Integrated thermal management system for mobile vehicles

Abstract

An integrated thermal management system for a mobile vehicle can include a hybrid compressor including a mechanical compression unit driven by a driving force of an engine and an electric compression unit driven by a driving force of an electric motor, and configured such that a blower is connected to the electric compression unit; a refrigerant circulation line fluidly connected to the hybrid compressor, a condenser, and an expansion valve to circulate a refrigerant thereto; and an indoor air conditioning unit configured to cool or heat air introduced by the blower and then discharge the air to an interior of the mobile vehicle, and including a cooling core connected to a point of the refrigerant circulation line downstream of the expansion valve of the refrigerant circulation line, and a heating core fluidly connected to an exhaust gas discharge line connected to the engine.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to an integrated thermal management system for a mobility vehicle, and more specifically, to an integrated thermal management system that uses a hybrid power compressor to perform cooling / heating of the cabin, at least one electronic component of the mobility vehicle, and the battery. Background Technology

[0002] Mobile devices or vehicles refer to all transport devices that carry people or goods and are driven by various methods. The most typical method is the use of internal combustion engines, and recently, regarding solutions to environmental problems, there are methods using hybrid engines (with the additional use of lithium-ion batteries), methods using only lithium-ion batteries, and environmentally friendly methods using only hydrogen fuel cells.

[0003] Hybrid mobility vehicles that use internal combustion engines and batteries require the combination of appropriate components to form a cooling system configured to cool the battery and at least one electronic component and to regulate the air in the passenger cabin.

[0004] If the circuitry is configured independently, a compressor is required not only to cool and heat the interior space and to cool at least one electronic component, but also a compressor to cool the cooling fluid of the battery, and multiple independent heat exchangers that come into contact with the ambient air. This results in problems such as increased weight of the hybrid mobility vehicle, reduced range of the hybrid mobility vehicle due to its increased weight, and increased cost.

[0005] The information included in the background section of the invention is intended only to enhance the understanding of the overall background of the invention and should not be construed as an endorsement or arbitrary suggestion of prior art known to those skilled in the art. Summary of the Invention

[0006] Various aspects of the present invention provide an integrated thermal management system for the overall control of the environment of a hybrid mobility vehicle employing a turbine engine.

[0007] According to various aspects of the invention, the above and other objectives can be achieved by providing an integrated thermal management system for a mobile vehicle, the integrated thermal management system comprising: a hybrid compressor including a mechanical compression unit driven by the driving force of an engine and an electric compression unit driven by the driving force of an electric motor, and configured such that a blower is connected to the electric compression unit; a refrigerant circulation line fluidly connected to the hybrid compressor, a condenser, and an expansion valve to circulate refrigerant thereto; and an interior air conditioning unit configured to cool or heat air introduced by the blower and then discharge the air to the interior of the mobile vehicle, and comprising a cooling core and a heating core, the cooling core being connected to a point on the refrigerant circulation line downstream of the expansion valve of the refrigerant circulation line, and the heating core being fluidly connected to an exhaust gas line connected to the engine.

[0008] The cooling core may include a first evaporator and a second evaporator, the first evaporator being configured to cool air supplied from a blower to a passenger compartment located within the mobile vehicle, and the second evaporator being configured to cool air supplied from a blower to at least one electronic component located within the mobile vehicle.

[0009] The electric heater can be installed in the indoor air conditioning unit, and the electric heater can operate when the temperature of the heating core is lower than a predetermined value.

[0010] The integrated thermal management system may further include: a battery disposed within the mobility vehicle to drive the mobility vehicle; a cooling fluid circulation line fluidly connected to the battery to allow cooling fluid to circulate to the battery via a water pump; and a first heat exchanger disposed on the cooling fluid circulation line to perform heat exchange between the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation line and the cooling fluid in the cooling fluid circulation line.

[0011] The cooling fluid in the cooling fluid circulation pipeline can flow through the battery and then through the first control valve to the first heat exchanger, and the first control valve can be opened according to the temperature of the cooling fluid.

[0012] The integrated thermal management system may further include: a second heat exchanger disposed on the cooling fluid circulation line to perform heat exchange between the exhaust gas in the exhaust line and the cooling fluid in the cooling fluid circulation line; and when the battery temperature needs to be increased, the cooling fluid is heated by the second heat exchanger to increase the battery temperature.

[0013] The second control valve can be installed on the exhaust gas line, and its opening can be controlled when the battery temperature needs to be increased.

[0014] The methods and apparatus of the present invention have other features and advantages that are obvious from the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description, or that are set forth in more detail in the accompanying drawings and the following detailed description, which are incorporated herein and together with the following detailed description serve to illustrate the particular principles of the invention. Attached Figure Description

[0015] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating, by way of example, the configuration of a hybrid power compressor according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention;

[0016] Figure 2 This is a circuit diagram illustrating the refrigerant circulation lines of a hybrid compressor and an indoor air conditioner using various exemplary embodiments of the present invention; and

[0017] Figure 3 This is a circuit diagram of an integrated thermal management system for a mobile vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

[0018] It should be understood that the accompanying drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, and to some extent present simplified representations of the various features illustrating the basic principles of the invention. Specific design features of the invention included herein, such as specific dimensions, orientations, positions, and shapes, will be determined in part by the specific purpose and environment of use.

[0019] In the figures, reference numerals refer to the same or equivalent parts of the invention throughout several figures. Detailed Implementation

[0020] Reference will now be made to various embodiments of the present invention, which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. Although the invention will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments thereof, it should be understood that this description is not intended to limit the invention to these exemplary embodiments. On the contrary, the invention is intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments thereof, but also various alternatives, modifications, equivalents, and other embodiments included within the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0021] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which embodiments thereof are illustrated. Whenever possible, the same reference numerals will be used throughout the drawings to denote the same or similar components. In the following description of the invention, detailed descriptions of known functions and configurations incorporated herein will be omitted when the subject matter of the invention is rather unclear.

[0022] Figure 1 This is a schematic diagram illustrating, by way of example, the configuration of a hybrid power compressor according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Figure 2This is a circuit diagram illustrating the refrigerant circulation lines of a hybrid compressor and an indoor air conditioner using various exemplary embodiments of the present invention. Figure 3 This is a circuit diagram of an integrated thermal management system for a mobile vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention.

[0023] To achieve the aforementioned objectives, an integrated thermal management system for a mobility vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention includes: a hybrid compressor 100 comprising a mechanical compression unit 110 driven by the driving force of an engine A and an electric compression unit 120 driven by the driving force of an electric motor 140, and configured such that a blower 130 is connected to the electric compression unit 120; a refrigerant circulation line 101 connected to the hybrid compressor 100, a condenser 150, and an expansion valve 160 to circulate refrigerant thereto; and an interior air conditioning unit configured to cool or heat air introduced by the blower 130 and then discharge the air to the interior of the mobility vehicle, and including a cooling core 170 and a heating core 180, the cooling core 170 being connected to a point downstream of the expansion valve 160 of the refrigerant circulation line 101, and the heating core 180 being connected to the exhaust gas discharge line 201 of the engine A.

[0024] refer to Figure 1 and Figure 2 , Figure 1 Detailed configuration of the hybrid compressor 100 is shown. The hybrid compressor 100 includes a mechanical compressor 110 driven by the rotational force of the shaft of engine A and an electric compressor 120 driven by the driving force of an electric motor 140. The mechanical compressor 110 and the electric compressor 120 are configured to compress refrigerant in a mobile vehicle. Specifically, the refrigerant flows along the refrigerant circulation line 101 as it is repeatedly compressed to a high temperature and high pressure state by the hybrid compressor 100, condenses to a low temperature and high pressure state by heat dissipation through the condenser 150, and expands to a low temperature and low pressure state through the expansion valve 160.

[0025] Here, motor 140 is connected not only to hybrid compressor 100, but also to blower 130. (Reference) Figure 2 The blower 130 pressurizes the air and supplies it to the interior of the mobile vehicle, and the air inside the mobile vehicle can be regulated by heat exchange between the pressurized air and the refrigerant.

[0026] Figure 3 This is a circuit diagram of an integrated thermal management system for a mobile vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, and referenced to... Figure 3 The following describes the control process for using the waste heat from the exhaust gas of engine A to regulate indoor air.

[0027] In engine A, the mixing of fuel and intake air, the combustion of the mixture, and the exhaust are repeated, producing high-temperature exhaust gas. Here, when the high-temperature exhaust gas is supplied to the heating core 180 and air pressurized by the blower 130 is transferred to the heating core 180, the pressurized air is heated by heat exchange between the exhaust gas and the pressurized air, thereby being configured for heating the interior of the mobile vehicle.

[0028] The air can be pressurized using the motor 140 to regulate the indoor air, and the refrigerant can be circulated using the hybrid compressor 100 to cool the interior of the mobile vehicle with the pressurized air. If the interior of the mobile vehicle needs to be heated, the waste heat from the exhaust gas of the engine A can be used to regulate the indoor air.

[0029] Furthermore, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that an auxiliary condenser is located on the indoor side to heat the interior of the mobile vehicle.

[0030] The parts of a mobile vehicle requiring air conditioning may include the vehicle's interior, at least one electronic component, and the battery. If an air conditioning system is installed in each of these three parts to properly perform cooling / heating, the cost and weight of the mobile vehicle increase, thereby reducing its range. Therefore, the integrated thermal management system for a mobile vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention minimizes the weight and volume of the air conditioning components of the mobile vehicle using the hybrid compressor 100, and is configured to facilitate efficient driving of the mobile vehicle. That is, the integrated thermal management system for a mobile vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention can appropriately combine the waste heat from the exhaust gas generated by engine A and the refrigerant circulation system using the rotational force of engine A, and is configured to control the environment of the mobile vehicle.

[0031] Furthermore, the cooling core 170 may include a first evaporator 171 and a second evaporator 172, the first evaporator 171 being configured to cool air supplied from a blower to the passenger compartment within the mobile vehicle, and the second evaporator 172 being configured to cool air supplied from a blower to at least one electronic component located within the mobile vehicle.

[0032] The first evaporator 171 receives air pressurized by the blower 130 and performs heat exchange between the pressurized air and the cryogenic refrigerant, and is configured to cool the cabin.

[0033] Similar to the first evaporator 171, the second evaporator 172 receives pressurized air and performs heat exchange between the pressurized air and the cryogenic refrigerant, and is configured to cool at least one electronic component. However, while the air supplied to the second evaporator 172 can be supplied via a blower 130, since the air pressure is not critical, at least for cooling the electronic components, air can be supplied to the second evaporator 172 via a separate line. That is, since the pressure of the ram air alone is sufficient, the air supplied to the second evaporator 172 does not need to be pressurized via the blower 130.

[0034] Figure 3 A circuit is shown in which air flowing into the second evaporator 172 cools at least one electronic component via a separate pipeline.

[0035] An electric heater 181 is installed in an indoor air conditioning unit, and the electric heater 181 can operate when the temperature of the heating core 180 is not high enough, for example, when the temperature of the heating core 180 is lower than a predetermined value.

[0036] Specifically, when the heating core 180 is not configured to fully heat the air using only the waste heat from the exhaust gas of engine A, the electric heater 181 can be operated to perform additional heating.

[0037] Alternatively, when engine A is not driven, electric heater 181 can heat the air pressurized by blower 130 alone, and the heated air can be used to humidify the interior of the mobile vehicle.

[0038] An integrated thermal management system according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention may further include: a battery B disposed in a mobile vehicle to drive the mobile vehicle; a cooling fluid circulation line 301 connected to the battery 300 such that cooling fluid is circulated to the battery 300 via a water pump 330; and a first heat exchanger 310 disposed on the cooling fluid circulation line 301 to perform heat exchange between the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation line and the cooling fluid in the cooling fluid circulation line.

[0039] Specifically, the mobility vehicle can be a hybrid mobility vehicle powered by electricity or by engine A. When the mobility vehicle is powered by electricity, battery B is heated, thereby increasing its temperature and preventing an increase in energy consumption. Therefore, the integrated thermal management system according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention may further include: a cooling fluid circulation line 301 configured to circulate cooling fluid to battery B to cool battery B; and a first heat exchanger 310 configured to perform heat exchange between a cryogenic refrigerant and the cooling fluid heated after battery B has been cooled, configured to cool battery B.

[0040] The cooling fluid in the cooling fluid circulation line 301 can flow through the battery B and then through the first control valve 340 to the first heat exchanger 310, and the first control valve 340 can be opened according to the temperature of the cooling fluid.

[0041] Specifically, a radiator can be further disposed on the cooling fluid circulation line 301. The radiator is configured to dissipate the heat of the cooling fluid to the outside. That is, the radiator is configured to cool the heated cooling fluid again. Because the refrigerant cannot circulate smoothly during the initial stage of starting the mobile vehicle, when the battery B is not expected to be configured for smooth cooling, it is necessary to dissipate the heat of the cooling fluid through the radiator, and when it is difficult to cool the cooling fluid again using only the refrigerant, the radiator can be used as an auxiliary means to assist in the dissipation of heat from the cooling fluid.

[0042] The opening of the first control valve 340 can be controlled according to the temperature of the cooling fluid to allow the cooling fluid to flow as described above.

[0043] The second heat exchanger 320 can be further installed on the cooling fluid circulation line 301 to perform heat exchange between the exhaust gas in the exhaust gas discharge line and the cooling fluid in the cooling fluid circulation line. When the temperature of the battery B needs to be increased, the cooling fluid can be heated by the second heat exchanger 320 to increase the temperature of the battery B.

[0044] In order to ensure that battery B operates within a suitable temperature range, its temperature can be increased when it is low during the initial stage of starting the vehicle. Therefore, in the cold winter months, during the initial stage of starting the vehicle, high-temperature exhaust gases can be generated by operating engine A, and the waste heat from these exhaust gases can be used to increase the temperature of battery B.

[0045] Specifically, a second heat exchanger 320 configured to heat the cooling fluid through heat exchange between the exhaust gas and the cooling fluid can be further provided on the cooling fluid circulation line 301, and the mobile vehicle can be driven by the battery B when the battery B reaches a temperature at which the battery B can be properly operated.

[0046] The second control valve 240 can be further installed on the exhaust gas discharge line 201, and its opening can be controlled when the temperature of battery B needs to be increased. In winter, when the temperature of battery B needs to be increased, during the initial stage of vehicle startup, the second control valve 240 can be controlled to transfer exhaust gas to the second heat exchanger 320. The second control valve 240 can adjust the exhaust gas flow rate according to the degree to which the temperature of battery B needs to be increased, and in cases where the temperature of battery B needs to be increased rapidly, all exhaust gas can be transferred to battery B to increase its temperature. When the temperature of battery B does not need to be increased, the second control valve 240 can discharge exhaust gas in a direction different from that of the second heat exchanger 320.

[0047] As is apparent from the above description, the integrated thermal management system for a mobile vehicle according to various exemplary embodiments of the present invention can operate to use the power of the engine to perform cooling of the interior of the mobile vehicle, cooling of at least one electronic component, and cooling of the battery, and when the engine is not in operation, it can operate to use an electric motor to continuously supply ambient air to the interior of the mobile vehicle. Furthermore, the integrated thermal management system can use waste heat generated from the engine to initially heat the battery and heat the interior of the mobile vehicle.

[0048] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the controller is connected to at least one element in the integrated thermal management system to control its operation.

[0049] Further, terms related to control devices, such as “controller,” “control unit,” “control device,” or “control module,” refer to hardware devices, including a memory and a processor configured to execute one or more steps considered as an algorithmic structure. The memory stores the algorithmic steps, and the processor executes the algorithmic steps to perform one or more processes of a method according to various exemplary embodiments of the invention. Control devices according to exemplary embodiments of the invention can be implemented using non-volatile memory and a processor configured to store algorithms for controlling the operation of various components of a vehicle or data regarding software commands for executing the algorithms, and the processor configured to perform the aforementioned operations using the data stored in the memory. The memory and processor can be separate chips. Alternatively, the memory and processor can be integrated into a single chip. The processor can be implemented as one or more processors. The processor can include various logic circuits and arithmetic circuits, can process data according to a program provided from the memory, and can generate control signals based on the processing results.

[0050] The control device may be at least one microprocessor operated by a predetermined program, which may include a series of commands for performing the methods included in the various exemplary embodiments of the present invention described above.

[0051] The invention also covers computer-readable code on a computer-readable recording medium. A computer-readable recording medium is any data storage device capable of storing data that can be subsequently read by a computer system. Examples of computer-readable recording media include hard disk drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs), silicon disk drives (SDDs), read-only memory (ROM), random access memory (RAM), CD-ROMs, magnetic tapes, floppy disks, optical data storage devices, and implementations as carrier waves (e.g., transmission via the Internet).

[0052] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the various operations described above can be performed by a control device, and the control device can be configured by multiple control devices or an integrated single control device.

[0053] In various exemplary embodiments of the present invention, the control device can be implemented in hardware or software, or in a combination of hardware and software.

[0054] For ease of description and precise definition in the appended claims, the features of the exemplary embodiments are described using the terms "above," "below," "inner," "outer," "upper," "lower," "upward," "downward," "front," "rear," "back," "front," "outer," "inward," "outer," "internal," "external," "within," "outside," "forward," and "rearward" with reference to the location of such features shown in the figures. It should be further understood that the term "connection" or its derivatives refer to both direct and indirect connections.

[0055] Furthermore, the term "fixed connection" means that the fixed connection elements always rotate at the same speed. Furthermore, the term "selective connection" means that "when the selective connection elements are not engaged with each other, the selective connection elements rotate individually; when the selective connection elements are engaged with each other, they rotate at the same speed; and when at least one of the selective connection elements is a stationary element and the remaining selective connection elements are engaged with the stationary element, they are stationary."

[0056] The foregoing description of specific exemplary embodiments of the invention has been presented for purposes of illustration and description. It is not intended to be exhaustive or to limit the invention to the precise forms disclosed, and it will be apparent that many modifications and variations are possible in accordance with the foregoing teachings. The exemplary embodiments were chosen and described to illustrate specific principles of the invention and its practical application, enabling those skilled in the art to make and utilize various exemplary embodiments of the invention, as well as various alternatives and modifications thereof. The scope of the invention is intended to be defined by the appended claims and their equivalents.

Claims

1. An integrated thermal management system for mobile vehicles, the integrated thermal management system comprising: A hybrid compressor includes a mechanical compression unit driven by the driving force of an engine and an electric compression unit driven by the driving force of an electric motor, wherein a blower is connected to the electric compression unit. A refrigerant circulation line, fluidly connected to the hybrid compressor, condenser, and expansion valve, allows refrigerant to circulate to the refrigerant circulation line; and An interior air conditioning unit is configured to cool or heat air introduced by the blower and then exhaust the air into the interior of the vehicle, and includes a cooling core and a heating core. The cooling core is connected to a point on the refrigerant circulation line downstream of the expansion valve, and the heating core is fluidly connected to an exhaust line connected to the engine. The motor is installed between the electric compression unit and the blower, and the electric compression unit and the blower are operated by the driving force of the motor.

2. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein, The cooling core includes a first evaporator fluidly connected to the refrigerant circulation line and fluidly connected to the blower to receive air pressurized by the blower, and the first evaporator is configured to perform heat exchange between the pressurized air and the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation line to cool the passenger compartment of the mobile vehicle.

3. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 2, wherein, The heating core is fluidly connected to the first evaporator.

4. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 3, wherein, An electric heater is fluidly connected to the heating core, and the electric heater is configured to operate when the temperature of the heating core is below a predetermined value.

5. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 2, wherein, An electric heater is fluidly connected to the first evaporator, and the electric heater is configured to operate when the temperature of the heating core is below a predetermined value.

6. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein, The cooling core includes a second evaporator fluidly connected to the refrigerant circulation line and configured to cool the air supplied from the blower to at least one electronic component located within the mobile vehicle by performing heat exchange between the air and the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation line.

7. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein, An electric heater is installed in the indoor air conditioning unit, and the electric heater is configured to operate when the temperature of the heating core is below a predetermined value.

8. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 1, further comprising: A battery is disposed within the mobility vehicle to power the mobility vehicle; A cooling fluid circulation line is fluidly connected to the battery so that cooling fluid is circulated to the battery via the cooling fluid circulation line by a pump; as well as A first heat exchanger is disposed on the cooling fluid circulation line and fluidly connected to the refrigerant circulation line to perform heat exchange between the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation line and the cooling fluid in the cooling fluid circulation line.

9. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 8, wherein, The cooling fluid in the cooling fluid circulation pipeline flows through the battery and then through a first control valve to the first heat exchanger, and the first control valve is configured to open according to the temperature of the cooling fluid.

10. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 9, wherein, The radiator is installed in the cooling fluid circulation line and the first control valve is configured to control the flow of the cooling fluid to selectively bypass the radiator.

11. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 8, further comprising: A second heat exchanger is disposed on the cooling fluid circulation line and fluidly connected to the exhaust gas line to perform heat exchange between the exhaust gas in the exhaust gas line and the cooling fluid in the cooling fluid circulation line. When the temperature of the battery needs to be increased, the cooling fluid is heated by the second heat exchanger to increase the temperature of the battery.

12. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 11, wherein, The cooling fluid circulation pipeline connects the battery, the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger, and the pump in a closed loop.

13. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 11, wherein, The second control valve is installed on the exhaust gas line and controls the opening of the second control valve when the temperature of the battery needs to be increased.

14. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 13, wherein, The second control valve is located on the exhaust gas line between the second heat exchanger and the engine.

15. The integrated thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein, The mechanical compression unit and the electric compression unit are fluidly connected in parallel to the refrigerant circulation line, and the condenser and the expansion valve are fluidly connected in series to the refrigerant circulation line.

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