Vehicle thermal management system

Abstract

The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner capable of minimizing a high-pressure high-temperature movement path section in a refrigerant movement path from a compressor side to a cooler and from the compressor side to a cooling heat exchanger in a vehicle interior during a heat pump mode, the present invention relates to a heat management system for a vehicle, and more particularly, to a heat management system for a vehicle, whereby heat loss generated during refrigerant movement from a compressor side to a cooler and from the compressor side to a cooling heat exchanger in a vehicle interior can be prevented to the greatest extent, and the present invention relates to a heat management system for a vehicle, comprising: a heat pump type refrigerant circulation line; the system has a compressor, a high-pressure-side heat exchanger, an air-cooled outdoor heat exchanger, a cooler connected in series or in parallel to the air-cooled outdoor heat exchanger, and a cooling heat exchanger in a vehicle interior connected in series or in parallel to the air-cooled outdoor heat exchanger, the system having a refrigerant control unit, and a refrigerant control unit for decompressing and expanding the compressor-side refrigerant during the heat pump mode, and then allowing the compressor-side refrigerant to selectively flow to at least one of the air-cooled outdoor heat exchanger, the cooler, and the cooling heat exchanger in the vehicle interior according to air conditioning conditions.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention relates to a vehicle thermal management system, and more particularly, to such a vehicle thermal management system, which is configured to minimize the high-pressure / high-temperature movement path sections in the refrigerant movement path extending from a compressor to a cooler and in the refrigerant movement path extending from the compressor to a vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger, thereby preventing heat loss occurring during the movement of the refrigerant from the compressor to the cooler and from the compressor to the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger, thereby improving the heat pump efficiency and the heating and dehumidification performance of the vehicle interior. Background Art

[0002] Examples of environmentally friendly vehicles include electric vehicles, hybrid vehicles, and fuel cell vehicles (hereinafter collectively referred to as "vehicles").

[0003] Such vehicles are equipped with a thermal management system for cooling and heating the air-conditioned area, and the thermal management system is provided with Figure 1 The air conditioner 10 is shown.

[0004] The air conditioner 10 is of a heat pump type and includes a refrigerant circulation line 12 .

[0005] The refrigerant circulation pipeline 12 includes a compressor 14, a high-pressure side heat exchanger 16, an outdoor heat exchanger 18, a plurality of low-pressure side heat exchangers 20 installed in parallel with each other, an expansion valve 18a installed on the upstream side of the outdoor heat exchanger 18, and a plurality of expansion valves 22 and 24 installed on the upstream side of the corresponding low-pressure side heat exchangers 20.

[0006] The low-pressure side heat exchanger 20 includes a vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a for cooling the vehicle interior and an electric component cooling cooler 20b (hereinafter referred to as "cooler") for cooling batteries and electric component modules (hereinafter collectively referred to as "electric components").

[0007] The vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a is connected in series to the outdoor heat exchanger 18 via a three-way flow control valve 25 on its upstream side, or is connected in parallel to the outdoor heat exchanger 18 via a branch line 12a branched from the upstream side of an expansion valve 18a on the outdoor heat exchanger 18 side.

[0008] In the air conditioning mode for cooling the interior of the vehicle, the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a generates cold air by introducing refrigerant that has been discharged from the compressor 14, passed through the high-pressure side heat exchanger 16 and the outdoor heat exchanger 18, and then decompressed and expanded by the expansion valve 22, and cools the interior of the vehicle with the generated cold air.

[0009] In addition, in the dehumidification mode under the heat pump mode condition for heating the vehicle interior, the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a generates cold air by introducing refrigerant that has been discharged from the compressor 14, passed through the high-pressure side heat exchanger 16 and the branch pipeline 12a, and then was decompressed and expanded by the expansion valve 22, and dehumidifies the vehicle interior by allowing the generated cold air to exchange heat with the air in the vehicle interior.

[0010] The cooler 20b is connected in series to the outdoor heat exchanger 18 via the three-way flow control valve 25 on the upstream side thereof, or is connected in parallel to the outdoor heat exchanger 18 via the branch line 12a on the upstream side of the expansion valve 18a on the outdoor heat exchanger 18 side.

[0011] In the air conditioning mode, the cooler 20b generates cold air by introducing refrigerant that has been discharged from the compressor 14, passed through the high-pressure side heat exchanger 16 and the outdoor heat exchanger 18, and then decompressed and expanded by the expansion valve 24, and cools the electrical components by delivering the generated cold air to the cooling water in the cooling water circulation pipeline 26 for cooling the electrical components.

[0012] In addition, in the heat pump mode, the cooler 20b introduces refrigerant that has been discharged from the compressor 14, passed through the high-pressure side heat exchanger 16 and the branch pipeline 12a, and then was decompressed and expanded by the expansion valve 24, and allows the introduced refrigerant to exchange heat with the cooling water in the cooling water circulation pipeline 26 for cooling electrical components.

[0013] Therefore, waste heat of the electric components absorbed into the cooling water in the cooling water circulation line 26 can be recovered to the refrigerant in the branch line 12a. This improves the heat pump mode efficiency of the air conditioner 10.

[0014] Meanwhile, in the heat pump mode, the outdoor heat exchanger 18 introduces refrigerant from the compressor 14 side and recovers heat of the ambient air by allowing the introduced refrigerant to exchange heat with the ambient air.

[0015] Therefore, the heat pump mode efficiency is improved by improving the waste heat recovery efficiency of the refrigerant returned to the compressor 14 side.

[0016] The conventional air conditioner 10 has a structure in which, in the heat pump mode, the high-temperature / high-pressure refrigerant on the compressor 14 side moves to the expansion valve 24 located on the inlet side of the cooler 20b, and then is decompressed and expanded. Therefore, there is a disadvantage in that the high-pressure / high-temperature refrigerant moving path section in the refrigerant moving path extending from the compressor 14 to the cooler 20b is relatively long.

[0017] In addition, in the vehicle interior dehumidification mode under the heat pump mode condition, the high-temperature / high-pressure refrigerant on the compressor 14 side moves to the expansion valve 22 located on the inlet side of the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a, and then is decompressed and expanded. Therefore, there is a disadvantage in that the high-pressure / high-temperature refrigerant moving path section in the refrigerant moving path extending from the compressor 14 to the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a is relatively long.

[0018] Due to these disadvantages, there is a problem in that the heat loss rate of the refrigerant is extremely large during the process of moving the refrigerant from the compressor 14 to the cooler 20 b and the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20 a .

[0019] As a result, there is a disadvantage in that the efficiency of the heat pump mode and the heating and dehumidification performance of the vehicle interior are significantly reduced. Summary of the invention

[0020] Technical issues

[0021] The present invention has been made to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle thermal management system capable of minimizing a high-pressure / high-temperature moving path section in a refrigerant moving path extending from a compressor to a cooler in a heat pump mode.

[0022] Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle thermal management system capable of minimizing a high-pressure / high-temperature moving path section in a refrigerant moving path extending from a compressor to a vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger in a vehicle interior dehumidification mode under a heat pump mode condition.

[0023] Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle thermal management system, which is configured to minimize the high-pressure / high-temperature movement path sections in the refrigerant movement path extending from the compressor to the cooler and in the refrigerant movement path from the compressor to the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger in a heat pump mode or a vehicle interior dehumidification mode during a heat pump mode condition, thereby preventing heat loss from occurring during the process of refrigerant movement from the compressor to the cooler and from the compressor to the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger.

[0024] Another object of the present invention is to provide a vehicle thermal management system configured to prevent heat loss occurring during the process of refrigerant movement from a compressor to a cooler and from the compressor to a vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger, thereby improving heat pump efficiency and the heating and dehumidification performance of the vehicle interior.

[0025] Technical Solution

[0026] To achieve these objectives, the present invention provides a vehicle thermal management system, which includes: a heat pump type refrigerant circulation pipeline, the refrigerant circulation pipeline including a compressor, a high-pressure side heat exchanger, an outdoor heat exchanger, a cooler connected in series or in parallel to the outdoor heat exchanger, and a vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger connected in series or in parallel to the outdoor heat exchanger; and a refrigerant control unit, which is configured to decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor side in a heat pump mode and selectively allow the refrigerant to flow to at least one of the outdoor heat exchanger, the cooler, and the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger according to air conditioning conditions.

[0027] The outdoor heat exchanger is configured to allow the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation line to exchange heat with ambient air in the heat pump mode, so that the heat of the ambient air can be recovered by the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation line. The chiller is configured to allow the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation line to exchange heat with cooling water in the cooling water circulation line for cooling electrical components in the heat pump mode, so that the waste heat of the electrical components absorbed into the cooling water can be recovered by the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation line. The vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger is configured to allow the cooling water in the vehicle interior dehumidification mode under the heat pump mode to be recovered by the refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation line. The refrigerant in the refrigerant circulation pipeline exchanges heat with the air inside the vehicle to dehumidify the interior of the vehicle, and the refrigerant control unit is configured to, in the heat pump mode, decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor side and allow the decompressed and expanded refrigerant to selectively flow to at least one of the outdoor heat exchanger, the cooler and the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger according to the air conditioning conditions, so that at least one of the air heat is selected to be recovered by the refrigerant of the outdoor heat exchanger, the waste heat of the electrical components is recovered by the refrigerant of the cooler, and the vehicle interior is dehumidified by the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger.

[0028] The refrigerant control unit is configured to decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor side when entering the maximum heating mode under the heat pump mode condition, and then introduce the decompressed and expanded refrigerant into the outdoor heat exchanger and the cooler in parallel, so that the air heat can be recovered by the refrigerant of the outdoor heat exchanger and the waste heat of the electrical components can be recovered by the refrigerant of the cooler at the same time.

[0029] The refrigerant control unit is configured to decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor side when the vehicle interior dehumidification mode is entered under the heat pump mode condition and the maximum heating mode condition, and then sequentially introduce the decompressed and expanded refrigerant into the outdoor heat exchanger and the cooler and into the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger, so that the air heat can be recovered by the refrigerant of the outdoor heat exchanger, the waste heat of the electrical components can be recovered by the refrigerant of the cooler, and the vehicle interior can be dehumidified by the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger at the same time.

[0030] The refrigerant control unit is configured to decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor side when entering the general heating mode under the heat pump mode condition, and then introduce the decompressed and expanded refrigerant only into the cooler, so that only the waste heat of the electrical components can be recovered by the refrigerant of the cooler.

[0031] The refrigerant control unit is configured to decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor side when the vehicle interior dehumidification mode is entered under the heat pump mode condition and the general heating mode condition, and then introduce the decompressed and expanded refrigerant into the cooler and the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger in parallel, so that the waste heat of the electrical components can be recovered by the refrigerant of the cooler and the vehicle interior can be dehumidified by the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger at the same time.

[0032] The refrigerant control unit is configured to, when entering the general heating mode under the heat pump mode condition, if the temperature of the cooling water in the cooling water circulation pipeline used to cool the electrical components is equal to or lower than a preset value, decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor side, and then introduce the decompressed and expanded refrigerant only into the outdoor heat exchanger, so that only the air heat can be recovered by the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger.

[0033] The refrigerant control unit is configured to decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor side when the vehicle interior dehumidification mode is entered under the conditions of the heat pump mode condition and the temperature of the cooling water in the cooling water circulation pipeline is equal to or lower than the set temperature, and then introduce the decompressed and expanded refrigerant into the outdoor heat exchanger and the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger in parallel, so that the air heat can be recovered by the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger and the vehicle interior can be dehumidified by the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger at the same time.

[0034] The refrigerant control unit includes: a first heat pump expansion valve and a second heat pump expansion valve, which are installed in parallel on a portion of the refrigerant circulation pipeline located on a common upstream side of the outdoor heat exchanger, the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger and the cooler, and are configured to decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor side; a first three-way flow control valve, which is configured to selectively allow the refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the first heat pump expansion valve to flow to either the outdoor heat exchanger or the cooler; and a second three-way flow control valve, which is configured to selectively allow the refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the first heat pump expansion valve to flow to either the outdoor heat exchanger or the cooler. The automatic control valve is configured to selectively allow the refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the second heat pump expansion valve to flow to either the outdoor heat exchanger or the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger; and a valve control unit, which is configured to, in the heat pump mode, control the first heat pump expansion valve and the second heat pump expansion valve and the first three-way flow control valve and the second three-way flow control valve to decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor side and selectively allow the decompressed and expanded refrigerant to flow to at least one of the outdoor heat exchanger, the cooler and the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger according to the air conditioning conditions.

[0035] Effects of the Invention

[0036] According to the vehicle thermal management system of the present invention, in the heat pump mode, the refrigerant on the compressor side is decompressed and expanded on the common upstream side of the outdoor heat exchanger, the cooler, and the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger, and then supplied to a desired location.

[0037] Therefore, unlike the related art in which the refrigerant is decompressed and expanded using corresponding expansion valves installed in the outdoor heat exchanger and the cooler in the heat pump mode, the expansion valve used in the heat pump mode can be arranged as close to the compressor as possible.

[0038] Furthermore, since the expansion valve for the heat pump mode can be positioned as close to the compressor as possible, the high-pressure / high-temperature moving path section in the refrigerant moving path extending from the compressor to the chiller can be minimized in the heat pump mode.

[0039] In addition, since the high-pressure / high-temperature moving path section in the refrigerant moving path extending from the compressor to the cooler can be minimized in the heat pump mode, heat loss that occurs during the process of refrigerant moving from the compressor to the cooler in the heat pump mode can be prevented, thereby improving the heat pump efficiency and the heating performance of the vehicle interior.

[0040] In addition, since the refrigerant on the compressor side is decompressed and expanded on the common upstream side of the outdoor heat exchanger, the cooler and the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger, and then supplied to the desired position in the heat pump mode, unlike the related art that uses an expansion valve located on the inlet side of the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger to decompress and expand the refrigerant in the vehicle interior dehumidification mode under the heat pump mode, the expansion valve used for the vehicle interior dehumidification mode under the heat pump mode can be arranged as close to the compressor as possible.

[0041] In addition, since the expansion valve used for the vehicle interior dehumidification mode under the heat pump mode condition can be arranged as close to the compressor as possible, the high-pressure / high-temperature moving path section in the refrigerant moving path extending from the compressor to the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger can be minimized in the vehicle interior dehumidification mode under the heat pump mode condition.

[0042] In addition, since the high-pressure / high-temperature moving path section in the refrigerant moving path extending from the compressor to the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger can be minimized in the vehicle interior dehumidification mode under the heat pump mode condition, heat loss occurring during the process of refrigerant movement from the compressor to the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger can be prevented in the vehicle interior dehumidification mode under the heat pump mode condition, thereby improving the heat pump efficiency and the dehumidification performance of the vehicle interior. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0043] Figure 1 is a diagram showing a conventional vehicle thermal management system.

[0044] Figure 2 is a diagram showing a vehicle thermal management system according to the present invention.

[0045] Figure 3 is an operation diagram of the vehicle thermal management system according to the present invention, showing an operation example when entering the maximum heating mode under the heat pump mode condition.

[0046] Figure 4 is an operation diagram of the vehicle thermal management system according to the present invention, showing an operation example when the vehicle interior dehumidification mode is entered under the heat pump mode condition and the maximum heating mode condition.

[0047] Figure 5 is an operation diagram of the vehicle thermal management system according to the present invention, showing an operation example when entering the general heating mode under the heat pump mode condition.

[0048] Figure 6 is an operation diagram of the vehicle thermal management system according to the present invention, showing an operation example when entering the vehicle interior dehumidification mode under the heat pump mode condition and the general heating mode condition.

[0049] Figure 7is an operation diagram of the vehicle thermal management system according to the present invention, showing an operation example in the case where the temperature of cooling water in the cooling water circulation line for cooling electric components is lower than a preset level when entering the general heating mode under the heat pump mode condition.

[0050] Figure 8 is an operation diagram of a vehicle thermal management system according to the present invention, showing an operation example when entering a vehicle interior dehumidification mode under heat pump mode conditions, general heating mode conditions, and when the temperature of the cooling water in the cooling water circulation line is equal to or lower than a preset temperature.

[0051] Fig. 9 is an operation diagram of the vehicle thermal management system according to the present invention, showing an operation example in the air conditioning mode. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0052] Hereinafter, a preferred embodiment of a vehicle thermal management system according to the present invention will be described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings. The same components as those of the above-mentioned prior art will be denoted by the same reference numerals.

[0053] First, before describing the features of the vehicle thermal management system according to the present invention, reference will be made to Figure 2 Briefly describe the general aspects of a vehicle thermal management system.

[0054] The vehicle thermal management system is equipped with an air conditioner 10 that cools and heats an air conditioning area. The air conditioner 10 is of a heat pump type and includes a refrigerant circulation line 12.

[0055] The refrigerant circulation line 12 includes a compressor 14 , a high-pressure side heat exchanger 16 , an outdoor heat exchanger 18 , a plurality of low-pressure side heat exchangers 20 installed in parallel with each other, and a plurality of electromagnetic variable expansion valves 22 and 24 installed on the upstream side of the respective low-pressure side heat exchangers 20 .

[0056] The low-pressure side heat exchanger 20 includes a vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20 a for cooling the vehicle interior and a cooler for cooling electric components.

[0057] The vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a is connected in series to the outdoor heat exchanger 18 through the three-way flow control valve 25 on the upstream side thereof, or in parallel to the outdoor heat exchanger 18 through the branch line 12a located on the upstream side of the outdoor heat exchanger 18 in some cases.

[0058] The cooler 20b is connected in series to the outdoor heat exchanger 18 via the three-way flow control valve 25 on its upstream side, or in some cases is connected in parallel to the outdoor heat exchanger 18 via the branch line 12a on the upstream side of the expansion valve 18a located on the outdoor heat exchanger 18 side.

[0059] In the heat pump mode, the cooler 20b introduces refrigerant that has been discharged from the compressor 14, passed through the high-pressure side heat exchanger 16 and the branch pipeline 12a, and then was decompressed and expanded by the expansion valve 24, and allows the introduced refrigerant to exchange heat with the cooling water in the cooling water circulation pipeline 26 for cooling electrical components.

[0060] Therefore, waste heat of the electrical components absorbed into the cooling water in the cooling water circulation line 26 (hereinafter referred to as "water heat") can be recovered to the refrigerant in the branch line 12a. This improves the heat pump mode efficiency of the air conditioner 10.

[0061] Meanwhile, in the heat pump mode, the outdoor heat exchanger 18 introduces refrigerant from the compressor 14 and recovers ambient air heat by allowing the introduced refrigerant to exchange heat with the ambient air.

[0062] Therefore, it is possible to improve the waste heat recovery efficiency of the refrigerant returned to the compressor 14, thereby improving the heat pump mode efficiency.

[0063] Next, we will refer to Figures 2 to 6 The features of the vehicle thermal management system according to the present invention are described in detail.

[0064] First refer to Figure 2 The thermal management system of the present invention includes: a refrigerant control unit 30, which is configured to decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor 14 side in the heat pump mode, and selectively allow the refrigerant to flow to at least one of the outdoor heat exchanger 18, the cooler 20b and the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a according to air conditioning conditions.

[0065] The refrigerant control unit 30 includes: a first heat pump expansion valve 32 and a second heat pump expansion valve 34, which are installed in parallel in a portion of the upstream refrigerant circulation pipeline 12 that is shared by the outdoor heat exchanger 18, the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a and the cooler 20b; a first three-way flow control valve 36 and a second three-way flow control valve 38, which are configured to selectively allow the refrigerant that is decompressed and expanded in the first heat pump expansion valve 32 and the second heat pump expansion valve 34 to flow to at least one of the outdoor heat exchanger 18, the cooler 20b and the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a; and a valve control unit 39, which is configured to control valves 32, 34, 36 and 38.

[0066] The first heat pump expansion valve 32 and the second heat pump expansion valve 34 are electromagnetic variable expansion valves and are installed in parallel in a portion of the refrigerant circulation line 12 that is shared by the outdoor heat exchanger 18, the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a and the cooler 20b, for example, in a portion of the refrigerant circulation line 12 located between the high-pressure side heat exchanger 16 and the branch line 12a.

[0067] Specifically, the first heat pump expansion valve 32 is installed on the refrigerant circulation pipeline 12 between the high-pressure side heat exchanger 16 and the branch pipeline 12a, and the second heat pump expansion valve 34 is installed on the second branch pipeline 12b branching out between the high-pressure side heat exchanger 16 and the branch pipeline 12a.

[0068] The first heat pump expansion valve 32 and the second heat pump expansion valve 34 are arranged in parallel with respect to the compressor 14 and the high-pressure side heat exchanger 16 .

[0069] The first heat pump expansion valve 32 and the second heat pump expansion valve 34 arranged in this manner decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor 14 side before the refrigerant is introduced into the outdoor heat exchanger 18, the cooler 20b, and the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a.

[0070] The first three-way flow control valve 36 and the second three-way flow control valve 38 are installed on the downstream side of the first heat pump expansion valve 32 and the second heat pump expansion valve 34 in a one-to-one relationship.

[0071] The first three-way flow control valve 36 and the second three-way flow control valve 38 control the flow direction of the refrigerant that has been decompressed and expanded by the first heat pump expansion valve 32 and the second heat pump expansion valve 34, so that the refrigerant can flow to at least one of the outdoor heat exchanger 18, the cooler 20b and the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a.

[0072] The first three-way flow control valve 36 is installed at a branch point of the branch line 12a on the downstream side of the first heat pump expansion valve 32, and is configured to selectively allow the refrigerant that has been decompressed and expanded in the first heat pump expansion valve 32 to flow to either the outdoor heat exchanger 18 or the cooler 20b.

[0073] The second three-way flow control valve 38 is installed on the downstream side of the second heat pump expansion valve 34 and is configured to selectively allow the refrigerant that has been decompressed and expanded by the second heat pump expansion valve 34 to flow to either the outdoor heat exchanger 18 or the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20 a .

[0074] It is preferred that the second three-way flow control valve 38 has an expansion valve integrated structure in which the second three-way flow control valve 38 and the second heat pump expansion valve 34 are integrally formed.

[0075] In the heat pump mode, the valve control unit 39 controls at least one of the first heat pump expansion valve 32 and the second heat pump expansion valve 34 according to air conditioning conditions to decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor 14 side.

[0076] In addition, the valve control unit 39 controls the first three-way flow control valve 36 and the second three-way flow control valve 38 to allow the refrigerant that has been decompressed and expanded by at least one of the first heat pump expansion valve 32 and the second heat pump expansion valve 34 to flow to at least one of the outdoor heat exchanger 18, the cooler 20b and the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a.

[0077] For example, Figure 3 As shown, when entering the maximum heating mode under the heat pump mode condition, the valve control unit 39 opens all the first heat pump expansion valves 32 and the second heat pump expansion valves 34, so that the refrigerant on the compressor 14 side can be decompressed and expanded by the first heat pump expansion valves 32 and the second heat pump expansion valves 34.

[0078] In addition, the valve control unit 39 controls the first three-way flow control valve 36 and the second three-way flow control valve 38 so that the refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the first heat pump expansion valve 32 can be introduced into the cooler 20b, and the refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the second heat pump expansion valve 34 can be introduced into the outdoor heat exchanger 18.

[0079] Therefore, when entering the maximum heating mode under the heat pump mode condition, the refrigerant decompressed and expanded on the upstream side of the cooler 20b and the outdoor heat exchanger 18 may flow to the outdoor heat exchanger 18 and the cooler 20b in parallel.

[0080] Therefore, it is possible to simultaneously recover the heat of the air through the refrigerant flowing to the outdoor heat exchanger 18 and the heat of the water through the refrigerant flowing to the cooler 20 b for cooling the electric components in the cooling water circulation line 26 .

[0081] In addition, if Figure 4 As shown, when the vehicle interior dehumidification mode is entered under the heat pump mode conditions and the maximum heating mode conditions, the valve control unit 39 opens all the first heat pump expansion valves 32 and the second heat pump expansion valves 34, so that the refrigerant on the compressor 14 side can be decompressed and expanded by the first heat pump expansion valves 32 and the second heat pump expansion valves 34.

[0082] In addition, the valve control unit 39 controls the first three-way flow control valve 36 and the second three-way flow control valve 38 so that the refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the first heat pump expansion valve 32 can be introduced into the outdoor heat exchanger 18, and the refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the second heat pump expansion valve 34 can be introduced into the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a.

[0083] Therefore, when the vehicle interior dehumidification mode is entered under the heat pump mode condition and the maximum heating mode condition, the valve control unit 39 allows the refrigerant that is decompressed and expanded on the upstream side of the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a, the cooler 20b and the outdoor heat exchanger 18 to flow in parallel to the outdoor heat exchanger 18 and the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a.

[0084] As a result, the refrigerant flowing to the outdoor heat exchanger 18 can recover ambient air heat, and the refrigerant flowing to the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a can dehumidify the vehicle interior.

[0085] The valve control portion 39 is configured to control the three-way flow control valve 25 between the outdoor heat exchanger 18 and the cooler 20 b to connect the outdoor heat exchanger 18 and the cooler 20 b in series.

[0086] Therefore, the refrigerant flowing to the outdoor heat exchanger 18 can flow to the cooler 20 b , thereby recovering the heat of water in the cooling water circulation line 26 for cooling the electric components.

[0087] Therefore, when the vehicle interior dehumidification mode is entered under the heat pump mode condition and the maximum heating mode condition, recovery of air heat on the outdoor heat exchanger 18 side and recovery of water heat on the cooler 20 b side can be performed successively.

[0088] like Figure 5 As shown, when entering the general heating mode under the heat pump mode condition, the valve control part 39 opens the first heat pump expansion valve 32 and closes the second heat pump expansion valve 34, so that the refrigerant on the compressor 14 side can be decompressed and expanded only by the first heat pump expansion valve 32.

[0089] Furthermore, the valve control part 39 controls the first three-way flow control valve 36 so that the refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the first heat pump expansion valve 32 can be introduced into the cooler 20 b .

[0090] Therefore, when entering the general heating mode under the heat pump mode condition, the refrigerant decompressed and expanded on the upstream side of the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a, the cooler 20b, and the outdoor heat exchanger 18 may flow only to the cooler 20b.

[0091] As a result, the refrigerant flowing to the cooler 20 b can recover the heat of water in the cooling water circulation line 26 for cooling the electric components.

[0092] like Figure 6 As shown, when the vehicle interior dehumidification mode is entered under the heat pump mode conditions and the general heating mode conditions, the valve control unit 39 opens the first heat pump expansion valve 32 and the second heat pump expansion valve 34, so that the refrigerant on the compressor 14 side can be decompressed and expanded by the first heat pump expansion valve 32 and the second heat pump expansion valve 34.

[0093] In addition, the valve control unit 39 controls the first three-way flow control valve 36 and the second three-way flow control valve 38 so that the refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the first heat pump expansion valve 32 can be introduced into the cooler 20b, and the refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the second heat pump expansion valve 34 can be introduced into the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a.

[0094] Therefore, when the vehicle interior dehumidification mode is entered under heat pump mode conditions and general heating mode conditions, the refrigerant that is decompressed and expanded on the upstream side of the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a, the cooler 20b and the outdoor heat exchanger 18 can flow to the cooler 20b and the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a in parallel.

[0095] As a result, the refrigerant flowing to the cooler 20 b can recover water heat of the cooling water circulation line 26 for cooling the electric components, and the refrigerant flowing to the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20 a can dehumidify the vehicle interior.

[0096] like Figure 7 As shown, when entering the general heating mode under the heat pump mode condition, if the cooling water temperature of the cooling water circulation pipeline 26 used to cool the electrical components is lower than the preset value, the valve control unit 39 opens the first heat pump expansion valve 32 and closes the second heat pump expansion valve 34, so that the refrigerant on the compressor 14 side can be decompressed and expanded only by the first heat pump expansion valve 32.

[0097] Furthermore, the valve control part 39 controls the first three-way flow control valve 36 so that the refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the first heat pump expansion valve 32 can be introduced into the outdoor heat exchanger 18 .

[0098] Therefore, when entering the general heating mode under the heat pump mode condition, if the cooling water temperature of the cooling water circulation pipeline 26 for cooling the electrical components is lower than the set value, the refrigerant decompressed and expanded on the upstream side of the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a, the cooler 20b and the outdoor heat exchanger 18 is allowed to flow only to the outdoor heat exchanger 18.

[0099] As a result, the refrigerant flowing to the outdoor heat exchanger 18 can recover heat from the ambient air.

[0100] like Figure 8 As shown, when the vehicle interior dehumidification mode is entered under the conditions of heat pump mode conditions, general heating mode conditions and the cooling water temperature of the cooling water circulation pipeline 26 being equal to or lower than the set temperature, the valve control unit 39 opens all the first heat pump expansion valves 32 and the second heat pump expansion valves 34, so that the refrigerant on the compressor 14 side can be decompressed and expanded by the first heat pump expansion valves 32 and the second heat pump expansion valves 34.

[0101] In addition, the valve control unit 39 controls the first three-way flow control valve 36 and the second three-way flow control valve 38 so that the refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the first heat pump expansion valve 32 can be introduced into the outdoor heat exchanger 18, and the refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the second heat pump expansion valve 34 can be introduced into the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a.

[0102] Therefore, when the vehicle interior dehumidification mode is entered under the conditions of heat pump mode conditions, general heating mode conditions and the cooling water temperature of the cooling water circulation pipeline 26 is equal to or lower than the set temperature, the refrigerant that is decompressed and expanded on the upstream side of the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a, the cooler 20b and the outdoor heat exchanger 18 can flow to the outdoor heat exchanger 18 and the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a in parallel.

[0103] As a result, the refrigerant flowing to the outdoor heat exchanger 18 can recover ambient air heat, and the refrigerant flowing to the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a can dehumidify the vehicle interior.

[0104] At the same time, in air conditioning mode, if Fig. 9 As shown, the valve control unit 39 controls the first heat pump expansion valve 32 to be fully opened, and closes the second heat pump expansion valve 34 .

[0105] In addition, the valve control unit 39 controls the first three-way flow control valve 36 so that the refrigerant that passes through the first heat pump expansion valve 32 without being decompressed and expanded can be introduced into the outdoor heat exchanger 18, and controls the three-way flow control valve 25 on the downstream side of the outdoor heat exchanger 18 so that the outdoor heat exchanger 18, the cooler 20b and the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a can be connected to each other.

[0106] Therefore, the refrigerant passing through the outdoor heat exchanger 18 can be decompressed and expanded while passing through the expansion valve 24 on the cooler 20 b side and the expansion valve 22 on the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20 a side.

[0107] The decompressed and expanded refrigerant is introduced into the cooler 20b and the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a, thereby cooling the electric components and the vehicle interior.

[0108] According to the vehicle thermal management system of the present invention configured as described above, in the heat pump mode, the refrigerant on the compressor 14 side is decompressed and expanded on the common upstream side of the outdoor heat exchanger 18, the cooler 20b and the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a, and then supplied to a desired location.

[0109] Therefore, in the heat pump mode, the corresponding expansion valves 18a and 24 (see FIG. Figure 1) is different from the related technology of decompressing and expanding the refrigerant, the expansion valve used in the heat pump mode can be arranged as close to the compressor 14 as possible.

[0110] Furthermore, since the expansion valve for the heat pump mode can be positioned as close to the compressor 14 as possible, the high pressure / high temperature movement path section in the refrigerant movement path extending from the compressor 14 to the chiller 20b can be minimized in the heat pump mode.

[0111] In addition, since the high-pressure / high-temperature moving path section in the refrigerant moving path extending from the compressor 14 to the cooler 20b can be minimized in the heat pump mode, heat loss that occurs during the process of refrigerant movement from the compressor 14 to the cooler 20b in the heat pump mode can be prevented, thereby improving the heat pump efficiency and the heating performance of the vehicle interior.

[0112] In addition, since in the heat pump mode, the refrigerant on the compressor 14 side is decompressed and expanded on the common upstream side of the outdoor heat exchanger 18, the cooler 20b and the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a, and then supplied to the desired position, unlike the related art that uses the expansion valve 24 on the inlet side of the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a to decompress and expand the refrigerant in the vehicle interior dehumidification mode under the heat pump mode, the expansion valve used for the vehicle interior dehumidification mode under the heat pump mode can be arranged as close to the compressor 14 as possible.

[0113] In addition, since the expansion valve used for the vehicle interior dehumidification mode under the heat pump mode condition can be arranged as close to the compressor 14 as possible, the high-pressure / high-temperature moving path section in the refrigerant moving path extending from the compressor 14 to the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a can be minimized in the vehicle interior dehumidification mode under the heat pump mode condition.

[0114] In addition, since the high-pressure / high-temperature moving path section in the refrigerant moving path extending from the compressor 14 to the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a can be minimized in the vehicle interior dehumidification mode under the heat pump mode condition, heat loss occurring during the process of refrigerant movement from the compressor 14 to the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger 20a can be prevented in the vehicle interior dehumidification mode under the heat pump mode condition, thereby improving the heat pump efficiency and the dehumidification performance of the vehicle interior.

[0115] Although the preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described above by way of example, the scope of the present invention is not limited to this specific embodiment and can be appropriately changed within the scope described in the claims.

Claims

1. A vehicle thermal management system, the vehicle thermal management system comprising: a heat pump type refrigerant circulation line including a compressor, a high-pressure side heat exchanger, an outdoor heat exchanger, a cooler connected in series or in parallel to the outdoor heat exchanger, and a vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger connected in series or in parallel to the outdoor heat exchanger; as well as A refrigerant control unit configured to decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor side and selectively allow the refrigerant to flow to at least one of the outdoor heat exchanger, the cooler, and the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger according to air conditioning conditions in a heat pump mode.

2. The vehicle thermal management system according to claim 1, wherein: The outdoor heat exchanger is configured to allow the refrigerant of the refrigerant circulation line to exchange heat with ambient air in the heat pump mode, so that the heat of the ambient air can be recovered by the refrigerant of the refrigerant circulation line. The cooler is configured to allow the refrigerant of the refrigerant circulation line to exchange heat with cooling water of a cooling water circulation line for cooling electrical components in the heat pump mode, so that waste heat of the electrical components absorbed into the cooling water can be recovered by the refrigerant of the refrigerant circulation line. The vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger is configured to allow the refrigerant of the refrigerant circulation line to exchange heat with vehicle interior air to dehumidify the vehicle interior in a vehicle interior dehumidification mode under a heat pump mode condition, and The refrigerant control unit is configured to, under the heat pump mode, decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor side and allow the decompressed and expanded refrigerant to selectively flow to at least one of the outdoor heat exchanger, the cooler and the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger according to the air conditioning conditions, so that at least one of air heat is recovered by the refrigerant of the outdoor heat exchanger, waste heat of the electrical components is recovered by the refrigerant of the cooler, and the vehicle interior is dehumidified by the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger.

3. The vehicle thermal management system according to claim 2, wherein: The refrigerant control unit is configured to decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor side when entering the maximum heating mode under the heat pump mode condition, and then introduce the decompressed and expanded refrigerant into the outdoor heat exchanger and the cooler in parallel, so that the air heat can be recovered by the refrigerant of the outdoor heat exchanger and the waste heat of the electrical components can be recovered by the refrigerant of the cooler at the same time.

4. The vehicle thermal management system according to claim 3, wherein: The refrigerant control unit is configured to decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor side when the vehicle interior dehumidification mode is entered under the heat pump mode condition and the maximum heating mode condition, and then sequentially introduce the decompressed and expanded refrigerant into the outdoor heat exchanger and the cooler and into the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger, so that the air heat can be recovered by the refrigerant of the outdoor heat exchanger, the waste heat of the electrical components can be recovered by the refrigerant of the cooler, and the vehicle interior can be dehumidified by the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger at the same time.

5. The vehicle thermal management system according to claim 4, wherein: The refrigerant control unit is configured to decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor side when entering the general heating mode under the heat pump mode condition, and then introduce the decompressed and expanded refrigerant only into the cooler, so that only the waste heat of the electrical components can be recovered by the refrigerant of the cooler.

6. The vehicle thermal management system according to claim 5, wherein: The refrigerant control unit is configured to decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor side when the vehicle interior dehumidification mode is entered under the heat pump mode condition and the general heating mode condition, and then introduce the decompressed and expanded refrigerant into the cooler and the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger in parallel, so that the waste heat of the electrical components can be recovered by the refrigerant of the cooler and the vehicle interior can be dehumidified by the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger at the same time.

7. The vehicle thermal management system according to claim 6, wherein: The refrigerant control unit is configured to, when entering the general heating mode under the heat pump mode condition, if the temperature of the cooling water in the cooling water circulation pipeline used to cool the electrical components is equal to or lower than a preset value, decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor side, and then introduce the decompressed and expanded refrigerant only into the outdoor heat exchanger, so that only the air heat can be recovered by the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger.

8. The vehicle thermal management system according to claim 7, wherein: The refrigerant control unit is configured to decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor side when the vehicle interior dehumidification mode is entered under the conditions of the heat pump mode condition and the temperature of the cooling water in the cooling water circulation pipeline is equal to or lower than the set temperature, and then introduce the decompressed and expanded refrigerant into the outdoor heat exchanger and the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger in parallel, so that the air heat can be recovered by the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger and the vehicle interior can be dehumidified by the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger at the same time.

9. The vehicle thermal management system according to claim 8, wherein: The refrigerant control unit comprises: a first heat pump expansion valve and a second heat pump expansion valve, which are installed in parallel on a portion of the refrigerant circulation line located on a common upstream side of the outdoor heat exchanger, the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger, and the cooler, and are configured to decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor side; a first three-way flow control valve configured to selectively allow the refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the first heat pump expansion valve to flow to either the outdoor heat exchanger or the cooler; a second three-way flow control valve configured to selectively allow the refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the second heat pump expansion valve to flow to either the outdoor heat exchanger or the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger; and A valve control unit, the valve control unit being configured to control the first heat pump expansion valve and the second heat pump expansion valve and the first three-way flow control valve and the second three-way flow control valve in the heat pump mode to decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor side and selectively allow the decompressed and expanded refrigerant to flow to at least one of the outdoor heat exchanger, the cooler, and the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger according to the air conditioning condition.

10. The vehicle thermal management system according to claim 9, wherein: The valve control unit is configured to, when entering the maximum heating mode under the heat pump mode condition, open the first heat pump expansion valve and the second heat pump expansion valve, so that the first heat pump expansion valve and the second heat pump expansion valve can decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor side, and the valve control unit is configured to control the first three-way flow control valve and the second three-way flow control valve, so that the refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the first heat pump expansion valve can be introduced into the cooler, and the refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the second heat pump expansion valve can be introduced into the outdoor heat exchanger.

11. The vehicle thermal management system according to claim 10, wherein: The valve control unit is configured to open the first heat pump expansion valve and the second heat pump expansion valve when the vehicle interior dehumidification mode is entered under the heat pump mode condition and the maximum heating mode condition, so that the first heat pump expansion valve and the second heat pump expansion valve can decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor side, and the valve control unit is configured to control the first three-way flow control valve and the second three-way flow control valve and the three-way flow control valve for connecting the outdoor heat exchanger and the cooler in series, so that the refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the first heat pump expansion valve can be introduced into the cooler through the outdoor heat exchanger, and the refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the second heat pump expansion valve can be introduced into the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger.

12. The vehicle thermal management system according to claim 11, wherein: The valve control unit is configured to open the first heat pump expansion valve and close the second heat pump expansion valve when entering the general heating mode under the heat pump mode condition, so that only the first heat pump expansion valve can decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor side, and the valve control unit is configured to control the first three-way flow control valve so that the refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the first heat pump expansion valve can be introduced into the cooler.

13. The vehicle thermal management system according to claim 12, wherein: The valve control unit is configured to open the first heat pump expansion valve and the second heat pump expansion valve when the vehicle interior dehumidification mode is entered under the heat pump mode condition and the general heating mode condition, so that the first heat pump expansion valve and the second heat pump expansion valve can decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor side, and the valve control unit is configured to control the first three-way flow control valve and the second three-way flow control valve so that the refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the first heat pump expansion valve can be introduced into the cooler, and the refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the second heat pump expansion valve can be introduced into the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger.

14. The vehicle thermal management system according to claim 13, wherein: The valve control unit is configured to, when entering the general heating mode under the heat pump mode condition, if the temperature of the cooling water in the cooling water circulation line used to cool the electrical components is equal to or lower than the preset value, open the first heat pump expansion valve and close the second heat pump expansion valve, so that only the first heat pump expansion valve can decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor side, and the valve control unit is configured to control the first three-way flow control valve so that the refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the first heat pump expansion valve can be introduced into the outdoor heat exchanger.

15. The vehicle thermal management system according to claim 14, wherein: The valve control unit is configured to open the first heat pump expansion valve and the second heat pump expansion valve when the vehicle interior dehumidification mode is entered under the conditions of the heat pump mode condition and the temperature of the cooling water in the cooling water circulation pipeline is equal to or lower than the set temperature, so that the first heat pump expansion valve and the second heat pump expansion valve can decompress and expand the refrigerant on the compressor side, and the valve control unit is configured to control the first three-way flow control valve and the second three-way flow control valve so that the refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the first heat pump expansion valve can be introduced into the outdoor heat exchanger, and the refrigerant decompressed and expanded by the second heat pump expansion valve can be introduced into the vehicle interior cooling heat exchanger.

16. The vehicle thermal management system according to claim 9, wherein: The second heat pump expansion valve and the second three-way flow control valve are integrally formed as one body.

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