Heat pump system for a vehicle

Abstract

Heat pump system for a vehicle, comprising: an internal combustion engine cooling device (10) comprising a first radiator (13) and a first water pump (15) connected to each other via a first coolant line (11), the internal combustion engine cooling device (10) being configured to circulate a coolant in an internal combustion engine (12); an electrical equipment cooling device (20) having a second radiator (22) and a second water pump (24) connected to each other via a second coolant line (21), the electrical equipment cooling device (20) being configured to circulate the coolant in the second coolant line (21); a battery module (30) arranged in a battery coolant line (31) which is selectively connected to the second coolant line (21) via a first valve (V1); an air conditioning system (50) connected to the battery coolant line (31) via a second valve (V2) and in which a first connecting line (52) is formed to cool the interior of the vehicle by selectively forming an independent closed circuit, and which has a third water pump (56) and a radiator (54) arranged in the first connecting line (52); a heating device (60) connected to the first coolant line (11) via a third valve (V3) and in which a second connecting line (62) is formed to heat the interior of the vehicle by selectively forming an independent closed circuit, and which has a fourth water pump (66) and a heater (64) arranged in the second connecting line (62); and a CE (Centralized Energy) module (40) configured to heat-exchange heat energy generated from the condensation and evaporation of a refrigerant circulating in the CE module (40) with the coolant selectively via a main heat exchanger (42) and the second coolant line (21), via an evaporator (46) and the first connecting line (52), and via a sub-condenser (43) and the second connecting line (62) so that the low-temperature coolant is supplied to the air conditioner (50) and the high-temperature coolant is supplied to the heater (60), the CE module (40) comprising: the main heat exchanger (42) arranged in the second coolant line (21) between the second radiator (22) and the battery module (30) and configured to evaporate or condense the coolant, an expansion valve (45) connected to the main heat exchanger (42) via a refrigerant line (41) the evaporator (46) connected to the expansion valve (45) via the refrigerant line (41) and arranged in the first connecting line (52) to cool the refrigerant circulating along the first connecting line (52) in the air conditioning system (50), a compressor (48) arranged in the refrigerant line (41) between the evaporator (46) and the main heat exchanger (42), the sub-condenser (43) arranged in the refrigerant line (41) between the main heat exchanger (42) and the compressor (48) and arranged in the second connecting line (62) to heat the coolant circulating along the second connecting line (62) in the heating device (60), and a secondary expansion valve (49) arranged in the refrigerant line (41) between the secondary condenser (43) and the main heat exchanger (42).

Description

[0001] The invention relates to a heat pump system for a vehicle, and more particularly to a heat pump system for a vehicle that cools or heats the interior of a hybrid vehicle using an internal combustion engine and a drive torque of an electric motor by selectively using a high-temperature coolant (or a high-temperature coolant or the coolant in a high-temperature state) and a low-temperature coolant (or the low-temperature coolant or the coolant in a low-temperature state).

[0002] Generally, a vehicle air conditioner includes an air conditioning system that circulates a refrigerant to heat or cool the vehicle's interior. The air conditioning system achieves a comfortable interior environment by maintaining a temperature of the vehicle's interior at an appropriate or desired temperature regardless of a temperature change outside the vehicle. The system is configured to heat or cool the vehicle's interior through heat exchange by means of an evaporator, while refrigerant discharged by driving a compressor is circulated back to the compressor via a receiver drier, an expansion valve, and the evaporator.In other words, a high-temperature and high-pressure gaseous refrigerant compressed by the compressor is condensed by a condenser, and then the temperature and humidity of the vehicle interior are reduced by evaporation carried out in the evaporator by the receiver drier and the expansion valve.

[0003] Recently, as the importance of energy efficiency and environmental pollution issues has increased, there is a need to develop an environmentally friendly vehicle suitable for replacing an internal combustion engine vehicle. Environmentally friendly vehicles are typically divided into electric vehicles, powered by a fuel cell or electricity as a power source, and hybrid vehicles, powered by an internal combustion engine and an electric battery.

[0004] An air conditioning system that does not utilize additional heat, unlike a general vehicle air conditioner, and is used in an environmentally friendly vehicle, such as an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, is generally referred to as a heat pump system. The electric vehicle converts the chemical reaction energy of oxygen and hydrogen into electrical energy to generate driving torque. In this process, heat energy is generated by the chemical reaction within a fuel cell, and the generated heat must be effectively dissipated to ensure the performance of the fuel cell.

[0005] Furthermore, the hybrid vehicle generates drive torque by driving an electric motor using electric power supplied from the fuel cell or an electric battery, together with an internal combustion engine powered by a common fuel. Therefore, when heat generated by the fuel cell, battery, and electric motor is effectively dissipated, the performance of the electric motor can be ensured. Accordingly, a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle according to the related art requires a separate closed circuit as a battery cooling system, together with an electric motor, electrical equipment, and a cooling device, to prevent a battery with a fuel cell from generating heat, and a heat pump system.

[0006] Therefore, the overall size and weight of a cooling module arranged in a forward direction of a vehicle increases, and the arrangement of connecting pipes for supplying a refrigerant and a coolant to a heat pump system, the cooling device, and the battery cooling system within an engine compartment is complex. Furthermore, to achieve optimal performance of the battery, a battery cooling system for heating or cooling the battery according to a state of the vehicle is separately provided. A plurality of valves for connecting connecting pipes to each other are also provided. Due to frequent opening / closing operations of the valves, noise and vibration are transmitted to an interior of the vehicle, and therefore, ride comfort is deteriorated.

[0007] From DE 10 2014 226 346 A1, a heat pump system for a vehicle is known, comprising: an internal combustion engine cooling device having a first radiator and a first water pump connected to one another via a first coolant line; an electrical equipment cooling device having a second radiator and a second water pump connected to one another via a second coolant line; a battery module arranged in a battery coolant line that is selectively connected to the second coolant line via a first valve; a heating device having a second connecting line configured to heat the interior of the vehicle and having a fourth water pump and a heater arranged in the second connecting line;and a CE (Centralized Energy) module configured to supply the low-temperature refrigerant to the air conditioner, connected to the second refrigerant line and the second connection line to supply the high-temperature refrigerant to the heater, and selectively heat-exchange heat energy generated from the condensation and evaporation of a refrigerant circulating therein with the refrigerant, the CE module comprising: a main heat exchanger disposed in the second refrigerant line adjacent to the second radiator and configured to evaporate or condense the refrigerant; an expansion valve connected to the main heat exchanger via a refrigerant line; a compressor;a sub-condenser disposed in the refrigerant line adjacent to the main heat exchanger and disposed in the second connecting line to heat the coolant circulating along the second connecting line in the heating device;and a secondary expansion valve arranged in the refrigerant line between the secondary condenser and the main heat exchanger. DE 10 2016 117 075 A1 discloses a heat pump system for a vehicle, in which an air conditioning system is connected to a battery coolant line via a second valve, and in which a connecting line is configured to cool the interior of the vehicle by selectively forming an independent closed circuit, and which comprises a water pump and a radiator arranged in the connecting line, with a CE module connected to the connecting line. Further heat pump systems for a vehicle are known from DE 10 2015 200 334 A1, DE 11 2015 002 902 T5, and US 2012 / 0 174 602 A1.

[0008] The object of the invention is to provide a heat pump system for a vehicle in which heat energy generated by a coolant is selectively heat exchanged with a coolant to condense and evaporate the coolant to adjust an interior temperature of the vehicle to a low temperature or a high temperature by the heat-exchanged coolant.

[0009] Another object of the invention is to provide a heat pump system for a vehicle that increases the thermal efficiency of the vehicle by waste heat from electrical equipment and a battery module and the driving distance of the vehicle by efficiently operating a battery module to provide the optimal performance of the battery module.

[0010] These objects are achieved by a heat pump system for a vehicle according to claim 1, as well as by methods for using such a heat pump system according to claims 7, 10, 11, 13 or 15. Further developments are the subject of the dependent claims.

[0011] In the heat pump system for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention, a system can be simplified, and an arrangement of connecting pipes in which a coolant circulates can be simplified by selectively heat exchanging heat energy generated by a coolant with a refrigerant for condensation and evaporation of the refrigerant to adjust an interior temperature of the vehicle to a low temperature or a high temperature by the heat-exchanged coolant.

[0012] Furthermore, according to the invention, the thermal efficiency of the vehicle can be improved by utilizing the waste heat of the electrical equipment and a battery module, and the driving range of the vehicle can be increased by efficiently controlling the temperature of a battery module to achieve optimal battery module performance. Furthermore, according to the invention, the overall size and weight can be reduced by compactly integrating a CE (Centralized Energy) module for generating thermal energy through condensation and evaporation of a coolant.

[0013] Furthermore, according to the invention, by using a high-performance refrigerant R152-a, R744, or R290 in the CE module, noise, vibration, and functional instability can be prevented from being generated compared to an air conditioner according to the related art. Furthermore, according to the invention, sub-cooling of a refrigerant can be increased to improve cooling performance and efficiency by configuring a sub-condenser and an indoor heat exchanger together to increase a condensation amount of the refrigerant in the CE module. Furthermore, according to the invention, manufacturing costs and weight can be reduced, and space utilization can be improved by simplifying the entire system.

[0014] The invention is explained in more detail with reference to the drawing. The drawing shows: Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention; Fig. 2 is a view showing a state of operation for cooling electrical equipment and a battery module in a cooling mode of a vehicle in the heat pump system for a vehicle according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention; Fig. 3 is a view showing a state of operation for performing a heating mode of the vehicle by means of an engine cooling device in the heat pump system for the vehicle according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention; Fig. 4 is a view showing a state of operation for performing a heating mode of the vehicle by means of an electrical equipment cooling device in the heat pump system for the vehicle according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention; Fig. 5 is a view showing a state of operation for performing a heating mode of the vehicle by means of an engine cooling device and an electrical equipment cooling device in the heat pump system for the vehicle according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention; and Fig. 6 is a view showing a state of operation according to a dehumidification mode of the vehicle in the heat pump system for the vehicle according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention.

[0015] It is understood that the term "vehicle" or "vehicular" or other similar term, as used herein, encompasses general motor vehicles, such as passenger cars, including sport utility vehicles (SUVs), buses, trucks, various commercial vehicles, watercraft, including a variety of boats and ships, aircraft, and the like, as well as hybrid vehicles, electric vehicles, plug-in hybrid electric vehicles, hydrogen-powered vehicles, and other alternative fuel vehicles (e.g., fuels derived from feedstocks other than petroleum). As referred to herein, a hybrid vehicle is a vehicle that has two or more power sources, for example, both gasoline power and electric power.

[0016] Although an exemplary embodiment is described that utilizes a plurality of units to perform the exemplary operation, it is understood that the exemplary operations may also be performed by one or more modules. Furthermore, it is understood that the term controller / controller refers to a hardware device including a memory and a processor. The memory is configured to store the modules, and the processor is specifically configured to apply the modules to perform one or more operations, which are described further below.

[0017] 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" are intended to include the plural forms as well, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. It is further understood that the terms "comprises" and / or "comprising," when used in this specification, describe the presence of the recited features, integers, steps, acts, elements, and / or components, but do not preclude the presence or addition of one or more other features, integers, steps, acts, elements, components, and / or groups thereof. As used herein, the term "and / or" includes any and all combinations of one or more of the associated listed elements.

[0018] Unless specifically stated or evident from the context as used herein, the term "about" is to be understood as within a normal tolerance in the art, for example, within 2 standard deviations from the average. The term "about" can be understood as within 10%, 9%, 8%, 7%, 6%, 5%, 4%, 3%, 2%, 1%, 0.5%, 0.1%, 0.05%, or 0.01% of the stated value. Unless otherwise evident from the context, all numerical values ​​provided herein are modified by the term "about."

[0019] An exemplary embodiment of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. Although exemplary embodiments have been described with reference to a number of illustrative exemplary embodiments thereof, it should be understood that numerous other modifications and embodiments may be devised by those skilled in the art, which fall within the scope of the present invention as defined by the appended claims.

[0020] The drawings and description are to be considered as illustrative and not restrictive in nature, and like reference numerals designate like elements throughout the description. Since the size and thickness of each configuration shown in the drawings are shown arbitrarily for clarity of understanding and ease of description, the present invention is not limited to the drawings shown, and the thicknesses of layers, films, panels, regions, etc., are exaggerated for clarity. Furthermore, terms such as "...unit," "...means," "...device," and "...element" described in the description mean a unit of a collective configuration to perform at least one function or operation.

[0021] Fig. 1 is a block diagram of a heat pump system for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention. A heat pump system 1 for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention selectively exchanges heat energy generated by a refrigerant during condensation and evaporation with a coolant to perform a cooling mode or a heating mode of the vehicle using a low-temperature or high-temperature coolant. Such a heat pump system 1 can be used in a hybrid vehicle that uses an internal combustion engine 12 and drive power from an electric motor.

[0022] With reference to Fig. 1, the heat pump system 1 may include an engine cooling device 10, an electrical equipment cooling device 20, a battery module 30, a CE (Centralized Energy) module 40, an air conditioner 50, and a heater 60. First, the engine cooling device 10 may include a first radiator 13 and a first water pump 15 connected to each other via a first coolant line 11, and may be configured to circulate a coolant in the first coolant line 11 to cool the engine 12. The first radiator 13 may be disposed at a front of the vehicle, and a cooling fan 14 may be disposed adjacent thereto to cool the coolant through the operation of the cooling fan 14 and through heat exchange with outside air.

[0023] In particular, a first branch line 17 may be arranged in the engine cooling device 10. The first branch line 17 may be connected to the first coolant line 11 between the first radiator 13 and the engine 12 via a thermostat 16 arranged in the first coolant line 11 between the first radiator 13 and the first water pump 15. The first branch line 17 may be selectively opened by the operation of the thermostat 16 when a temperature of the coolant is increased by absorbing waste heat generated by the engine 12. In particular, the first coolant line 11 connected to the first radiator 13 may be closed by the operation of the thermostat 16.

[0024] In the exemplary embodiment, the electrical equipment cooling device 20 may include a second radiator 22 and a second water pump 24 connected to each other via a second coolant line 21, and may be configured to circulate a coolant in the second coolant line 21 to cool an electrical equipment 26. Specifically, the electrical equipment 26 may include an EPCU (Electric Power Control Unit) with a motor, an OBC (On-Board Charger), and a motor (e.g., an electric motor).

[0025] The EPCU may be configured to generate heat during driving, and the OBC may be configured to generate heat when the battery module 30 is charging. Accordingly, when waste heat of the electrical equipment 26 is recovered in the vehicle's heating mode, heat generated by the EPCU may be recovered, and the heat generated by the OBC may be recovered when the battery module 30 is charging. The second radiator 22 may be disposed at a front side of the first radiator 13 and may be configured to cool the coolant by operating the cooling fan 14 and exchanging heat with outside air.

[0026] The electrical equipment cooling device 20 may be configured to circulate the coolant cooled in the second radiator 22 along the second coolant line 21 through the operation of the second water pump 24 to cool the electrical equipment 26 before it overheats. The battery module 30 may be disposed in a battery coolant line 31 that is selectively connected to the second coolant line 21 via a first valve V1. In particular, the first valve V1 may selectively connect the second coolant line 21 connected to the electrical equipment 26 and the battery coolant line 31 between the second radiator 22 and the battery module 30.

[0027] The battery module 30 may be configured to supply power to the electrical equipment 26 and may be a water-cooled type, and therefore, the battery module 30 may be cooled by a coolant flowing along the coolant line 21. In other words, the battery module 30 may be selectively connected to the electrical equipment 26 via the battery coolant line 31 based on an operation of the first valve V1 and may be cooled by the coolant circulating along the battery coolant line 31.

[0028] In the exemplary embodiment, the air conditioning system 50 can be selectively connected to the battery coolant line 31 via a second valve V2. In such an air conditioning system 50, a first connecting line 52 is provided to cool the interior of the vehicle by selectively forming an independent closed circuit. Furthermore, the air conditioning system 50 can include a radiator 54 and a third water pump 56 arranged in the first connecting line 52.

[0029] The air conditioning system 50 may be configured to cool the radiator 54 with low-temperature coolant circulated along the first connecting line 52 by the operation of the third water pump 56 and cooled by the CE module 40. Specifically, the radiator 54 may be disposed within an HVAC (heating, ventilation, and air conditioning) module (not shown) mounted within the vehicle. Accordingly, the air supplied from the HVAC module to the vehicle interior may be cooled by heat exchange with the low-temperature coolant as it passes through the radiator 54.

[0030] In the exemplary embodiment, the heating device 60 can be selectively connected to the first coolant line 11 via a third valve V3. In such a heating device 60, a second connecting line 62 can be configured to heat the interior of the vehicle by selectively forming an independent closed circuit. Furthermore, the heating device 60 can include a heater core 64 disposed in the second connecting line 62 and a fourth water pump 66. In particular, the heating device 60 can further include an interior heater 68 disposed in the second connecting line 62. The interior heater 68 can be selectively operated to increase a temperature of the coolant when the temperature of the coolant circulating through the second connecting line 62 is lower than a temperature of the interior of the vehicle.The interior heater 68 may be an electric heater configured to operate based on a power supply.

[0031] The heating device 60 may be configured to circulate the coolant through operation of the fourth water pump 66 along the second connection line 62, and may be configured to heat the radiator 64 with high-temperature coolant heated by the CE module 40. Specifically, the radiator 64 may be disposed in the HVAC module (not shown) mounted within the vehicle. Accordingly, the air supplied from the HVAC module to the vehicle interior may be heated by heat exchange with the high-temperature coolant while passing through the radiators 64. The radiator 54 and the radiators 64 may be water-cooled types configured to cool or heat based on the temperature of the coolant introduced therein.

[0032] Meanwhile, the second valve V2 can selectively connect the battery coolant line 31 and the first connecting line 52 between the battery module 30 and the radiator 54. Furthermore, the third valve V3 can selectively connect the first coolant line 11 and the second connecting line 62 between the internal combustion engine 12 and the heater core 64. The first, second, and third valves V1, V2, and V3 can be configured to adjust a flow direction of the coolant. Meanwhile, an additional water pump (not shown) can be arranged in the battery coolant line 31 to circulate the coolant along the battery coolant line 31. In particular, the second and third valves V2 and V3 can be provided as 4-way valves. Furthermore, the first, second, third, and fourth water pumps 15, 24, 56, and 66 can be electric water pumps.

[0033] In the exemplary embodiment, the CE module 40 may be connected to the second coolant line 21 and the first and second connecting lines 52 and 62 to supply a low-temperature coolant to the air conditioner 50 and a high-temperature coolant to the heater 60, respectively. The CE module 40 may be configured to selectively perform heat exchange between the heat energy generated from the condensation and evaporation of a refrigerant circulating in the CE module 40 and the coolant, and the heat-exchanged low-temperature or high-temperature coolant may be supplied to the air conditioner 50 and the heater 60.

[0034] In particular, the refrigerant may be a high-performance refrigerant R152-a, R744, or R290. In other words, the low-temperature refrigerant may be supplied to the radiator 54 via the first connecting line 52, and the high-temperature refrigerant may be supplied to the heater core 64 via the second connecting line 62. The CE module 40 may include a main heat exchanger 42, an expansion valve 45, an evaporator 46, and a compressor 48. First, the main heat exchanger 42 may be arranged in the second coolant line 21 between the second radiator 22 and the battery module 30. The main heat exchanger 42 may be configured to condense or evaporate the refrigerant.

[0035] Accordingly, the main heat exchanger 42 may be configured to condense or evaporate the refrigerant by heat exchange with the coolant, and the heat energy generated from the condensation or evaporation of the refrigerant may be supplied to the coolant to increase or decrease the temperature of the coolant. The expansion valve 45 may be connected to the main heat exchanger 42 via a refrigerant line 41. The expansion valve 45 may be expanded by receiving a refrigerant that has passed through the main heat exchanger 42. The expansion valve 45 may be formed of either a mechanical or an electronic type.

[0036] Furthermore, the evaporator 46 may be connected to the expansion valve 45 via the refrigerant line 41 and may be arranged in the first connection line 52 to cool the refrigerant circulating along the first connection line 52 in the air conditioner 50. The evaporator 46 may be configured to evaporate the refrigerant introduced therein by heat exchange with the refrigerant, and the low-temperature heat energy generated from the evaporation of the refrigerant may be supplied to the refrigerant to reduce the temperature of the refrigerant. In addition, the compressor 48 may be arranged in the refrigerant line 41 between the evaporator 46 and the main heat exchanger 42. The compressor 48 may be configured to compress a refrigerant discharged from the evaporator 46 in a gas state.

[0037] In addition, a receiver 47 and an indoor heat exchanger 44 may be sequentially arranged in the refrigerant line 41 between the evaporator 46 and the compressor 48. The refrigerant line 41 connecting the main heat exchanger 42 and the expansion valve 45, and the refrigerant line 41 connecting the receiver 47 and the compressor 48, may each be connected to the indoor heat exchanger 44. When the main heat exchanger 42 condenses the refrigerant, the indoor heat exchanger 44 may be configured to further condense the refrigerant condensed by the main heat exchanger 42 by exchanging heat with a low-temperature refrigerant discharged from the evaporator 46 (or the evaporated low-temperature refrigerant or the evaporated refrigerant in a low-temperature state), and then introduce the further condensed refrigerant into the expansion valve 45.

[0038] The accumulator 47 may be arranged in the refrigerant line 41 between the indoor heat exchanger 44 and the compressor 48. The accumulator 47 may be configured to supply refrigerant only in a gaseous state to the compressor 48, thereby improving the efficiency and durability of the compressor 48. Accordingly, the refrigerant discharged from the evaporator 46, after exchanging heat with the refrigerant supplied from the main heat exchanger 42, may be supplied to the compressor 48 while passing through the indoor heat exchanger 44. The condensed refrigerant discharged from the main heat exchanger 42 and the low-temperature refrigerant discharged from the evaporator 46 may each be introduced into the indoor heat exchanger 44.Accordingly, the indoor heat exchanger 44 can be configured to additionally exchange heat between the low-temperature refrigerant and the condensed refrigerant to further reduce the temperature of the refrigerant and increase the amount of condensation. As described, since the indoor heat exchanger 44 can be configured to further condense the refrigerant condensed in the main heat exchanger 42, the sub-cooling of the refrigerant can be increased, and accordingly, efficiency, which is a coefficient of cooling capacity relative to compressor energy consumption, can be improved.

[0039] In addition, the CE module 40 may further include a sub-condenser 43 and a sub-expansion valve 49. First, the sub-condenser 43 may be connected to the compressor 48 via the refrigerant line 41 between the main heat exchanger 42 and the compressor 48, and may be arranged in the second connecting line 62 to heat the refrigerant circulating along the second connecting line 62 in the heating device 60. Furthermore, the sub-expansion valve 49 may be arranged in the refrigerant line 41 between the sub-condenser 43 and the main heat exchanger 42.

[0040] The sub-condenser 43 may be configured to primarily condense refrigerant discharged from the compressor 48 when the main heat exchanger 42 condenses the refrigerant. Accordingly, the main heat exchanger 42 may be configured to additionally condense the refrigerant condensed in the sub-condenser 43, thereby increasing the amount of condensation of the refrigerant. Specifically, the sub-expansion valve 49 may allow the refrigerant to reach the main heat exchanger 42 without expanding the refrigerant. When the main heat exchanger 42 evaporates the refrigerant, the sub-expansion valve 49 may expand the refrigerant discharged from the sub-condenser 43 and then supply the expanded refrigerant to the main heat exchanger 42.

[0041] Furthermore, in the exemplary embodiment, the evaporated low-temperature refrigerant in the indoor heat exchanger 44 and the condensed refrigerant exchange heat with each other, but the invention is not limited to this. A small amount of refrigerant discharged from the indoor heat exchanger 44 may be bypassed and then cooled, and the remaining refrigerant introduced from the indoor heat exchanger 44 may be cooled by simultaneously using the cooled refrigerant and the low-temperature refrigerant discharged from the evaporator 46 to increase the sub-cooling of the refrigerant. Such main heat exchanger 42, sub-condenser 43, and evaporator 46 may be water-cooled heat exchangers into which a coolant is introduced.

[0042] If the expansion valve 45 is an electronic valve, the refrigerant may sequentially pass through the sub-condenser 43, the main heat exchanger 42, and the indoor heat exchanger 44, and then be introduced into the evaporator 46. The refrigerant discharged from the evaporator 46 may be discharged to the compressor 48 after passing through the indoor heat exchanger 44. Specifically, a sensor configured to measure a temperature and pressure of a refrigerant may be separately provided in the refrigerant line 41 connecting the indoor heat exchanger 44 and the compressor 48, and the sensor may be configured to adjust the amount of expansion of the expansion valve 45 by measuring the superheat of the refrigerant.

[0043] In the exemplary embodiment, a second branch line 32 may be arranged in the battery coolant line 31 to connect the battery module 30 to the air conditioner 50 via the first valve V1, and closes the connection with the electrical equipment cooling device 20. The first valve V1 may selectively connect the second coolant line 21 and the battery coolant line 31 to each other, or selectively connect the battery coolant line 31 and the second branch line 32 to each other to control a flow of the coolant. In other words, when the battery module 30 is cooled by coolant cooled in the second radiator 22, the first valve V1 may connect the second coolant line 21 connected to the second radiator 22 and the battery coolant line 31 to each other and close the second branch line 32.

[0044] Furthermore, when the battery module 30 is cooled by the coolant that has exchanged heat with the refrigerant while circulating through the air conditioner 50, the first valve V1 can open the second branch line 32 and close the connection between the second coolant line 21 and the battery coolant line 31. Specifically, the second valve V2 can be configured to selectively operate to connect the battery coolant line 31 to the first connection line 52. Accordingly, the low-temperature coolant that has exchanged heat with the refrigerant in the evaporator 46 can be introduced into the battery module 30 via the first branch line 32 opened by the first valve V1 and the first connection line 52 connected to the battery coolant line 31 via the second valve V2, to effectively cool the battery module 30.

[0045] In the exemplary embodiment, the second coolant line 21 may include a third branch line 34 separating the battery coolant line 31 and the second coolant line 21. The third branch line 34 may be selectively connected to the second coolant line 21, and therefore, the electrical equipment cooling device 20 may form an independent closed circuit through the second coolant line 21. Specifically, a separate valve may be disposed at a location where the third branch line 34 crosses the second coolant line 21 and the battery coolant line 31, or in the third branch line 34. The separate valve may be a 3-way valve or a 2-way valve.

[0046] Furthermore, a fourth branch line 36, which is connected to the second coolant line 21 via a fourth valve V4 between the second radiator 22 and the second water pump 24, may be arranged in the second coolant line 21, which connects the electrical equipment 26 to the second radiator 22. The fourth branch line 36 may be selectively opened by operation of the fourth valve V4 when the temperature of the coolant is increased by absorbing waste heat generated by the electrical equipment 26. Specifically, the second coolant line 21 connected to the second radiator 22 may be closed by operation of the fourth valve V4.

[0047] Furthermore, a reservoir 28 connected to the fourth branch line 36 may be disposed between the second radiator 22 and the main heat exchanger 42. The reservoir 28 may be configured to store a cooled coolant introduced from the second radiator 22. In particular, the first and fourth valves V1 and V4 may be three-way valves configured to adjust a flow rate. Furthermore, although no valve is included in the third branch line 34 in the exemplary embodiment, the invention is not limited thereto. The valve is applicable to selectively open the third branch line 34 as needed.In other words, the third branch line 34 may be configured to adjust a flow rate of the coolant circulating through the operation of the second coolant line 21, the battery coolant line 31, the second and fourth branch lines 32 and 36, and the second and third water pumps 24 and 56, which are selectively connected to each other in the respective mode of the vehicle (e.g., heating, cooling, dehumidification) to adjust the opening of the third branch line 34.

[0048] The following is based on the Fig. 2 to 6, the operation in each mode of the heat pump system 1 for a vehicle configured as above according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention is described. The operations described herein can be executed by a control device.

[0049] First, with reference to Fig. 2 describes the operation of cooling the battery module 30 together with the electrical equipment 26 in a vehicle cooling mode. The electrical equipment cooling device 20 operates to cool the electrical equipment 26. Each component of the CE module 40 operates to cool the vehicle interior, and the refrigerant circulates along the refrigerant line 41. Furthermore, the operation of the engine cooling device 10 can be stopped.

[0050] Specifically, the second branch line 32 may be opened by the operation of the first valve V1. Further, the third branch line 34 is opened. Furthermore, the connection of the second coolant line 21 to the battery coolant line 31 may be closed by the operation of the opened second and third branch lines 32 and 34 and the first valve V1. The battery coolant line 31 connected to the battery module 30 may be connected to the first connection line 52 by the operation of the second valve V2. In the heating device 60, the fourth water pump 66 may be configured to stop operation, and therefore, the flow of coolant in the second connection line 62 is stopped.

[0051] The main heat exchanger 42 of the CE module 40 may be configured to condense the refrigerant through the coolant introduced along the second coolant line 21. Furthermore, the sub-condenser 43 and the sub-expansion valve 49 stop operating because the operation of the heater 60 is stopped. The fourth branch line 36 may be closed by the operation of the fourth valve V4. At the same time, the fourth valve V4 may open the second coolant line 21 connecting the electrical equipment 26 and the second radiator 22. Accordingly, the coolant cooled in the second radiator 22 may circulate along the second coolant line 21 connected to the third branch line 34 opened by the operation of the second water pump 24.

[0052] In other words, in the electrical equipment cooling device 20, the opened third branch line 34 may be connected to the second coolant line 21 to enable an independent closed circuit to be formed. Then, the coolant cooled in the second radiator 22 can cool the electrical equipment 26 while circulating by the operation of the second water pump 24. The coolant in the battery coolant line 31 can circulate along the battery coolant line 31, the second branch line 32, and the first connection line 52 by the operation of the third water pump 56. In other words, the coolant circulating along the battery coolant line 31 can be introduced into the first connection line 52 by the operation of the second valve V2 and the third water pump 56. Accordingly, the coolant can circulate along the battery coolant line 31 and the first connection line 52.

[0053] In addition, the internal heat exchanger 44 may be configured to further condense the refrigerant condensed by the main heat exchanger 42 by heat exchanging the refrigerant with a low-temperature refrigerant discharged from the evaporator 46, thereby increasing the condensation amount of the refrigerant. Furthermore, the evaporator 46 exchanges heat of the coolant circulated from the battery coolant line 31 through the first connection line 52 by operation of the second valve V2 with a low-temperature refrigerant evaporated therein.

[0054] The low-temperature refrigerant that has passed through the evaporator 46 can be supplied to the radiator 54 via the first connection line 52 by operating the third water pump 56. In other words, the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant line 41 in the CE module 40 can be heat-exchanged with the refrigerant that has passed through the main heat exchanger 42 to be primarily condensed. The refrigerant discharged from the main heat exchanger 42 can then be further heat-exchanged with a low-temperature refrigerant from the evaporator 46 in the indoor heat exchanger 44 to further increase the condensation amount.

[0055] The refrigerant having an increased condensation amount can be expanded by the expansion valve 45 and evaporated by the evaporator 46. Specifically, the refrigerant evaporated by the evaporator 46 cools the refrigerant introduced via the first connection line 52. The refrigerant having an increased condensation amount as it successively passes through the main heat exchanger 42 and the indoor heat exchanger 44 can be expanded and then supplied to the evaporator 46, and thus the low-temperature refrigerant can be evaporated. In the exemplary embodiment, the indoor heat exchanger 44 is configured to further condense the refrigerant, so that sub-cooling of the refrigerant is more advantageous.In addition, since the refrigerant of which the sub-cooling is performed can be evaporated at a low temperature in the evaporator 46, a temperature of the coolant heat-exchanged in the evaporator 46 can be further reduced, thereby improving the performance and efficiency of the air conditioner.

[0056] Meanwhile, the refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator 46 can cool the coolant introduced via the first connection line 52. Accordingly, the coolant can be cooled to a low temperature while passing through the evaporator 46 and then supplied to the radiator 54 via the first connection line 52. Further, the outside air introduced into the HVAC module (not shown) can be cooled while exchanging heat with the low-temperature coolant introduced into the radiator 54. Thereafter, the cooled outside air can be directly introduced into the vehicle, thereby cooling the interior of the vehicle. Meanwhile, the low-temperature coolant that has passed through the radiator 54 can be supplied to the battery module 30 while flowing along the battery coolant line 31 connected to the first connection line 52 by the operation of the second valve V2.Accordingly, the battery module 30 can be effectively cooled by the low-temperature coolant supplied via the battery coolant line 31.

[0057] With reference to Fig. 3, an operation for implementing a vehicle heating mode using the engine cooling device 10 in the vehicle heat pump system according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention is described. The operation of the second water pump 24 in the electrical equipment cooling device 20 is stopped. Accordingly, the circulation of the coolant in the electrical equipment cooling device 20 is stopped. Furthermore, the CE module 40 stops operating, and thus the circulation of the refrigerant is stopped.

[0058] Specifically, the first branch line 17 may be opened by the operation of the thermostat 16. The second connecting line 62 may be connected to the first coolant line 11 by the operation of the third valve V3. Furthermore, the first coolant line 11 connecting the thermostat 16 and the first radiator 13 may be closed while the thermostat 16 opens the first branch line 17. In the air conditioner 50, the third water pump 56 may be configured to stop operating, and thus the flow of coolant in the first connecting line 52 is stopped. Accordingly, the coolant, whose temperature is increased while cooling the internal combustion engine 12, may be supplied to the second connecting line 62 via the third valve V3 while circulating along the first coolant line 11 and the first branch line 17.

[0059] A high-temperature coolant circulating along the second connection line 62 can then be supplied from the first coolant line 11 by the operation of the fourth water pump 66 in the heater 60. Accordingly, the outside air introduced into the HVAC module (not shown) can be heated while passing through the heater core 64, into which the high-temperature coolant is introduced, and can then be introduced into the vehicle while in a high-temperature state, thus heating the interior of the vehicle.

[0060] Furthermore, the interior heater 68 arranged in the second connection line 62 can start operating to increase the temperature of the coolant supplied to the heater 64 when the temperature of the coolant is lower than a set temperature. In other words, the heat pump system 1 according to the exemplary embodiment uses the waste heat generated by the engine 12 to increase the temperature of the coolant supplied to the heater 64 when the heating mode of the vehicle is performed by the engine cooling device 10, thereby improving heating efficiency.

[0061] Now, with reference to Fig. 4 describes the operation of implementing the vehicle heating mode using the electrical equipment cooling device 20 in the heat pump system for the vehicle according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention. The first water pump 15 stops operating in the engine cooling device 10. Accordingly, the circulation of the coolant in the engine cooling device 10 is stopped. Each component of the CE module 40 operates to heat the vehicle interior, and the refrigerant circulates along the refrigerant line 41.

[0062] Specifically, the second branch line 32 may be closed by the operation of the first valve V1, and the third branch line 34 may be opened. Accordingly, the connection between the second coolant line 21 and the battery coolant line 31 may be closed. Furthermore, the fourth branch line 36 may be opened by the operation of the fourth valve V4 in the electrical equipment cooling device 20. Further, the fourth valve V4 may close the second coolant line 21 connecting the electrical equipment 26 and the second radiator 22. Then, a temperature of the coolant circulating in the second coolant line 21 in a state where it does not pass through the second radiator 22 may be increased while cooling the electrical equipment 26.

[0063] The third valve V3 can close the connection between the first refrigerant line 11 and the second connecting line 62, allowing the second connecting line 62 to form an independent closed circuit. The refrigerant can circulate along the second connecting line 62 by the operation of the fourth water pump 66 in the heater 60. In the air conditioner 50, the operation of the third water pump 56 can be stopped, and therefore the flow of refrigerant in the first connecting line 52 is stopped. Accordingly, the operation of the expansion valve 45 and the evaporator 46 stops because the operation of the air conditioner 50 stops.

[0064] Furthermore, a temperature of the coolant circulating along the second connection line 62 in the heating device 60 can be increased by heat exchange with a high-temperature refrigerant (or the high-temperature refrigerant or the refrigerant in a high-temperature state) supplied from the compressor 48 to the sub-condenser 43. The high-temperature coolant that has passed through the sub-condenser 43 can be supplied to the radiator 64 along the second connection line 62 by the operation of the fourth water pump 66. Specifically, the waste heat generated by the electrical equipment 26 increases the temperature of the coolant circulating along the second coolant line 21.

[0065] The refrigerant whose temperature is increased can pass through the main heat exchanger 42 by the operation of the second water pump 24, and can therefore be recovered while increasing a temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the main heat exchanger 42. A refrigerant that is condensed while passing through the sub-condenser 43 can be supplied to the main heat exchanger 42 in an expanded state by the operation of the sub-expansion valve 49. In other words, the main heat exchanger 42 can be configured to evaporate the refrigerant. Accordingly, the refrigerant whose temperature is increased while passing through the main heat exchanger 42 can pass along the refrigerant line 41 through the indoor heat exchanger 44 and the expansion valve 45, and thus can be introduced into the compressor 48.In particular, the expansion valve 45 may be configured to supply the refrigerant to the compressor 48 without expanding the refrigerant. In other words, the refrigerant whose temperature is increased may be introduced into the compressor 48, compressed at a higher temperature and at a higher pressure in the compressor 48, and then introduced into the sub-condenser 43.

[0066] Furthermore, the coolant circulating via the second connection line 62 can pass through the sub-condenser 43 to exchange heat with the high-temperature refrigerant, so that the coolant having an elevated temperature can be supplied to the heater core 64. Accordingly, the outside air introduced into the HVAC module (not shown) can be heated while passing through the heater core 64 into which the high-temperature refrigerant is introduced, and the outside air having an elevated temperature can be supplied into the vehicle, thus heating the interior of the vehicle. In other words, in a heating mode of the vehicle, the heat pump system 1 according to the exemplary embodiment can utilize the waste heat generated by the electrical equipment 26 to increase a temperature of the refrigerant, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the compressor 48 and improving heating efficiency.

[0067] Although in Fig. 4, when the vehicle heating mode is performed by recovering waste heat from the battery module 30 along with the waste heat generated by the electrical equipment 26, the second coolant line 21 and the battery coolant line 31 may be connected to each other via the first valve V1 and the second valve V2, and the second branch line 32 may be closed. Furthermore, since the second coolant line 21 and the battery coolant line 31 may be connected to each other, the third branch line 34 may also be closed.

[0068] Then, the waste heat generated by the electrical equipment 26 and the battery module 30 can be recovered while the coolant circulates along the second coolant line 21, the fourth branch line 36, and the battery coolant line 31 by the operation of the second water pump 24, and thus the temperature of the coolant rises. The coolant, whose temperature is increased, can raise the temperature of the refrigerant by heat exchange with the refrigerant while passing through the internal heat exchanger 44.

[0069] The following is based on Fig. 5 describes the implementation of the vehicle heating mode by means of the engine cooling device 10 and the electrical equipment cooling device 20 in the heat pump system for the vehicle according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention. The first branch line 17 can be opened by the operation of the thermostat 16. The second connecting line 62 can be connected to the first coolant line 11 by the operation of the third valve V3.

[0070] Furthermore, the thermostat 16 may be in the open state, and the first coolant line 11 connecting the thermostat 16 and the first radiator 13 may be closed. The second branch line 32 may be closed by the operation of the first valve V1, and the third branch line 34 may be opened. Accordingly, the connection between the second coolant line 21 and the battery coolant line 31 may be closed. Furthermore, the fourth branch line 36 may be opened by the operation of the fourth valve V4 in the electrical equipment cooling device 20. Furthermore, the fourth valve V4 may close the second coolant line 21 connecting the electrical equipment 26 and the second radiator 22.Accordingly, the temperature of the coolant circulating in the first and second coolant lines 11 and 21 can be increased while continuously cooling the engine 12 and the electrical equipment 26 without passing through the first and second radiators 13 and 22.

[0071] The coolant, whose temperature is increased while cooling the internal combustion engine 12, can be supplied to the second connecting line 62 via the third valve V3 while circulating along the first coolant line 11 and the first branch line 17. Then, high-temperature coolant circulating along the second connecting line 62 can be supplied from the first coolant line 11 to the heater core 64 by the operation of the fourth water pump 66. Each component of the CE module 40 operates to heat the vehicle interior, and the coolant circulates along the coolant line 41.

[0072] Meanwhile, in the air conditioning system 50, the operation of the third water pump 56 may be configured to stop, and thus the flow of the refrigerant in the first connection line 52 is stopped. Accordingly, since the air conditioning system 50 stops operating, the expansion valve 45 and the evaporator 46 stop operating. Therefore, a temperature of a high-temperature refrigerant supplied from the first refrigerant line 11 to the second connection line 62 by the operation of the third valve V3 in the heater 60 can be further increased by heat exchange with the high-temperature refrigerant supplied from the compressor 48 to the sub-condenser 43.

[0073] The high-temperature coolant that has passed through the sub-condenser 43 can be supplied to the radiator 64 along the second connecting line 62 by the operation of the fourth water pump 66. In other words, the waste heat generated by the internal combustion engine 12 increases a temperature of the coolant circulating along the first coolant line 11. Furthermore, the waste heat generated by the electrical equipment 26 increases a temperature of the coolant circulating along the second coolant line 21.

[0074] The refrigerant whose temperature is increased in the second refrigerant line 21 can be recovered while increasing a temperature of the refrigerant discharged from the main heat exchanger 42 by passing through the main heat exchanger 42 through the operation of the second water pump 24. Specifically, the refrigerant condensed while passing through the sub-condenser 43 can be supplied to the main heat exchanger 42 in an expanded state by the operation of the sub-expansion valve 49. In other words, the main heat exchanger 42 can be configured to evaporate the refrigerant. Accordingly, the refrigerant whose temperature is increased while passing through the main heat exchanger 42 can pass along the refrigerant line 41 through the indoor heat exchanger 44 and the expansion valve 45, and then can be introduced into the compressor 48.In particular, the expansion valve 45 may be configured to supply the refrigerant to the compressor 48 without the refrigerant expanding.

[0075] In other words, the refrigerant whose temperature is increased may be introduced into the compressor 48, compressed at a higher temperature and pressure in the compressor 48, and then introduced into the sub-condenser 43. Meanwhile, a temperature of the coolant circulating along the second connection line 62 may be further increased by heat exchange with the high-temperature refrigerant while passing through the sub-condenser 43, and then the coolant whose temperature is further increased may be supplied to the radiator 64.

[0076] Accordingly, the outside air introduced into the HVAC module (not shown) can be heated while passing through the heater core 64 into which the high-temperature refrigerant is introduced, and the outside air having an elevated temperature can be introduced into the vehicle, thus heating the interior of the vehicle. The heat pump system 1 according to the exemplary embodiment can utilize the waste heat generated by the electrical equipment 26 and the engine 12 in a vehicle heating mode to increase the temperature of the refrigerant, thereby reducing the energy consumption of the compressor 48 and improving heating efficiency. When the temperature of the refrigerant supplied to the heater core 64 is lower than a set temperature, the interior heater 68 disposed in the second connection line 62 can operate to increase the temperature of the refrigerant.

[0077] With reference to Fig. 6 describes the operation in a vehicle dehumidification mode in the vehicle heat pump system according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention. In the vehicle dehumidification mode, the engine cooling device 10 and the electrical equipment cooling device 20 operate by operating the first and second water pumps 15 and 24.

[0078] In addition, each component of the CE module 40 operates to cool the vehicle interior, and the refrigerant circulates along the refrigerant line 41. Specifically, the first branch line 17 may be opened by the operation of the thermostat 16. The second connecting line 62 may be connected to the first coolant line 11 by the operation of the third valve V3. In addition, while the first branch line 17 is in the open state, the first coolant line 11 connecting the thermostat 16 and the first radiator 13 may be closed.

[0079] Furthermore, the second branch line 32 may be closed by the operation of the first valve V1, and the third branch line 34 may be opened. Accordingly, the connection between the second coolant line 21 and the battery coolant line 31 may be closed. In addition, the fourth branch line 36 may be opened by the operation of the fourth valve V4 in the electrical equipment cooling device 20. Further, the fourth valve V4 may close the second coolant line 21 connecting the electrical equipment 26 and the second radiator 22. Accordingly, the coolant circulating in the first and second coolant lines 11 and 21 can continuously cool the engine 12 and the electrical equipment 26 without passing through the first and second radiators 13 and 22, and therefore, the temperature of the coolant can be increased.

[0080] The coolant, whose temperature is increased while cooling the internal combustion engine 12, can circulate along the first coolant line 11 and the first branch line 17 such that it is led to the second connecting line 62 via the third valve V3. Then, a high-temperature coolant circulating along the second connecting line 62 can be led from the first coolant line 11 to the radiator 64 by the operation of the fourth water pump 66. Specifically, in the air conditioning system 50, by the operation of the second valve V2, the first connecting line 52 can form an independent closed circuit. Accordingly, in the air conditioning system 50, the coolant can circulate along the first connecting line 52 by the operation of the third water pump 56.In other words, the second coolant line 21 and the first connecting line 52 can each form independent closed circuits by the operation of the first and second valves V1 and V2.

[0081] Meanwhile, the main heat exchanger 42 of the CE module 40 may be configured to condense the refrigerant through the coolant flowing along the coolant line 11. At the same time, the sub-condenser 43 may be configured to increase the temperature of the coolant circulating from the battery coolant line 31 along the second connection line 62 through the operation of the fourth valve V4 by exchanging heat with a high-temperature refrigerant discharged from the compressor 48. At the same time, the sub-condenser 43 may be configured to primarily condense the refrigerant through heat exchange with the coolant and then supply the condensed refrigerant to the main heat exchanger 42. Furthermore, the sub-expansion valve 49 may be configured to supply the refrigerant to the main heat exchanger 42 without expanding the refrigerant.

[0082] The main heat exchanger 42 may be configured to further condense the condensed refrigerant passing through the sub-condenser 43 by heat exchange with the coolant circulating along the refrigerant line 11 to increase the condensation amount of the refrigerant. Furthermore, the indoor heat exchanger 44 may be configured to further condense the refrigerant condensed by the main heat exchanger 42 by heat exchange of the refrigerant with a low-temperature refrigerant discharged from the evaporator 46 to further increase the condensation amount by increasing the sub-cooling of the refrigerant, thereby increasing the condensation amount of the refrigerant.

[0083] Furthermore, the evaporator 46 may be configured to heat-exchange the coolant circulating along the first connection line 52 by the operation of the second valve V2 and the operation of the third water pump 56 with a low-temperature refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator 46. The low-temperature refrigerant that has passed through the evaporator 46 may be supplied to the radiator 54 along the first connection line 52 by the operation of the third water pump 56. In other words, the refrigerant circulating along the refrigerant line 41 in the CE module 40 may be condensed by heat exchange with the coolant of the second connection line 62 passing through the sub-condenser 43. Then, the condensed refrigerant may be further condensed by heat exchange with the coolant of the second coolant line 21 passing through the main heat exchanger 42.

[0084] Furthermore, the indoor heat exchanger 44 may be configured to further condense a medium-temperature refrigerant discharged from the main heat exchanger 42 with a low-temperature refrigerant discharged from the evaporator 46 to increase a condensation amount by increasing sub-cooling of the refrigerant. The refrigerant having an increased condensation amount may be expanded by the expansion valve 45 and evaporated by the evaporator 46. Specifically, the refrigerant evaporated by the evaporator 46 may cool the refrigerant introduced via the first connection line 52. The refrigerant whose condensation amount is increased while passing sequentially through the main heat exchanger 42 and the indoor heat exchanger 44 may be expanded and then supplied to the evaporator 46, thereby evaporating the low-temperature refrigerant.In other words, in the exemplary embodiment, the indoor heat exchanger 44 may be configured to additionally condense the refrigerant, so that the formation of secondary cooling of the refrigerant is advantageous.

[0085] Furthermore, the refrigerant evaporated in the evaporator 46 can cool the refrigerant introduced via the first connecting line 52. Accordingly, the refrigerant can be cooled to a low temperature while passing through the evaporator 46 and then supplied to the cooler 54 via the first connecting line 52. Furthermore, the refrigerant circulating along the second connecting line 62 in the heater 60 can heat-exchange with a high-temperature refrigerant supplied from the compressor 48 in the sub-condenser 43, thereby increasing the temperature of the refrigerant.

[0086] The high-temperature coolant that has passed through the sub-condenser 43 can be supplied to the heater core 64 along the second connecting line 62 by the operation of the fourth water pump 66. In this state, an opening door of the HVAC module (not shown) can be open to allow outside air to pass through both the radiator 54 and the heater core 64. Accordingly, the outside air introduced into the HVAC module can pass through the radiator 54, into which the low-temperature coolant is introduced, and the heater core 64, into which the high-temperature coolant is introduced, to be dehumidified, and the dehumidified outside air can be introduced into the vehicle to dehumidify the vehicle interior.

[0087] As described above, the heat pump system 1 for a vehicle according to an exemplary embodiment of the invention can be simplified, and an arrangement of connecting pipes in which a coolant circulates can be simplified by selectively heat exchanging heat energy generated by a coolant with a refrigerant after condensation and evaporation of the coolant to adjust an interior temperature of the vehicle to a low temperature or a high temperature by the heat-exchanged coolant.

[0088] Furthermore, by utilizing the waste heat of the internal combustion engine 12 and the waste heat of the electrical equipment 26, the thermal efficiency of the vehicle can be improved, and the battery module 30 can effectively adjust a temperature to achieve optimal performance of the battery module 30, thereby increasing the vehicle's running distance. Furthermore, according to the exemplary embodiment of the invention, the CE module 40, which generates heat energy by condensing and evaporating the coolant, can be compactly housed to reduce its size and weight.

[0089] Furthermore, since a high-performance refrigerant such as R152-a, R744, or R290 is used in the CE module 40, compared to an air conditioner according to the related art, noise, vibration, and functional instability can be prevented from being generated. Furthermore, by configuring the sub-condenser 43 and the indoor heat exchanger 44 together to increase the condensation amount of the refrigerant in the CE module 40, sub-cooling of a refrigerant can be increased to improve cooling performance and efficiency. Furthermore, according to the invention, manufacturing costs and weight can be reduced, and space efficiency can be improved by simplifying the entire system. List of reference symbols 1 heat pump system 10 Combustion engine cooling device 11 first coolant line 12 combustion engine 13 first radiator 14 cooling fans 15 first water pump 16 Thermostat 17 first branch line 20 Electrical Equipment Cooling Device 21 second coolant line 22 second radiator 24 second water pump 26 electrical equipment 28 collection containers 30 battery module 31 Battery coolant line 32, 34, 36 second, third and fourth branch lines 40 CE module 41 Refrigerant line 42 main heat exchangers 43 Auxiliary capacitor 44 indoor heat exchangers 45 Expansion valve 46 evaporators 47 collectors 48 Compressor 49 Secondary expansion valve 50 air conditioning 52 first connecting line 54 coolers 56 third water pump 60 Heating device 62 second connecting line 64 radiators 66 fourth water pump 68 indoor radiators V1, V2, V3, V4 first, second, third, fourth valve

Claims

[1] Heat pump system for a vehicle, comprising: an internal combustion engine cooling device (10) comprising a first radiator (13) and a first water pump (15) connected to each other via a first coolant line (11), the internal combustion engine cooling device (10) being configured to circulate a coolant in an internal combustion engine (12); an electrical equipment cooling device (20) having a second radiator (22) and a second water pump (24) connected to each other via a second coolant line (21), the electrical equipment cooling device (20) being configured to circulate the coolant in the second coolant line (21); a battery module (30) arranged in a battery coolant line (31) which is selectively connected to the second coolant line (21) via a first valve (V1); an air conditioning system (50) connected to the battery coolant line (31) via a second valve (V2) and in which a first connecting line (52) is formed to cool the interior of the vehicle by selectively forming an independent closed circuit, and which has a third water pump (56) and a radiator (54) arranged in the first connecting line (52); a heating device (60) connected to the first coolant line (11) via a third valve (V3) and in which a second connecting line (62) is formed to heat the interior of the vehicle by selectively forming an independent closed circuit, and which has a fourth water pump (66) and a heater (64) arranged in the second connecting line (62); and a CE (Centralized Energy) module (40) configured to heat-exchange heat energy generated from the condensation and evaporation of a refrigerant circulating in the CE module (40) with the coolant selectively via a main heat exchanger (42) and the second coolant line (21), via an evaporator (46) and the first connecting line (52), and via a sub-condenser (43) and the second connecting line (62) so that the low-temperature coolant is supplied to the air conditioner (50) and the high-temperature coolant is supplied to the heater (60), the CE module (40) comprising: the main heat exchanger (42) arranged in the second coolant line (21) between the second radiator (22) and the battery module (30) and configured to evaporate or condense the coolant, an expansion valve (45) connected to the main heat exchanger (42) via a refrigerant line (41) the evaporator (46) connected to the expansion valve (45) via the refrigerant line (41) and arranged in the first connecting line (52) to cool the refrigerant circulating along the first connecting line (52) in the air conditioning system (50), a compressor (48) arranged in the refrigerant line (41) between the evaporator (46) and the main heat exchanger (42), the sub-condenser (43) arranged in the refrigerant line (41) between the main heat exchanger (42) and the compressor (48) and arranged in the second connecting line (62) to heat the coolant circulating along the second connecting line (62) in the heating device (60), and a secondary expansion valve (49) arranged in the refrigerant line (41) between the secondary condenser (43) and the main heat exchanger (42). [2] The heat pump system according to claim 1, wherein the electrical equipment cooling device (20) is configured to cool an electrical equipment (26) or the battery module (30) using the coolant circulating along the second coolant line (21). [3] Heat pump system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein an internal heat exchanger (44) is arranged in the refrigerant line (41) between the evaporator (46) and the compressor (48). [4] The heat pump system according to claim 3, wherein the indoor heat exchanger (44) is connected to the refrigerant line (41) connecting the main heat exchanger (42) and the expansion valve (45) and the refrigerant line (41) connecting the evaporator (46) and the compressor (48), and when the main heat exchanger (42) condenses the refrigerant, the indoor heat exchanger (44) further condenses the refrigerant condensed in the main heat exchanger (42) by heat exchange with the low-temperature refrigerant discharged from the evaporator (46) and introduces the further condensed refrigerant into the expansion valve (45). [5] Heat pump system according to one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the first valve (V1) selectively connects the second coolant line (21) and the battery coolant line (31) between the second radiator (22) and the battery module (30), the second valve (V2) selectively connects the battery coolant line (31) and the first connection line (52), and the third valve (V3) selectively connects the first coolant line (11) and the second connection line (62) to control the flow of the coolant. [6] Heat pump system according to one of claims 1 to 5, further comprising: a first branch line (17) provided in the internal combustion engine cooling device (10) and connected to the first coolant line (11) between the first radiator (13) and the internal combustion engine (12) via a thermostat (16) arranged in the first coolant line (11) between the first radiator (13) and the first water pump (15); a second branch line (32) provided in the battery coolant line (31), connecting the battery module (30) to the air conditioner (50) via the first valve (V1), and closing the connection with the electrical equipment cooling device (20); a third branch line (34) provided in the second coolant line (21) and separating the battery coolant line (31) and the second coolant line (21); and a fourth branch line (36) provided in the second coolant line (21) which is connected to the electrical equipment (26), wherein the fourth branch line (36) is connected to the second coolant line (21) via a fourth valve (V4) between the second radiator (22) and the second water pump (24). [7] Method for using a heat pump system designed according to claim 6, wherein, when in a cooling mode of the vehicle, the battery module (30) is cooled together with the electrical equipment (26), the second branch line (32) is opened by the operation of the first valve (V1), the third branch line (34) is opened, and the connection between the second coolant line (21) and the battery coolant line (31) is closed by the opened second and third branch lines (32, 34), the battery coolant line (31) connected to the battery module (30) is connected to the first connecting line (52) by the operation of the second valve (V2), the fourth branch line (36) is closed by the operation of the fourth valve (V4), and the refrigerant is circulated, the main heat exchanger (42) condenses the refrigerant, and the sub-condenser (43) and the sub-expansion valve (49) stop the operation in the CE module (40). [8] A method of using a heat pump system according to claim 7, wherein the evaporator (46) cools the coolant circulating from the battery coolant line (31) into the first connection line (52) by the operation of the second valve (V2) by heat exchange with the evaporated low-temperature refrigerant, the low-temperature coolant that has passed through the evaporator (46) is led to the radiator (54) along the first connection line (52) by the operation of the third water pump (56), and the low-temperature coolant that has passed through the radiator (54) is led to the battery module (30) along the battery coolant line (31) connected to the first connection line (52) by the operation of the second valve (V2) to cool the battery module (30). [9] A method of using a heat pump system according to claim 7 or 8, wherein in the electrical equipment cooling device (20), the opened third branch line (34) is connected to the second coolant line (21) to form an independent closed circuit, and the coolant cooled in the second radiator (22) cools the electrical equipment (26) while circulating by the operation of the second water pump (24). [10] A method for using a heat pump system according to claim 6, wherein, when a heating mode of the vehicle is carried out using the internal combustion engine cooling device (10), the first branch line (17) is opened by the operation of the thermostat (16), the first coolant line (11) and the second connecting line (62) are connected to each other by the operation of the third valve (V3), and the first coolant line (11) connecting the thermostat (16) and the first radiator (13) is closed, the coolant, which has a temperature that increases as it passes through the internal combustion engine (12), is led via the third valve (V3) to the second connecting line (62) while circulating along the first coolant line (11) and the first branch line (17), the high-temperature coolant circulating along the second connecting line (62) is supplied from the first coolant line (11) to the heater (64) in the heating device (60) by the operation of the fourth water pump (66), and the circulation of the refrigerant in the CE module (40) stops. [11] A method of using a heat pump system according to claim 6, wherein, when a heating mode of the vehicle is carried out using the electrical equipment cooling device (20), the second branch line (32) is closed by the operation of the first valve (V1), and the third branch line (34) is open, the second coolant line (21) connecting the electrical equipment (26) and the second radiator (22) is closed in a state in which the fourth branch line (36) is opened by the operation of the fourth valve (V4) in the electrical equipment cooling device (20), the second connecting line (62) forms an independent closed circuit through the operation of the third valve (V3), the coolant circulates along the second connecting line (62) in the heating device (60) by the operation of the fourth water pump (66), and the refrigerant circulates, the expansion valve (45) and the evaporator (46) stop operating, and the sub-expansion valve (49) operates to expand the refrigerant that has passed through the sub-condenser (43) and to supply the expanded refrigerant to the main heat exchanger (42) in the CE module (40). [12] A method of utilizing a heat pump system according to claim 11, wherein waste heat generated from the electrical equipment (26) increases a temperature of the coolant circulating along the second coolant line (21), the coolant having the increased temperature is recovered while increasing a temperature of the refrigerant passing through the main heat exchanger (42), and the coolant circulating along the second connection line (62) is supplied to the radiator (64) while being heated by heat exchange with the high-temperature refrigerant supplied from the compressor (48) to the sub-condenser (43). [13] A method for using a heat pump system according to claim 6, wherein, when a heating mode of the vehicle is carried out using the internal combustion engine cooling device (10) and the electrical equipment cooling device (20), the first branch line (17) is opened by the operation of the thermostat (16), the first coolant line (11) and the second connecting line (62) are connected to each other by the operation of the third valve (V3), and the first coolant line (11) connecting the thermostat (16) and the first radiator (13) is closed, the second branch line (32) is closed by the operation of the first valve (V1), the third branch line (34) is opened, and the second coolant line (21) connecting the electrical equipment (26) and the second radiator (22) is closed when the fourth branch line (36) is opened by the operation of the fourth valve (V4) in the electrical equipment cooling device (20), the coolant, which has a temperature that increases as it passes through the internal combustion engine (12), is led via the third valve (V3) to the second connecting line (62) while circulating along the first coolant line (11) and the first branch line (17), the high-temperature coolant circulating along the second connecting line (62) is supplied from the first coolant line (11) to the heater (64) in the heating device (60) by the operation of the fourth water pump (66), and the refrigerant circulates, the expansion valve (45) and the evaporator (46) stop operating, and the sub-expansion valve (49) operates to expand a refrigerant that has passed through the sub-condenser (43) and to supply the expanded refrigerant to the main heat exchanger (42) in the CE module (40). [14] A method of utilizing a heat pump system according to claim 13, wherein waste heat generated from the internal combustion engine (12) and the electrical equipment (26) increases a temperature of the coolant circulating along the first and second coolant lines (11, 21), the coolant circulating at the increased temperature along the second coolant line (21) is recovered while increasing a temperature of the refrigerant passing through the main heat exchanger (42), and the high-temperature coolant circulating from the first coolant line (11) along the second connection line (62) is further heated by heat exchange with the high-temperature refrigerant supplied from the compressor (48) to the sub-condenser (43) and then supplied to the radiator (64) in the heating device (60). [15] Method for using a heat pump system designed according to claim 6, wherein in a dehumidification mode of the vehicle the first branch line (17) is opened by the operation of the thermostat (16), the first coolant line (11) and the second connecting line (62) are connected to each other by the operation of the third valve (V3), and the first coolant line (11) connecting the thermostat (16) and the first radiator (13) is closed, the third branch line (34) is open, and the second coolant line (21) connecting the electrical equipment (26) and the second radiator (22) is closed, while the fourth branch line (36) is opened by the operation of the fourth valve (V4), the coolant, the temperature of which is increased as it passes through the internal combustion engine (12), is led via the third valve (V3) to the second connecting line (62) while circulating along the first coolant line (11) and the first branch line (17), the high-temperature coolant circulating from the first coolant line (11) along the second connecting line (62) is supplied to the heater (64) in the heating device (60) by the operation of the fourth water pump (66), the first connecting line (52) forms an independent closed circuit through the operation of the second valve (V2) in the air conditioning system (50), and the refrigerant circulates, the main heat exchanger (42) condenses the refrigerant, and the sub-condenser (43) and the sub-expansion valve (49) stop the operation in the CE module (40). [16] A method of using a heat pump system according to claim 15, wherein the evaporator (46) cools the coolant circulating in the first connection line (52) by the operation of the second valve (V2) by heat exchange with the evaporated low-temperature refrigerant, and the low-temperature coolant that has passed through the evaporator (46) is supplied to the radiator (54) along the first connection line (52) by the operation of the third water pump (56). [17] Heat pump system according to one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the refrigerant circulating in the CE module (40) is a refrigerant R152-a, R744 or R290. [18] Heat pump system according to one of claims 1 to 6 or 17, wherein the heating device (60) further comprises an internal heating element (68) arranged in the second connecting line (62).

Images