Heat pump system for vehicle

Abstract

A heat pump system includes a valve module for controlling a flow of a coolant, a first line connected to the valve module, an electrical component on the first line, a second line connected to the first line and the valve module, a heat sink on the second line, a third line connected to the valve module on which a battery module is disposed, a fourth line connected to the valve module and the third line, a fifth line connected to the valve module, a cooler on the fifth line, a sixth line connected to the first line, and a seventh line connected to the third line, in which one end of the sixth line and one end of the seventh line are respectively connected to the cooler, and the sixth pipeline and the seventh pipeline can be connected to the fifth pipeline through the cooler.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0090635, filed on Jul. 12, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a heat pump system for a vehicle. Background Art

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

[0005] The air conditioning unit is used to maintain the interior of the vehicle at an appropriate temperature to maintain a comfortable in-vehicle environment regardless of changes in the outside temperature. The air conditioning unit is configured to heat or cool the interior of the vehicle through heat exchange between the condenser and the evaporator in a process in which the refrigerant exhausted by the drive of the compressor circulates back to the compressor through the condenser, the receiver-dryer, the expansion valve, and the evaporator.

[0006] That is, in cooling mode, the air conditioning unit reduces the internal temperature and humidity by condensing the high-temperature and high-pressure gas-phase refrigerant compressed from the compressor by the condenser, passing the refrigerant through the receiver-drier and the expansion valve, and then evaporating the refrigerant in the evaporator.

[0007] Meanwhile, recently, with the increasing concern about energy efficiency and environmental pollution issues, there is a need to develop environmentally friendly vehicles that can basically replace internal combustion engine vehicles. Environmentally friendly vehicles are divided into electric vehicles driven using fuel cells or electricity as a power source and hybrid vehicles driven using an engine and a battery.

[0008] In an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle among these environmentally friendly vehicles, a separate heater is not used like an air conditioner of a general vehicle, and the air conditioner used in the environmentally friendly vehicle is generally called a heat pump system.

[0009] Meanwhile, electric vehicles driven by a fuel cell power source generate driving force by converting the chemical reaction energy between oxygen and hydrogen into electrical energy. In this process, the chemical reaction in the fuel cell generates heat energy. Therefore, in order to ensure the performance of the fuel cell, it is necessary to effectively remove the generated heat.

[0010] In addition, hybrid vehicles generate driving force by driving a motor using electricity supplied from the above-mentioned fuel cell or battery and an engine using ordinary fuel. Therefore, the heat generated by the fuel cell or battery and the motor should be effectively removed to ensure the performance of the motor.

[0011] Therefore, in a hybrid vehicle or electric vehicle according to the related art, a cooling device, a heat pump system, and a battery cooling system should be respectively configured as separate closed loops to prevent the motor, electrical components, and batteries (including fuel cells) from heating up.

[0012] Therefore, the size and weight of the cooling module provided at the front of the vehicle increase, and the layout of connection lines supplying refrigerant and coolant to each of the heat pump system, the cooling device, and the battery cooling system in the engine compartment becomes complicated.

[0013] In addition, since a battery cooling system is separately provided for heating or cooling the battery according to the vehicle status to obtain optimal battery performance, a plurality of valves are used to selectively interconnect connecting lines, and thus noise and vibration caused by frequent switching operations of the valves are introduced into the vehicle interior, thereby reducing riding comfort.

[0014] Furthermore, when heating the interior of the vehicle, heating performance may be deteriorated due to lack of a heat source, power consumption may increase due to use of an electric heater, and power consumption of a compressor may increase.

[0015] Furthermore, a separate heat exchanger is required to recover waste heat from various heat sources in a vehicle heating mode, which results in a disadvantage of increased manufacturing cost.

[0016] The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancing understanding of the background technology of the embodiments of the present invention and therefore it may contain information that does not constitute the prior art that is already known to a person of ordinary skill in the art. Summary of the invention

[0017] The present invention relates to a heat pump system for a vehicle. A specific embodiment relates to a heat pump system for a vehicle, which is capable of adjusting the temperature of a battery module by using a single cooler in which a refrigerant and a coolant perform heat exchange, recovering waste heat of electric components and a battery module and using it for heating the vehicle, and forming a plurality of coolant flow lines by a single valve according to a selected mode of the vehicle.

[0018] Embodiments of the present invention provide a heat pump system for a vehicle that is capable of regulating the temperature of a battery module by using a single cooler in which a refrigerant and a coolant perform heat exchange, and improving the overall efficiency of the system by selectively recovering waste heat of electrical components and the battery module and using it to heat the interior of the vehicle.

[0019] Furthermore, the embodiments of the present invention provide a heat pump system for a vehicle, which can simplify the layout of the system and reduce manufacturing costs by forming a plurality of coolant flow lines by a single valve according to a selected mode of the vehicle.

[0020] A heat pump system, which may include: a valve module configured to control the flow of an internally introduced coolant according to at least one mode for temperature regulation of the vehicle interior and temperature regulation of a battery module; a first pipeline connected to the valve module to selectively flow the coolant and provided with an electrical component; a second pipeline having a first end connected to the first pipeline and a second end connected to the valve module to selectively flow the coolant and provided with a radiator; a third pipeline connected to the valve module to selectively flow the coolant and provided with the battery module; a fourth pipeline having a first end connected to the valve module to selectively flow the coolant and a a second end connected to the third pipeline; a fifth pipeline having a first end connected to the valve module to selectively allow coolant to flow and a second end provided with a cooler; a sixth pipeline having a first end connected to the first pipeline at a position where the first pipeline and the second pipeline are connected and configured to selectively allow coolant to flow; and a seventh pipeline having a first end connected to the third pipeline at a position where the third pipeline and the fourth pipeline are connected and configured to selectively allow coolant to flow, wherein the second end of the sixth pipeline and the second end of the seventh pipeline are respectively connected to the cooler so that the sixth pipeline and the seventh pipeline can be connected to the fifth pipeline through the cooler.

[0021] The valve module may include a valve configured to control a flow of an internally introduced coolant and at least one water pump provided in the valve.

[0022] The at least one water pump may include a first water pump installed on the valve to correspond to the first pipeline and a second water pump installed on the valve to correspond to the third pipeline.

[0023] The first water pump and the second water pump may be disposed at positions facing each other with respect to the valve.

[0024] The valve may selectively discharge the coolant flowing selectively from the second line, the fourth line, or the fifth line through the first line or the third line according to a mode selected from at least one of the modes.

[0025] At least one mode may include a first mode for cooling electrical components and battery modules by using a coolant cooled at a radiator, a second mode for heating the interior of a vehicle and recovering waste heat of the battery modules, a third mode for heating the interior of a vehicle and recovering waste heat of electrical components, a fourth mode for quickly cooling the battery modules by using a coolant cooled at a radiator, and a fifth mode for injecting coolant.

[0026] In the first mode, the second pipeline can be connected to the third pipeline by operation of the valve module so that the coolant cooled at the radiator can be supplied to the electrical components and the battery module, and the fourth pipeline can be connected to the first pipeline by operation of the valve module. The first pipeline, the second pipeline, the third pipeline, and the fourth pipeline can be interconnected by operation of the valve module so that the coolant can circulate along the first pipeline, the second pipeline, the third pipeline, and the fourth pipeline. The fifth pipeline can be closed by operation of the valve module, and the sixth pipeline and the seventh pipeline can be closed.

[0027] In the second mode, the second line can be connected to the first line by operation of the valve module so that the coolant cooled at the radiator can be supplied to the electric components, the fifth line can be connected to the third line by operation of the valve module, the seventh line can be opened to be connected to the third line and the cooler, the fourth line can be closed by operation of the valve module, the sixth line can be closed, and the first line and the second line can form an independent closed loop by operation of the valve module. The third line, the fifth line, and the seventh line can form an independent closed loop by operation of the valve module, and the cooler can recover waste heat of the battery module from the coolant heated when cooling the battery module.

[0028] In the third mode, the second pipeline can be closed by operation of the valve module so that the coolant that has passed through the electric component is not supplied to the radiator, the fifth pipeline can be connected to the first pipeline by operation of the valve module, the sixth pipeline can be opened to be connected to the first pipeline and the cooler, the fourth pipeline can be connected to the third pipeline by operation of the valve module, and the seventh pipeline can be closed. The first pipeline, the fifth pipeline, and the sixth pipeline can form an independent closed loop by operation of the valve module. The third pipeline and the fourth pipeline can form an independent closed loop by operation of the valve module, and the cooler can recover waste heat of the electric component from the coolant heated when cooling the electric component.

[0029] In the third mode, the battery modules may be selectively heated.

[0030] In the fourth mode, the second pipeline can be connected to the third pipeline by operation of the valve module, so that the coolant cooled at the radiator can be supplied to the battery module, the fifth pipeline can be closed by operation of the valve module, the sixth pipeline can be opened to connect to the third pipeline and the cooler, the seventh pipeline can be opened to connect to the second pipeline and the cooler, the first pipeline and the fourth pipeline can be closed by operation of the valve module, and the second pipeline, the third pipeline, the sixth pipeline and the seventh pipeline can be interconnected by operation of the valve module, so that the coolant can circulate along the second pipeline, the third pipeline, the sixth pipeline and the seventh pipeline.

[0031] In the fifth mode, the first pipeline can be connected to the second pipeline, the second pipeline can be connected to the third pipeline by operation of the valve module, the fourth pipeline can be connected to the first pipeline by operation of the valve module, the fifth pipeline can be connected to the third pipeline by operation of the valve module, the sixth pipeline can be opened to connect to the third pipeline and the cooler, the seventh pipeline can be opened to connect to the second pipeline and the cooler, and the first pipeline, the second pipeline, the third pipeline, the fourth pipeline, the fifth pipeline, the sixth pipeline and the seventh pipeline are all connected by operation of the valve module, so that the coolant can be injected into the first pipeline, the second pipeline, the third pipeline, the fourth pipeline, the fifth pipeline, the sixth pipeline and the seventh pipeline.

[0032] The valve module may further include a fluid reservoir disposed in the valve and connected to the second line.

[0033] The chiller can be connected to the air conditioning unit via a refrigerant connection line.

[0034] The cooler may be a water-cooled heat exchanger that exchanges heat between an internally introduced coolant and a refrigerant supplied from an air conditioning unit.

[0035] The third line may be provided with a coolant heater.

[0036] In order to increase the temperature of the battery module, the coolant heater may be operated to heat the coolant supplied to the battery module along the third line.

[0037] According to an embodiment, according to a heat pump system for a vehicle, the overall efficiency of the system can be improved by adjusting the temperature of a battery module using a single cooler in which a refrigerant and a coolant perform heat exchange, and by selectively recovering waste heat of electrical components and a battery module and using it to heat the vehicle.

[0038] Furthermore, according to the embodiments of the present invention, by forming a plurality of coolant flow lines by a single valve according to a selected mode of a vehicle, streamlining and simplification of the system may be achieved while reducing manufacturing costs.

[0039] Furthermore, according to the embodiments, by effectively regulating the temperature of the battery module, optimal performance of the battery module may be achieved, and the overall driving distance of the vehicle may be improved due to the effective management of the battery module.

[0040] Furthermore, according to the embodiments, manufacturing cost and weight can be reduced, and space utilization can be improved by simplifying the entire system. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0041] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle heat pump system according to an embodiment.

[0042] Figure 2is an operation diagram of a first mode of a vehicle heat pump system according to an embodiment.

[0043] Figure 3 is an operation diagram of the second mode of the vehicle heat pump system according to the embodiment.

[0044] Figure 4 is an operation diagram of a third mode of the vehicle heat pump system according to the embodiment.

[0045] Figure 5 is an operation diagram of a fourth mode of the vehicle heat pump system according to the embodiment.

[0046] Figure 6 is an operation diagram of a fifth mode of the vehicle heat pump system according to the embodiment. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0047] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0048] The exemplary embodiments disclosed in this specification and the configurations depicted in the accompanying drawings are only preferred embodiments of the present invention and do not cover the entire scope of the embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that various equivalents and modifications may exist when applying this specification.

[0049] In order to clarify the embodiments of the present invention, parts irrelevant to the description will be omitted, and the same elements or equivalents are referred to with the same reference numerals throughout the specification.

[0050] Furthermore, the size and thickness of each element are arbitrarily shown in the drawings, but the embodiments of the present invention are not necessarily limited thereto, and in the drawings, the thickness of layers, films, panels, regions, etc., are exaggerated for clarity.

[0051] In addition, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the word “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.

[0052] In addition, each term described in the specification, such as “unit”, “means”, “portion”, “component” and “member”, refers to a unit of a comprehensive element that performs at least one function or operation.

[0053] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a vehicle heat pump system according to an embodiment.

[0054] The heat pump system for a vehicle according to an embodiment can effectively adjust the temperature of the battery module 30 through a single cooler 40 that performs heat exchange between a refrigerant and a coolant, and can selectively recover waste heat of the electrical components 10 and the battery module 30 and use it to heat the interior of the vehicle, thereby improving the overall efficiency of the system.

[0055] Furthermore, according to the heat pump system, by forming a plurality of coolant lines by the single valve 51 according to the selected mode of the vehicle, the layout of the system can be simplified and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[0056] Here, according to the heat pump system, in the electric vehicle, the electric components 10 and the battery module 30 through which the coolant circulates may be interconnected with each other through the air conditioning unit 100 and the chiller 40 for circulating the refrigerant to cool and heat the vehicle interior.

[0057] That is to say, reference Figure 1 The heat pump system may include a first pipeline 11 , a second pipeline 12 , a third pipeline 13 , a fourth pipeline 14 , a fifth pipeline 15 , a sixth pipeline 16 , a seventh pipeline 17 and a valve module 50 .

[0058] First, the valve module 50 may control the flow of the internally introduced coolant according to at least one selection mode for temperature regulation of the vehicle interior and temperature regulation of the battery module 30 .

[0059] The configuration of the valve module 50 will be described in more detail below.

[0060] In the present embodiment, a first end of the first pipeline 11 may be connected to the valve module 50 , and a coolant may selectively flow therethrough. The electric component 10 may be disposed in the first pipeline 11 .

[0061] A first end of the second line 12 may be connected to a second end of the first line 11. A second end of the second line 12 may be connected to the valve module 50, and a coolant may selectively flow therethrough.

[0062] The radiator 20 may be provided in the second line 12. The radiator 20 may be provided at the front of the vehicle, and a cooling fan (not shown) may be provided at the downstream side of the radiator 20. Accordingly, the radiator 20 cools the coolant through operation of the cooling fan and heat exchange with ambient air.

[0063] In the present embodiment, a first end of the third line 13 may be connected to the valve module 50 to selectively flow the coolant. The battery module 30 may be disposed on the third line 13 .

[0064] Here, the coolant heater 32 may be provided in the third line 13. In order to increase the temperature of the battery module 30, the coolant heater 32 may be operated to heat the coolant supplied to the battery module 30 along the third line 13.

[0065] The coolant heater 32 may be an electric heater operated by supplying electricity.

[0066] That is, when the temperature of the coolant supplied to the battery module 30 is lower than the target temperature, the coolant heater 32 may be operated to heat the coolant flowing through the third line 13 .

[0067] Accordingly, the coolant heated while passing through the coolant heater 32 is supplied to the battery module 30 along the third line 13 by the operation of the valve module 50 , and the temperature of the battery module 30 may be increased.

[0068] Therefore, the coolant heater 32 may be selectively operated to increase the temperature of the battery module 30 .

[0069] A first end of the fourth line 14 may be connected to the valve module 50 to selectively flow the coolant. A second end of the fourth line 14 may be connected to the third line 13.

[0070] In the present embodiment, a first end of the fifth pipeline 15 may be connected to the valve module 50 to selectively flow the coolant. A cooler 40 may be provided in the fifth pipeline 15.

[0071] Here, the cooler 40 may be connected to the air conditioning unit 100 through a refrigerant connection line 101. The cooler 40 may be a water-cooled heat exchanger that performs heat exchange of an internally introduced coolant with respect to a refrigerant supplied from the air conditioning unit 100.

[0072] That is, the cooler 40 may adjust the temperature of the coolant by heat-exchanging the selectively supplied coolant with the refrigerant selectively supplied from the air-conditioning unit 100 .

[0073] Here, in order to cool the battery module 30 or to heat the vehicle interior, the cooler 40 may be operated to recover heat from the coolant heated by the waste heat of the electric component 10 or the waste heat of the battery module 30 .

[0074] In the present embodiment, a first end of the sixth line 16 may be connected to the first line 11 at a location where the first line 11 and the second line 12 are connected. The coolant may selectively flow through the sixth line 16 according to the operation of the valve module 50.

[0075] In addition, a first end of the seventh line 17 may be connected to the third line 13 at a position where the third line 13 and the fourth line 14 are connected. The coolant may selectively flow through the seventh line 17 according to the operation of the valve module 50.

[0076] Here, the second ends of the sixth line 16 and the seventh line 17 may be connected to the cooler 40 , respectively, so that the sixth line 16 and the seventh line 17 may be connected to the fifth line 15 through the cooler 40 , respectively.

[0077] Meanwhile, in the present embodiment, the valve module 50 may include a valve 51 for controlling the flow of the internally introduced coolant and at least one water pump provided in the valve 51 .

[0078] The valve module 50 may further include a fluid reservoir 53 disposed in the valve 51 and connected to the second pipeline 12 .

[0079] Here, the at least one water pump may include a first water pump 54 and a second water pump 55 .

[0080] First, the first water pump 54 may be installed on the valve 51 corresponding to the first pipeline 11 .

[0081] In addition, a second water pump 55 may be installed on the valve 51 corresponding to the third pipeline 13 .

[0082] Here, the first water pump 54 and the second water pump 55 may be disposed at positions facing each other with respect to the valve 51 .

[0083] In the present embodiment, the valve 51 may selectively discharge the coolant selectively flowing from the second line 12 , the fourth line 14 , or the fifth line 15 through the first line 11 or the third line 13 according to a mode selected from at least one mode.

[0084] Here, the at least one mode may include first to fifth modes.

[0085] First, the first mode may cool the electric component 10 and the battery module 30 by using the coolant cooled at the radiator 20 .

[0086] In the second mode, the vehicle interior may be heated, and waste heat of the battery module 30 may be recovered.

[0087] In the third mode, the vehicle interior may be heated, and waste heat of the electric component 10 may be recovered.

[0088] In the present embodiment, the fourth mode may quickly cool the battery module 30 by using the coolant cooled at the radiator 20 .

[0089] Furthermore, in the fifth mode, the coolant may be injected into the corresponding lines and the valve module 50 through the reservoir 53 .

[0090] In the following, reference Figures 2 to 6 The operation and action of the vehicle heat pump system in each mode according to the embodiment configured as described above are described in detail.

[0091] First, refer to Figure 2 Operation of the heat pump system for a vehicle according to the embodiment in the first mode for cooling the electric component 10 and the battery module 30 by using the coolant cooled at the radiator 20 is described.

[0092] Figure 2 is an operation diagram of a first mode of a vehicle heat pump system according to an embodiment.

[0093] refer to Figure 2 In the first mode, the second line 12 may be connected to the third line 13 by operation of the valve 51 , so that the coolant cooled at the radiator 20 may be supplied to the electric component 10 and the battery module 30 .

[0094] The fourth pipeline 14 may be connected to the first pipeline 11 by operation of a valve 51 .

[0095] At the same time, the fifth pipeline 15 may be closed by the operation of the valve 51. At the same time, the sixth pipeline 16 and the seventh pipeline 17 may be closed by the fifth pipeline 15 being closed.

[0096] Therefore, the first line 11 , the second line 12 , the third line 13 , and the fourth line 14 may be interconnected by operation of the valve 51 , so that the coolant may circulate along the first line 11 , the second line 12 , the third line 13 , and the fourth line 14 .

[0097] In this state, when both the first water pump 54 and the second water pump 55 are operated, the coolant cooled at the radiator 20 flows into the valve 51 along the second line 12 , and is then discharged through the third line 13 .

[0098] The coolant discharged to the third line 13 may cool the battery module 30 while passing through the battery module 30. The coolant that has cooled the battery module 30 flows back into the valve 51 along the fourth line 14.

[0099] The coolant introduced into the valve 51 through the fourth line 14 is discharged through the first line 11 .

[0100] The coolant discharged to the first line 11 may cool the electric component 10 while passing through the electric component 10. The coolant that has cooled the electric component 10 flows into the radiator 20 along the second line 12.

[0101] The coolant introduced into the radiator 20 may be cooled by heat exchange with ambient air.

[0102] At the same time, the air conditioning unit 100 may stop operating.

[0103] That is, while the above-described process is repeatedly performed, the coolant cooled at the radiator 20 may cool the electric component 10 and the battery module 30 to prevent overheating.

[0104] Here, the coolant cooled at the radiator 20 may first pass through the battery module 30 by operation of the valve module 50 to more effectively cool the battery module 30 .

[0105] In this embodiment, reference Figure 3 The operation in the second mode for heating the vehicle interior and for recovering waste heat of the battery module 30 is described.

[0106] Figure 3 is an operation diagram of the second mode of the vehicle heat pump system according to the embodiment.

[0107] See also Figure 3 In the second mode, the second line 12 may be connected to the first line 11 by operation of the valve 51 , so that the coolant cooled at the radiator 20 may be supplied to the electric component 10 .

[0108] The fifth line 15 may be connected to the third line 13 by operation of the valve 51. The seventh line 17 may be opened to be connected to the third line 13 and the cooler 40.

[0109] At the same time, the fourth line 14 and the sixth line 16 may be closed by the operation of the valve 51 .

[0110] Therefore, the first pipeline 11 and the second pipeline 12 may form an independent closed loop through the operation of the valve module 50 .

[0111] In addition, the third pipeline 13 , the fifth pipeline 15 , and the seventh pipeline 17 may form an independent closed loop through the operation of the valve module 50 .

[0112] In this state, when the first water pump 54 operates, the coolant cooled at the radiator 20 flows into the valve 51 along the second line 12 , and is then discharged through the first line 11 .

[0113] The coolant discharged to the first line 11 may cool the electric component 10 while passing through the electric component 10. The coolant that has cooled the electric component 10 flows into the radiator 20 along the second line 12.

[0114] Meanwhile, when the second water pump 55 operates, the coolant discharged to the third line 13 may cool the battery module 30 while passing through the battery module 30 .

[0115] The coolant that has cooled the battery module 30 may flow along the opened seventh line 17 . The coolant flowing through the seventh line 17 may pass through the cooler 40 , and then flow along the fifth line 15 .

[0116] Here, the air conditioning unit 100 may be operated such that refrigerant may be supplied to the cooler 40 through the refrigerant connection line 101 .

[0117] Then, the cooler 40 may recover waste heat of the battery module 30 from the coolant heated by cooling the battery module 30 .

[0118] More specifically, the coolant heated by absorbing the waste heat of the battery module 30 is recovered while heating the refrigerant supplied to the cooler 40 while passing through the cooler 40 .

[0119] That is, the cooler 40 may heat the refrigerant through heat exchange of the coolant and the refrigerant to recover waste heat from the coolant heated while passing through the battery module 30. The heated refrigerant may be supplied to the air conditioning unit 100.

[0120] Therefore, by repeatedly performing the above-mentioned process, the coolant cooled at the radiator 20 can effectively cool the electric component 10. In addition, the cooler 40 can smoothly recover the waste heat of the battery module 30.

[0121] Therefore, in the second mode, by absorbing waste heat of the battery module 30 at the cooler 40 and using it to heat the refrigerant, the power consumption of the compressor provided in the air conditioning unit 100 may be reduced and the heating efficiency thereof may be improved.

[0122] refer to Figure 4 Operation of the heat pump system in the third mode for heating the vehicle interior and for recovering waste heat of the electric component 10 is described.

[0123] Figure 4 is an operation diagram of a third mode of the vehicle heat pump system according to the embodiment.

[0124] See also Figure 4 , the second line 12 may be closed by operation of the valve 51 so that the coolant having passed through the electric component 10 is not supplied to the radiator 20 .

[0125] The fifth pipeline 15 may be connected to the first pipeline 11 through operation of a valve 51 .

[0126] The sixth line 16 may be opened to be connected to the first line 11 and the cooler 40 .

[0127] Meanwhile, the fourth line 14 may be connected to the third line 13 by the operation of the valve module 50. Meanwhile, the seventh line 17 may be closed by the operation of the valve module 50.

[0128] Therefore, the first pipeline 11 , the fifth pipeline 15 , and the sixth pipeline 16 may form an independent closed loop through the operation of the valve module 50 .

[0129] In addition, the third pipeline 13 and the fourth pipeline 14 may form an independent closed loop through the operation of the valve module 50 .

[0130] In this state, when the first water pump 54 operates, the coolant discharged to the first line 11 may cool the electric components 10 while passing through the electric components 10 .

[0131] The coolant that has cooled the electric component 10 may flow along the opened sixth line 16. The coolant flowing to the sixth line 16 may pass through the cooler 40, and then flow along the opened fifth line 15.

[0132] Here, the air conditioning unit 100 may be operated such that refrigerant may be supplied to the cooler 40 through the refrigerant connection line 101 .

[0133] Then, the cooler 40 may recover waste heat of the electric component 10 from the coolant heated by cooling the electric component 10 .

[0134] More specifically, the coolant heated by absorbing the waste heat of the electric component 10 is recovered while heating the refrigerant supplied to the cooler 40 while passing through the cooler 40 .

[0135] That is, the cooler 40 may heat the refrigerant through heat exchange of the coolant and the refrigerant to recover waste heat from the coolant heated while passing through the electric component 10. The heated refrigerant may be supplied to the air conditioning unit 100.

[0136] Meanwhile, when the second water pump 55 operates, the coolant discharged to the third line 13 may circulate along the third line 13 and the fourth line 14 .

[0137] Here, in order to heat the battery module 30 , the coolant heater 32 may be operated.

[0138] The coolant heater 32 may increase the temperature of the coolant circulating along the third line 13 and the fourth line 14 through the operation of the valve module 50 , effectively increasing the temperature of the battery module 30 .

[0139] Therefore, by repeatedly performing the above-described process, the cooler 40 can smoothly recover waste heat of the electric component 10 from the coolant heated by cooling the electric component 10 .

[0140] That is, in the third mode, waste heat of the electric component 10 is absorbed by the cooler 40 for increasing the temperature of the refrigerant, and thus, power consumption of the compressor provided in the air conditioning unit 100 is reduced while improving heating efficiency.

[0141] Furthermore, in the third mode, when the temperature of the battery module 30 needs to be increased, the coolant heater 32 provided in the third line 13 may be selectively operated, thereby effectively adjusting the temperature of the battery module 30 .

[0142] In this embodiment, reference is made to Figure 5 The operation in the fourth mode of rapidly cooling the battery module 30 by using the coolant cooled at the radiator 20 is described.

[0143] Figure 5 is an operation diagram of a fourth mode of the vehicle heat pump system according to the embodiment.

[0144] refer to Figure 5 , the second line 12 may be connected to the third line 13 by operation of the valve 51 , so that the coolant cooled at the radiator 20 may be supplied to the battery module 30 .

[0145] The sixth line 16 may be opened to be connected to the third line 13 and the cooler 40, respectively. In addition, the seventh line 17 may be opened to be connected to the second line 12 and the cooler 40.

[0146] At the same time, the first pipeline 11 and the fourth pipeline 14 may be closed by the operation of the valve 51. In addition, the fifth pipeline 15 may be closed by the operation of the valve 51.

[0147] Therefore, the second pipeline 12 , the third pipeline 13 , the sixth pipeline 16 , and the seventh pipeline 17 may form an independent closed loop through the operation of the valve module 50 .

[0148] That is, the second line 12 , the third line 13 , the sixth line 16 , and the seventh line 17 are interconnected by operation of the valve 51 so that the coolant may circulate along the second line 12 , the third line 13 , the sixth line 16 , and the seventh line 17 .

[0149] In this state, when the second water pump 55 operates, the coolant cooled at the radiator 20 flows into the valve 51 along the second line 12 and is then discharged through the third line 13 .

[0150] The coolant may cool the battery module 30 while passing through the battery module 30. The coolant that has cooled the battery module 30 flows into the cooler 40 along the seventh line 17.

[0151] The coolant introduced into the cooler 40 flows along the sixth line 16 , and flows into the radiator 20 along the second line 12 connected to the sixth line 16 .

[0152] The coolant introduced into the radiator 20 may be cooled by heat exchange with ambient air. At this time, the air conditioning unit 100 may stop operating.

[0153] That is, while the above-described process is repeatedly performed, the coolant cooled at the radiator 20 is directly supplied to the battery module 30 , thereby rapidly cooling the battery module 30 .

[0154] In addition, reference Figure 6 Operation in the fifth mode for injecting coolant into the heat pump system is described.

[0155] Figure 6 is an operation diagram of a fifth mode of the vehicle heat pump system according to the embodiment.

[0156] See also Figure 6 , the first pipeline 11 is connected to the second pipeline 12.

[0157] The second pipeline 12 may be connected to the third pipeline 13 by the operation of the valve 51. In addition, the fourth pipeline 14 is connected to the first pipeline 11 by the operation of the valve 51.

[0158] In the present embodiment, the fifth pipeline 15 may be connected to the third pipeline 13 by operation of the valve 51 .

[0159] The sixth line 16 may be opened to be connected to the third line 13 and the cooler 40. In addition, the seventh line 17 may be opened to be connected to the second line 12 and the cooler 40.

[0160] Therefore, in the heat pump system, the first pipeline 11, the second pipeline 12, the third pipeline 13, the fourth pipeline 14, the fifth pipeline 15, the sixth pipeline 16 and the seventh pipeline 17 can all be connected by the operation of the valve 51, so that the coolant can be injected into the first pipeline 11, the second pipeline 12, the third pipeline 13, the fourth pipeline 14, the fifth pipeline 15, the sixth pipeline 16 and the seventh pipeline 17 through which the coolant flows.

[0161] In this state, a user or a worker may smoothly inject coolant into the interconnected first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh pipelines 11 , 12 , 13 , 14 , 15 , 16 , and 17 by allowing the coolant to flow into the reservoir 53 .

[0162] Therefore, the heat pump system for a vehicle according to the embodiment may improve the overall efficiency of the system by adjusting the temperature of the battery module 30 using the single cooler 40 and by selectively recovering and using waste heat of the electric component 10 and the battery module 30 .

[0163] Furthermore, according to the embodiment of the present invention, by forming a plurality of coolant flow lines by a single valve 51 according to a selected mode of the vehicle, streamlining and simplification of the system can be achieved while reducing manufacturing costs.

[0164] Furthermore, according to the embodiment, by effectively adjusting the temperature of the battery module 30 , optimal performance of the battery module 30 may be achieved, and the overall driving distance of the vehicle may be improved due to the effective management of the battery module 30 .

[0165] Furthermore, according to the embodiment, the manufacturing cost and weight can be reduced, and the space utilization can be improved by simplifying the entire system.

[0166] While embodiments of the present invention have been described in conjunction with what are presently considered to be practical exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that the embodiments of the present invention are not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Instead, it is intended to cover various modifications and equivalents included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A heat pump system, comprising: a valve module configured to control a flow of an internally introduced coolant according to a mode for regulating the temperature of the vehicle interior and the battery module; a first pipeline connected to the valve module to selectively flow a coolant, wherein an electrical component is disposed on the first pipeline; a second line having a first end connected to the first line and a second end connected to the valve module to selectively flow a coolant, wherein a radiator is disposed on the second line; a third pipeline connected to the valve module to selectively flow a coolant, wherein the battery module is disposed on the third pipeline; a fourth line having a first end connected to the valve module to selectively flow a coolant and a second end connected to the third line; a fifth line having a first end connected to the valve module to selectively flow a coolant, wherein a cooler is disposed at a second end of the fifth line; a sixth line having a first end connected to the first line at a location where the first line and the second line are connected, wherein the sixth line is configured to selectively flow a coolant; and a seventh pipeline having a first end connected to the third pipeline at a position where the third pipeline and the fourth pipeline are connected, wherein the seventh pipeline is configured to selectively flow a coolant, and wherein a second end of the sixth pipeline and a second end of the seventh pipeline are respectively connected to the cooler so that the sixth pipeline and the seventh pipeline can be connected to the fifth pipeline through the cooler.

2. The heat pump system according to claim 1, wherein: The valve module comprises: a valve configured to control the flow of the internally introduced coolant; and A water pump is arranged in the valve.

3. The heat pump system according to claim 2, wherein: The valve is configured to selectively exhaust coolant selectively flowing from the second line, the fourth line, or the fifth line through the first line or the third line based on the mode.

4. The heat pump system according to claim 2, wherein: The valve module further includes a fluid reservoir disposed in the valve and connected to the second pipeline.

5. The heat pump system according to claim 1, wherein: The cooler is connected to the air conditioning unit via a refrigerant connection line.

6. The heat pump system according to claim 5, wherein: The cooler includes a water-cooled heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange between an internally introduced coolant and a refrigerant supplied from the air conditioning unit. 7 . The heat pump system according to claim 1 , further comprising a coolant heater disposed on the third line.

8. The heat pump system according to claim 7, wherein: In order to increase the temperature of the battery module, the coolant heater is configured to be operated to heat the coolant supplied to the battery module along the third line.

9. The heat pump system according to claim 1, wherein: The valve module comprises: a valve configured to control the flow of the internally introduced coolant; a first water pump installed on the valve to correspond to the first pipeline; and A second water pump is installed on the valve to correspond to the third pipeline.

10. The heat pump system according to claim 9, wherein: The first water pump and the second water pump are disposed at positions facing each other with respect to the valve.

11. A heat pump system, comprising: a valve module configured to control a flow of an internally introduced coolant according to a selected mode among a plurality of modes for regulating the temperature of the vehicle interior and the battery module; a first pipeline connected to the valve module to selectively flow a coolant, wherein an electrical component is disposed on the first pipeline; a second line having a first end connected to the first line and a second end connected to the valve module to selectively flow a coolant, wherein a radiator is disposed on the second line; a third pipeline connected to the valve module to selectively flow a coolant, wherein the battery module is disposed on the third pipeline; a fourth line having a first end connected to the valve module to selectively flow a coolant and a second end connected to the third line; a fifth line having a first end connected to the valve module to selectively flow a coolant, wherein a cooler is disposed at a second end of the fifth line; a sixth line having a first end connected to the first line at a location where the first line and the second line are connected, wherein the sixth line is configured to selectively flow a coolant; and a seventh line configured to selectively flow a coolant and having a first end connected to the third line at a location where the third line and the fourth line are connected; wherein the second end of the sixth pipeline and the second end of the seventh pipeline are respectively connected to the cooler, so that the sixth pipeline and the seventh pipeline can be connected to the fifth pipeline through the cooler, and The multiple modes include: a first mode configured to cool the electric components and the battery module by using a coolant cooled at the radiator; a second mode configured to heat the vehicle interior and recover waste heat from the battery module; a third mode configured to heat the vehicle interior and recover waste heat from the electrical components; a fourth mode configured to quickly cool the battery module by using the coolant cooled at the radiator; and A fifth mode is configured to inject coolant.

12. The heat pump system according to claim 11, wherein: In the first mode: the second line is connected to the third line by operation of the valve module so that the coolant cooled at the radiator can be supplied to the electric components and the battery module; The fourth pipeline is connected to the first pipeline by operation of the valve module; The first line, the second line, the third line, and the fourth line are interconnected by operation of the valve module so that a coolant can circulate along the first line, the second line, the third line, and the fourth line; The fifth pipeline is closed by operation of the valve module; and The sixth pipeline and the seventh pipeline are closed.

13. The heat pump system according to claim 11, wherein: In the second mode: the second line is connected to the first line by operation of the valve module so that the coolant cooled at the radiator can be supplied to the electric component; The fifth pipeline is connected to the third pipeline by operation of the valve module; The seventh pipeline is opened to connect to the third pipeline and the cooler; The fourth pipeline is closed by operation of the valve module; The sixth pipeline is closed; The first pipeline and the second pipeline define a first independent closed loop through the operation of the valve module; The third pipeline, the fifth pipeline and the seventh pipeline define a second independent closed loop through the operation of the valve module; and The cooler is configured to recover waste heat of the battery module from a coolant that is heated when cooling the battery module.

14. The heat pump system according to claim 11, wherein: In the third mode: The second line is closed by operation of the valve module so that the coolant having passed through the electric component is not supplied to the radiator; The fifth pipeline is connected to the first pipeline by operation of the valve module; the sixth line is opened to connect to the first line and the cooler; The fourth pipeline is connected to the third pipeline by operation of the valve module; The seventh pipeline is closed; The first pipeline, the fifth pipeline and the sixth pipeline define a first independent closed loop through the operation of the valve module; The third pipeline and the fourth pipeline define a second independent closed loop through the operation of the valve module; and The cooler is configured to recover waste heat of the electric component from a coolant that is heated when cooling the electric component.

15. The heat pump system according to claim 11, wherein: In the third mode, the battery module is selectively heated.

16. The heat pump system according to claim 11, wherein: In the fourth mode: The second line is connected to the third line by operation of the valve module so that the coolant cooled at the radiator can be supplied to the battery module; The fifth pipeline is closed by operation of the valve module; The sixth pipeline is opened to connect to the third pipeline and the cooler; the seventh line is opened to connect to the second line and the cooler; The first pipeline and the fourth pipeline are closed by operation of the valve module; and The second line, the third line, the sixth line, and the seventh line are interconnected by operation of the valve module so that a coolant can circulate along the second line, the third line, the sixth line, and the seventh line.

17. The heat pump system according to claim 11, wherein: In the fifth mode: The first pipeline is connected to the second pipeline; The second pipeline is connected to the third pipeline by operation of the valve module; The fourth pipeline is connected to the first pipeline by operation of the valve module; The fifth pipeline is connected to the third pipeline by operation of the valve module; The sixth pipeline is opened to connect to the third pipeline and the cooler; the seventh line is opened to connect to the second line and the cooler; and The first pipeline, the second pipeline, the third pipeline, the fourth pipeline, the fifth pipeline, the sixth pipeline and the seventh pipeline are all connected by the operation of the valve module, so that the coolant can be injected into the first pipeline, the second pipeline, the third pipeline, the fourth pipeline, the fifth pipeline, the sixth pipeline and the seventh pipeline.

18. The heat pump system according to claim 11, wherein: The valve module comprises: a valve configured to selectively exhaust coolant selectively flowing from the second line, the fourth line, or the fifth line through the first line or the third line based on the selected mode; and A water pump is arranged in the valve.

19. The heat pump system according to claim 11, wherein: The cooler is connected to the air conditioning unit through a refrigerant connection line, and wherein the cooler includes a water-cooled heat exchanger configured to heat-exchange an internally introduced coolant with a refrigerant supplied from the air conditioning unit.

20. A vehicle comprising: a body having a vehicle interior; Battery modules; Electrical components; heat sink; Cooler; a valve module configured to control a flow of an internally introduced coolant according to a mode for regulating the temperature of the vehicle interior and the battery module; a first pipeline connected to the valve module to selectively flow a coolant, wherein the electrical component is disposed on the first pipeline; a second pipeline having a first end connected to the first pipeline and a second end connected to the valve module to selectively flow a coolant, wherein the radiator is disposed on the second pipeline; a third pipeline connected to the valve module to selectively flow a coolant, wherein the battery module is disposed on the third pipeline; a fourth line having a first end connected to the valve module to selectively flow a coolant and a second end connected to the third line; a fifth line having a first end connected to the valve module to selectively flow a coolant, wherein the cooler is disposed at a second end of the fifth line; a sixth line having a first end connected to the first line at a location where the first line and the second line are connected, wherein the sixth line is configured to selectively flow a coolant; and a seventh pipeline having a first end connected to the third pipeline at a position where the third pipeline and the fourth pipeline are connected, wherein the seventh pipeline is configured to selectively flow a coolant, and wherein a second end of the sixth pipeline and a second end of the seventh pipeline are respectively connected to the cooler so that the sixth pipeline and the seventh pipeline can be connected to the fifth pipeline through the cooler.

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