Heat pump system for vehicle

Abstract

A heat pump system for a vehicle includes: a valve module configured to control a flow of a coolant introduced into an interior based on at least one mode of temperature regulation for the interior of the vehicle and temperature regulation of a battery module; a first line connected to the valve module to selectively flow the coolant, and provided with an electrical component; a second line, a first end of which is connected to the first line, a second end of which is connected to the valve module to selectively flow the coolant, and which is provided with a first radiator; a third line connected to the valve module to selectively flow the coolant, and provided with a battery module; a fourth line having a first end connected to the valve module to selectively flow the coolant and a second end connected to the third line; a fifth line, a first end of which is connected to the valve module to selectively flow the coolant, and a second end of which is provided with a cooler; a sixth pipeline; a seventh pipeline; an eighth pipeline; and a ninth pipeline.

Description

[0001] CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0002] This application claims priority to and the benefits of Korean Patent Application No. 10-2023-0173189 filed in the Korean Intellectual Property Office on December 4, 2023, the entire contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. 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 regulating the temperature of a battery module. 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 an appropriate temperature regardless of changes in the outside temperature, and is configured to heat or cool the interior of the vehicle. This is achieved by using a condenser and an evaporator for heat exchange, in which the refrigerant discharged by the driving compressor circulates back to the compressor through the condenser, the receiver dryer, the expansion valve, and the evaporator.

[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 cooling mode, thereby reducing the temperature and humidity inside the vehicle.

[0007] In recent years, as people's interest in energy efficiency and environmental pollution has increased, it is expected that environmentally friendly vehicles that can basically replace internal combustion engine vehicles will be developed. Environmentally friendly vehicles are divided into electric vehicles driven by using fuel cells or electricity as a power source and hybrid vehicles driven by using engines and batteries.

[0008] In these environmentally friendly vehicles, unlike the air conditioning devices of ordinary vehicles, a separate heater is not used. In addition, the air conditioning devices used in environmentally friendly vehicles are generally called heat pump systems.

[0009] Electric vehicles driven by fuel cell power sources 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 advantageous 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, together with an engine operated by conventional fuel. Therefore, the heat generated by the fuel cell or battery and the motor should be effectively removed in order to ensure the performance of the motor.

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

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

[0013] In addition, since a battery cooling system for heating or cooling the battery is provided separately according to the state of the vehicle 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 vehicle interior, heating performance may be deteriorated due to lack of a heat source, power consumption increases due to use of an electric heater, and power consumption of a compressor also increases.

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

[0016] The above information disclosed in the background technology is only used to enhance the understanding of the background technology of the present invention. Therefore, the background technology may contain information that does not constitute the prior art that is already known to a person of ordinary skill in the art. Summary of the invention

[0017] The present invention provides a heat pump system for a vehicle, which is capable of regulating the temperature of a battery module by a single refrigerator that uses a refrigerant and a coolant for heat exchange, and enhancing the overall efficiency of the system by selectively recovering waste heat of electrical components and the battery module and using it for heating the interior of the vehicle.

[0018] Furthermore, the present invention provides a heat pump system for a vehicle, which can simplify the layout of the system and reduce the manufacturing cost by forming a plurality of coolant lines having a coolant flow controlled by a single valve according to a selected mode of the vehicle.

[0019] A heat pump system for a vehicle, comprising: a valve module, configured to control the flow of a coolant introduced into the interior based on at least one mode for temperature regulation of the interior of the vehicle and temperature regulation of a battery module. The system may include: a first pipeline connected to the valve module to selectively allow the coolant to flow, and provided with an electrical component; a second pipeline, a first end of which is connected to the first pipeline, a second end of which is connected to the valve module to selectively allow the coolant to flow, and a first radiator is provided. The system may also include: a third pipeline connected to the valve module to selectively allow the coolant to flow, and provided with a battery module; a fourth pipeline, a first end of which is connected to the valve module to selectively allow the coolant to flow, and a second end of which is connected to the third pipeline. The system may also include: a fifth pipeline, a first end of which is connected to the valve module to selectively allow the coolant to flow, and a cooler is provided at the second end. The system may also include: a sixth pipeline, a first end of which is connected to the first pipeline at a position where the first pipeline and the second pipeline are connected, and is configured to selectively allow the coolant to flow. The system may further include: a seventh pipeline, a first end of which is connected to the third pipeline at a position where the third pipeline and the fourth pipeline are connected, and a second end of which is connected to the cooler to selectively flow the coolant. The system may further include: an eighth pipeline, a first end of which is connected to the cooler to selectively flow the coolant, and a second end of which is connected to the second end of the sixth pipeline. The system may further include: a ninth pipeline, a first end of which is connected to the valve module to selectively flow the coolant, a second end of which is connected to the eighth pipeline at a position where the sixth pipeline and the eighth pipeline are connected, and a second radiator is provided.

[0020] The valve module may include: a valve configured to control flow of a coolant introduced into the inside; and at least one water pump provided in the valve.

[0021] The at least one water pump includes: a first water pump installed on the valve to correspond to the first pipeline; and a second water pump installed on the valve to correspond to the third pipeline.

[0022] The first water pump and the second water pump may be disposed at positions facing each other with respect to the valve.

[0023] The valve may be configured to selectively discharge the coolant selectively introduced from the second line, the fourth line, the fifth line, or the ninth line through the first line or the third line based on a selected mode of the at least one mode.

[0024] At least one mode includes: a first mode for cooling electrical components by using coolant cooled at a first radiator and cooling a battery module by using coolant cooled at a second radiator; a second mode for cooling electrical components by using coolant cooled at the first radiator and cooling the battery module by using coolant cooled at the cooler; a third mode for heating the interior of a vehicle and recovering waste heat from electrical components; a fourth mode for heating the interior of a vehicle and recovering waste heat from a battery module; and / or a fifth mode for heating the interior of a vehicle and heating the battery module while recovering waste heat from electrical components.

[0025] In the first mode: the first pipeline is connected to the second pipeline by the operation of the valve module, so that the coolant cooled by the first radiator is supplied to the electrical components; the ninth pipeline is connected to the third pipeline by the operation of the valve module, so that the coolant cooled by the second radiator is supplied to the battery module; the fourth pipeline and the fifth pipeline are closed by the operation of the valve module; the sixth pipeline is closed; the seventh pipeline is opened to connect to the third pipeline and the cooler; the eighth pipeline is opened to connect to the ninth pipeline and the cooler; the seventh pipeline and the eighth pipeline are interconnected through the cooler; the first pipeline and the second pipeline are interconnected by the operation of the valve module to form an independent closed loop, so that the coolant cooled by the first radiator circulates along the first pipeline and the second pipeline; and the third pipeline, the seventh pipeline, the eighth pipeline and the ninth pipeline are interconnected by the operation of the valve module to form an independent closed loop, so that the coolant cooled by the second radiator circulates along the third pipeline, the seventh pipeline, the eighth pipeline and the ninth pipeline.

[0026] In the second mode: the first pipeline is connected to the second pipeline through the operation of the valve module, so that the coolant cooled by the first radiator is supplied to the electrical components; the fifth pipeline is connected to the third pipeline through the operation of the valve module; the seventh pipeline is opened to connect to the third pipeline and the cooler; the fourth pipeline and the ninth pipeline are closed through the operation of the valve module; the sixth pipeline and the eighth pipeline are closed; the first pipeline and the second pipeline form an independent closed loop through the operation of the valve module; the third pipeline, the fifth pipeline and the seventh pipeline form an independent closed loop through the operation of the valve module; and the cooler is configured to cool the coolant by heat exchange with the refrigerant, so that the cooled coolant is supplied to the battery module.

[0027] In the third mode: the second pipeline is closed by the operation of the valve module, so that the coolant that has passed through the electrical component is not supplied to the first radiator; the third pipeline, the fourth pipeline and the ninth pipeline are closed by the operation of the valve module; the fifth pipeline is connected to the first pipeline by the operation of the valve module; the sixth pipeline is opened to be connected to the first pipeline; the seventh pipeline is closed; the eighth pipeline is opened to connect the sixth pipeline and the cooler; the first pipeline, the fifth pipeline, the sixth pipeline and the eighth pipeline form an independent closed loop by the operation of the valve module; and the cooler is configured to recover waste heat of the electrical component from the coolant whose temperature rises when cooling the electrical component.

[0028] In the fourth mode: the first pipeline, the second pipeline, the fourth pipeline and the ninth pipeline are closed by the operation of the valve module; the fifth pipeline is connected to the third pipeline by the operation of the valve module; the seventh pipeline is opened to be connected to the third pipeline and the cooler; the sixth pipeline and the eighth pipeline are closed; the third pipeline, the fifth pipeline and the seventh pipeline form an independent closed loop by the operation of the valve module; and the cooler is configured to recover waste heat of the battery module from the coolant whose temperature rises when cooling the battery module.

[0029] In the fifth mode: the second pipeline is closed by the operation of the valve module, so that the coolant that has passed through the electrical components is not supplied to the first radiator; the fourth pipeline is connected to the third pipeline by the operation of the valve module; the fifth pipeline is connected to the first pipeline by the operation of the valve module; the sixth pipeline is opened to connect to the first pipeline; the seventh pipeline is closed; the eighth pipeline is opened to connect the sixth pipeline and the cooler; the ninth pipeline is closed by the operation of the valve module; the first pipeline, the fifth pipeline, the sixth pipeline and the eighth pipeline form an independent closed loop by the operation of the valve module; the third pipeline and the fourth pipeline form an independent closed loop by the operation of the valve module; the cooler is configured to recover waste heat of the electrical components from the coolant whose temperature rises when cooling the electrical components; the battery module is selectively heated by using the coolant flowing along the third pipeline and the fourth pipeline.

[0030] The valve module further includes: a first storage tank disposed in the valve and connected to the second pipeline; and a second storage tank disposed in the valve and connected to the ninth pipeline.

[0031] The chiller is connected to the air conditioning unit via a refrigerant connection line.

[0032] The cooler is a water-cooled heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange between a coolant introduced into the inside and a refrigerant supplied from an air conditioning unit.

[0033] A coolant heater is provided on the third line.

[0034] In order to increase the temperature of the battery module, the coolant heater is operated to heat the coolant supplied to the battery module along the third line.

[0035] According to the heat pump system for a vehicle of the embodiment, the overall efficiency of the system can be enhanced by adjusting the temperature of the battery module using a single cooler in which the refrigerant and the coolant perform heat exchange, and by selectively recovering waste heat of the electrical components and the battery module and using it to heat the vehicle.

[0036] Furthermore, according to the present invention, by forming a plurality of coolant flow lines by a single valve according to a selected mode of a vehicle, it is possible to streamline and simplify the system while reducing manufacturing costs.

[0037] Furthermore, according to the embodiments, by effectively regulating the temperature of the battery module, optimal performance of the battery module may be achieved, and the overall driving distance of the vehicle may be increased due to the effective management of the battery module.

[0038] Furthermore, according to the embodiments, manufacturing cost and weight can be reduced by simplifying the entire system, and thus space utilization can be improved. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0039] Figure 1 is a block diagram of a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an embodiment;

[0040] Figure 2 is an operation diagram of a first mode of a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an embodiment;

[0041] Figure 3 is an operation diagram of a second mode of a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an embodiment;

[0042] Figure 4 is an operation diagram of a third mode of a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an embodiment;

[0043] Figure 5 is an operation diagram of a fourth mode of the heat pump system for a vehicle according to the embodiment;

[0044] Figure 6 is an operation diagram of a fifth mode of the heat pump system for a vehicle according to the embodiment.

[0045] Description of Reference Numerals

[0046] 10: Electrical components

[0047] 11, 12, 13: First pipeline, second pipeline and third pipeline

[0048] 14, 15, 16: Fourth pipeline, fifth pipeline and sixth pipeline

[0049] 17, 18, 19: Pipeline 7, Pipeline 8, and Pipeline 9

[0050] 20: First Radiator

[0051] 25: Second radiator

[0052] 30: Battery module

[0053] 40: Cooler

[0054] 50: Valve module

[0055] 51: Valve

[0056] 52: First storage tank

[0057] 53: Second storage tank

[0058] 54: First water pump

[0059] 55: Second water pump. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0060] Hereinafter, embodiments are described in detail with reference to the accompanying drawings.

[0061] The embodiments disclosed in this specification and the configurations depicted in the accompanying drawings are merely exemplary embodiments of the present invention and do not cover the entire scope of the present invention. Therefore, it should be understood that various equivalent forms and changes may exist when applying this specification.

[0062] In order to clarify the present invention, parts irrelevant to the description are omitted. Likewise, in the entire specification, the same elements or equivalent forms are represented by the same reference numerals.

[0063] 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. may be exaggerated for clarity.

[0064] In addition, unless explicitly described to the contrary, the terms “comprise,” “comprising,” or “containing,” etc., should be understood to imply the inclusion of stated elements but not the exclusion of any other elements.

[0065] In addition, terms such as “unit,” “means,” “portion,” “component,” and “member” described in the specification refer to a unit of an integrated element that performs at least one function or operation.

[0066] 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 herein as being "configured to" satisfy the purpose or perform the operation or function.

[0067] Figure 1is a block diagram of a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an embodiment.

[0068] According to the heat pump system for a vehicle of the embodiment, the temperature of the battery module 30 can be effectively adjusted by using a cooler 40 in which a refrigerant and a coolant are heat-exchanged, and waste heat of the electric component 10 and the battery module 30 can be selectively recovered for heating the interior of the vehicle. Therefore, the overall efficiency of the system can be improved.

[0069] Furthermore, according to the heat pump system, by forming a plurality of coolant lines by a single valve 51 according to a selected mode of the vehicle, the layout of the system can be simplified, and the manufacturing cost can be reduced.

[0070] According to the heat pump system, in an electric vehicle, the electric components 10 and the battery module 30 through which the coolant circulates may be interconnected with the air conditioning unit 100 that circulates the refrigerant to cool and heat the vehicle interior through the chiller 40 .

[0071] In other words, reference Figure 1 The heat pump system may include: a first pipeline 11, a second pipeline 12, a third pipeline 13, a fourth pipeline 14, a fifth pipeline 15, a sixth pipeline 16, a seventh pipeline 17, an eighth pipeline 18, a ninth pipeline 19 and a valve module 50.

[0072] First, the valve module 50 may control the flow of the coolant introduced into the interior according to at least one selected mode for temperature regulation of the vehicle interior and temperature regulation of the battery module 30 .

[0073] The configuration of the valve module 50 is described in more detail below.

[0074] In the present embodiment, a first end of the first pipeline 11 may be connected to the valve module 50 , and a coolant may selectively flow therethrough. The electric component 10 may be disposed on the first pipeline 11 .

[0075] The first end of the second line 12 may be connected to the second end of the first line 11. The second end of the second line 12 may be connected to the valve module 50, and the coolant may selectively flow therethrough.

[0076] The first radiator 20 may be disposed on the second line 12. The first radiator 20 may be disposed at the front of the vehicle, and a cooling fan (not shown) may be disposed at a downstream side of the first radiator 20. Therefore, the first radiator 20 may cool the coolant by operation of the cooling fan and heat exchange with ambient air.

[0077] In the present embodiment, a first end of the third line 13 may be connected to the valve module 50 to selectively allow the coolant to flow. The battery module 30 may be disposed on the third line 13 .

[0078] The coolant heater 32 may be provided on the third line 13 . In order to increase the temperature of the battery module 30 , the coolant heater 32 may be operated to heat the coolant supplied to the battery module 30 along the third line 13 .

[0079] The coolant heater 32 may be an electric heater that is operated by supplying electricity.

[0080] In other words, when the temperature of the coolant supplied to the battery module 30 is lower than the target temperature, the coolant heater 32 may be operated, thereby heating the coolant flowing through the third line 13 .

[0081] Therefore, the coolant whose temperature is increased while passing through the coolant heater 32 may be supplied to the battery module 30 along the third line 13 by the operation of the valve module 50 , and may increase the temperature of the battery module 30 .

[0082] Therefore, the coolant heater 32 may be selectively operated to increase the temperature of the battery module 30 .

[0083] A first end of the fourth line 14 may be connected to the valve module 50 to selectively flow the coolant, and a second end of the fourth line 14 may be connected to a second end of the third line 13 .

[0084] In the present embodiment, a first end of the fifth line 15 may be connected to the valve module 50 to selectively flow the coolant. A cooler 40 may be provided on a second end of the fifth line 15.

[0085] The cooler 40 may be connected to the air conditioning unit 100 via a refrigerant connection line 101. The cooler 40 may be a water-cooled heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between a coolant introduced inside and a refrigerant supplied from the air conditioning unit 100.

[0086] In other words, the cooler 40 may adjust the temperature of the coolant by performing heat exchange between the selectively supplied coolant and the refrigerant selectively supplied from the air-conditioning unit 100 .

[0087] To cool the battery module 30 by using the coolant heat-exchanged with the refrigerant, or when heating the vehicle interior, the cooler 40 may be operated to recover heat from the coolant whose temperature is increased by waste heat of the electric component 10 or waste heat of the battery module 30 .

[0088] In the present embodiment, the first end of the sixth line 16 may be connected to the first line 11 at a position where the first line 11 and the second line 12 are connected. The coolant may selectively flow through the sixth line 16 configured in this manner according to the operation of the valve module 50.

[0089] In addition, a first end of the seventh line 17 may be connected to the third line 13 at a position where the third line 13 and the fourth line 14 are connected. A second end of the seventh line 17 may be connected to the cooler 40.

[0090] The coolant may selectively flow through the seventh line 17 thus configured according to the operation of the valve module 50 .

[0091] In the present embodiment, a first end of the eighth line 18 may be connected to the cooler 40 to selectively circulate the coolant. A second end of the eighth line 18 may be connected to a second end of the sixth line.

[0092] In addition, a first end of the ninth line 19 may be connected to the valve module 50 to selectively flow the coolant. A second end of the ninth line 19 may be connected to the eighth line 18 at a location where the sixth line 16 and the eighth line 18 are connected.

[0093] The second radiator 25 may be disposed on the ninth line 19 .

[0094] The second radiator 25 may be disposed at the front of the vehicle together with the first radiator 20. The second radiator 25 may cool the coolant by operation of a cooling fan and perform heat exchange with ambient air.

[0095] In the present embodiment, the valve module 50 may include a valve 51 configured to control the flow of the coolant introduced into the inside, and at least one water pump provided in the valve 51 .

[0096] The valve module 50 may further include a first storage tank 52 disposed in the valve 51 and connected to the second pipeline 12. In addition, the valve module 50 may include a second storage tank 53 disposed in the valve 51 and connected to the ninth pipeline 19.

[0097] The at least one water pump may include a first water pump 54 and a second water pump 55 .

[0098] First, the first water pump 54 may be installed on the valve 51 to correspond to the first pipeline 11 .

[0099] In addition, a second water pump 55 may be installed on the valve 51 to correspond to the third pipeline 13 .

[0100] The first water pump 54 and the second water pump 55 may be disposed at positions facing each other with respect to the valve 51 .

[0101] In the present embodiment, the valve 51 may selectively discharge the coolant selectively introduced from the second line 12 , the fourth line 14 , the fifth line 15 , or the ninth line 19 via the first line 11 or the third line 13 based on a selected mode of at least one mode.

[0102] The at least one mode may include first to fifth modes.

[0103] First, in the first mode, the electric component 10 may be cooled by using the coolant cooled at the first radiator 20 , and the battery module 30 may be cooled by using the coolant cooled at the second radiator 25 .

[0104] In the second mode, the electric component 10 may be cooled by using the coolant cooled at the first radiator 20 , and the battery module 30 may be cooled by using the coolant cooled at the cooler 40 .

[0105] In the third mode, the vehicle interior can be heated, and waste heat of the electric component 10 can be recovered.

[0106] In the fourth mode, the vehicle interior may be heated, and waste heat of the battery module 30 may be recovered.

[0107] In the fifth mode, the vehicle interior may be heated, and the battery module 30 may be heated while recovering waste heat of the electric component 10 .

[0108] In the following, reference Figures 2 to 6 The operation and action of the heat pump system for a vehicle in each mode according to the embodiment configured as described above are described in detail.

[0109] First, refer to Figure 2 Operation in the first mode of the heat pump system for a vehicle according to the embodiment is described in detail, the electric component 10 is cooled by using the coolant cooled at the first radiator 20 , and the battery module 30 is cooled by using the coolant cooled at the second radiator 25 .

[0110] Figure 2 is an operation diagram of a first mode of a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an embodiment.

[0111] refer to Figure 2 In the first mode, the first line 11 may be connected to the second line 12 by operation of the valve 51 , so that the coolant cooled by the first radiator 20 may be supplied to the electric component 10 .

[0112] In addition, the ninth line 19 may be connected to the third line 13 by operation of the valve 51 , so that the coolant cooled by the second radiator 25 may be supplied to the battery module 30 .

[0113] The fourth line 14 and the fifth line 15 may be closed by the operation of the valve 51. At the same time, the sixth line 16 may be closed.

[0114] In addition, the seventh line 17 may be opened to be connected to the third line 13 and the cooler 40. The eighth line 18 may be opened to be connected to the ninth line 19 and the cooler 40.

[0115] Then, the seventh line 17 and the eighth line 18 may be interconnected through the cooler 40 .

[0116] Therefore, the first line 11 and the second line 12 may be interconnected by operation of the valve 51 to form an independent closed loop so that the coolant cooled by the first radiator 20 may circulate along the first line 11 and the second line 12 .

[0117] In addition, the third pipeline 13, the seventh pipeline 17, the eighth pipeline 18 and the ninth pipeline 19 can be interconnected by the operation of the valve 51 to form an independent closed loop, so that the coolant cooled by the second radiator 25 can circulate along the third pipeline 13, the seventh pipeline 17, the eighth pipeline 18 and the ninth pipeline 19.

[0118] In this state, when the first water pump 54 operates, the coolant cooled at the first radiator 20 may be introduced into the valve 51 along the second line 12 and then discharged through the first line 11 .

[0119] Therefore, the coolant discharged to the first line 11 may cool the electric component 10 while passing through the electric component 10. The coolant that has cooled the electric component 10 may be introduced into the first radiator 20 along the second line 12.

[0120] The coolant introduced into the first radiator 20 may be cooled by exchanging heat with ambient air.

[0121] Meanwhile, when the second water pump 55 operates, the coolant cooled at the second radiator 25 may be introduced into the valve 51 along the ninth line 19 and then discharged through the third line 13 .

[0122] The coolant discharged to the third line 13 may cool the battery module 30 while passing through the battery module 30. The coolant having cooled the battery module 30 may be introduced into the cooler 40 along the seventh line 17. Thereafter, the coolant having passed through the cooler 40 may be introduced into the second radiator 25 along the eighth line 18 and the ninth line 19.

[0123] The coolant introduced into the second radiator 25 may be cooled by exchanging heat with ambient air.

[0124] The air conditioning unit 100 may stop operating.

[0125] In other words, by repeatedly performing the above process, the coolant cooled at the first radiator 20 and the second radiator 25 may cool the electric component 10 and the battery module 30 to prevent overheating.

[0126] In this embodiment, reference Figure 3 Detailed Description According to the operation of the second mode, the electric component 10 is cooled by using the coolant cooled at the first radiator 20 , and the battery module 30 is cooled by using the coolant cooled at the cooler 40 .

[0127] Figure 3 is an operation diagram of a second mode of a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an embodiment.

[0128] refer to Figure 3 In the second mode, the first line 11 may be connected to the second line 12 by operation of the valve 51 , so that the coolant cooled by the first radiator 20 may be supplied to the electric component 10 .

[0129] The fifth line 15 may be connected to the third line 13 by operation of the valve 51. At the same time, the seventh line 17 may be opened to be connected to the third line 13 and the cooler 40.

[0130] In addition, the fourth pipeline 14 and the ninth pipeline 19 may be closed by the operation of the valve 51. At this time, the sixth pipeline 16 and the eighth pipeline 18 may be closed.

[0131] Therefore, the first line 11 and the second line 12 may be interconnected by operation of the valve 51 to form an independent closed loop so that the coolant cooled by the first radiator 20 may circulate along the first line 11 and the second line 12 .

[0132] In addition, the third pipeline 13 , the fifth pipeline 15 , and the seventh pipeline 17 may form an independent closed loop through the operation of the valve 51 .

[0133] In this state, when the first water pump 54 operates, the coolant cooled at the first radiator 20 may be introduced into the valve 51 along the second line 12 and then discharged through the first line 11 .

[0134] Therefore, the coolant discharged to the first line 11 may cool the electric component 10 while passing through the electric component 10. The coolant having cooled the electric component 10 may be introduced into the first radiator 20 along the second line 12. The coolant introduced into the first radiator 20 may be cooled by heat exchange with ambient air.

[0135] Through this operation, the coolant cooled at the first radiator 20 can effectively cool the electric component 10 .

[0136] When the second water pump 55 operates, the coolant discharged to the third line 13 may cool the battery module 30 while passing through the battery module 30 .

[0137] The coolant that has cooled the battery module 30 may flow along the opened seventh line 17 . The coolant flowing through the seventh line 17 may pass through the cooler 40 , and then may flow along the fifth line 15 .

[0138] The air conditioning unit 100 may operate so that the refrigerant may be supplied to the cooler 40 via the refrigerant connection line 101. Then, the cooler 40 may cool the coolant while exchanging heat between the refrigerant and the coolant.

[0139] The coolant cooled at the cooler 40 may be introduced into the valve 51 along the fifth line 15 and then flow through the third line 13 to be supplied to the battery module 30 .

[0140] Through this operation, the coolant cooled by the cooler 40 may be supplied to the battery module 30. In other words, the coolant cooled at the cooler 40 may effectively cool the battery module 30.

[0141] In this way, by repeatedly performing the above process, the coolant cooled at the first radiator 20 can effectively cool the electric component 10. In addition, the coolant cooled at the cooler 40 by heat exchange with the refrigerant can effectively cool the battery module 30.

[0142] refer to Figure 4 The operation of the heat pump system in the third mode for heating the vehicle interior and recovering waste heat of the electrical component 10 is described in detail.

[0143] Figure 4 is an operation diagram of a third mode of the heat pump system for a vehicle according to the embodiment.

[0144] refer to Figure 4 In the third mode, the second line 12 may be closed by operation of the valve 51 so that the coolant having passed through the electric component 10 is not supplied to the first radiator 20 .

[0145] The third line 13, the fourth line 14, and the ninth line 19 may be closed by the operation of the valve 51. Therefore, the operation of the second water pump 55 is stopped.

[0146] The fifth pipeline 15 may be connected to the first pipeline 11 by operation of the valve 51. The sixth pipeline 16 may be opened to be connected to the first pipeline 11.

[0147] In this embodiment, the seventh pipeline 17 can be closed by closing the third pipeline 13 and the fourth pipeline 14 .

[0148] Furthermore, the eighth line 18 may be opened to connect the sixth line 16 and the cooler 40 .

[0149] Therefore, through the operation of the valve 51, the first pipeline 11, the fifth pipeline 15, the sixth pipeline 16 and the eighth pipeline 18 can form an independent closed loop.

[0150] In this state, when the first water pump 54 operates, the coolant discharged to the first line 11 may cool the electric components 10 while passing through the electric components 10 .

[0151] The coolant that has cooled the electric component 10 may flow along the opened sixth line 16. The coolant flowing via the sixth line 16 may pass through the cooler 40 connected via the eighth line 18, and then may flow along the opened fifth line 15.

[0152] The air conditioning unit 100 may operate such that refrigerant may be supplied to the cooler 40 via the refrigerant connecting line 101 .

[0153] Then, the cooler 40 may recover waste heat of the electric component 10 from the coolant whose temperature is increased when cooling the electric component 10 .

[0154] In more detail, the coolant whose temperature is increased by absorbing the waste heat of the electric component 10 may increase the temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the cooler 40 while passing through the cooler 40 and may then be recovered.

[0155] In other words, the cooler 40 may increase the temperature of the refrigerant by exchanging heat between the coolant and the refrigerant to recover waste heat from the coolant whose temperature is increased while passing through the electric component 10. The refrigerant whose temperature has been increased may be supplied to the air conditioning unit 100.

[0156] In this way, by repeatedly performing the above-described process, the cooler 40 can smoothly recover the waste heat of the electric component 10 from the coolant whose temperature rises when cooling the electric component 10 .

[0157] In other words, in the third mode, by absorbing waste heat of the electric component 10 at the cooler 40 and using it to increase the temperature of the refrigerant, power consumption of the compressor provided in the air conditioning unit 100 may be reduced, and heating efficiency may be improved.

[0158] refer to Figure 5 The operation in the fourth mode of the heat pump system for heating the vehicle interior and recovering waste heat of the battery module 30 is described in detail.

[0159] Figure 5 is an operation diagram of a fourth mode of the heat pump system for a vehicle according to the embodiment.

[0160] refer to Figure 5 In the fourth mode, the first pipeline 11 , the second pipeline 12 , the fourth pipeline 14 , and the ninth pipeline 19 may be closed by operation of the valve 51 .

[0161] The operation of the first water pump 54 may be stopped.

[0162] The fifth line 15 may be connected to the third line by operation of the valve 51. At the same time, the seventh line 17 may be opened to be connected to the third line 13 and the cooler 40.

[0163] At this time, the sixth pipeline 16 and the eighth pipeline 18 can be closed.

[0164] Therefore, the third pipeline 13 , the fifth pipeline 15 and the seventh pipeline 17 can form an independent closed loop through the operation of the valve 51 .

[0165] In this state, when the second water pump 55 operates, the coolant discharged to the third line 13 may cool the battery module 30 while passing through the battery module 30 .

[0166] The coolant that has cooled the battery module 30 may flow along the opened seventh line 17 . The coolant flowing through the seventh line 17 may pass through the cooler 40 , and then may flow along the fifth line 15 .

[0167] The air conditioning unit 100 may operate such that refrigerant may be supplied to the cooler 40 via the refrigerant connecting line 101 .

[0168] Then, the cooler 40 may recover waste heat of the battery module 30 from the coolant whose temperature is increased, while cooling the battery module 30 through heat exchange of the introduced refrigerant and the coolant.

[0169] In more detail, the coolant whose temperature is increased by absorbing the waste heat of the battery module 30 may increase the temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the cooler 40 while passing through the cooler 40 , and may be recovered.

[0170] In other words, the cooler 40 may increase the temperature of the refrigerant by exchanging heat between the coolant and the refrigerant to recover waste heat from the coolant whose temperature is increased while passing through the battery module 30. The refrigerant whose temperature has been increased may be supplied to the air conditioning unit 100.

[0171] In this way, by repeatedly performing the above process, the cooler 40 can smoothly recover the waste heat of the battery module 30 .

[0172] Therefore, in the fourth mode, by absorbing the waste heat of the battery module 30 at the cooler 40 and using it to increase the temperature of the refrigerant, the power consumption of the compressor provided in the air conditioning unit 100 may be reduced, and the heating efficiency may be improved.

[0173] In addition, reference Figure 6 The operation according to the fifth mode of the heat pump system for heating the vehicle interior and heating the battery module 30 while recovering waste heat of the electric component 10 is described in detail.

[0174] Figure 6 is an operation diagram of a fifth mode of the heat pump system for a vehicle according to the embodiment.

[0175] refer to Figure 6 In the fifth mode, the second line 12 may be closed by operation of the valve 51 so that the coolant having passed through the electric component 10 is not supplied to the first radiator 20 .

[0176] The fourth pipeline 14 may be connected to the third pipeline 13 by operation of a valve 51 .

[0177] The fifth pipeline 15 may be connected to the first pipeline 11 by operation of the valve 51. The sixth pipeline 16 may be opened to be connected to the first pipeline 11.

[0178] Furthermore, the eighth line 18 may be opened to connect the sixth line 16 and the cooler 40 .

[0179] The seventh pipeline 17 can be closed. In addition, the ninth pipeline 19 can be closed by the operation of the valve 51.

[0180] Therefore, through the operation of the valve 51, the first pipeline 11, the fifth pipeline 15, the sixth pipeline 16 and the eighth pipeline 18 can form an independent closed loop.

[0181] Furthermore, through the operation of the valve 51, the third pipeline 13 and the fourth pipeline 14 can form an independent closed loop.

[0182] In this state, when the first water pump 54 operates, the coolant discharged to the first line 11 may cool the electric components 10 while passing through the electric components 10 .

[0183] The coolant that has cooled the electric component 10 may flow along the opened sixth line 16. The coolant flowing via the sixth line 16 may pass through the cooler 40 connected via the eighth line 18, and then may flow along the opened fifth line 15.

[0184] The air conditioning unit 100 may operate such that refrigerant may be supplied to the cooler 40 via the refrigerant connecting line 101 .

[0185] Then, the cooler 40 may recover waste heat of the electric component 10 from the coolant whose temperature is increased when cooling the electric component 10 .

[0186] In more detail, the coolant whose temperature is increased by absorbing the waste heat of the electric component 10 may increase the temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the cooler 40 while passing through the cooler 40 , and may be recovered.

[0187] In other words, the cooler 40 may increase the temperature of the refrigerant by exchanging heat between the coolant and the refrigerant to recover waste heat from the coolant whose temperature is increased while passing through the electric component 10. The refrigerant whose temperature has been increased may be supplied to the air conditioning unit 100.

[0188] In this way, by repeatedly performing the above-mentioned process, the cooler 40 can smoothly recover the waste heat of the electric component 10 from the coolant whose temperature rises when cooling the electric component 10 .

[0189] In other words, in the fifth mode, by absorbing waste heat of the electric component 10 at the cooler 40 and using it to increase the temperature of the refrigerant, power consumption of the compressor provided in the air conditioning unit 100 can be reduced, and heating efficiency can be improved.

[0190] When the second water pump 55 operates, the coolant discharged to the third line 13 may circulate along the third line 13 and the fourth line 14 .

[0191] When the battery module 30 is to be heated, the coolant heater 32 may be operated.

[0192] The coolant heater 32 may increase the temperature of the coolant circulating along the third line 13 and the fourth line 14 through the operation of the valve 51 , and thus may effectively increase the temperature of the battery module 30 .

[0193] In other words, in the fifth mode, the coolant heater 32 provided on the third line 13 may be selectively operated, and thus the temperature of the battery module 30 may be effectively adjusted.

[0194] Therefore, according to the heat pump system for a vehicle of the embodiment, the overall efficiency of the system can be improved by adjusting the temperature of the battery module 30 using the single cooler 40 and by selectively recovering and using waste heat of the electric component 10 and the battery module 30 .

[0195] Furthermore, according to the present invention, by forming a plurality of coolant flow lines by a single valve 51 according to a selected mode of a vehicle, it is possible to streamline and simplify the system while reducing manufacturing costs.

[0196] Furthermore, according to the present invention, by effectively regulating the temperature of the battery module 30, the optimal performance of the battery module 30 can be achieved. Furthermore, through the effective management of the battery module 30, the overall driving distance of the vehicle can be increased.

[0197] Furthermore, according to the embodiments, manufacturing cost and weight can be reduced by simplifying the entire system, and thus space utilization can be improved.

[0198] Although the technical concept of the present invention has been described in conjunction with what are currently considered to be practical embodiments, it should be understood that the present invention is not limited to the disclosed embodiments. On the contrary, the present invention is intended to cover various modifications and equivalent arrangements contained within the spirit and scope of the appended claims.

Claims

1. A heat pump system for a vehicle, the heat pump system comprising: a valve module configured to control a flow of a coolant introduced into the interior based on at least one mode for temperature regulation of the vehicle interior and temperature regulation of the battery module; a first pipeline connected to the valve module to selectively flow the coolant and provided with an electrical component; a second pipeline having a first end connected to the first pipeline, a second end connected to the valve module to selectively flow the coolant, and provided with a first radiator; a third pipeline connected to the valve module to selectively flow a coolant and provided with the battery module; a fourth line having a first end connected to the valve module to selectively allow coolant to flow and a second end connected to the third line; a fifth pipeline having a first end connected to the valve module to selectively flow the coolant and a second end provided with a cooler; a sixth line having a first end connected to the first line at a location where the first line and the second line are connected and configured to selectively flow a coolant; a seventh line having a first end connected to the third line at a position where the third line and the fourth line are connected, and a second end connected to the cooler to selectively flow a coolant; an eighth pipeline having a first end connected to the cooler to selectively flow a coolant and a second end connected to the second end of the sixth pipeline; as well as A ninth line has a first end connected to the valve module to selectively flow the coolant, a second end connected to the eighth line at a position where the sixth line and the eighth line are connected, and is provided with a second radiator.

2. The heat pump system according to claim 1, wherein: The valve module comprises: a valve configured to control the flow of a coolant introduced into the interior; and At least one water pump is disposed in the valve.

3. The heat pump system according to claim 2, wherein: The at least one water pump comprises: a first water pump installed on the valve to correspond to the first pipeline; and A second water pump is installed on the valve to correspond to the third pipeline.

4. The heat pump system according to claim 3, wherein: The first water pump and the second water pump are provided at positions facing each other with respect to the valve.

5. The heat pump system according to claim 2, wherein: The valve is configured to selectively discharge the coolant selectively introduced from the second line, the fourth line, the fifth line, or the ninth line through the first line or the third line based on a selected mode of the at least one mode.

6. The heat pump system according to claim 1, wherein: The at least one mode comprises: a first mode for cooling the electric component by using the coolant cooled at the first radiator and cooling the battery module by using the coolant cooled at the second radiator; a second mode for cooling the electric component by using the coolant cooled at the first radiator and cooling the battery module by using the coolant cooled at the cooler; a third mode for heating the vehicle interior and recovering waste heat from the electrical components; a fourth mode for heating the vehicle interior and recovering waste heat from the battery module; and The fifth mode is for heating the vehicle interior and heating the battery module while recovering waste heat of the electrical components.

7. The heat pump system according to claim 6, wherein: In the first mode: The first line is connected to the second line by operation of the valve module so that the coolant cooled by the first radiator is supplied to the electric component; the ninth line is connected to the third line by operation of the valve module so that the coolant cooled by the second radiator is supplied to the battery module; The fourth pipeline and the fifth pipeline are closed by operation of the valve module; The sixth pipeline is closed; The seventh pipeline is opened to connect to the third pipeline and the cooler; The eighth pipeline is opened to connect to the ninth pipeline and the cooler; The seventh pipeline and the eighth pipeline are interconnected through the cooler; The first pipeline and the second pipeline are interconnected by operation of the valve module to form an independent closed loop so that the coolant cooled by the first radiator circulates along the first pipeline and the second pipeline; and The third line, the seventh line, the eighth line, and the ninth line are interconnected by operation of the valve module to form an independent closed loop, so that the coolant cooled by the second radiator circulates along the third line, the seventh line, the eighth line, and the ninth line.

8. The heat pump system according to claim 6, wherein: In the second mode: The first line is connected to the second line by operation of the valve module so that the coolant cooled by the first radiator is supplied to the electric component; The fifth pipeline is connected to the third pipeline by operation of the valve module; The seventh pipeline is opened to connect to the third pipeline and the cooler; The fourth pipeline and the ninth pipeline are closed by operation of the valve module; The sixth pipeline and the eighth pipeline are closed; The first pipeline and the second pipeline form an independent closed loop through the operation of the valve module; The third pipeline, the fifth pipeline and the seventh pipeline form an independent closed loop through the operation of the valve module; and The cooler is configured to cool the coolant by exchanging heat with the refrigerant so that the cooled coolant is supplied to the battery module.

9. The heat pump system according to claim 6, wherein: In the third mode: the second line is closed by operation of the valve module so that the coolant having passed through the electric component is not supplied to the first radiator; The third pipeline, the fourth pipeline and the ninth pipeline are closed by operation of the valve module; The fifth pipeline is connected to the first pipeline by operation of the valve module; The sixth pipeline is opened to connect to the first pipeline; The seventh pipeline is closed; The eighth pipeline is opened to connect the sixth pipeline and the cooler; The first pipeline, the fifth pipeline, the sixth pipeline and the eighth pipeline form an independent closed loop through the operation of the valve module; and The cooler is configured to recover waste heat of the electric component from a coolant whose temperature increases when cooling the electric component.

10. The heat pump system according to claim 6, wherein: In the fourth mode: The first pipeline, the second pipeline, the fourth pipeline and the ninth pipeline are closed by operation of the valve module; The fifth pipeline is connected to the third pipeline by operation of the valve module; The seventh pipeline is opened to connect to the third pipeline and the cooler; The sixth pipeline and the eighth pipeline are closed; The third pipeline, the fifth pipeline and the seventh pipeline form an independent closed loop through the operation of the valve module; and The cooler is configured to recover waste heat of the battery module from a coolant whose temperature increases when cooling the battery module.

11. The heat pump system according to claim 6, wherein: In the fifth mode: the second line is closed by operation of the valve module so that the coolant having passed through the electric component is not supplied to the first radiator; The fourth pipeline is connected to the third pipeline by operation of the valve module; The fifth pipeline is connected to the first pipeline by operation of the valve module; The sixth pipeline is opened to connect to the first pipeline; The seventh pipeline is closed; The eighth pipeline is opened to connect the sixth pipeline and the cooler; The ninth pipeline is closed by operation of the valve module; The first pipeline, the fifth pipeline, the sixth pipeline and the eighth pipeline form an independent closed loop through the operation of the valve module; The third pipeline and the fourth pipeline form an independent closed loop through the operation of the valve module; The cooler is configured to recover waste heat of the electric component from a coolant whose temperature increases when cooling the electric component; and The battery module is selectively heated by using the coolant flowing along the third line and the fourth line.

12. The heat pump system according to claim 2, wherein: The valve module further comprises: a first storage tank disposed in the valve and connected to the second pipeline; and A second storage tank is disposed in the valve and connected to the ninth pipeline.

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

14. The heat pump system according to claim 13, wherein: The cooler is a water-cooled heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange between a coolant introduced inside and a refrigerant supplied from the air conditioning unit.

15. The heat pump system according to claim 1, wherein: A coolant heater is provided on the third line.

16. The heat pump system according to claim 15, wherein: In order to increase the temperature of the battery module, a coolant heater is operated to heat the coolant supplied to the battery module along the third line.

Images