Thermal management module for vehicle

Abstract

Provided in an embodiment is a thermal management module for a vehicle, comprising a condenser and a receiver drier used for a heating and cooling system for the interior space of a vehicle, comprising a manifold plate to which the condenser and the receiver drier are connected, and forming a refrigerant line in which a refrigerant that flows into the condenser passes through the receiver drier so as to be discharged from the manifold plate.

Description

Thermal management module for vehicles

[0001] The present invention relates to a thermal management module for a vehicle.

[0002] With the trend toward environmentally friendly industrial development and the development of energy sources that replace fossil fuels, electric and hybrid vehicles are currently attracting the most attention in the automotive industry. Electric and hybrid vehicles are equipped with batteries to provide propulsion, and these batteries are used not only for driving but also for heating and cooling.

[0003] In vehicles that use batteries to provide driving power, the use of the batteries as a heat source for heating and cooling means that the driving range is reduced. To overcome the above problem, a method of applying a thermal management system, which has been widely used in household heating and cooling devices, to automobiles has been proposed.

[0004] For reference, a thermal management system refers to a system that absorbs low-temperature heat and transfers it to a higher temperature. For example, a thermal management system involves a cycle in which liquid refrigerant evaporates within an evaporator, absorbing heat from the surroundings and becoming a gas. It then liquefies again through a condenser, releasing heat to the surroundings. Applying this to electric or hybrid vehicles offers the advantage of securing a heat source that conventional air conditioning systems lack.

[0005] To improve the operating performance of these thermal management systems, a gas injection system was introduced. The basic configuration of a gas injection system using a conventional plate heat exchanger (Economizer) requires a condenser, receiver dryer, and plate heat exchanger. However, because these components are installed separately, they suffer from poor space efficiency and disadvantages in packaging, cost, and operability.

[0006] The problem to be solved by the present invention is to provide a vehicle thermal management module having a compact structure by packaging components necessary for the basic configuration of an interior cooling and heating system into a single module by combining them into a manifold plate.

[0007] The tasks of the present invention are not limited to the tasks mentioned above, and other tasks not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description below.

[0008] A vehicle thermal management module according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a condenser and a receiver dryer used in a vehicle interior heating and cooling system, the vehicle thermal management module including a manifold plate to which the condenser and the receiver dryer are connected, and a refrigerant line can be formed through which refrigerant introduced into the condenser passes through the receiver dryer and is discharged from the manifold plate.

[0009] It may further include a sub-cooling unit to increase the supercooling degree of the refrigerant flowing out from the above receiver dryer.

[0010] The above sub-cooling unit may be provided in a structure formed in the condenser and formed as an integral part with the condenser.

[0011] The above sub-cooling unit may be provided as a structure that forms a separate structure separated from the condenser.

[0012] The above refrigerant line may be configured so that the refrigerant discharged from the condenser passes through the manifold plate and flows into the receiver dryer, is discharged from the receiver dryer, passes through the manifold plate and flows into the sub-cooling unit, and is discharged from the sub-cooling unit, passes through the manifold plate and is discharged to the outside.

[0013] The above refrigerant line may be configured so that the refrigerant discharged from the condenser flows into the receiver dryer, is discharged from the receiver dryer, passes through the manifold plate, flows into the sub-cooling unit, and is discharged from the sub-cooling unit, passes through the manifold plate, and is discharged to the outside.

[0014] The above refrigerant line may be configured so that the refrigerant discharged from the condenser flows into the receiver dryer, is discharged from the receiver dryer and flows into the sub-cooling unit, is discharged from the sub-cooling unit and passes through the manifold plate to be discharged to the outside.

[0015] The above receiver dryer may be provided in a structure formed on the manifold plate and formed as an integral part with the manifold plate.

[0016] The above refrigerant line may be configured so that the refrigerant discharged from the condenser passes through the manifold plate and flows into the receiver dryer, is discharged from the receiver dryer, passes through the manifold plate and flows into the sub-cooling unit, and is discharged from the sub-cooling unit, passes through the manifold plate and is discharged to the outside.

[0017] The condenser may be placed on one side of the manifold plate, and the receiver dryer may be placed on the other side.

[0018] It may further include a compressor, an evaporator, and an expansion valve, and the refrigerant discharged from the manifold plate may be configured to pass through the expansion valve, the evaporator, and then flow into the compressor and be circulated.

[0019] It may further include an internal heat exchanger in which the refrigerant discharged from the manifold plate and the refrigerant passing through the evaporator exchange heat with each other.

[0020] The above condenser may be configured to have an inlet and an outlet on one side and the other side, respectively, and the refrigerant introduced through the inlet located at the top may move to the lower part of the condenser and then move to the upper part again, where heat is exchanged, and then discharged through the outlet located at the upper part.

[0021] According to an embodiment of the present invention, a vehicle thermal management module having a compact structure can be provided by combining components necessary for the basic configuration of an interior heating and cooling system into a manifold plate and packaging them into a single module.

[0022] The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned will be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

[0023] FIG. 1 is a drawing illustrating the flow of fluid in a vehicle thermal management module according to an embodiment of the present invention.

[0024] Figures 2a to 2c are drawings showing an embodiment of a connection structure of a refrigerant line connecting a condenser, a receiver dryer, a sub-cooling unit, and a manifold plate.

[0025] Figures 3a to 3c are drawings showing another embodiment of a connection structure of a refrigerant line connecting a condenser, a receiver dryer, a sub-cooling unit, and a manifold plate.

[0026] FIG. 4a and FIG. 4b are drawings showing another embodiment of a connection structure of a refrigerant line connecting a condenser, a receiver dryer, a sub-cooling unit, and a manifold plate.

[0027] FIG. 5 is a drawing illustrating the flow of fluid in a vehicle thermal management module according to another embodiment of the present invention.

[0028] The present invention is susceptible to various modifications and embodiments, and specific embodiments are illustrated and described in the drawings. However, this is not intended to limit the present invention to specific embodiments, but should be understood to include all modifications, equivalents, and substitutes included in the spirit and technical scope of the present invention. Terms including ordinal numbers, such as first, second, etc., may be used to describe various components, but the components are not limited by the terms. The terms are used only for the purpose of distinguishing one component from another. For example, without departing from the scope of the present invention, a second component may be referred to as a first component, and similarly, a first component may also be referred to as a second component. The term and / or includes a combination of a plurality of related described items or any of a plurality of related described items.

[0029] When a component is referred to as being "connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that it may be directly connected or connected to that other component, but that there may be other components intervening. Conversely, when a component is referred to as being "directly connected" or "connected" to another component, it should be understood that there are no other components intervening.

[0030] In the description of embodiments, when one component is described as being formed "on or under" another component, "on or under" includes both cases where the two components are in direct contact with each other or where one or more other components are formed indirectly between the two components. In addition, when expressed as "on or under," it can include the meaning of not only the upward direction but also the downward direction based on one component.

[0031] The terminology used in this application is only used to describe specific embodiments and is not intended to limit the present invention. The singular expression includes the plural expression unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. In this application, it should be understood that the terms "comprise" or "have" indicate the presence of a feature, number, step, operation, component, part, or combination thereof described in the specification, but do not exclude in advance the possibility of the presence or addition of one or more other features, numbers, steps, operations, components, parts, or combinations thereof.

[0032] Unless otherwise defined, all terms used herein, including technical or scientific terms, have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which this invention pertains. Terms defined in commonly used dictionaries should be interpreted as having a meaning consistent with their meaning in the context of the relevant technology, and will not be interpreted in an idealized or overly formal sense unless explicitly defined herein.

[0033] Hereinafter, embodiments will be described in detail with reference to the attached drawings. Regardless of the drawing numbers, identical or corresponding components are given the same reference numbers, and redundant descriptions thereof will be omitted.

[0034] A vehicle thermal management module according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a condenser (10) and a receiver dryer (20) used in a vehicle interior heating and cooling system, and includes a manifold plate (40) to which the condenser (10) and the receiver dryer (20) are connected, and may be configured to form a refrigerant line (L) through which refrigerant introduced into the condenser (10) passes through the receiver dryer (20) and is discharged from the manifold plate (40).

[0035] The manifold plate (40) may have a plate shape with a predetermined thickness, with a fluid path (41) formed approximately within the interior. By combining the condenser (10) and the receiver dryer (20) into the manifold plate (40) and modularizing the same, the manufacturing process for the product can be reduced, and the process for vehicle assembly can also be reduced. In addition, the manifold plate (40) can simultaneously perform the functions of piping, fittings, and housing, thereby reducing costs and improving workability.

[0036] In an embodiment, a condenser (10) may be arranged on one side of a manifold plate (40) and a receiver dryer (20) may be arranged on the other side. That is, by arranging the manifold plate (40) in the space between the condenser (10) and the receiver dryer (20), the overall size can be configured more compactly, and the piping for connecting the condenser (10) and the receiver dryer (20) can be omitted.

[0037] The condenser (10) functions to condense the high-temperature, high-pressure gaseous refrigerant discharged from the compressor (1) into a high-pressure liquid by exchanging heat with an external heat source. The condenser (10) is provided with a refrigerant port through which the refrigerant flows in and out. The refrigerant port includes an inlet (11) provided on one side of the condenser (10) and an outlet (12) provided on the other side. In an embodiment, a water-cooled condenser may be used as the condenser (10).

[0038] High-temperature, high-pressure refrigerant introduced through the inlet (11) located on the upper side can be heat exchanged by moving to the lower part of the condenser (10) and then moving back to the upper part. The heat-exchanged refrigerant can be discharged through the outlet (12) located on the opposite upper side.

[0039] The receiver dryer (20) serves to store excess refrigerant that may be generated in the thermal management module.

[0040] The refrigerant discharged from the receiver dryer (20) is reintroduced into the condenser (10), and a sub-cooling unit (30) may be formed in the condenser (10) to increase the subcooling degree of the liquid refrigerant discharged from the receiver dryer (20).

[0041] The sub-cooling unit (30) improves condensation efficiency by condensing the liquid refrigerant again to supercool it, thereby improving the performance of the thermal management module.

[0042] In an embodiment, the sub-cooling unit (30) may be formed in the condenser (10) and provided as a structure integral with the condenser (10).

[0043] Figures 2a to 2c illustrate an embodiment of a connection structure of a refrigerant line (L) connecting a condenser (10), a receiver dryer (20), a sub-cooling unit (30), and a manifold plate (40).

[0044] As shown in Fig. 2a, the refrigerant line can be configured so that the refrigerant discharged from the condenser (10) passes through the manifold plate (40) and flows into the receiver dryer (20), is discharged from the receiver dryer (20), passes through the manifold plate (40), flows into the sub-cooling unit (30), and is discharged from the sub-cooling unit (30), passes through the manifold plate (40), and is discharged to the outside.

[0045] That is, the refrigerant flows from the condenser (10) along the refrigerant line (L) to the receiver dryer (20) along the fluid path (41) of the manifold plate (40), the refrigerant discharged from the receiver dryer (20) flows again into the sub-cooling unit (30) along the fluid path (41) of the manifold plate (40), and the refrigerant that has passed through the sub-cooling unit (30) can be discharged to the outside again along the fluid path (41) of the manifold plate (40).

[0046] In addition, as in FIG. 2b, the refrigerant line (L) can be configured so that the refrigerant discharged from the condenser (10) flows into the receiver dryer (20), is discharged from the receiver dryer (20), passes through the manifold plate (40), flows into the sub-cooling unit (30), and is discharged from the sub-cooling unit (30), passes through the manifold plate (40), and is discharged to the outside.

[0047] That is, the refrigerant flows directly from the condenser (10) to the receiver dryer (20) along the refrigerant line (L), the refrigerant discharged from the receiver dryer (20) flows into the sub-cooling unit (30) along the fluid path (41) of the manifold plate (40), and the refrigerant that has passed through the sub-cooling unit (30) can be discharged to the outside again along the fluid path (41) of the manifold plate (40).

[0048] In addition, as in Fig. 2c, the refrigerant line (L) can be configured so that the refrigerant discharged from the condenser (10) flows into the receiver dryer (20), is discharged from the receiver dryer (20), flows into the sub-cooling unit (30), is discharged from the sub-cooling unit (30), passes through the manifold plate (40), and is discharged to the outside.

[0049] That is, the refrigerant flows directly from the condenser (10) to the receiver dryer (20) along the refrigerant line (L), the refrigerant discharged from the receiver dryer (20) flows into the sub-cooling unit (30) along the refrigerant line (L), and the refrigerant discharged from the sub-cooling unit (30) can be discharged to the outside along the fluid path (41) of the manifold plate (40).

[0050] The refrigerant discharged from the manifold plate (40) passes through the expansion valve (50) and the evaporator (2), and then flows back into the compressor (1) and circulates.

[0051] In an embodiment, the sub-cooling unit (30) may be provided in a structure that is separate from the condenser (10).

[0052] FIGS. 3a to 3c illustrate another embodiment of the connection structure of a refrigerant line (L) connecting a condenser (10), a receiver dryer (20), a sub-cooling unit (30), and a manifold plate (40).

[0053] As shown in Fig. 3a, the refrigerant line (L) can be configured so that the refrigerant discharged from the condenser (10) passes through the manifold plate (40) and flows into the receiver dryer (20), is discharged from the receiver dryer (20), passes through the manifold plate (40), flows into the sub-cooling unit (30), and is discharged from the sub-cooling unit (30), passes through the manifold plate (40), and is discharged to the outside.

[0054] That is, the refrigerant flows from the condenser (10) along the refrigerant line (L) to the receiver dryer (20) along the fluid path (41) of the manifold plate (40), the refrigerant discharged from the receiver dryer (20) flows again into the sub-cooling unit (30) along the fluid path (41) of the manifold plate (40), and the refrigerant discharged from the sub-cooling unit (30) can be discharged to the outside again along the fluid path (41) of the manifold plate (40).

[0055] In addition, as in FIG. 3b, the refrigerant line (L) can be configured so that the refrigerant discharged from the condenser (10) flows into the receiver dryer (20), is discharged from the receiver dryer (20), passes through the manifold plate (40), flows into the sub-cooling unit (30), is discharged from the sub-cooling unit (30), passes through the manifold plate (40), and is discharged to the outside.

[0056] That is, the refrigerant flows directly from the condenser (10) to the receiver dryer (20) along the refrigerant line (L), the refrigerant discharged from the receiver dryer (20) flows into the sub-cooling unit (30) along the fluid path (41) of the manifold plate (40), and the refrigerant discharged from the sub-cooling unit (30) can be discharged to the outside again along the fluid path (41) of the manifold plate (40).

[0057] In addition, as in FIG. 3c, the refrigerant line (L) can be configured so that the refrigerant discharged from the condenser (10) flows into the receiver dryer (20), is discharged from the receiver dryer (20), flows into the sub-cooling unit (30), is discharged from the sub-cooling unit (30), passes through the manifold plate (40), and is discharged to the outside.

[0058] That is, the refrigerant flows directly from the condenser (10) to the receiver dryer (20) along the refrigerant line (L), the refrigerant discharged from the receiver dryer (20) flows into the sub-cooling unit (30) along the refrigerant line (L), and the refrigerant discharged from the sub-cooling unit (30) can be discharged to the outside along the fluid path (41) of the manifold plate (40).

[0059] In this way, the refrigerant discharged from the manifold plate (40) passes through the expansion valve (50), the evaporator (2), and then flows back into the compressor (1). In this case, the expansion valve (50) may be provided in a structure that is coupled to the manifold plate (40).

[0060] In this way, the sub-cooling unit (30) and the condenser (10) can be selectively provided as an integrated or separate structure. That is, when installing the thermal management module in a limited space inside a vehicle, the sub-cooling unit (30) and the condenser (10) can be configured as a separate or integrated structure according to the structure of the space so that they can be placed in the space. For example, when there is space, the sub-cooling unit (30) and the condenser (10) can be configured as an integrated structure, and when there is no space, they can be configured as a separate structure.

[0061] In addition, depending on the arrangement structure of the components, the connection of the refrigerant line (L) can be flexibly configured in an appropriate form within a limited space. That is, it can be configured to connect using the fluid path (41) within the manifold plate (40) without introducing a separate external connection path. Alternatively, some refrigerant lines (L) can be configured not to pass through the manifold plate (40). Therefore, it has the advantage of improving the degree of freedom in design.

[0062] In an embodiment, the receiver dryer (20) may be provided in a structure formed on a manifold plate (40) and formed as an integral part with the manifold plate (40). In addition, the sub-cooling unit (30) may be provided in a structure formed as an integral part with the condenser (10) or in a structure formed as a separate part separated from the condenser (10).

[0063] FIG. 4a and FIG. 4b illustrate an embodiment of a connection structure of a refrigerant line connecting a condenser (10), a receiver dryer (20), a sub-cooling unit (30), and a manifold plate (40).

[0064] As shown in the drawing, the refrigerant line (L) can be configured so that the refrigerant discharged from the condenser (10) passes through the manifold plate (40) and flows into the receiver dryer (20), is discharged from the receiver dryer (20), passes through the manifold plate (40), flows into the sub-cooling unit (30), and is discharged from the sub-cooling unit (30), passes through the manifold plate (40), and is discharged to the outside.

[0065] By configuring the receiver dryer (20) as an integral part with the manifold plate (40) in this way, a more compact structure can be achieved. That is, compared to a case where the receiver dryer (20) is configured as a separate component, the space occupied by the receiver dryer (20) is omitted, enabling installation in a narrower space. In addition, the process and cost of combining the receiver dryer (20) are omitted, enabling cost reduction and increased workability.

[0066] Meanwhile, as shown in FIG. 5, an internal heat exchanger (60) may be further included in which the refrigerant discharged from the manifold plate (40) and the refrigerant passing through the evaporator (2) exchange heat with each other.

[0067] The internal heat exchanger (60) may be provided coupled to the manifold plate (40), and the refrigerant discharged from the manifold plate (40) may be introduced into the internal heat exchanger (60).

[0068] And, the refrigerant that has passed through the internal heat exchanger (60) moves along the refrigerant line (L) and flows into the compressor (1) through the expansion valve (50) and the evaporator (2). At this time, the refrigerant that has passed through the evaporator (2) can be configured to pass through the internal heat exchanger (60) and exchange heat with the refrigerant that is discharged from the manifold plate (40) and flows into the internal heat exchanger (60) before moving to the compressor (1).

[0069] While the present invention has been described above with reference to specific embodiments, those skilled in the art will appreciate that various modifications and variations can be made to the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined in the claims below. Furthermore, any differences resulting from such modifications and variations should be construed as being within the scope of the present invention as defined in the appended claims.

Claims

1. In a vehicle thermal management module including a condenser and a receiver dryer used in an interior heating and cooling system, A vehicle thermal management module comprising a manifold plate to which the condenser and the receiver dryer are connected, and in which the refrigerant introduced into the condenser forms a refrigerant line through which the refrigerant passes through the receiver dryer and is discharged from the manifold plate.

2. In paragraph 1, A vehicle thermal management module further comprising a sub-cooling unit for increasing the supercooling degree of refrigerant flowing out of the above receiver dryer.

3. In paragraph 2, A vehicle thermal management module characterized in that the sub-cooling unit is formed in the condenser and is provided in a structure that forms an integral part with the condenser.

4. In paragraph 2, A vehicle thermal management module characterized in that the sub-cooling unit is provided in a structure that forms a separate structure separated from the condenser.

5. In paragraph 3 or 4, A vehicle thermal management module characterized in that the refrigerant line is configured such that the refrigerant discharged from the condenser passes through the manifold plate and flows into the receiver dryer, is discharged from the receiver dryer, passes through the manifold plate and flows into the sub-cooling unit, and is discharged from the sub-cooling unit and passes through the manifold plate and is discharged to the outside.

6. In paragraph 3 or 4, A vehicle thermal management module characterized in that the refrigerant line is configured such that the refrigerant discharged from the condenser flows into the receiver dryer, is discharged from the receiver dryer, passes through the manifold plate, flows into the sub-cooling unit, and is discharged from the sub-cooling unit, passes through the manifold plate, and is discharged to the outside.

7. In paragraph 3 or 4, A vehicle thermal management module characterized in that the refrigerant line is configured such that the refrigerant discharged from the condenser flows into the receiver dryer, is discharged from the receiver dryer, flows into the sub-cooling unit, is discharged from the sub-cooling unit, passes through the manifold plate, and is discharged to the outside.

8. In paragraph 3 or 4, A vehicle thermal management module characterized in that the above receiver dryer is formed on the manifold plate and is provided in a structure that forms an integral part with the manifold plate.

9. In paragraph 8, A vehicle thermal management module characterized in that the refrigerant line is configured such that the refrigerant discharged from the condenser passes through the manifold plate and flows into the receiver dryer, is discharged from the receiver dryer, passes through the manifold plate and flows into the sub-cooling unit, and is discharged from the sub-cooling unit and passes through the manifold plate and is discharged to the outside.

10. In paragraph 1, A vehicle thermal management module characterized in that the condenser is arranged on one side of the manifold plate and the receiver dryer is arranged on the other side.

11. In paragraph 1, It further includes a compressor, an evaporator and an expansion valve, A vehicle thermal management module characterized in that the refrigerant discharged from the manifold plate passes through the expansion valve, the evaporator, and then flows into the compressor and is circulated.

12. In paragraph 11, A vehicle thermal management module further comprising an internal heat exchanger in which the refrigerant discharged from the manifold plate and the refrigerant passing through the evaporator exchange heat with each other.

13. In paragraph 1, The above condenser has an inlet and an outlet on one side and the other side, respectively, A vehicle thermal management module characterized in that the refrigerant introduced through the inlet located at the top moves to the lower part of the condenser and then moves back to the upper part, undergoes heat exchange, and is discharged through the outlet located at the top.

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