Heat pump system for vehicle

Abstract

A heat pump system for a vehicle includes: a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant circulating in the heat pump system; a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) module including an internal condenser, an evaporator connected to the compressor via a refrigerant line, and an opening and closing door configured to regulate air having passed through the evaporator to be selectively introduced into the internal condenser based on a cooling mode or a heating mode of the vehicle; a heat exchanger; a first expansion valve; a liquid reservoir; the first end of the first connecting pipeline is connected to the refrigerant pipeline between the compressor and the internal condenser, and the second end of the first connecting pipeline is connected to the liquid storage device; a cooler disposed in the first connection line and configured to adjust a temperature of the coolant by heat exchange between the refrigerant introduced into the first connection line and the selectively introduced coolant; and a second expansion valve disposed in the first connection line between the cooler and the reservoir.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefit of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0131523, filed on October 4, 2023, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. Technical Field

[0003] The present invention relates to a heat pump system for a vehicle, and more particularly to a heat pump system for a vehicle capable of efficiently performing heating of the interior of the vehicle. Background Art

[0004] Generally, an air conditioning system for a vehicle 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 keep the interior of the vehicle at a suitable temperature regardless of the external temperature change. The air conditioning unit is configured to heat or cool the interior of the vehicle by circulating the refrigerant discharged from the compressor while exchanging heat between the condenser and the evaporator. In this process, the refrigerant discharged by driving the compressor passes through the condenser, the receiver-drier, the expansion valve, and the evaporator, and then the refrigerant is circulated back to the compressor.

[0006] In other words, the air conditioning unit condenses the high-temperature and high-pressure gas-phase refrigerant compressed from the compressor through the condenser, passes the refrigerant through the receiver-drier and the expansion valve, and then evaporates the refrigerant in the evaporator in the cooling mode, thereby reducing the temperature and humidity inside the vehicle.

[0007] As concerns about energy efficiency and environmental pollution continue to increase, there is a need to develop environmentally friendly vehicles that can substantially replace internal combustion engine vehicles. Environmentally friendly vehicles are divided into electric vehicles that are driven using fuel cells or electricity as a power source, and hybrid vehicles that are driven using an engine and a battery.

[0008] The air conditioning device applied to such an environmentally friendly vehicle is generally called a heat pump system.

[0009] 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, heat energy is generated by the chemical reaction in the fuel cell. Therefore, it is necessary to ensure the performance of the fuel cell 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 running on 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 an 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 circuits to prevent the motor, the electric components, and the battery including the fuel cell from generating heat.

[0012] Therefore, the size and weight of the cooling module provided at the front of the vehicle increase, and the layout of connection pipes that supply 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 that heats or cools the battery according to the vehicle state is separately provided to obtain the best performance of the battery, a plurality of valves for selectively interconnecting the connection pipes are adopted. Therefore, noise and vibration generated by frequent opening and closing operations of the valves may be 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 be increased due to use of an electric heater, and power consumption of a compressor may be increased.

[0015] The above information disclosed in the Background section is only for enhancing understanding of the background of the invention. Therefore, the Background section 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

[0016] The present invention provides a heat pump system for a vehicle, which can effectively heat the interior of the vehicle when the outside temperature is low and the heat generated by a heating element is insufficient in the early stage of vehicle running.

[0017] A heat pump system for a vehicle, comprising: a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant; and a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) module. The HVAC comprises: an internal condenser, an evaporator connected to the compressor via a refrigerant line, and an opening and closing door configured to adjust the air that has passed through the evaporator to be selectively introduced into the internal condenser based on the cooling mode or heating mode of the vehicle. The heat pump system also includes: a heat exchanger connected to the internal condenser via a refrigerant line; a first expansion valve disposed in the refrigerant line between the heat exchanger and the evaporator; and a liquid reservoir disposed in the refrigerant line between the evaporator and the compressor. The heat pump system also includes: a first connecting line, a first end of which is connected to the refrigerant line between the compressor and the internal condenser, and a second end of which is connected to the liquid reservoir. The heat pump system also includes: a cooler disposed in the first connecting line and configured to adjust the temperature of the coolant by heat exchange between the refrigerant introduced into the first connecting line and the selectively introduced coolant. The heat pump system further includes: a second expansion valve, which is arranged in the first connecting pipeline between the cooler and the liquid storage device.

[0018] The heat pump system for a vehicle further includes a second connecting line having a first end connected to the first expansion valve and a second end connected to the reservoir.

[0019] The heat pump system for a vehicle further includes: a third expansion valve disposed in a refrigerant line between the internal condenser and the heat exchanger. In addition, the heat pump system further includes: a third connecting line, a first end of which is connected to the third expansion valve, and a second end of which is connected to the refrigerant line between the heat exchanger and the first expansion valve.

[0020] The first expansion valve, the second expansion valve, and the third expansion valve are electronic expansion valves configured to selectively expand the refrigerant while controlling the flow of the refrigerant.

[0021] In the hot air heating mode of the vehicle interior: the refrigerant line connecting the first expansion valve and the evaporator, and the refrigerant line connecting the evaporator and the accumulator are closed by the operation of the first expansion valve. The first connecting line is opened by the operation of the second expansion valve. The second connecting line is opened by the operation of the first expansion valve.

[0022] The third connecting line is selectively opened and closed by operation of the third expansion valve.

[0023] When the third connecting line is opened, the refrigerant line connecting the heat exchanger and the third expansion valve is closed. In addition, the refrigerant line connecting the heat exchanger and the second end of the third connecting line is closed.

[0024] When the third connecting line is closed, the refrigerant line connecting the internal condenser and the heat exchanger is opened by the operation of the third expansion valve. In addition, the refrigerant line connecting the heat exchanger and the first expansion valve is opened.

[0025] The first expansion valve is configured to expand refrigerant supplied through the refrigerant line.

[0026] The second expansion valve is configured to expand the refrigerant having passed through the cooler and to flow the expanded refrigerant to the first connecting line.

[0027] The third expansion valve is configured to allow the refrigerant, having passed through the interior condenser, to flow without expansion.

[0028] A portion of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor flows into the internal condenser along the refrigerant line, and the remaining refrigerant of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor flows into the cooler along the first connecting line.

[0029] The cooler is connected to the battery module via a coolant line through which the coolant circulates.

[0030] When the battery module is heated in a hot air heating mode inside the vehicle, the coolant is circulated through the coolant line so that the coolant that has exchanged heat with the refrigerant in the cooler is supplied to the battery module.

[0031] In the hot air heating and dehumidification mode inside the vehicle, the refrigerant line connecting the first expansion valve and the evaporator is opened by the operation of the first expansion valve. The refrigerant line connecting the evaporator and the accumulator is opened. The first connecting line is opened by the operation of the second expansion valve. In addition, the second connecting line is closed by the operation of the first expansion valve.

[0032] When the third connecting line is opened by the third expansion valve, the refrigerant line connecting the heat exchanger and the third expansion valve is closed. In addition, the refrigerant line connecting the heat exchanger and the second end of the third connecting line is closed.

[0033] When the third connecting line is closed by the third expansion valve, the refrigerant line connecting the interior condenser and the heat exchanger is opened by the operation of the third expansion valve, and the refrigerant line connecting the heat exchanger and the first expansion valve is opened.

[0034] The first expansion valve is configured to expand the refrigerant supplied through the refrigerant line and to flow the expanded refrigerant to the evaporator. The second expansion valve is configured to expand the refrigerant having passed through the cooler and to flow the expanded refrigerant to the first connecting line.

[0035] The third expansion valve is configured to allow the refrigerant that has passed through the internal condenser to flow to the refrigerant line without expansion. Based on the flow direction of the refrigerant flowing along the first connecting line, the second expansion valve is arranged at the rear end of the cooler so that the refrigerant that has passed through the cooler is introduced.

[0036] As described above, according to the heat pump system for a vehicle of the embodiment, the interior of the vehicle can be effectively heated in a state where the outside temperature is low and the heat generated by the heating element is insufficient in the early stage of vehicle travel.

[0037] In addition, according to the present invention, since the vehicle interior can be heated by using the high-temperature refrigerant compressed in the compressor while minimizing the number of required components, an electric heater may not be used. Therefore, this configuration streamlines and simplifies the entire system.

[0038] Furthermore, according to the present invention, when an electric heater is used, since the usage of the electric heater can be minimized, power consumption can be reduced and the overall driving distance of the vehicle can be increased.

[0039] Furthermore, according to the embodiments, manufacturing cost and weight can be reduced by simplifying the entire system, and space utilization can be improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0040] These drawings are only for reference in describing the embodiments of the present invention. Therefore, the technical idea of ​​the present invention should not be limited to the drawings, and among them:

[0041] Figure 1 is a block diagram showing a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an embodiment;

[0042] Figure 2 is a diagram showing the operation of a heat pump system for a vehicle in a hot gas heating mode inside a vehicle according to an embodiment;

[0043] Figure 3 is a diagram showing the operation of the heat pump system for a vehicle according to the embodiment in a hot gas heating and dehumidification mode inside the vehicle; and

[0044] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation of a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an embodiment to heat a battery module in a hot gas heating mode inside a vehicle.

[0045] <Description of Reference Numerals>

[0046] 2: Coolant lines

[0047] 4: Battery module

[0048] 10: Compressor

[0049] 11: Refrigerant pipeline

[0050] 12: HVAC module

[0051] 13: Internal condenser

[0052] 14: Open and close doors

[0053] 15: Heat exchanger

[0054] 15a: Cooling fan

[0055] 16: First expansion valve

[0056] 17: Evaporator

[0057] 18: Liquid reservoir

[0058] 20: Cooler

[0059] 21: First connecting pipeline

[0060] 23: Second expansion valve

[0061] 25: Second connecting pipeline

[0062] 27: The third expansion valve

[0063] 29: The third connecting pipeline. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0064] Exemplary embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0065] The exemplary embodiments disclosed in this specification and the configurations shown in the drawings are only some embodiments of the present invention and do not necessarily cover the entire scope of the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that various equivalents and modifications may exist in various embodiments of the present invention.

[0066] In order to clarify the present invention, parts that are not related to the description are omitted, and the same reference numerals are used throughout the specification to designate the same or equivalent elements.

[0067] In addition, the size and thickness of each element are arbitrarily shown in the drawings, but the present invention is not necessarily limited thereto. In addition, in the drawings, the thickness of layers, films, panels, regions, etc. are exaggerated for clarity.

[0068] In addition, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the term “comprise” and terms such as “include” or “comprising”, will be understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of any other elements.

[0069] In addition, each term described in the specification, such as “unit,” “means,” “portion,” “section,” and “member,” refers to a unit of a comprehensive element that performs at least one function or operation.

[0070] When a component, device, element, etc. of the present invention is described as having a purpose or performing an operation, function, etc., the component, device or element should be considered as being "configured to" satisfy the purpose or perform the operation or function herein.

[0071] Figure 1 is a block diagram illustrating a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an embodiment.

[0072] According to a heat pump system for a vehicle of one embodiment, it is possible to efficiently perform heating of the interior of a vehicle in a state where the outside temperature is low and the amount of heat generated by a heating element is insufficient in an early stage of vehicle travel.

[0073] In other words, reference Figure 1 , the heat pump system may include: a compressor 10; a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) module 12; a heat exchanger 15; a first expansion valve 16; an evaporator 17; a liquid reservoir 18; a cooler 20; a first connecting line 21; and a second expansion valve 23.

[0074] First, the compressor 10 may compress introduced refrigerant and make the compressed refrigerant flow through the refrigerant line 11 so that the refrigerant may circulate along the refrigerant line 11 .

[0075] In the present embodiment, the interior condenser 13 and the evaporator 17 connected by the refrigerant line 11 may be disposed inside the HVAC module 12 .

[0076] In addition, an opening and closing door 14 configured to condition ambient air having passed through the evaporator 17 to be selectively introduced into the interior condenser 13 may be provided in the HVAC module 12. The opening and closing door 14 may be located between the evaporator 17 and the interior condenser 13.

[0077] When heating the vehicle interior, the opening and closing door 14 may be opened so that the ambient air that has passed through the evaporator 17 may be introduced into the interior condenser 13 .

[0078] In other words, the high temperature refrigerant supplied to the interior condenser 13 can heat the ambient air passing through the interior condenser 13. Since the introduced ambient air is converted into a high temperature state while passing through the interior condenser 13 and then introduced into the vehicle interior, heating of the vehicle interior can be achieved.

[0079] In contrast, when cooling the vehicle interior, the opening and closing door 14 may close the side toward the interior condenser 13 so that the ambient air cooled while passing through the evaporator 17 may be directly introduced into the vehicle interior.

[0080] Therefore, the ambient air passing through the evaporator 17 may be cooled by the low-temperature refrigerant supplied to the evaporator 17 while passing through the evaporator 17. Since the cooled ambient air is introduced into the vehicle interior, the vehicle interior may be cooled.

[0081] In the present embodiment, the heat exchanger 15 may be connected to the interior condenser 13 through the refrigerant line 11. The heat exchanger 15 may be disposed at the front of the vehicle.

[0082] The cooling fan 15a may be installed at the rear of the heat exchanger 15. Therefore, the heat exchanger 15 may perform heat exchange between the introduced refrigerant and ambient air introduced by the operation of the cooling fan 15a or by the operation of the vehicle (ie, the vehicle traveling or running).

[0083] In other words, the heat exchanger 15 may be an air-cooled heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange between introduced refrigerant and ambient air.

[0084] The first expansion valve 16 may be provided in the refrigerant line 11 connecting the heat exchanger 15 and the evaporator 17. The first expansion valve 16 may selectively expand the introduced refrigerant.

[0085] The first expansion valve 16 configured in this way can selectively expand the refrigerant while controlling the flow rate of the supplied refrigerant. In addition, the first expansion valve 16 can be a three-way electronic expansion valve having one inlet and two outlets.

[0086] The accumulator 18 may be disposed in the refrigerant line 11 between the evaporator 17 and the compressor 10. The accumulator 18 may supply gaseous refrigerant to the compressor 10, thereby improving efficiency and durability of the compressor 10.

[0087] In the present embodiment, the cooler 20 may be provided in the first connection line 21. The cooler 20 may be connected to the battery module 4 through the coolant line 2 through which the coolant circulates. Therefore, the coolant may selectively circulate through the inside of the cooler 20.

[0088] In other words, the cooler 20 may adjust the temperature of the coolant through heat exchange between the refrigerant introduced into the first connecting line 21 and the selectively introduced coolant.

[0089] In more detail, the cooler 20 may adjust the temperature of the coolant by performing heat exchange between the supplied refrigerant and the coolant. The cooler 20 may be a water-cooled heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between the refrigerant introduced inside and the coolant.

[0090] A first end of the first connecting line 21 may be connected to the refrigerant line 11 between the compressor 10 and the interior condenser 13. A second end of the first connecting line 21 may be connected to the accumulator 18.

[0091] In other words, the cooler 20 may adjust the temperature of the coolant by performing heat exchange between the coolant selectively introduced into the coolant line 2 and the selectively supplied refrigerant. The coolant having performed heat exchange in the cooler 20 may circulate the battery module 4 through the coolant line 2.

[0092] A water pump (not shown) may be provided in the coolant line 2. In other words, the coolant may circulate in the coolant line 2 according to the operation of the water pump (not shown).

[0093] Therefore, the coolant exchanging heat with the refrigerant in the cooler 20 may be selectively supplied to the battery module 4 to adjust the temperature of the battery module 4 .

[0094] In the present embodiment, the second expansion valve 23 may be disposed in the first connecting line 21 between the cooler 20 and the accumulator 18 .

[0095] The second expansion valve 23 configured as such may be an electronic expansion valve that selectively expands the refrigerant while controlling the flow of the supplied refrigerant.

[0096] The second expansion valve 23 may be disposed downstream (ie, at the rear end) of the cooler 20 based on the flow direction of the refrigerant flowing along the first connecting line 21 so that the refrigerant having passed through the cooler 20 can be introduced.

[0097] In other words, the downstream of the cooler 20 can be set based on the flow direction of the refrigerant. Based on the direction in which the refrigerant flows along the first connecting line 21, the position where the refrigerant flows into the cooler 20 can be defined as the upstream of the cooler 20, and the position where the refrigerant is discharged from the cooler 20 can be defined as the downstream of the cooler 20.

[0098] In the present embodiment, a first end of the second connecting line 25 may be connected to the first expansion valve 16. A second end of the second connecting line 25 may be connected to the accumulator 18.

[0099] The heat pump system may further include a third expansion valve 27 and a third connecting line 29 .

[0100] First, the third expansion valve 27 may be provided in the refrigerant line 11 between the interior condenser 13 and the heat exchanger 15 .

[0101] The third expansion valve 27 may selectively expand the refrigerant while controlling the flow rate of the supplied refrigerant. In addition, the third expansion valve 27 may be a three-way electronic expansion valve having one inlet and two outlets.

[0102] The heat exchanger 15 may condense or evaporate the internally introduced refrigerant by exchanging heat with ambient air according to the selective operation of the third expansion valve 27 .

[0103] In other words, when the third expansion valve 27 expands the refrigerant and supplies the expanded refrigerant, the heat exchanger 15 may evaporate the supplied refrigerant.

[0104] In contrast, when the third expansion valve 27 supplies non-expanded refrigerant, the heat exchanger 15 may condense the supplied refrigerant.

[0105] In addition, a first end of the third connection line 29 may be connected to the third expansion valve 27. A second end of the third connection line 29 may be connected to the refrigerant line 11 between the heat exchanger 15 and the first expansion valve 16.

[0106] The third connecting line 29 thus configured may be selectively opened and closed according to the operation of the third expansion valve 27 .

[0107] refer to Figure 2-4 The operation and action of the heat pump system according to the thus configured embodiment are described in detail.

[0108] First, refer to Figure 2 Describe the operation of the vehicle interior in the hot gas heating mode.

[0109] Figure 2 is a diagram showing operation of a heat pump system for a vehicle in a hot gas heating mode of a vehicle interior according to one embodiment.

[0110] refer to Figure 2 , when the ambient air heat, the waste heat of the electrical components, and the waste heat of the battery module 4 are insufficient, the heat pump system cannot recover heat.

[0111] In other words, since the outside temperature is low and the heat generated by the electrical components and battery module 4 is insufficient in the early stages of vehicle driving, when the interior of the vehicle needs to be heated, the heat pump system can directly use high-pressure and high-temperature refrigerant to heat the interior of the vehicle.

[0112] As such, heating the vehicle interior by using the refrigerant may be referred to as a hot gas heating mode.

[0113] In the present embodiment, in the hot gas heating mode of the vehicle interior, the refrigerant line 11 connecting the first expansion valve 16 and the evaporator 17 may be closed by the operation of the first expansion valve 16 .

[0114] At the same time, the refrigerant line 11 connecting the evaporator 17 and the accumulator 18 may be closed.

[0115] The first connecting line 21 may be opened by operation of the second expansion valve 23. The second expansion valve 23 may expand the refrigerant having passed through the cooler 20 and allow the expanded refrigerant to flow to the first connecting line 21.

[0116] In addition, the second connection line 25 may be opened by the operation of the first expansion valve 16. The first expansion valve 16 may expand the refrigerant supplied through the refrigerant line 11.

[0117] In the present embodiment, the third connection line 29 may be selectively opened and closed by operation of the third expansion valve 27 .

[0118] First, if Figure 2 As shown, when the third connecting line 29 is closed, the refrigerant line 11 connecting the interior condenser 13 and the heat exchanger 15 may be opened by the operation of the third expansion valve 27 .

[0119] The third expansion valve 27 may allow the refrigerant, having passed through the interior condenser 13 , to flow without expansion.

[0120] At the same time, the refrigerant line 11 connecting the heat exchanger 15 and the first expansion valve 16 may be opened.

[0121] In this state, a portion of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 10 may flow into the interior condenser 13 along the refrigerant line 11 .

[0122] The shutter door 14 may be opened so that ambient air introduced into the HVAC module 12 may pass through the interior condenser 13 .

[0123] Therefore, when passing through the evaporator 17 not supplied with refrigerant, the ambient air introduced from the outside can be introduced into the evaporator 17 at room temperature without being cooled. Since the introduced ambient air is converted into a high temperature state when passing through the interior condenser 13 and then introduced into the vehicle interior, heating of the vehicle interior can be achieved.

[0124] The refrigerant having passed through the interior condenser 13 may pass through the heat exchanger 15 along the refrigerant line 11. At this time, the cooling fan 15a may stop operating.

[0125] The refrigerant having passed through the heat exchanger 15 may flow into the first expansion valve 16 along the refrigerant line 11. The first expansion valve 16 may expand the introduced refrigerant.

[0126] The refrigerant expanded in the first expansion valve 16 may flow into the accumulator 18 along the second connecting line 25 .

[0127] The remaining refrigerant among the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 10 may flow into the cooler 20 along the opened first connecting line 21 .

[0128] The coolant line 2 may be closed so that the refrigerant and the coolant do not exchange heat in the cooler 20. In other words, the coolant does not flow into the cooler 20 due to insufficient heat generated from the battery module 4.

[0129] The refrigerant having passed through the cooler 20 may expand while passing through the second expansion valve 23. The expanded refrigerant may flow into the accumulator 18 along the first connecting line 21.

[0130] In other words, the refrigerant expanded in the first expansion valve 16 and the refrigerant expanded in the second expansion valve 23 may respectively flow into the accumulator 18. The refrigerant introduced into the accumulator 18 may be separated into gas and liquid, and the gaseous refrigerant of the refrigerant separated into gas and liquid may flow into the compressor 10.

[0131] The refrigerant introduced into the compressor 10 may be supplied back to the interior condenser 13 and the cooler 20, respectively.

[0132] In other words, in this embodiment, when the outside temperature is low and the heat source is insufficient in the early stage of vehicle travel, the vehicle interior can be heated by the high-temperature refrigerant supplied by the compressor 10 by repeating the above-mentioned operation.

[0133] When the third connecting line 29 is opened in the hot gas heating mode of the vehicle interior (refer to Figure 4 ), the refrigerant line 11 connecting the heat exchanger 15 and the third expansion valve 27 can be closed.

[0134] At the same time, the refrigerant line 11 connecting the heat exchanger 15 and the second end of the third connecting line 29 may be closed.

[0135] In other words, when the third connecting line 29 is opened, the refrigerant having passed through the interior condenser 13 may flow along the third connecting line 29 without passing through the heat exchanger 15 .

[0136] Then, the refrigerant may expand while passing through the first expansion valve 16 along the refrigerant line 11 connected to the third connection line 29. The refrigerant expanded in the first expansion valve 16 may flow into the accumulator 18 along the second connection line 25, and the above process may be repeatedly performed.

[0137] In this way, when the third connecting line 29 is opened, the refrigerant having passed through the interior condenser 13 can flow quickly without passing through the heat exchanger 15. Therefore, hot air heating of the vehicle interior can be performed more efficiently.

[0138] In this embodiment, reference Figure 3 Describes the operation of the vehicle interior in hot air heating and dehumidification modes.

[0139] Figure 3 is an operation diagram of a heat pump system for a vehicle in a hot gas heating and dehumidification mode inside a vehicle according to one embodiment.

[0140] refer to Figure 3 , when the ambient air heat, the waste heat of the electrical components, and the waste heat of the battery module 4 are insufficient, the heat pump system cannot recover heat.

[0141] In other words, when the vehicle interior needs to be heated when the outside temperature is low and the heat generated by the electrical components and the battery module 4 in the early stages of vehicle driving is insufficient, the heat pump system can simultaneously heat and dehumidify the vehicle interior by directly using high-pressure and high-temperature refrigerant.

[0142] In the present embodiment, in the case of the hot gas heating and dehumidification mode of the vehicle interior, the refrigerant line 11 connecting the first expansion valve 16 and the evaporator 17 may be opened by the operation of the first expansion valve 16 .

[0143] At the same time, the refrigerant line 11 connecting the evaporator 17 and the accumulator 18 may be opened.

[0144] The first connecting line 21 may be opened by operation of the second expansion valve 23. The second expansion valve 23 may expand the refrigerant having passed through the cooler 20 and allow the expanded refrigerant to flow to the first connecting line 21.

[0145] In addition, the second connection line 25 may be closed by the operation of the first expansion valve 16. The first expansion valve 16 may expand the refrigerant supplied through the refrigerant line 11.

[0146] The refrigerant expanded in the first expansion valve 16 may flow into the evaporator 17 along the opened refrigerant line 11 .

[0147] In the present embodiment, the third connection line 29 may be selectively opened and closed by operation of the third expansion valve 27 .

[0148] First, if Figure 3 As shown, when the third connecting line 29 is closed by the third expansion valve 27 , the refrigerant line 11 connecting the interior condenser 13 and the heat exchanger 15 may be opened by the operation of the third expansion valve 27 .

[0149] The third expansion valve 27 may allow the refrigerant, having passed through the interior condenser 13 , to flow without being expanded.

[0150] At the same time, the refrigerant line 11 connecting the heat exchanger 15 and the first expansion valve 16 may be opened.

[0151] Then, a portion of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 10 may flow into the interior condenser 13 along the refrigerant line 11 .

[0152] The refrigerant having passed through the interior condenser 13 may pass through the heat exchanger 15 along the refrigerant line 11. The cooling fan 15a may stop operating.

[0153] The refrigerant having passed through the heat exchanger 15 may flow into the first expansion valve 16 along the refrigerant line 11. The first expansion valve 16 may expand the introduced refrigerant.

[0154] The refrigerant expanded in the first expansion valve 16 may pass through the evaporator 17 along the refrigerant line 11 and then flow into the accumulator 18 .

[0155] The remaining refrigerant among the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 10 may flow into the cooler 20 along the opened first connecting line 21 .

[0156] The coolant line 2 may be closed so that the refrigerant and the coolant do not exchange heat in the cooler 20. In other words, the coolant does not flow into the cooler 20 due to insufficient heat generated from the battery module 4.

[0157] The refrigerant having passed through the cooler 20 may expand while passing through the second expansion valve 23. The expanded refrigerant may flow into the accumulator 18 along the first connecting line 21.

[0158] In other words, the refrigerant evaporated from the evaporator 17 and the refrigerant expanded in the second expansion valve 23 may respectively flow into the accumulator 18. The refrigerant introduced into the accumulator 18 may be separated into gas and liquid, and the gaseous refrigerant of the refrigerant separated into gas and liquid may flow into the compressor 10.

[0159] The refrigerant introduced into the compressor 10 may be supplied back to the interior condenser 13 and the cooler 20, respectively.

[0160] The opening and closing door 14 may open a portion passing through the interior condenser 13 so that ambient air introduced into the HVAC module 12 may pass through the evaporator 17 and then flow into the interior condenser 13 .

[0161] Therefore, since the ambient air dehumidified while passing through the evaporator 17 is converted into a high-temperature state while passing through the interior condenser 13 and then introduced into the vehicle interior, the vehicle interior can be heated and dehumidified.

[0162] In other words, the ambient air introduced into the HVAC module 12 may be dehumidified by the low-temperature refrigerant introduced into the evaporator 17 while passing through the evaporator 17. Thereafter, since the air is converted into a high-temperature state while passing through the interior condenser 13 and then introduced into the vehicle interior, the vehicle interior may be smoothly heated and dehumidified.

[0163] Although not shown in the drawings, in the hot air heating and dehumidification mode inside the vehicle, when the third connecting line 29 is opened, the refrigerant line 11 connecting the heat exchanger 15 and the third expansion valve 27 may be closed.

[0164] The third expansion valve 27 may allow the refrigerant, having passed through the interior condenser 13 , to flow without being expanded.

[0165] At the same time, the refrigerant line 11 connecting the heat exchanger 15 and the second end of the third connecting line 29 may be closed.

[0166] In other words, when the third connecting line 29 is opened, the refrigerant having passed through the interior condenser 13 may flow along the third connecting line 29 without passing through the heat exchanger 15. Thereafter, the refrigerant may expand while passing through the first expansion valve 16 along the refrigerant line 11 connected to the third connecting line 29.

[0167] The refrigerant expanded in the first expansion valve 16 may repeat the above process while sequentially passing through the evaporator 17 and the accumulator 18 along the refrigerant line 11 .

[0168] In this way, when the third connecting line 29 is opened, the refrigerant having passed through the interior condenser 13 can flow quickly without passing through the heat exchanger 15. Therefore, hot air heating and dehumidification of the vehicle interior can be performed more efficiently.

[0169] In addition, reference Figure 4 The operation of heating the battery module 4 in the hot air heating mode of the vehicle interior is described.

[0170] Figure 4 is a diagram illustrating an operation of a heat pump system for a vehicle according to one embodiment to heat a battery module in a hot gas heating mode inside a vehicle.

[0171] refer to Figure 4 , when the ambient air heat, the waste heat of the electrical components, and the waste heat of the battery module 4 are insufficient, the heat pump system cannot recover heat.

[0172] In other words, when the outside temperature is low and the heat generated by the electrical components and the battery module 4 in the early stages of vehicle driving is insufficient to heat the vehicle interior, the heat pump system can heat the vehicle interior while increasing the temperature of the battery module 4. This is achieved by directly using high-pressure and high-temperature refrigerant.

[0173] As such, when heating the battery module 4 in the hot gas heating mode inside the vehicle, the refrigerant line 11 connecting the first expansion valve 16 and the evaporator 17 may be closed by the operation of the first expansion valve 16 .

[0174] At the same time, the refrigerant line 11 connecting the evaporator 17 and the accumulator 18 may be closed.

[0175] The first connecting line 21 may be opened by operation of the second expansion valve 23. The second expansion valve 23 may expand the refrigerant having passed through the cooler 20 and allow the expanded refrigerant to flow to the first connecting line 21.

[0176] In addition, the second connection line 25 may be opened by the operation of the first expansion valve 16. The first expansion valve 16 may expand the refrigerant supplied through the refrigerant line 11.

[0177] In the present embodiment, the third connection line 29 may be selectively opened and closed by operation of the third expansion valve 27 .

[0178] First, if Figure 4 As shown, when the third connecting line 29 is opened, the refrigerant line 11 connecting the heat exchanger 15 and the third expansion valve 27 may be closed.

[0179] The third expansion valve 27 may flow the refrigerant having passed through the interior condenser 13 without expansion. The refrigerant line 11 connecting the heat exchanger 15 and the second end of the third connecting line 29 may be closed.

[0180] In this state, a portion of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 10 may flow into the interior condenser 13 along the refrigerant line 11 .

[0181] The shutter door 14 may be opened so that ambient air introduced into the HVAC module 12 may pass through the interior condenser 13 .

[0182] Therefore, when passing through the evaporator 17 not supplied with refrigerant, the ambient air introduced from the outside can be introduced into the evaporator 17 at room temperature without being cooled. Since the introduced ambient air is converted into a high temperature state when passing through the interior condenser 13 and then introduced into the vehicle interior, heating of the vehicle interior can be achieved.

[0183] The refrigerant having passed through the interior condenser 13 may flow along the opened third connecting line 29 .

[0184] In other words, when the third connecting line 29 is opened, the refrigerant having passed through the interior condenser 13 may flow along the third connecting line 29 without passing through the heat exchanger 15 .

[0185] Then, the refrigerant may expand while passing through the first expansion valve 16 along the refrigerant line 11 connected to the third connection line 29. The refrigerant expanded in the first expansion valve 16 may flow into the accumulator 18 along the second connection line 25.

[0186] The remaining refrigerant among the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 10 may flow into the cooler 20 along the opened first connecting line 21 .

[0187] The coolant may circulate in the coolant line 2 so that the coolant having exchanged heat with the refrigerant in the cooler 20 may be supplied to the battery module 4 .

[0188] In other words, the refrigerant introduced into the cooler 20 may perform heat exchange with the coolant supplied from the battery module 4 through the coolant line 2 , thereby increasing the temperature of the coolant.

[0189] The coolant heated in the cooler 20 may be supplied to the battery module 4 along the coolant line 2. Therefore, the temperature of the battery module 4 may be effectively increased by the coolant heated in the cooler 20.

[0190] In this way, when the third connecting line 29 is opened, the refrigerant having passed through the interior condenser 13 can flow quickly without passing through the heat exchanger 15. Therefore, hot air heating of the vehicle interior can be performed more efficiently.

[0191] Meanwhile, the coolant heated in the cooler 20 may be supplied to the battery module 4 through the coolant line 2. Therefore, the temperature of the battery module 4 may be rapidly increased.

[0192] In addition, the refrigerant having passed through the cooler 20 may expand while passing through the second expansion valve 23. The expanded refrigerant may flow into the accumulator 18 along the first connecting line 21.

[0193] In other words, the refrigerant expanded in the first expansion valve 16 and the refrigerant expanded in the second expansion valve 23 may respectively flow into the accumulator 18. The refrigerant introduced into the accumulator 18 may be separated into gas and liquid, and the gaseous refrigerant of the refrigerant separated into gas and liquid may flow into the compressor 10.

[0194] The refrigerant introduced into the compressor 10 may be supplied back to the interior condenser 13 and the cooler 20, respectively.

[0195] In other words, in this embodiment, when the heat is insufficient in the early stage of vehicle driving when the external temperature is low, the above-mentioned operations can be repeated while the interior of the vehicle is heated by utilizing the high-temperature refrigerant supplied from the compressor 10, and the temperature of the battery module 4 can be increased by using the coolant that has undergone heat exchange in the cooler 20.

[0196] Although not shown in the drawings, when the third connecting line 29 is closed, the refrigerant line 11 connecting the interior condenser 13 and the heat exchanger 15 may be opened by the operation of the third expansion valve 27 .

[0197] The third expansion valve 27 may allow the refrigerant having passed through the interior condenser 13 to flow without expansion. The refrigerant line 11 connecting the heat exchanger 15 and the first expansion valve 16 may be opened.

[0198] In this state, a portion of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 10 may flow into the interior condenser 13 along the refrigerant line 11 .

[0199] The shutter door 14 may be opened so that ambient air introduced into the HVAC module 12 may pass through the interior condenser 13 .

[0200] Therefore, when passing through the evaporator 17 not supplied with refrigerant, the ambient air introduced from the outside can be introduced into the evaporator 17 at room temperature without being cooled. Since the introduced ambient air is converted into a high temperature state when passing through the interior condenser 13 and then introduced into the vehicle interior, heating of the vehicle interior can be achieved.

[0201] The refrigerant having passed through the interior condenser 13 may pass through the heat exchanger 15 along the refrigerant line 11. The cooling fan 15a may stop operating.

[0202] The refrigerant having passed through the heat exchanger 15 may flow into the first expansion valve 16 along the refrigerant line 11. The first expansion valve 16 may expand the introduced refrigerant.

[0203] The refrigerant expanded in the first expansion valve 16 may flow into the accumulator 18 along the second connecting line 25 .

[0204] The remaining refrigerant among the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 10 may flow into the cooler 20 along the opened first connecting line 21 .

[0205] The coolant may circulate in the coolant line 2 so that the coolant having exchanged heat with the refrigerant in the cooler 20 may be supplied to the battery module 4 .

[0206] In other words, the refrigerant introduced into the cooler 20 may perform heat exchange with the coolant supplied from the battery module 4 through the coolant line 2 , thereby increasing the temperature of the coolant.

[0207] The coolant heated in the cooler 20 may be supplied to the battery module 4 along the coolant line 2. Therefore, the temperature of the battery module 4 may be effectively increased by the coolant heated in the cooler 20.

[0208] In this way, when the third connecting line 29 is opened, the refrigerant having passed through the interior condenser 13 can flow quickly without passing through the heat exchanger 15. Therefore, hot air heating of the vehicle interior can be performed more efficiently.

[0209] Meanwhile, the coolant heated in the cooler 20 may be supplied to the battery module 4 through the coolant line 2. Therefore, the temperature of the battery module 4 may be rapidly increased.

[0210] In addition, the refrigerant having passed through the cooler 20 may expand while passing through the second expansion valve 23. The expanded refrigerant may flow into the accumulator 18 along the first connecting line 21.

[0211] In other words, the refrigerant expanded in the first expansion valve 16 and the refrigerant expanded in the second expansion valve 23 may respectively flow into the accumulator 18. The refrigerant introduced into the accumulator 18 may be separated into gas and liquid, and the gaseous refrigerant of the refrigerant separated into gas and liquid may flow into the compressor 10.

[0212] The refrigerant introduced into the compressor 10 may be supplied back to the interior condenser 13 and the cooler 20, respectively.

[0213] In other words, in this embodiment, when there is insufficient heat in the early stages of vehicle driving when the outside temperature is low, the above-mentioned operations can be repeated while the interior of the vehicle is heated by using the high-temperature refrigerant supplied from the compressor 10, and the temperature of the battery module 4 can be increased by using the coolant that has undergone heat exchange in the cooler 20.

[0214] As described above, according to an embodiment of the heat pump system for a vehicle, the vehicle interior can be heated efficiently when the outside temperature is low and the heat generated by heating elements such as electrical components is insufficient in the early stage of vehicle travel.

[0215] Furthermore, according to the present invention, since heating of the vehicle interior can be performed by using high-temperature refrigerant compressed in the compressor 10 while minimizing the number of required components, an electric heater may not be used, and downsizing and simplification of the entire system may be achieved.

[0216] Furthermore, according to the present invention, when an electric heater is used, since the usage of the electric heater can be minimized, power consumption can be reduced and the overall driving distance of the vehicle can be increased.

[0217] Furthermore, according to one embodiment, manufacturing cost and weight can be reduced, and space utilization can be improved by simplifying the entire system.

[0218] Although the invention has been described in connection with what are presently considered to be practical embodiments, it should be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. Rather, the invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements included within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A heat pump system for a vehicle, comprising: a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant circulating in the heat pump system; a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) module including: an interior condenser, an evaporator connected to the compressor via a refrigerant line, and an opening and closing door configured to condition air having passed through the evaporator to be selectively introduced into the interior condenser based on a cooling mode or a heating mode of the vehicle; a heat exchanger connected to the internal condenser via the refrigerant line; a first expansion valve disposed in the refrigerant line between the heat exchanger and the evaporator; a liquid accumulator disposed in the refrigerant line between the evaporator and the compressor; a first connecting line having a first end connected to the refrigerant line between the compressor and the internal condenser and a second end connected to the accumulator; a cooler provided in the first connecting line and configured to adjust the temperature of the coolant by exchanging heat between the refrigerant introduced into the first connecting line and the selectively introduced coolant; and A second expansion valve is provided in the first connecting line between the cooler and the liquid reservoir. 2 . The heat pump system according to claim 1 , further comprising a second connecting line having a first end connected to the first expansion valve and a second end connected to the liquid reservoir.

3. The heat pump system according to claim 2, further comprising: a third expansion valve disposed in the refrigerant line between the internal condenser and the heat exchanger; and A third connecting line has a first end connected to the third expansion valve and a second end connected to the refrigerant line between the heat exchanger and the first expansion valve.

4. The heat pump system according to claim 3, wherein: The first expansion valve, the second expansion valve, and the third expansion valve are electronic expansion valves configured to selectively expand the refrigerant while controlling the flow of the refrigerant.

5. The heat pump system according to claim 3, wherein: In hot air heating mode for the vehicle interior: The refrigerant line connecting the first expansion valve and the evaporator, and the refrigerant line connecting the evaporator and the accumulator are closed by the operation of the first expansion valve; The first connecting line is opened by operation of the second expansion valve; and The second connecting line is opened by operation of the first expansion valve.

6. The heat pump system according to claim 5, wherein: The third connecting line is selectively opened and closed by operation of the third expansion valve.

7. The heat pump system according to claim 6, wherein: When the third connecting line is opened: The refrigerant line connecting the heat exchanger and the third expansion valve is closed; and The refrigerant line connecting the heat exchanger and the second end of the third connecting line is closed.

8. The heat pump system according to claim 6, wherein: When the third connecting pipeline is closed: The refrigerant line connecting the interior condenser and the heat exchanger is opened by operation of the third expansion valve; and The refrigerant line connecting the heat exchanger and the first expansion valve is opened.

9. The heat pump system according to claim 5, wherein: The first expansion valve is configured to expand refrigerant supplied through the refrigerant line.

10. The heat pump system according to claim 5, wherein: The second expansion valve is configured to expand the refrigerant having passed through the cooler and to flow the expanded refrigerant to the first connecting line.

11. The heat pump system according to claim 5, wherein: The third expansion valve is configured to flow the refrigerant having passed through the interior condenser without expansion.

12. The heat pump system according to claim 5, wherein: A portion of the refrigerant discharged from the compressor flows into the internal condenser along the refrigerant line; and The remaining refrigerant among the refrigerant discharged from the compressor flows into the cooler along the first connecting line.

13. The heat pump system according to claim 5, wherein: The cooler is connected to the battery module via a coolant line through which a coolant circulates.

14. The heat pump system according to claim 13, wherein: When the battery module is heated in a hot gas heating mode in the vehicle interior, a coolant circulates through the coolant line so that the coolant having exchanged heat with the refrigerant in the cooler is supplied to the battery module.

15. The heat pump system according to claim 3, wherein: In hot air heating and dehumidification mode for the vehicle interior: The refrigerant line connecting the first expansion valve and the evaporator is opened by the operation of the first expansion valve; The refrigerant line connecting the evaporator and the accumulator is opened; The first connecting line is opened by operation of the second expansion valve; and The second connecting line is closed by operation of the first expansion valve.

16. The heat pump system according to claim 15, wherein: When the third connecting line is opened by the third expansion valve: The refrigerant line connecting the heat exchanger and the third expansion valve is closed; and The refrigerant line connecting the heat exchanger and the second end of the third connecting line is closed.

17. The heat pump system according to claim 15, wherein: When the third connecting pipeline is closed by the third expansion valve: The refrigerant line connecting the interior condenser and the heat exchanger is opened by operation of the third expansion valve; and The refrigerant line connecting the heat exchanger and the first expansion valve is opened.

18. The heat pump system according to claim 15, wherein: the first expansion valve being configured to expand the refrigerant supplied via the refrigerant line and to flow the expanded refrigerant to the evaporator; and The second expansion valve is configured to expand the refrigerant having passed through the cooler and to flow the expanded refrigerant to the first connecting line.

19. The heat pump system according to claim 15, wherein: The third expansion valve is configured to allow the refrigerant, having passed through the interior condenser, to flow to the refrigerant line without expansion.

20. The heat pump system according to claim 1, wherein: The second expansion valve is disposed at a rear end of the cooler based on a flow direction of the refrigerant flowing along the first connecting line so that the refrigerant having passed through the cooler is introduced.

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