Heat pump device for vehicle

Abstract

A heat pump device for a vehicle, comprising: a capacitor (100) arranged on a front side of the vehicle, a duct (110) arranged behind the condenser (100) for introducing air to an HVAC system (200) by connecting the condenser (100) to the HVAC system (200), the duct (110) having an inner flap (111) which is open or closed; an evaporator (610) formed in a cooling passage (600) in the interior of the HVAC system (200) for cooling air with a refrigerant cooled by the condenser (100); a compressor (300) for compressing the high-temperature refrigerant which has passed through the evaporator (610); and an inlet opening (400) arranged at a front of the HVAC system (200); wherein a blocking flap (410) is formed at the inlet opening (400) for admitting or blocking outside air into the HVAC system (200), wherein the air introduced into the HVAC system (200) is classified into inside air or outside air by means of the blocking flap (410) before introduction, characterized in that an outer flap (130), which is open or closed, is formed in front of the condenser (100), so that the outside air is introduced into or blocked from the duct (110) by means of the outer flap (130).

Description

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTIONField of the invention

[0001] The present invention relates to a heat pump device for a vehicle (for example: motor vehicle, e.g., passenger car), and more particularly relates to a heat pump device for a vehicle which can prevent a driving distance / range of an electric vehicle from being reduced due to a heat / heating operation in winter time. Description of related technology

[0002] Generally, fuel-powered vehicles use cooling / heating devices that utilize waste heat from an internal combustion engine. However, since electric vehicles do not use internal combustion engines, cooling / heating operation using heat generated in internal combustion engines is not possible. Consequently, electric vehicles use a separate heat pump device to perform a heating function during the winter.

[0003] Fig. 1 is a view showing a heat pump device for a vehicle according to the related art, and a flow of a refrigerant during a cooling / heating operation will be described with reference to the attached drawing.

[0004] First, during a cooling operation, a refrigerant that has passed through an internal condenser 4, passed through a second three-way valve 6, and released heat flows through an external condenser 1 to be cooled, through a first three-way valve 11 and a temperature reduction / expansion valve 7, and absorbs heat in an evaporator 3 to supply low-temperature air into the vehicle interior. In this process, an electrical component 5 is also cooled. That is, the refrigerant that has passed through the evaporator 3 to be heated primarily releases heat while passing through an accumulator 8 and a compressor 2, and secondarily releases heat while passing through the external condenser 1 after passing through the second three-way valve 6 to supply low-temperature air into the vehicle interior.

[0005] During heating operation, the refrigerant that has passed through the first three-way valve 11 flows through a radiator 10 and the accumulator 8, and then flows through the compressor 2 to release heat in the internal condenser 4 and supply warm air to the vehicle interior. The refrigerant that has released heat in the internal condenser 4 flows through the second three-way valve 6 to absorb heat in the external condenser 1 by means of a throttling device (e.g., constriction, orifice, nozzle; so-called "orifice"), and the external condenser 1 functions as an evaporator of an existing HVAC system to absorb heat.

[0006] However, the heat pump device for a vehicle according to the related art has different refrigerant circulation paths during cooling operation and heating operation, and its structure is also complex. Furthermore, since many valves 6, 7, and 11 are used, the heat pump device is prone to failure, and manufacturing costs may increase. Furthermore, in winter, when the outside air temperature drops below 0°C, the efficiency of the heat pump device is reduced, and a vehicle's driving distance decreases due to heating operation.

[0007] Reference is made to JP H09-329 022 A, which describes a heat pump device for a vehicle according to the preamble of claim 1. Reference is further made to DE 10 2010 026 101 A1, US 5 390 508 A, and US 2012 / 0 240 604 A1, which describe various air conditioning devices.

[0008] The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is provided for convenience only, to facilitate understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be construed as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information constitutes prior art already known to a person skilled in the art. SUMMARY / SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009] The object of the present invention is to solve the above-mentioned problems and / or other problems and to provide a heat pump device for a vehicle that can increase the efficiency of the heat pump device with a simple structure and prevent a reduction in the driving distance / range of a vehicle even when performing a heating operation. This object is achieved by the features of claim 1. Exemplary embodiments of the invention are defined in the subclaims.

[0010] An exemplary heat pump device for a vehicle (e.g., motor vehicle, e.g., passenger car) comprises: a condenser arranged at a front side of the vehicle and behind which (e.g., on / at the rear thereof) a duct is arranged (e.g., coupled) through which air flows to an HVAC system, the duct having (or being provided with) an inner door (e.g., inner flap) that is opened or closed; an evaporator formed (or provided) in a cooling passage in the interior of the HVAC system for cooling air with a refrigerant that has been cooled by the condenser; a compressor for compressing the high-temperature refrigerant that has passed through the evaporator; and an inlet port (e.g., suction port) arranged at a front side of the HVAC system.

[0011] An outer flap (e.g. outer door, e.g. flap structure with one or more flaps), which is open or closed, is formed in front of the condenser (e.g. on / at its front side) so that the outside air is introduced into the duct or blocked (e.g. kept away from / shielded from it or prevented from flowing in) by means of the outer flap.

[0012] The HVAC system may further include a heating passage, and a heater may be provided in the heating passage so that the air introduced into the heating passage through the inlet opening is heated and supplied to the interior of the vehicle. The heating passage may be formed parallel to the cooling passage.

[0013] Behind the intake port (e.g., on / at the rear thereof), an intermediate door (e.g., intermediate flap, e.g., temporary door and / or flap) may be provided in the HVAC system so that the air introduced through the intake port is selectively introduced through the intermediate door through one of the cooling passage and the heating passage, and after cooling or heating, is introduced into the interior of the vehicle. An exhaust port may be formed in the HVAC system so that the air cooled or heated in the cooling passage or heating passage is introduced into the interior of the vehicle through the exhaust port.

[0014] A blocking door (e.g., blocking damper) is formed at the inlet opening (e.g., in front of it), whereby the air introduced into the HVAC system is classified into inside air or outside air by means of the blocking door before introduction (e.g., the blocking door determines whether inside air and / or outside air flows into the HVAC system). The condenser, the evaporator, and the compressor can be connected to one another via a refrigerant line to form a closed circuit, whereby the refrigerant circulates in the refrigerant line in one (e.g., single) direction (e.g., along a single refrigerant flow path). A cooling fan (e.g., blower or ventilator) can be formed or arranged behind the condenser (e.g., on / at its rear).

[0015] According to the heat pump device for a vehicle of the present invention, a refrigerant continuously circulates in one direction (e.g., along a single refrigerant flow path), and a heating passage is formed in parallel to a cooling passage in an HVAC system, so that the cooling / heating efficiency can be increased (e.g., even by means of low energy), compared with the related art.

[0016] Consequently, outside air, which is cold compared to air on a back side of or behind a condenser, is introduced during a cooling operation so that air flows through an evaporator, which is used in circulating a refrigerant in an HVAC system, so that air can be cooled quickly, easily and smoothly without using much energy to cool air, compared to the related technology so that cold air can be fed into the interior of a vehicle.

[0017] Air on / from a front side of the condenser, which has been heated by heat exchange with a refrigerant, and heated indoor air are introduced into a heating passage of the HVAC system during a heating operation, so that a heat source can be ensured, so that air is quickly, easily and smoothly heated to a temperature desired by the user without using much energy to heat the air compared to the related technology, and heated air is fed into the interior of the vehicle.

[0018] A refrigerant switching value, an internal heat exchanger, and a pipe used in the related art can be removed or eliminated by circulating a refrigerant only in one direction, so that the structure and control of the heat pump device become simple, costs are reduced, and the vehicle can be realized with a lightweight.

[0019] In addition, since warm air whose temperature has been heated to an extent can be used for air conditioning even in a winter time when the outside air temperature is below 0°C, an efficiency of the heat pump device for a vehicle does not need to be lowered, and a driving distance / range is not reduced due to heating operation in the case of an environmentally friendly vehicle, so that low cost / high efficiency can be realized.

[0020] The apparatus of the present invention has other features and advantages which will be apparent from or shown in detail in the attached drawings, which are incorporated herein, and the following detailed description, which together serve to explain certain principles of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

[0021] The above and other features of the present invention will now be described in detail with reference to certain exemplary embodiments illustrated in the accompanying drawings, which are given herein by way of example only and are not limitative of the present invention. Fig. 1 is a view showing a heat pump device for a vehicle according to the related art. Fig. 2 is a view showing a cooling operation of an exemplary heat pump device for a vehicle according to the present invention. Fig. 3 is a view showing a heating operation of the heat pump device of Fig. 2 shows.

[0022] It should be understood that the attached drawing is not necessarily to scale, but is a somewhat simplified representation of various preferred features of the present invention as disclosed herein, including, for example, specific dimensions, orientations, arrangements and shapes which will be determined in part by the particular applications and environment of use contemplated.

[0023] In the various figures of the drawing, like reference numerals designate similar or equivalent parts of the present invention. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0024] Reference will now be made in detail to various embodiments of the present invention, examples of which are illustrated in the accompanying drawings and described below. While the invention will be described in conjunction with exemplary embodiments, it should be understood that this description is not intended to limit the invention to these exemplary embodiments. Rather, the invention is intended to cover not only the exemplary embodiments, but also other embodiments that may be included within the scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0025] The terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular embodiments only and is not intended to be limiting of the invention. As used herein, the singular forms "a," "an," and "the," etc., are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. It should also be understood that the terms "comprise" and / or "comprising," etc., when used in this specification, indicate the presence of recited features, integers, steps, acts, elements, and / or components, etc., but are not intended to preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, acts, elements, components, and / or groups thereof.

[0026] As used herein, the term “and / or” includes any and all combinations of one or more of the related listed items.

[0027] It should be understood that the term "vehicle" or "vehicle-" or other similar expressions as used herein include motor vehicles in general, such as cars, including SUVs, buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, watercraft including a variety of boats and ships, aircraft, and the like, and also include hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles, and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g., fuels derived from resources other than petroleum). As referred to herein, a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that has two or more power sources, e.g., both gasoline-powered and electric-powered vehicles.

[0028] Hereinafter, a heat pump device for a vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the attached drawings.

[0029] Fig. 2 is a view showing a cooling operation of a heat pump device for a vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention. Fig. 3 is a view showing a heating operation of the heat pump device of Fig. 2 shows.

[0030] A heat pump device for a vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention comprises: a condenser 100 arranged at a front side of the vehicle and coupled to / arranged at the rear side of a duct 110 through which air flows to an HVAC system 200 (HVAC = "Heating, Ventilating, Air-Conditioning"), wherein the duct 110 has an inner flap 111 which can be opened or closed or in a position in between; an evaporator 610 formed in a cooling passage 600 in an interior of the HVAC system 200 for cooling air with a refrigerant which has been condensed by the condenser 100; a compressor 300 for compressing the high-pressure (or high-temperature) refrigerant which has passed through the evaporator 610; and an inlet opening (e.g.Suction opening) 400, which is shaped to admit (e.g., suck in) outside air into the HVAC system 200.

[0031] The condenser 100 can be, for example, a radiator. An outer flap 130, which can be open or closed or in a position in between, is formed on a front side of the condenser 100, and the duct 110 through which air flows to the HVAC system 200 is arranged / coupled on a rear side of the condenser 100. Outside air can be introduced into the rear duct 110 of the condenser 100 when the outer flap 130 is open, whereas outside air is partially or completely blocked from flowing into the duct 110 when the outer flap 130 is partially or completely closed. A cooling fan 150 is formed on a rear side of the condenser 100 so that the refrigerant can be cooled more quickly.

[0032] An inner flap 111, which may be open or closed or in a position in between, may be formed in the duct 110 of the condenser 100. The inner flap 111 may be formed on a lower side of the duct 110. The air on a back side of the condenser 100 may be expelled to the outside when the inner flap 111 is open, and the air flows through the duct 110 over / through the inlet opening 400 and is introduced into the HVAC system 200 when the inner flap 111 is closed.

[0033] The air is introduced into the inlet opening 400, and a blocking damper 410 is shaped such that inside air and outside air can be selectively classified according to an inside air mode or an outside air mode of the HVAC system 200 while the air is introduced into the inlet opening 400. The blocking damper 410 is arranged on an upper side of a rear end of the duct 110 and on a front side of the inlet opening 400 of the HVAC system 200, so that an outside air mode in which outside air is introduced into the HVAC system 200 can be performed when the blocking damper 410 is opened, and an inside air mode in which air is prevented from flowing into the HVAC system 200 from the outside and in which inside air is introduced into the HVAC system 200 can be performed when the blocking damper 410 is closed.

[0034] The evaporator 610 is formed in the cooling passage 600 inside the HVAC system 200 and functions to cool air with the refrigerant cooled by the condenser 100. Separate from the cooling passage 600, a heating passage 700 is formed in the HVAC system 200. The heating passage 700 is provided with a heater 710, so that the air introduced into the heating passage 700 is heated by the heater 710 and fed into the interior of a vehicle. In some embodiments, the heating passage 700 may be formed parallel to the cooling passage 600. The heater 710 may be, for example, a PTC heater (PTC = "Positive Temperature Coefficient").

[0035] In the HVAC system 200, an intermediate damper 430 is provided on a rear side of the intake port 400. The air introduced through the intake port 400 according to the cooling mode or the heating mode selected by the user is selectively introduced through one of the cooling passage 600 and the heating passage 700 by the intermediate damper 430, and is introduced into the interior of the vehicle after absorbing heat from the vehicle or heating the vehicle. An exhaust port 210 is formed in the HVAC system 200 so that the air cooled or heated in the cooling passage 600 or the heating passage 700 is introduced into the interior of the vehicle through the exhaust port 210.

[0036] As described above, the cooling passage 600 and the heating passage 700 are formed parallel to each other in the interior of the HVAC system 200, so that the evaporator 610 and the heater 710 are arranged in the cooling passage 600 and the heating passage 700, respectively, so that the cooled or heated air can be discharged / output through (e.g., exactly) one outlet port 210 into the interior of the vehicle according to a selection of the cooling mode or the heating mode by the user, and thus a cooling / heating operation can be realized more efficiently using a simple structure.

[0037] The condenser 100, the evaporator 610 and the compressor 300 are connected to each other via a (eg single) refrigerant line 500 to form a closed circuit, and the refrigerant of the refrigerant line 500 continuously circulates in one (eg single) direction.

[0038] With reference to the attached drawings, the flow of air and the flow of refrigerant during a cooling operation and during a heating operation of the heat pump device for a vehicle according to various embodiments of the present invention will be described.

[0039] According to the present invention, the refrigerant continuously circulates in the same direction (e.g., along the same path), regardless of a cooling operation or a heating operation of the heat pump device. Consequently, the refrigerant in the refrigerant line 500 circulates in the Fig. 2 and Fig. 3 in the same manner. When describing the refrigerant of the refrigerant line 500, the high-temperature refrigerant that has exchanged heat with the air in the evaporator 610 of the cooling passage 600 of the HVAC system 200 is introduced into the condenser 100 via the compressor 300 along the refrigerant line 500 in a high-temperature state. The refrigerant that has been condensed into a low-temperature state by the condenser 100 is reintroduced into the evaporator 601 of the cooling passage 600 of the HVAC system 200, and the refrigerant continuously circulates as described above.

[0040] In the condenser 100, the outer flap 130 is open so that outside air can be introduced into the condenser 100 to convert the refrigerant to a low-temperature state. The outer flap 130 can be shaped so that the required amount of outside air can be introduced by gradually opening and closing the outer flap 130. Depending on the circumstances or if necessary, the heat of the refrigerant can be absorbed by driving the cooling fan 150 behind the condenser 100.

[0041] Fig. 2 is a view showing a cooling operation of the heat pump device for a vehicle. During the cooling operation, the temperature of the outside air of the vehicle is high compared to that of the inside air. However, the temperature of the air cooled by the refrigerant and collected in the rear duct 110 of the condenser 100 is high (e.g., even higher) compared to that of the outside air. Consequently, the air of a relatively high temperature is expelled to the outside by opening the inner damper 111 of the duct 110, and the outside air of a relatively low temperature is introduced into the HVAC system 200 through the inlet port 400 by opening the blocking damper 410 of the inlet port 400.Then, the intermediate damper 430 in the HVAC system 200 is opened with respect to the cooling passage 600, so that the outside air can be easily and quickly cooled by the evaporator 610 of the cooling passage 600 and discharged into the vehicle interior through the exhaust port 210. At this time, the heater 710 of the heating passage 700, which is formed separately from the cooling passage 600, is not driven.

[0042] Fig.3 is a view illustrating a heating operation of the heat pump device for a vehicle. During the heating operation, the temperature of the outside air of the vehicle is low compared to that of the inside air of the vehicle. The temperature of the air collected in the rear duct 110 of the condenser 100 is high due to heat exchange with the refrigerant. Consequently, the air of the duct 110 at a relatively high temperature is introduced into the HVAC system 200 by closing the inner damper 111 of the duct 110, and the inside air at a relatively high temperature is introduced into the HVAC system 200 through the inlet port 400 by closing the blocking damper 410 of the inlet port 400.Then, the intermediate damper 430 in the HVAC system 200 is opened with respect to the heating passage 700, so that the warm air of the duct 110 and the warm inside air introduced by the blocking damper 410 are easily and quickly heated by the heater 710 of the heating passage 700 and discharged into the interior of the vehicle through the outlet port 210.

[0043] During heating operation, the outer flap 130 on the front side of the condenser 100 is partially closed, so that exposure of the condenser 100 to the outside air can be partially avoided, that is, the condenser 100 is not completely exposed to the outside air. Consequently, the temperature of the warm air formed in the duct 110 by heat exchange with the refrigerant can be prevented from being lowered by outside air, so that the air can be maintained at a high temperature.

[0044] According to the heat pump device for a vehicle of the present invention, a refrigerant continuously circulates in one (e.g., single) direction, and a heating passage is formed in parallel with a cooling passage in an HVAC system, so that a cooling / heating efficiency can be increased compared with the related art.

[0045] Consequently, outside air, which is cold compared to air on a back side of a condenser, is introduced during a cooling operation so that air passes through an evaporator which is used in circulating a refrigerant in an HVAC system so that air can be cooled quickly, easily and smoothly without using much energy to cool the air, compared to the related technology so that cold air can be fed into the interior of a vehicle.

[0046] Air on a back side of the condenser, which is / has been heated by heat exchange with a refrigerant, and heated indoor air are introduced into a heating passage of the HVAC system during a heating operation, so that a heat source can be ensured, so that air is heated to a temperature desired by the user quickly, easily and smoothly without using much energy to heat the air compared with the related art, and heated air is fed into the interior of the vehicle.

[0047] A refrigerant switch value, an internal heat exchanger and a pipe, which are used in the related art, can be removed or eliminated by circulating refrigerant only in one direction, so that the structure and control of the heat pump device can be simple, costs can be reduced and the vehicle can be realized with a lightweight.

[0048] In addition, since warm air whose temperature has been raised to an extent can be used for air conditioning even in a winter time when the outside air temperature decreases to below 0°C, an efficiency of the heat pump device for a vehicle is not lowered, and a driving distance / range is not reduced due to a heating operation in the case of an environmentally friendly vehicle, so that low cost / high efficiency can be realized.

[0049] For ease of description and more precise definition in the appended claims, the terms "inside" or "outside", "front" or "rear", etc. are used to describe features of the exemplary embodiments with reference to their position as shown in the figures.

Claims

[1] A heat pump device for a vehicle, comprising: a capacitor (100) arranged on a front side of the vehicle, a duct (110) arranged behind the condenser (100) for introducing air to an HVAC system (200) by connecting the condenser (100) to the HVAC system (200), the duct (110) having an inner flap (111) which is open or closed; an evaporator (610) formed in a cooling passage (600) in the interior of the HVAC system (200) for cooling air with a refrigerant cooled by the condenser (100); a compressor (300) for compressing the high-temperature refrigerant which has passed through the evaporator (610); and an inlet opening (400) arranged at a front of the HVAC system (200); wherein a blocking flap (410) is formed at the inlet opening (400) for admitting or blocking outside air into the HVAC system (200), wherein the air introduced into the HVAC system (200) is classified into inside air or outside air by means of the blocking flap (410) before introduction, characterized by that an outer flap (130), which is open or closed, is formed in front of the condenser (100) so that the outside air is introduced into or blocked from the duct (110) by means of the outer flap (130). [2] The heat pump device according to claim 1, wherein in the HVAC system (200) there is further provided a heating passage (700), wherein a heater (710) is provided in the heating passage (700) so that the air introduced into the heating passage (700) through the inlet port (400) is heated and supplied into the interior of the vehicle. [3] The heat pump device according to claim 2, wherein the heating passage (700) is formed parallel to the cooling passage (600). [4] The heat pump device according to claim 2 or 3, wherein an intermediate damper (430) is provided behind the inlet opening (400) in the HVAC system (200), so that the air introduced through the inlet opening (400) is selectively introduced through one of the cooling passage (600) and the heating passage (700) by means of the intermediate damper (430) and is introduced into the interior of the vehicle after cooling or heating. [5] The heat pump device according to any one of claims 2 to 4, wherein an outlet opening (210) is formed in the HVAC system (200) so that the air cooled or heated in the cooling passage (600) or heating passage (700) is introduced into the interior of the vehicle through the outlet opening (210). [6] The heat pump device according to any one of claims 1 to 5, wherein the condenser (100), the evaporator (610) and the compressor (300) are connected to each other via a refrigerant line (500) to form a closed circuit, and wherein the refrigerant circulates in one direction in the refrigerant line (500). [7] The heat pump device according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein a cooling fan (150) is formed behind the condenser (100).

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