as well as the battery including the fuel cell.

[0012] Accordingly, the size and weight of the cooling module mounted at the front of the vehicle increase, and the layout of connection lines supplying refrigerant and coolant to the heat pump system, the chiller, and the battery cooling system in the engine compartment is complicated.

[0013] In addition, a battery cooling system is separately provided for heating or cooling the battery according to the vehicle status so that the battery can exhibit optimal performance. Therefore, a plurality of valves are used to connect the various connecting lines. Noise and vibration caused by frequent opening / closing operations of the valves are transmitted to the interior of the vehicle, reducing riding comfort.

[0014] The information disclosed in the background technology section of the present invention is only intended to enhance the understanding of the general background of the present invention, and should not be regarded as acknowledging or suggesting in any form that the information constitutes the prior art already known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the invention

[0015] Various aspects of the present invention are directed to providing a heat pump system for a vehicle that heats or cools a battery module by using one cooler in which a coolant and a refrigerant perform heat exchange, thereby facilitating simplification of the system.

[0016] Furthermore, the present invention in various aspects is also directed to providing a heat pump system of a vehicle which can improve heating efficiency by using another cooler which recovers waste heat of electric equipment in a heating mode of the vehicle.

[0017] Various aspects of the present invention are directed to providing a heat pump system for a vehicle, which may include: a first cooling device, a second cooling device, a battery module, a first cooler, and a second cooler, wherein the first cooling device includes a first radiator and a first water pump connected by a first coolant line, the first cooling device allows coolant to circulate in the first coolant line to cool at least one electrical component and at least one motor installed on the first coolant line; the second cooling device includes a second radiator and a second water pump connected by a second coolant line, the second cooling device allows coolant to circulate in the second coolant line; the battery module is disposed on the battery coolant line and can be selectively connected to the second coolant line by a first valve installed between the battery coolant line and the second coolant line; the first cooler is disposed on the battery coolant line and coolant passes through the first cooler, the first cooler is connected to the battery coolant line by a first refrigerant connecting pipe The line is connected to the refrigerant pipeline of the air-conditioning device, and enables the selectively flowing coolant to exchange heat with the refrigerant supplied from the air-conditioning device to control the coolant temperature; the second cooler can be selectively connected to the first coolant pipeline through the second valve, and the second cooler is connected to the refrigerant pipeline through the second refrigerant connecting pipeline, and recovers waste heat from the high-temperature coolant that selectively flows into the second cooler, and increases the refrigerant temperature by the heat of heat exchange between the coolant and the refrigerant in the second refrigerant connecting pipeline; wherein a main heat exchanger arranged in the air-conditioning device is connected to each of the first coolant pipeline, the second coolant pipeline and the refrigerant pipeline, so that the coolant circulating in the first cooling device and the second cooling device passes through the heat exchanger, and the refrigerant passing through the main heat exchanger can firstly exchange heat with the coolant supplied through the first coolant pipeline and secondly exchange heat with the coolant supplied through the second coolant pipeline.

[0018] The air conditioning device may include: an HVAC module, a compressor, a first expansion valve, a second expansion valve, a third expansion valve and a dehumidification pipeline, wherein the HVAC module is connected to the refrigerant pipeline and has an opening / closing door, which is used to control the outside air passing through the evaporator to selectively flow into the internal condenser according to the cooling, heating and dehumidification modes of the vehicle; the compressor is connected to the refrigerant pipeline between the evaporator and the internal condenser; the first expansion valve is arranged on the refrigerant pipeline connecting the main heat exchanger and the evaporator; the second expansion valve is arranged on the first refrigerant connecting pipeline; the third expansion valve is arranged on the second refrigerant connecting pipeline connected to the refrigerant pipeline between the internal condenser and the main heat exchanger; the dehumidification pipeline has: one end of the second refrigerant connecting pipeline connected to the second cooler and the third expansion valve; the other end of the refrigerant pipeline connected to the evaporator and the first expansion valve, and includes a third valve.

[0019] The second refrigerant connecting line may connect the refrigerant line and the accumulator between the main heat exchanger and the internal condenser so that the refrigerant having passed through the internal condenser flows into the compressor through the second cooler and the accumulator.

[0020] The sub-condenser may be disposed on the refrigerant line between the main heat exchanger and the evaporator.

[0021] When the main heat exchanger condenses the refrigerant, the sub-condenser may additionally condense the refrigerant condensed by the main heat exchanger by exchanging heat with external air.

[0022] When the battery module is cooled by the refrigerant, the second expansion valve may be operated, and the refrigerant flowing through the first refrigerant connecting line may be expanded and the expanded refrigerant may flow into the first cooler.

[0023] In a heating mode of the vehicle or a heating and dehumidification mode of the vehicle, the third expansion valve may selectively expand the refrigerant flowing into the second cooler and the dehumidification line.

[0024] The first valve can selectively connect the second coolant line and the battery coolant line between the second radiator and the first coolant; the first branch line is arranged in the first cooling device, and is connected to the first coolant line between the first radiator and the first water pump through the second valve arranged on the first coolant line between the electrical components, the motor and the first radiator, and the first branch line passes through the second cooler; the second branch line is arranged on the battery coolant line, and is connected to the first cooler and the battery module through the first valve; the third branch line is arranged on the second coolant line to separate the battery coolant line and the second coolant line.

[0025] When the battery module is cooled by using the coolant cooled by the second radiator, the first valve is configured to connect the second coolant line and the battery coolant line and close the second branch line, and the second valve may close the first branch line.

[0026] When cooling electrical components, motors and battery modules in the vehicle's cooling mode, in the first cooling device, the first branch line can be closed by operation of the second valve, and the coolant cooled by the first radiator flows to the electrical components and motors through the operation of the first water pump, the second branch line can be opened by operation of the first valve, the third branch line can be opened, and the connection between the second coolant line and the battery coolant line can be closed by opening the second branch line and the third branch line; in the air-conditioning device, when the second refrigerant connecting line and the dehumidification line are closed by operation of the third expansion valve and the third valve, the refrigerant can flow along the refrigerant line, and the second expansion valve can be operated so that the expanded refrigerant flows into the first cooler through the first refrigerant connecting line.

[0027] In the first cooling device, the coolant cooled by the first radiator can be supplied to the main heat exchanger by the operation of the first water pump, and in the second cooling device, the opened third branch pipeline can be connected to the second coolant pipeline to form an independent closed loop, the coolant cooled by the second radiator can be supplied to the main heat exchanger by the operation of the second water pump, and the main heat exchanger can condense the refrigerant by heat exchange with the coolant.

[0028] When the waste heat of the electrical components and the motor is recovered in the heating mode of the vehicle, in the first cooling device, the coolant can flow to the electrical components through the operation of the first water pump, and when the first branch pipeline is opened by the operation of the second valve, the first coolant pipeline connecting the electrical components, the motor and the first radiator can be closed, in the second cooling device, the second water pump can stop running, the third water pump arranged on the battery coolant pipeline can stop running, the second branch pipeline can be closed by the operation of the first valve, and the third branch pipeline can be closed, and in the air-conditioning device, the refrigerant pipeline connecting the main heat exchanger and the evaporator and the first refrigerant connecting pipeline can be closed by the operation of the first expansion valve and the second expansion valve, the second refrigerant connecting pipeline can be opened by the operation of the third expansion valve, the dehumidification pipeline can be closed by the operation of the third valve, and the third expansion valve can expand the refrigerant and supply the expanded refrigerant to the second cooler.

[0029] When dehumidifying in the vehicle's heating mode while recovering waste heat from electrical components and motors, in the first cooling device, the coolant can flow to the electrical components through the operation of the first water pump, and when the first branch pipeline can be opened by the operation of the second valve, the first coolant pipeline connecting the electrical components, the motor and the first radiator can be closed, in the second cooling device, the second water pump can stop running, the third water pump arranged on the battery coolant pipeline can stop running, the second branch pipeline can be closed by the operation of the first valve, and the third branch pipeline can be closed, in the air-conditioning device, the refrigerant pipeline connecting the main heat exchanger and the evaporator and the first refrigerant connecting pipeline can be closed by the operation of the first expansion valve and the second expansion valve, the second refrigerant connecting pipeline can be opened by the operation of the third expansion valve, the dehumidification pipeline can be opened by the operation of the third valve, the third expansion valve can expand the refrigerant and can supply the expanded refrigerant to the second cooler, and at the same time, the expanded refrigerant can be supplied to the evaporator through the dehumidification pipeline.

[0030] The second expansion valve and the third expansion valve may be electronic expansion valves that selectively expand the refrigerant while controlling the flow of the refrigerant.

[0031] The accumulator may be installed on the refrigerant line between the compressor and the evaporator, and may be connected to the first cooler and the second cooler through the first refrigerant connecting line and the second refrigerant connecting line.

[0032] The main heat exchanger may include: a first heat dissipation unit, a second heat dissipation unit and a partition, wherein the first heat dissipation unit is connected to the first coolant pipeline; the second heat dissipation unit is connected to the second coolant pipeline; the partition divides the interior of the heat exchanger into the first heat dissipation unit and the second heat dissipation unit to prevent the coolants supplied from the first cooling device and the second cooling device, respectively, from mixing and causing the refrigerant to pass through the heat exchanger.

[0033] A heater may be provided on the battery coolant line between the battery module and the first cooler.

[0034] The first liquid storage tank may be disposed on a first coolant line between the first radiator and the first water pump, and the second liquid storage tank may be disposed on a second coolant line between the second radiator and the second water pump.

[0035] As described above, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a heat pump system of a vehicle is used to heat or cool a battery module according to a vehicle mode by using one cooler in which coolant and refrigerant in an electric vehicle perform heat exchange, thereby facilitating system simplification.

[0036] Furthermore, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the battery module is effectively heated or cooled according to the vehicle mode, thereby contributing to the optimal performance of the battery module and increasing the overall driving distance of the vehicle through effective battery module management.

[0037] Furthermore, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, heating efficiency may be improved by using another cooler that selectively collects waste heat of electrical components.

[0038] In addition, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, condensation or evaporation performance of the refrigerant is improved by a main heat exchanger that double-condenses or evaporates the refrigerant by using a coolant supplied from each of the first cooling device and the second cooling device, thereby improving cooling performance and reducing power consumption of the compressor.

[0039] Furthermore, according to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to reduce manufacturing costs, reduce weight, and improve space utilization by simplifying the entire system.

[0040] The methods and apparatus of the present invention have other features and advantages that will be apparent from, or will be described in detail in, the accompanying drawings and subsequent embodiments incorporated herein, which together serve to explain the specific principles of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] Figure 1is a block diagram of a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0042] Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an operating state when a battery module is cooled using a coolant in a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0043] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram exemplarily illustrating an operation state of cooling electric components and a battery module according to a cooling mode in a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0044] Figure 4 1 is a schematic diagram exemplarily showing an operation state of recovering waste heat of a motor and electric components according to a heating mode in a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0045] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of operating states according to a heating mode and a dehumidification mode in a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0046] It should be understood that the accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, but rather present simplified representations of various features to illustrate the basic principles of the present invention. The specific design features of the present invention disclosed herein (including, for example, specific dimensions, directions, locations, and shapes) will be determined in part by the specific intended application and use environment.

[0047] In the figures, like reference numbers refer to the same or equivalent parts of the present invention throughout the several figures of the drawing. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0048] Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. Although the present invention will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it should be understood that this specification is not intended to limit the present invention to those exemplary embodiments. On the other hand, the present invention is intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, but also various alternative embodiments, modified embodiments, equivalent embodiments or other embodiments, which are included in the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0049] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0050] Prior to this, the configuration shown in the exemplary embodiment and the drawings disclosed in the exemplary embodiment are merely the most typical embodiments of the present invention and do not represent all the technical spirit of the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that when submitting this application, various equivalent examples and modified examples that can replace the above configuration are also possible.

[0051] In order to clearly illustrate the present invention, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted, and the same or similar components are denoted by the same reference numerals throughout the specification.

[0052] Since the size and thickness of each component shown in the drawings are arbitrarily indicated for convenience of explanation, the present invention is not explicitly limited to the size and thickness of each component shown, and the thickness is exaggerated for clear indication of various parts and regions.

[0053] Throughout the specification, 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.

[0054] In addition, the terms “unit,” “device,” “component,” “member” and the like described in the specification mean an integrated configuration unit that performs at least one function or operation.

[0055] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0056] The heat pump system of the vehicle according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention can heat or cool the battery module 30 by using the first cooler 60 in which the refrigerant and the coolant exchange heat, and improve the heating efficiency by using the second cooler 70 that recovers the waste heat of the motor 16, the electric component 15 and the battery module 30.

[0057] Here, in the heat pump system, the first cooling device 10 for cooling the electric components 15 and the motor 16, the second cooling device 20 for cooling the battery module 30, and the air conditioning device 50 for cooling or heating the interior may be linked to each other in the electric vehicle.

[0058] That is to say, reference Figure 1 The heat pump system includes a first cooling device 10 and a second cooling device 20 , a battery module 30 , a first cooler 60 and a second cooler 70 .

[0059] First, the first cooling device 10 includes a first radiator 12 and a first water pump 14 connected by a first coolant line 11. The first cooling device 10 cools the electric components 15 and the motor 16 by operating the first water pump 14 to circulate the coolant in the first coolant line 11.

[0060] The first radiator 12 is mounted at the front of the vehicle, and the cooling fan 13 is provided at the rear of the first radiator to cool the coolant by operation of the cooling fan 13 and heat exchange with external air.

[0061] Here, the electrical components 15 may include a power control device, an inverter, or an on-board charger (OBC). The power control device and the inverter may dissipate heat when driving, and the OBC may dissipate heat when the battery module 30 is charged.

[0062] The electrical component 15 and the motor 16 may be installed in series on the first coolant line 11 .

[0063] In addition, the first reservoir tank 19 is provided on the first coolant line 11 between the first radiator 12 and the first water pump 14. The coolant cooled by the first radiator 12 may be stored in the first reservoir tank 19.

[0064] The first cooling device 10 configured in this way circulates the coolant cooled by the first radiator 12 along the first coolant line 11 by operating the first water pump 14 to cool the electric components 15 and the motor 16 so as not to overheat.

[0065] Meanwhile, in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the electrical components 15 and the motor 16 are described as being arranged one by one as an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and the electrical components 15 and the motor 16 may be configured to correspond to the front wheels and the rear wheels, respectively.

[0066] In the case where there are two electric components 15 and two motors 16 , the first coolant lines 11 may be installed in parallel via separate parallel lines.

[0067] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the second cooling device 20 includes a second radiator 22 and a second water pump 26 connected through a second coolant line 21 , and circulates the coolant in the second coolant line 21 .

[0068] The second cooling device 20 may selectively supply the coolant cooled by the second radiator 22 to the battery module 30 .

[0069] The second radiator 22 is installed in the front of the first radiator 12 , and cools the coolant by the operation of the cooling fan 13 and heat exchange with the outside air.

[0070] In addition, the second reservoir tank 27 is provided on the second coolant line 21 between the second radiator 22 and the second water pump 26. The coolant cooled by the second radiator 22 may be stored in the second reservoir tank 27.

[0071] The second cooling device 20 configured in this way can circulate the coolant cooled by the second radiator 22 along the second coolant line 21 by operating the second water pump 26 .

[0072] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the battery module 30 is disposed on a battery coolant line 31 , and the battery coolant line 31 may be selectively connected to the second coolant line 21 through a valve V1 .

[0073] Here, the valve V1 may selectively connect the second coolant line 21 and the battery coolant line 31 between the second radiator 22 and the battery module 30 .

[0074] The first valve V1 selectively connects the second coolant line 21 and the battery coolant line 31 between the first cooler 60 and the second radiator 22 provided in the battery coolant line 31 .

[0075] Here, the battery module 30 is formed as a water-cooling type in which electric power is supplied to the electric components 15 and the motor 16 , which are cooled by the coolant flowing along the battery coolant line 31 .

[0076] That is, the battery module 30 may be selectively connected to the second cooling device 20 through the battery coolant line 31 according to the operation of the valve V1. In addition, in the battery module 30, the coolant may be circulated by the operation of the third water pump 33 provided on the battery coolant line 31.

[0077] The third water pump 33 is disposed on the battery coolant line 31 between the first cooler 60 and the battery module 30. The third water pump 33 operates to circulate the coolant through the battery coolant line 31.

[0078] Here, the first water pump 14 , the second water pump 26 , and the third water pump 33 may be electric water pumps.

[0079] Meanwhile, the first cooling device 10 may include a first branch line 18 connected to the first coolant line 11 between the first radiator 12 and the first water pump 14 via a second valve V2 located between the first radiator 12 and the first water pump 14 on the first coolant line 11.

[0080] The second valve V2 is disposed on the first coolant line 11 between the electric component 15 , the motor 16 and the first radiator 12 .

[0081] One end of the first branch line 18 is connected to the first coolant line 11 through the second valve V2 , and the other end of the first branch line 18 may be connected to the first coolant line 11 between the first radiator 12 and the first water pump 14 .

[0082] The first branch line 18 may pass through the second cooler 70. That is, the second cooler 70 is provided on the first branch line 18.

[0083] When the coolant temperature is increased by absorbing waste heat generated from the electric components 15 and the motor 16 by the second cooler 70, the first branch line 18 is selectively opened by the operation of the second valve V2. In this case, the first coolant line 11 connected to the first radiator 12 is closed by the operation of the second valve V2.

[0084] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first cooler 60 is disposed on the battery coolant line 31 , the coolant passes through the inside of the first cooler 60 , and the first cooler 60 is connected to the refrigerant line 51 of the air conditioning device 50 through a first refrigerant connecting line 62 .

[0085] The first cooler 60 controls the temperature of the coolant by heat-exchanging the coolant selectively flowing into the first cooler 60 with the refrigerant supplied from the air conditioning device 50. Here, the first cooler 60 may be a water-cooling type heat exchanger into which the coolant flows.

[0086] The heater 35 may be provided on the battery coolant line 31 between the battery module 30 and the first cooler 60 .

[0087] When the temperature of the battery module 30 needs to be increased, the heater 35 is turned on to heat the coolant flowing in the battery coolant line 31 so that the coolant with the increased temperature flows into the battery module 30 .

[0088] The heater 35 may be an electric heater that operates according to a power supply.

[0089] In addition, a second branch line 80 may be provided on the battery coolant line 31 , and when the first valve V1 opens the second branch line 80 , the first cooler 60 and the battery module 30 are connected through the battery coolant line 31 and the second branch line 80 .

[0090] Furthermore, a third branch line 90 is provided on the second coolant line 21 , which separates the battery coolant line 31 and the second coolant line 21 from each other.

[0091] The third branch line 90 may be selectively connected to the second coolant line 21 , so that the second cooling device 20 forms an independent closed loop through the second coolant line 21 .

[0092] Meanwhile, a separate valve may be provided at a point where the third branch line 90 intersects the second coolant line 21 and the battery coolant line 31 or on the third branch line 90. The valve may be a three-way valve or a two-way valve.

[0093] Therefore, the valve V1 selectively connects the second coolant line 21 and the battery coolant line 31 , or selectively connects the battery coolant line 31 and the second branch line 80 to control the flow of the coolant.

[0094] That is, when cooling the battery module 30 using the coolant cooled by the second radiator 22 , the valve V1 may connect the second coolant line 21 connected to the second radiator 22 with the battery coolant line 31 and close the second branch line 80 .

[0095] In this way, the coolant cooled by the second radiator 22 may cool the battery module 30 while flowing along the second coolant line 21 and the battery coolant line 31 connected by the operation of the first valve V1 .

[0096] Furthermore, when the battery module 30 is cooled by using the cooling liquid that exchanges heat with the refrigerant, the valve V1 may open the second branch line 80 and disconnect the connection between the second cooling liquid line 21 and the battery cooling liquid line 31 .

[0097] Accordingly, the low-temperature coolant that has exchanged heat with the refrigerant in the first cooler 60 flows into the battery module 30 through the second branch line 80 opened by the valve V1 , thereby effectively cooling the battery module 30 .

[0098] On the other hand, when heating the battery module 30 , the coolant flowing along the battery coolant line 31 is prevented from flowing into the second radiator 22 by the operation of the valve V1 , so that the heated coolant flows into the battery module 30 by the operation of the heater 35 , thereby quickly heating the battery module 30 .

[0099] Meanwhile, in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a case where no valve is configured on the third branch line 90 as an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is described, but the present invention is not limited thereto, and a valve may be applied to selectively open the third branch line 90 as needed.

[0100] That is, by controlling the opening and closing of the third branch line 90 through the operation of the second coolant line 21, the battery coolant line 31 and the second branch line 80, and the second water pump 26 and the third water pump 33 that are selectively connected according to each vehicle mode (heating, cooling or dehumidification), the third branch line 90 can control the flow rate of the circulating coolant.

[0101] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the second cooler 70 is disposed on the first branch line 18 and may be selectively connected to the first coolant line 11 through a second valve V2.

[0102] The second cooler 70 is connected to the refrigerant line 51 through the second refrigerant connecting line 72, and can recover waste heat from the high-temperature coolant selectively flowing into the second cooler 70, and can increase the temperature of the refrigerant through heat exchange between the coolant and the refrigerant.

[0103] Meanwhile, in an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the air conditioning device 50 includes: a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) module 52, a main heat exchanger 54, an accumulator 55, a first expansion valve 57, an evaporator 58, and a compressor 59 connected by a refrigerant line 51.

[0104] First, the HVAC module 52 has an opening / closing door 52c therein, which is connected through the refrigerant line 51 and controls the outside air passing through the evaporator 58 to selectively flow into the interior condenser 52a and the interior heater 52b according to the vehicle's heating, cooling and heating / humidification modes.

[0105] That is, in the heating mode of the vehicle, the open / close door 52 c is opened so that the outside air passing through the evaporator 58 flows into the interior condenser 52 a and the interior heater 52 b .

[0106] On the other hand, in the cooling mode of the vehicle, the opening / closing door 52 c closes the interior condenser 52 a and the interior heater 52 b so that the outside air cooled while passing through the evaporator 58 directly flows into the vehicle interior.

[0107] The main heat exchanger 54 is connected to the refrigerant pipeline 51 so that the refrigerant passes through the main heat exchanger 54, and the main heat exchanger 54 is connected to each of the first coolant pipeline 11 and the second coolant pipeline 21 so that the coolant flowing in each of the first cooling device 10 and the second cooling device 20 passes through the main heat exchanger 54.

[0108] The main heat exchanger 54 may condense or evaporate refrigerant exchanging heat with coolant supplied through the first and second coolant lines 11 and 21 according to the vehicle mode. That is, the main heat exchanger 54 may be a water-cooled type heat exchanger in which coolant flows inside the main heat exchanger 54.

[0109] Here, the main heat exchanger 54 may include a first heat dissipation unit 54 a , a second heat dissipation unit 54 b , and a partition 54 c .

[0110] First, the first heat dissipation unit 54a is connected to the first coolant line 11. Therefore, the first heat dissipation unit 54a may allow the refrigerant supplied by the compressor 59 to firstly exchange heat with the coolant supplied by the first cooling device 10.

[0111] The second heat dissipation unit 54b is connected to the second coolant line 21. Therefore, the second heat dissipation unit 54b can perform secondary heat exchange between the refrigerant passing through the first heat dissipation unit 54a and the coolant supplied by the second cooling device 20.

[0112] In addition, the partition 54c can partition the interior of the main heat exchanger 54 into the first heat dissipation unit 54a and the second heat dissipation unit 54b to prevent the mixing of the coolant supplied by each of the first cooling device 10 and the second cooling device 20. The partition 54c can allow the refrigerant to pass so that the refrigerant flows from the first heat dissipation unit 54a into the second heat dissipation unit 54b.

[0113] Therefore, the refrigerant passing through the main heat exchanger 54 may firstly perform heat exchange with the coolant supplied through the first coolant line 11 , and secondarily perform heat exchange with the coolant supplied through the second coolant line 21 .

[0114] The main heat exchanger 54 configured as described above allows the refrigerant supplied from the compressor 59 to first exchange heat with the coolant supplied from the first cooling device 10 in the first heat dissipation unit 54a through the internal condenser 52a.

[0115] In this way, the main heat exchanger 54 causes the refrigerant to perform secondary heat exchange in the second heat dissipation unit 54b with the coolant supplied from the second cooling device 20. Through this operation, the main heat exchanger 54 can reduce the temperature of the refrigerant and increase the condensation amount or evaporation amount.

[0116] Meanwhile, the second refrigerant connecting line 72 may connect the refrigerant line 51 with the accumulator 55 between the main heat exchanger 54 and the interior condenser 52 a so that the refrigerant passing through the interior condenser 52 a flows into the compressor 59 through the second cooler 70 and the accumulator 55 .

[0117] The accumulator 55 is selectively supplied with the refrigerant exhausted from the evaporator 58 , or the refrigerant passing through the first cooler 60 , or the refrigerant passing through the second cooler 70 , according to the vehicle mode.

[0118] Here, the accumulator 55 may be installed on the refrigerant line 51 between the compressor 59 and the evaporator 58 , and may be connected to the first cooler 60 and the second cooler 70 through the first refrigerant connecting line 62 and the second refrigerant connecting line 72 .

[0119] The accumulator 55 supplies only gaseous refrigerant to the compressor 59 to improve the efficiency and durability of the compressor 59 .

[0120] Meanwhile, a sub-condenser 56 for additionally condensing the refrigerant passing through the main heat exchanger 54 may be provided on the refrigerant line 51 between the main heat exchanger 54 and the evaporator 58 .

[0121] The refrigerant passing through the main heat exchanger 54 may flow into the sub-condenser 56 .

[0122] That is, the sub-condenser 56 is installed in the front portion of the second radiator 22, and heat exchange is performed between the refrigerant flowing into the sub-condenser 56 and the outside air.

[0123] Accordingly, when the main heat exchanger 54 condenses the refrigerant, the sub-condenser 56 further condenses the refrigerant condensed by the main heat exchanger 54 to increase refrigerant recooling, thereby enhancing the coefficient of performance (COP), which is a cooling performance coefficient of compressor required power.

[0124] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, a first expansion valve 57 is provided on a refrigerant line 51 connecting the sub-condenser 56 and the evaporator 58. The first expansion valve 57 receives and expands the refrigerant passing through the sub-condenser 56. The first expansion valve 57 may be a mechanical expansion valve.

[0125] The compressor 59 is connected between the evaporator 58 and the main heat exchanger 54 through the refrigerant line 51. The compressor 59 may compress the gaseous refrigerant and supply the compressed refrigerant to the interior condenser 52a.

[0126] The air conditioning device 50 thus configured may further include a second expansion valve 64 , a third expansion valve 74 , and a dehumidification line 76 .

[0127] First, the second expansion valve 64 is provided on the first refrigerant connecting line 62 between the sub-condenser 56 and the first cooler 60 .

[0128] Here, when the battery module 30 is cooled by the refrigerant in the cooling mode of the vehicle, the second expansion valve 64 is operated The second expansion valve 64 may expand the refrigerant flowing through the first refrigerant connection line 62 and allow the expanded refrigerant to flow into the first cooler 60 .

[0129] That is, the second expansion valve 64 expands the condensed refrigerant discharged from the subcondenser 56 and allows the expanded refrigerant to flow into the first cooler 60 at a low temperature, thereby further reducing the water temperature of the coolant passing through the first cooler 60 .

[0130] Accordingly, the coolant whose water temperature is reduced when passing through the first cooler 60 flows into the battery module 30 , so that the battery module 30 can be cooled more effectively.

[0131] In the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the third expansion valve 74 is provided on the second refrigerant connecting line 72 connected to the refrigerant line 51 between the interior condenser 52 a and the main heat exchanger 54 .

[0132] The third expansion valve 74 may selectively open the second refrigerant connecting line 72 according to the vehicle mode.

[0133] In addition, the third expansion valve 74 selectively expands the refrigerant introduced into the second refrigerant connecting line 72 in a heating mode or a heating and dehumidification mode of the vehicle, and may supply the refrigerant to the second cooler 70 .

[0134] Here, the accumulator 55 may supply the refrigerant in a gaseous state among the refrigerants supplied through the second refrigerant connecting line 72 , which is opened by the operation of the third expansion valve 74 , to the compressor 59 .

[0135] One end of the dehumidification line 76 is connected to the second refrigerant connecting line 72 between the second cooler 70 and the third expansion valve 74 , and the other end of the dehumidification line 76 is connected to the refrigerant line 51 between the evaporator 58 and the first expansion valve 57 .

[0136] Here, the third valve V3 may be provided on the dehumidification line 76 .

[0137] In the heating and dehumidification mode of the vehicle, the third valve V3 may open the dehumidification line 76 .

[0138] That is, the second expansion valve 64 and the third expansion valve 74 may be electronic expansion valves that selectively expand the refrigerant while controlling the flow of the refrigerant.

[0139] Furthermore, the first valve V1 and the second valve V2 may be three-way valves configured to distribute flow, and the third valve V3 may be a two-way valve.

[0140] In the following, reference will be made to Figures 2 to 5 The operation and action of the heat pump system for a vehicle according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention thus configured will be described in detail.

[0141] First, refer to Figure 2 An operation when a battery module is cooled using a coolant in a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention is described.

[0142] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the valve V1 , the valve V2 , and the valve V3 are connected to a controller to control the operations of the valve V1 , the valve V2 , and the valve V3 .

[0143] In addition, the term "controller" refers to a hardware device including a memory and a processor, which is configured to execute one or more steps that should be understood as an algorithm structure. The memory stores the algorithm steps, and the processor executes the algorithm steps to perform one or more processes of the method according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

[0144] Figure 2 FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram of an operating state when a battery module is cooled using a coolant in a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0145] refer to Figure 2 In the first cooling device 10 , the first water pump 14 is operated to cool the electric component 15 and the motor 16 . Accordingly, the coolant cooled by the first radiator 12 circulates in the electric component 15 and the motor 16 .

[0146] Here, the second valve V2 may close the first branch line 18. Accordingly, the coolant is not supplied to the second cooler 70.

[0147] In the second cooling device 20 , the second water pump 26 is operated to cool the battery module 30 .

[0148] In this case, the valve V1 connects the second coolant line 21 and the battery coolant line 31 so that the coolant cooled by the second radiator 22 is supplied to the battery module 30 .

[0149] At the same time, the second branch line 80 is closed by the operation of the valve V1. In addition, the third branch line 90 is closed. Accordingly, the second coolant line 21 and the battery coolant line 31 are connected by closing the second branch line 80 and the third branch line 90.

[0150] That is, the second coolant line 21 and the battery coolant line 31 are connected to each other by the selective operation of the valve V1 , and can form a closed loop in which the coolant circulates.

[0151] Therefore, the coolant cooled by the second radiator 22 may flow along the second coolant line 21 and the battery coolant line 31 by the operations of the second water pump 26 and the third water pump 33 .

[0152] That is, the cooled coolant discharged from the second radiator 22 flows into the battery module 30 through the battery coolant line 31 and cools the battery module 30 .

[0153] The coolant cooling the battery module 30 passes through the heater 35 and the first cooler 60 (whose operation is turned off) along the battery coolant line 31 , and then flows into the second radiator again through the second coolant line 21 .

[0154] That is, since the low-temperature coolant cooled by the second radiator 22 cools only the battery module 30 , the battery module 30 can be effectively cooled.

[0155] Meanwhile, since the cooling mode of the vehicle is not in operation, the air conditioning device 50 is not in operation.

[0156] When the electric components 15, the motor 16, and the battery module 30 are cooled according to the cooling mode of the vehicle, reference is made to Figure 3 Describe the operation.

[0157] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram exemplarily illustrating an operation state of cooling electric components and a battery module according to a cooling mode in a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0158] refer to Figure 3 In the first cooling device 10 , the first water pump 14 is operated to cool the electric components 15 , the motor 16 , and the main heat exchanger 54 . Accordingly, the coolant cooled by the first radiator 12 circulates in the electric components 15 , the motor 16 , and the main heat exchanger 54 .

[0159] Here, the second valve V2 may close the first branch line 18. Accordingly, the coolant is not supplied to the second cooler 70.

[0160] That is, in the first cooling device 10 , the coolant cooled by the first radiator 12 may be supplied to the main heat exchanger 54 by the operation of the first water pump 14 .

[0161] In the second cooling device 20 , the second water pump 26 is operated to supply coolant to the main heat exchanger 54 .

[0162] At the same time, the second branch line 80 is opened by the operation of the first valve V1. In addition, the third branch line 90 is opened.

[0163] Accordingly, the connection of the second coolant line 21 to the battery coolant line 31 is closed by opening the second branch line 80 and the third branch line 90 and the first valve V1 .

[0164] That is, in the second cooling device 20, the opened third branch line 90 is connected to the second coolant line 21 to independently form a closed loop in which the coolant circulates.

[0165] In addition, the battery coolant line 31 may form a closed loop in which the coolant independently circulates through the opened second branch line 80 .

[0166] Accordingly, the coolant cooled by the second radiator 22 flows along the second coolant line 21 and the third branch line 90 by the operation of the second water pump 26 to cool the main heat exchanger 54 .

[0167] The components of the air conditioning device 50 are operated to cool the vehicle interior, thereby causing the refrigerant to flow along the refrigerant line 51 .

[0168] Here, the second refrigerant connecting line 72 and the dehumidification line 76 are closed by the operations of the third expansion valve 74 and the third valve V3.

[0169] Therefore, the main heat exchanger 54 condenses the refrigerant supplied through the refrigerant line 51 by using the coolant flowing along the first coolant line 11 and the second coolant line 21 .

[0170] That is, the coolant supplied to the main heat exchanger 54 through the first coolant line 11 first condenses the refrigerant passing through the first heat dissipation unit 54 a of the main heat exchanger 54 .

[0171] The coolant supplied to the main heat exchanger 54 through the second coolant line 21 may secondary condense the refrigerant passing through the second heat dissipation unit 54 b of the main heat exchanger 54 .

[0172] Therefore, the main heat exchanger 54 can increase the condensation amount of the refrigerant.

[0173] The refrigerant passing through the main heat exchanger 54 flows into the sub-condenser 56 according to the refrigerant line 51. The refrigerant flowing into the sub-condenser 56 may be condensed by heat exchange with the outside air.

[0174] Meanwhile, the coolant passing through the first cooler 60 circulates along the battery coolant line 31 and the second branch line 80 by operation of the third water pump 33 to cool the battery module 30 .

[0175] The cooling liquid flowing along the battery cooling liquid line 31 is cooled by heat exchange with the refrigerant supplied to the first cooler 60. The cooling liquid cooled by the first cooler 60 is supplied to the battery module 30. Therefore, the battery module 30 is cooled by the cooled cooling liquid.

[0176] Here, the second expansion valve 64 expands some of the refrigerant passing through the sub-condenser 56 , and opens the first refrigerant connecting line 62 to supply the expanded refrigerant to the first cooler 60 .

[0177] Thus, some of the refrigerant discharged from the sub-condenser 56 is expanded by the operation of the second expansion valve 64 to enter a low-temperature and low-pressure state and flows into the first cooler 60 connected to the first refrigerant connecting line 62 .

[0178] Thereafter, the refrigerant flowing into the first cooler 60 performs heat transfer with the cooling liquid, and flows into the compressor 59 via the accumulator 55 through the first refrigerant connecting line 62 .

[0179] That is, the coolant increases in temperature while cooling the battery module 30, and is cooled by heat exchange with the low-temperature and low-pressure refrigerant in the first cooler 60. The cooled coolant is supplied to the battery module 30 again through the battery coolant line 31.

[0180] That is, the coolant can effectively cool the battery module 30 while the above-mentioned operation is repeatedly performed.

[0181] Meanwhile, the remaining refrigerant discharged from the auxiliary condenser 56 flows through the refrigerant line 51 to cool the interior of the vehicle, and sequentially passes through the first expansion valve 57, the evaporator 58, the accumulator 55, the compressor 59, the interior condenser 52a, the main heat exchanger 54 and the auxiliary condenser 56.

[0182] Here, the outside air flowing into the HVAC module 52 is cooled by the low-temperature refrigerant flowing into the evaporator 58 while passing through the evaporator 58 .

[0183] In this case, the opening / closing door 52c closes the portion of the interior condenser 52a through which the cooled outside air passes, to prevent the cooled outside air from passing through the interior condenser 52a and the interior heater 52b. Therefore, the cooled outside air flows directly into the vehicle interior, thereby cooling the vehicle interior.

[0184] Meanwhile, in the evaporator 58 , the refrigerant having an increased condensation amount is expanded and supplied while sequentially passing through the main heat exchanger 54 and the sub-condenser 56 , so that the refrigerant can evaporate at a lower temperature.

[0185] That is, in the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first and second heat dissipation units 54a and 54b of the main heat exchanger 54 condense the refrigerant primarily and secondarily, and the sub-condenser 56 additionally condenses the refrigerant, and therefore, recooling of the refrigerant is advantageous.

[0186] In addition, since the refrigerant subjected to recooling evaporates at a lower temperature in the evaporator 58, the temperature of the cooling liquid subjected to heat exchange in the evaporator 58 can be further reduced, thereby improving refrigeration performance and efficiency.

[0187] That is, in the cooling mode of the vehicle, the refrigerant cools the coolant by heat exchange while passing through the first cooler 60 , while cooling the interior, while the above process is repeatedly performed.

[0188] The coolant cooled by the first cooler 60 flows along the battery coolant line 31 connected by the operation of the first valve V1 and flows into the battery module 30. Therefore, the battery module 30 can be effectively cooled by the low-temperature coolant supplied to the battery coolant line 31.

[0189] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, reference will be made to Figure 4 Operations in the case of recovering waste heat of the electric components 15 and the motor 16 in the heating mode of the vehicle will be described.

[0190] Figure 4 1 is a schematic diagram exemplarily showing an operation state of recovering waste heat of a motor and electric components according to a heating mode in a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0191] refer to Figure 4 When the waste heat of the electrical components 15 and the motor 16 is sufficient, the heat pump system can absorb the waste heat of the electrical components 15 and the motor 16 and use the recovered waste heat to heat the interior.

[0192] First, the first cooling device 10 circulates the coolant to the electric components 15 and the motor 16 by operating the first water pump 14. Here, the second valve V2 opens the first branch line 18 and closes the first coolant line 11 connecting the electric components 15 and the motor 16 with the first radiator 12.

[0193] Therefore, the coolant passing through the electric components 15 and the motor 16 continuously circulates along the first coolant line 11 without passing through the first radiator 12 , and absorbs waste heat from the electric components 15 and the motor 16 , thereby having an increased temperature.

[0194] The coolant having the increased temperature may be supplied to the second cooler 70 .

[0195] That is, the waste heat generated from the electric components 15 and the motor 16 increases the temperature of the coolant flowing in the first coolant line 11 .

[0196] In the second cooling device 20 , the circulation of the coolant is stopped as the second water pump 26 stops operating. In addition, the coolant is not circulated in the battery coolant line 31 by stopping the third water pump 33 .

[0197] In other words, in the first cooling device 10 , the coolant having an increased temperature passing through the second cooler 70 along the first branch line 18 is recovered by the operation of the first water pump 14 , so that the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the second cooler 70 is increased.

[0198] At the same time, the components of the air conditioning device 50 are operated to heat the vehicle interior, thereby causing the refrigerant to flow along the refrigerant line 51 .

[0199] Here, the refrigerant line 51 connecting the main heat exchanger 54 and the evaporator 58 and the first refrigerant connecting line 62 connected to the first cooler 60 are closed by the operations of the first expansion valve 57 and the second expansion valve 64 .

[0200] In addition, the second refrigerant connecting line 72 is opened by the operation of the third expansion valve 74. The dehumidification line 76 is closed by the operation of the third valve V3.

[0201] Here, the third expansion valve 74 may expand the refrigerant and supply the expanded refrigerant to the second cooler 70 .

[0202] Therefore, the second cooler 70 evaporates the refrigerant by using the coolant that flows along the first coolant line 11 and has an increased temperature while recovering the waste heat of the electric component 15 and the motor 16 .

[0203] That is, when the coolant flowing into the second cooler 70 flows in at a high temperature by sufficiently absorbing waste heat from the motor 16 and the electric component 15 , the second cooler 70 can increase the evaporation amount.

[0204] In this way, the refrigerant passing through the second cooler 70 is supplied to the accumulator 55 according to the opened second refrigerant connecting line 72 .

[0205] The refrigerant supplied to the accumulator 55 is separated into gas and liquid. Among the refrigerant separated into gas and liquid, the gaseous refrigerant is supplied to the compressor 59.

[0206] The refrigerant compressed into a high-temperature and high-pressure state flows from the compressor 59 into the internal condenser 52 a .

[0207] Here, the opening / closing door 52 c is opened so that the outside air flowing into the HVAC module 52 and passing through the evaporator 58 passes through the interior condenser 52 a .

[0208] Therefore, the outside air flowing in from the outside flows in at room temperature, wherein the outside air is not cooled when passing through the evaporator 58 to which the refrigerant is not supplied. The flowing outside air becomes a high temperature state when passing through the interior condenser 52a, and flows into the vehicle interior through the selectively operated interior heater 52b, and thus, the vehicle interior can be heated.

[0209] That is, when heating is required when the waste heat of the electrical components 15 and the motor 16 is sufficient, the heat pump system according to the exemplary embodiment absorbs the waste heat of the electrical components 15 and the motor 16 and uses the absorbed waste heat to increase the temperature of the refrigerant to reduce the power consumption of the compressor 59 and improve the heating efficiency.

[0210] In an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, reference will be made to Figure 5 Operations in the case of recovering waste heat of the electric components 15 and the motor 16 according to the heating and dehumidification mode of the vehicle will be described.

[0211] Figure 5 is a schematic diagram of operating states according to a heating mode and a dehumidification mode in a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention.

[0212] refer to Figure 5 In the heating and dehumidification modes of the vehicle, the heat pump system can recover waste heat of the electrical components 15 and the motor 16 and use the recovered waste heat to heat the interior.

[0213] First, the first cooling device 10 circulates the coolant to the electric components 15 and the motor 16 by operating the first water pump 14. Here, the second valve V2 opens the first branch line 18 and closes the first coolant line 11 connecting the electric components 15 and the motor 16 with the first radiator 12.

[0214] Therefore, the coolant passing through the electric components 15 and the motor 16 continuously circulates along the first coolant line 11 without passing through the first radiator 12 , and absorbs waste heat from the electric components 15 and the motor 16 , thereby having an increased temperature.

[0215] The coolant having the increased temperature may be supplied to the second cooler 70 .

[0216] That is, the waste heat generated from the electric components 15 and the motor 16 increases the temperature of the coolant flowing in the first coolant line 11 .

[0217] In the second cooling device 20 , the circulation of the coolant is stopped as the second water pump 26 stops operating. In addition, the coolant is not circulated in the battery coolant line 31 by stopping the third water pump 33 .

[0218] In other words, in the first cooling device 10 , the coolant having an increased temperature passing through the second cooler 70 along the first branch line 18 is recovered by the operation of the first water pump 14 , so that the temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the second cooler 70 is increased.

[0219] At the same time, the components of the air conditioning device 50 are operated to heat the vehicle interior, thereby causing the refrigerant to flow along the refrigerant line 51 .

[0220] Here, the refrigerant line 51 connecting the main heat exchanger 54 and the evaporator 58 and the first refrigerant connecting line 62 connected to the first cooler 60 are closed by the operations of the first expansion valve 57 and the second expansion valve 64 .

[0221] In addition, the second refrigerant connecting line 72 is opened by the operation of the third expansion valve 74. The dehumidification line 76 is opened by the operation of the third valve V3.

[0222] Here, the third expansion valve 74 expands the refrigerant and supplies the expanded refrigerant to the second cooler 70 through the second refrigerant connecting line 72. In addition, some of the refrigerant flowing into the second refrigerant connecting line 72 may be supplied to the evaporator 58 through the dehumidification line 76 opened by the operation of the third valve V3.

[0223] Therefore, the second cooler 70 evaporates the refrigerant by using the coolant that flows along the first coolant line 11 and has an increased temperature while recovering the waste heat of the electric component 15 and the motor 16 .

[0224] That is, when the coolant flowing into the second cooler 70 flows in at a high temperature by sufficiently absorbing waste heat from the motor 16 and the electric component 15 , the second cooler 70 can increase the evaporation amount.

[0225] In this way, the refrigerant passing through the second cooler 70 is supplied to the accumulator 55 according to the opened second refrigerant connecting line 72 .

[0226] The refrigerant supplied to the accumulator 55 is separated into gas and liquid. Among the refrigerant separated into gas and liquid, the gaseous refrigerant is supplied to the compressor 59.

[0227] Meanwhile, the expanded refrigerant supplied to the evaporator 58 through the dehumidification line 76 exchanges heat with the outside air passing through the evaporator 58 , and is then supplied to the compressor 59 via the accumulator 55 along the refrigerant line 51 .

[0228] That is, the refrigerant passing through the evaporator 58 may be supplied to the compressor 59 together with the refrigerant flowing into the accumulator 55 through the second refrigerant connecting line 72 .

[0229] The refrigerant compressed into a high-temperature and high-pressure state flows from the compressor 59 into the internal condenser 52 a .

[0230] Here, the opening / closing door 52 c is opened so that the outside air flowing into the HVAC module 52 and passing through the evaporator 58 passes through the interior condenser 52 a .

[0231] That is, the outside air flowing into the HVAC module 52 is dehumidified by the low-temperature refrigerant flowing into the evaporator 58 while passing through the evaporator 58. Thus, the flowing outside air becomes a high-temperature state while passing through the interior condenser 52a, and flows into the vehicle interior through the selectively operated interior heater 52b, thereby heating and dehumidifying the vehicle interior.

[0232] That is, in the heating and dehumidification modes of the vehicle, the heat pump system according to the exemplary embodiment increases the refrigerant temperature using waste heat generated from the electric components 15 and the motor 16 to reduce power consumption of the compressor 59 and improve heating efficiency.

[0233] In addition, some of the refrigerant expanded by the operation of the third expansion valve 74 flows into the evaporator 58 through the dehumidification line 76 to dehumidify the interior without operating the first expansion valve 57 .

[0234] Accordingly, as described above, when the heat pump system according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention is applied, the battery module 30 is heated or cooled according to the vehicle mode by using the first cooler 60 in which the coolant and the refrigerant perform heat exchange in the electric vehicle, which is conducive to simplification of the system.

[0235] Furthermore, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, through effective management of the battery module 30 , the battery module is effectively heated or cooled, thereby contributing to optimal performance of the battery module 30 and increasing the overall driving distance of the vehicle.

[0236] Furthermore, according to the exemplary embodiment of the present invention, heating efficiency may be improved by using the second cooler 70 that selectively collects waste heat of the electric components 15 and the motor 16 .

[0237] In addition, according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the condensation or evaporation performance of the refrigerant is improved by the main heat exchanger 54, and the main heat exchanger 54 double condenses or evaporates the refrigerant by using the coolant supplied from each of the first cooling device 10 and the second cooling device 20, thereby improving the cooling performance and reducing the power consumption of the compressor 59.

[0238] Furthermore, according to the exemplary embodiments of the present invention, it is possible to reduce manufacturing costs, reduce weight, and improve space utilization by simplifying the entire system.

[0239] For convenience of explanation and precise definition of the appended claims, the terms "up", "down", "inside", "outside", "above", "below", "upward", "downward", "front", "rear", "back", "inside", "outside", "inward", "outward", "inner", "external", "inside", "outside", "forward", "rearward" are used to describe the features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to the positions of such features as shown in the accompanying drawings. It will be further understood that the term "connect" or its derivatives refer to both direct and indirect connections.

[0240] The foregoing descriptions of specific exemplary embodiments of the present invention are for purposes of illustration and description. They are not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the present invention to the precise embodiments disclosed, and it is apparent that various modifications and variations may be made in light of the foregoing teachings. The exemplary embodiments selected and described are intended to explain certain principles of the present invention and their practical applications, so that other persons skilled in the art can make and use the various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and alternatives and modifications thereof. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. A heat pump system for a vehicle, the heat pump system comprising: a first cooling device including a first radiator and a first water pump connected by a first coolant line, the first cooling device circulating coolant in the first coolant line to cool at least one electrical component and at least one motor mounted on the first coolant line; a second cooling device including a second radiator and a second water pump connected by a second coolant line, the second cooling device circulating coolant in the second coolant line; a battery module disposed on the battery coolant line and selectively connected to the second coolant line via a first valve installed between the battery coolant line and the second coolant line; a first cooler provided on the battery coolant line and through which the coolant passes, the first cooler being connected to the refrigerant line of the air conditioner through a first refrigerant connecting line and causing the selectively flowing coolant to exchange heat with the refrigerant supplied from the air conditioner to control the coolant temperature; a second cooler, which is selectively connectable to the first coolant line through a second valve, the second cooler being connected to the refrigerant line through a second refrigerant connecting line and recovering waste heat from the coolant selectively flowing into the second cooler, and raising the refrigerant temperature by heat of heat exchange between the coolant and the refrigerant of the second refrigerant connecting line; wherein a heat exchanger provided in the air conditioning device is connected to each of the first coolant line, the second coolant line and the refrigerant line, so that the coolant circulating in the first cooling device and the second cooling device passes through the heat exchanger, and the refrigerant passing through the heat exchanger can perform heat exchange with the coolant supplied through the first coolant line and perform heat exchange with the coolant supplied through the second coolant line; Wherein, the air conditioning device comprises: a heating, ventilation and air conditioning module connected by refrigerant lines and having an evaporator, an interior condenser and a door for controlling outside air passing through the evaporator to selectively flow into the interior condenser according to cooling, heating and dehumidification modes of the vehicle; a compressor connected to the refrigerant line between the evaporator and the internal condenser; A first expansion valve, which is arranged on a refrigerant pipeline connecting the heat exchanger and the evaporator; A second expansion valve, which is arranged on the first refrigerant connecting pipeline; a third expansion valve provided on a second refrigerant connecting line connected to a refrigerant line between the internal condenser and the heat exchanger; A dehumidification line has a first end connected to a second refrigerant connecting line between the second cooler and the third expansion valve and a second end connected to a refrigerant line between the evaporator and the first expansion valve and includes a third valve.

2. The heat pump system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The second refrigerant connecting line connects the refrigerant line and the accumulator between the heat exchanger and the internal condenser so that the refrigerant passing through the internal condenser flows into the compressor through the second cooler and the accumulator.

3. The heat pump system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The sub-condenser is arranged on the refrigerant line between the heat exchanger and the evaporator.

4. The heat pump system for a vehicle according to claim 3, wherein: When the heat exchanger condenses the refrigerant, the sub-condenser additionally condenses the refrigerant condensed by the heat exchanger by exchanging heat with external air.

5. The heat pump system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: When the battery module is cooled by the refrigerant, the second expansion valve is operated to expand the refrigerant flowing through the first refrigerant connection line and to flow the expanded refrigerant into the first cooler.

6. The heat pump system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The third expansion valve selectively expands the refrigerant flowing into the second cooler and the dehumidification line in a heating mode of the vehicle or a heating and dehumidification mode of the vehicle.

7. The heat pump system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The first valve is configured to selectively connect the second coolant line between the second radiator and the first cooler and the battery coolant line; A first branch pipeline is provided in the first cooling device, the first branch pipeline is connected to the first coolant pipeline between the first radiator and the first water pump through a second valve provided on the first coolant pipeline between at least one electrical component, at least one motor and the first radiator, and the first branch pipeline passes through a second cooler; A second branch pipeline is provided on the battery coolant pipeline, and the second branch pipeline is connected to the first cooler and the battery module through a first valve; A third branch line is provided on the second coolant line, and the third branch line separates the battery coolant line from the second coolant line.

8. The heat pump system for a vehicle according to claim 7, wherein: When the battery module is cooled by using the coolant cooled by the second radiator, the first valve is configured to connect the second coolant line and the battery coolant line and close the second branch line, and the second valve is configured to close the first branch line.

9. The heat pump system for a vehicle according to claim 7, wherein: When cooling at least one electrical component, at least one electric machine, and a battery module in a cooling mode of the vehicle: In the first cooling device, the first branch line is closed by operation of the second valve, and the coolant cooled by the first radiator flows to at least one electrical component and at least one motor by operation of the first water pump; The second branch line is opened by operation of the first valve, the third branch line is opened, and the connection between the second coolant line and the battery coolant line is closed by opening the second branch line and the third branch line; In the air conditioning device, when the second refrigerant connecting line and the dehumidification line are closed by the operation of the third expansion valve and the third valve, the refrigerant flows along the refrigerant line, and the second expansion valve is operated so that the expanded refrigerant flows into the first cooler through the first refrigerant connecting line.

10. The heat pump system for a vehicle according to claim 9, wherein: In the first cooling device, the coolant cooled by the first radiator is supplied to the heat exchanger by the operation of the first water pump; In the second cooling device, the opened third branch line is connected to the second coolant line to form an independent closed loop, and the coolant cooled by the second radiator is supplied to the heat exchanger by the operation of the second water pump; The heat exchanger condenses the refrigerant by exchanging heat with the coolant.

11. The heat pump system for a vehicle according to claim 7, wherein: When recovering waste heat from at least one electrical component and at least one electric machine in a heating mode of the vehicle: In the first cooling device, the coolant flows to at least one electrical component through the operation of the first water pump. When the first branch line is opened by the operation of the second valve, the first coolant line connecting at least one electrical component, at least one motor and the first radiator is closed, In the second cooling device, the second water pump stops running. The third water pump installed on the battery coolant pipeline stops running. The second branch pipeline is closed by the operation of the first valve, the third branch pipeline is closed, In the air conditioning device, the refrigerant line connecting the heat exchanger and the evaporator and the first refrigerant connecting line are closed by the operation of the first expansion valve and the second expansion valve. The second refrigerant connecting line is opened by operation of the third expansion valve, The dehumidification pipeline is closed by operating the third valve. The third expansion valve expands the refrigerant and supplies the expanded refrigerant to the second cooler.

12. The heat pump system for a vehicle according to claim 7, wherein: When dehumidification is performed while recovering waste heat from at least one electrical component and at least one electric machine in a heating mode of the vehicle: In the first cooling device, the coolant flows to at least one electrical component through the operation of the first water pump. When the first branch line is opened by the operation of the second valve, the first coolant line connecting at least one electrical component, at least one motor and the first radiator is closed, In the second cooling device, the second water pump stops running. The third water pump installed on the battery coolant pipeline stops running. The second branch pipeline is closed by the operation of the first valve, the third branch pipeline is closed, In the air conditioning device, the refrigerant line connecting the heat exchanger and the evaporator and the first refrigerant connecting line are closed by the operation of the first expansion valve and the second expansion valve, The second refrigerant connecting line is opened by operation of the third expansion valve, The dehumidification pipeline is opened by operating the third valve. The third expansion valve expands the refrigerant and supplies the expanded refrigerant to the second cooler, while also supplying the expanded refrigerant to the evaporator through the dehumidification line.

13. The heat pump system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The second expansion valve and the third expansion valve are electronic expansion valves, and the second expansion valve and the third expansion valve selectively expand the refrigerant while controlling the flow of the refrigerant.

14. The heat pump system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The accumulator is installed on the refrigerant line between the compressor and the evaporator, and is connected to the first cooler and the second cooler through the first refrigerant connecting line and the second refrigerant connecting line.

15. The heat pump system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: The heat exchanger comprises: a first heat dissipation unit connected to the first coolant line; a second heat dissipation unit connected to the second coolant line; A partition that partitions the interior of the heat exchanger into a first heat dissipation unit and a second heat dissipation unit to prevent coolants supplied from the first cooling device and the second cooling device, respectively, from mixing and allowing the refrigerants to pass through the heat exchanger.

16. The heat pump system for a vehicle according to claim 15, wherein: The refrigerant line is aligned to pass through the first heat dissipation unit, the partition, and the second heat dissipation unit.

17. The heat pump system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: A heater is provided on the battery coolant line between the battery module and the first cooler.

18. The heat pump system for a vehicle according to claim 1, wherein: A first liquid storage tank is provided on the first coolant line between the first radiator and the first water pump; A second liquid storage tank is provided on the second coolant line between the second radiator and the second water pump.

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