A heat pump system for a vehicle includes a valve, an electrical component cooling device, a battery cooling device, an indoor heating device, an indoor cooling device, a centralized energy device, and a chiller to improve heating efficiency by regulating a temperature of a battery module by use of one chiller in which a cooler and a refrigerant exchange heat, recovers various heat sources in a heating mode of the vehicle and utilizes the recovered heat sources for indoor heating.

A vehicle arrangement (20) for thawing thermal energy from and/or rejecting thermal energy to a plurality of components in a vehicle, the arrangement comprising a heat-pump assembly (12) comprising a first heat-pump section (18) at a first temperature and a second heat-pump section (22) at a second temperature different from the first temperature, and a first thermal energy distribution path (26) for transporting a first carrier fluid and extending through at least a portion of the first heat-pump section (18), and a second thermal energy distribution path (28) for transporting a second carrier fluid and extending through at least a portion of the second heat-pump section (22). The arrangement further comprises a first circulation pump (32) associated with the first thermal energy distribution path (26) for pumping the first carrier fluid around the first thermal energy distribution path and a second circulation pump (34) associated with the second thermal energy distribution path (28) for pumping the second carrier fluid around the second thermal energy distribution path. In addition the system comprises means (78-100) for selectively connecting at least one of the plurality of vehicle components to at least one of the thermal energy distribution paths so as to draw thermal energy from and/or reject thermal energy to said vehicle component or components.

An air-conditioning system for conditioning air in a vehicle passenger compartment is configured to operate in a cooling system mode for cooling air to be supplied to the passenger compartment and in a heat pump mode for heating the same, and to operate in a reheating mode. The air-conditioning system includes a housing having a first flow channel and a second flow channel for guiding air to an air distribution system having discharge ports communicating with the passenger compartment, and a refrigerant circulation system having at least two heat exchangers. In this case, the first heat exchanger that operates as an evaporator regardless of operating modes is disposed in the first flow channel, and the second heat exchanger that operates as a condenser/gas cooler regardless of operating modes is disposed in the second flow channel.

Disclosed is a heat exchanger capable of exchanging heat between coolant and refrigerant of different kinds in one device and providing an effective heat exchange ratio between the coolant and the refrigerant. The heat exchanger includes a refrigerant flow path having a refrigerant inlet and a refrigerant outlet, and a coolant flow path through which coolant flows to exchange heat with the refrigerant. The coolant flow path includes a first coolant flow path where first coolant flows, and a second coolant flow path where second coolant with a different kind from the first coolant flows. The heat exchanger is partitioned into a first heat exchange section, in which the first coolant exchanges heat with the refrigerant and a second heat exchange section, in which the second coolant exchanges heat with the refrigerant, so that the heat exchange in the first heat exchange section and the heat exchange in the second heat exchange are carried out independently.

A heat pump system for a vehicle controls a temperature of a battery module by use of one chiller in which a coolant and a refrigerant are heat-exchanged and that improves heating efficiency by recovering heat from various heat sources in a heating mode of a vehicle to use them for indoor heating, including: a valve, an electrical component cooling device, a battery cooling device, an indoor heating device, an indoor cooling device, a centralized energy device, and a chiller, wherein a condenser included in the centralized energy device is connected to the second line through the second valve to condense the refrigerant supplied through the refrigerant line through heat-exchange with the coolant and is provided in a sixth line through which the coolant flows; and a first end portion of the third line is connected to a third valve provided in the sixth line.

An embodiment vehicle thermal management system includes a first refrigeration cycle including a first refrigerant loop in which a first refrigerant is circulated, a battery cooling subsystem including a battery coolant loop in which a battery-side coolant is circulated, wherein the battery coolant loop is fluidly connected to a battery, a second refrigeration cycle including a second refrigerant loop in which a second refrigerant is circulated, the second refrigeration cycle comprising a condenser thermally connected to the battery cooling subsystem, a refrigerant chiller thermally connecting the first refrigeration cycle and the second refrigeration cycle, and a battery chiller thermally connecting the second refrigeration cycle and the battery cooling subsystem, wherein the condenser is located on a downstream side of the battery chiller in the second refrigerant loop.

A method of controlling the refrigerant pressure in an ambient heat exchanger of a refrigerant circuit, particularly a heat pump circuit, for vehicles, in which the current temperature and the current humidity of the ambient air is measured, the current dew point temperature of the ambient air is determined from the measured temperature and humidity, and if the ambient air temperature is below 0° C. the refrigerant pressure in the refrigerant circuit is controlled by adjusting the rotational speed of a refrigerant compressor of the refrigerant circuit, the flow cross-section of a controllable expansion element of the refrigerant circuit and/or the ambient air volume flow flowing around or through the ambient heat exchanger, such that the temperature of the ambient heat exchanger is greater than the dew point temperature.

In an operation mode for heating battery air, a refrigerant passage switching portion switches over to a first refrigerant passage in which a refrigerant including gas refrigerant flowing out of an interior condenser flows into an auxiliary heat exchanger through a first pipe having a relatively large passage cross-sectional area and a liquid refrigerant flowing out of the auxiliary heat exchanger flows to an inlet of an exterior heat exchanger through a second pipe having a relatively small passage cross-sectional area. Meanwhile, in an operation mode for cooling the battery air, the refrigerant passage switching portion switches over to a second refrigerant passage in which a liquid refrigerant flowing out of the exterior heat exchanger flows into the auxiliary heat exchanger through the second pipe and a gas refrigerant flowing out of the auxiliary heat exchanger flows to a suction port of a compressor through the first pipe.

A heat medium circulation equipment, a first pump, and a second pump are connected to a first switching valve and a second switching valve. A heater core is connected to at least one of the first switching valve and the second switching valve, and connected to a heat medium circuit. A state, in which the heat medium discharged by a third pump flows into the heater core, is selected by switching of a switching device.

A vehicle-mounted temperature controller has a first heat circuit and a refrigeration circuit. The first heat circuit has a first radiator exchanging heat with outside air, a first heat exchanger, and a first pump, and configured so that a first heat medium is circulated therethrough. The refrigeration circuit has the first heat exchanger discharging heat from the refrigerant to a first heat medium to make a refrigerant condense, a second heat exchanger absorbing heat to the refrigerant to thereby make the refrigerant evaporate and to cool an object to be cooled, and a compressor, and is configured so that the refrigerant circulates through the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger and thereby a refrigeration cycle is realized. When the object to be cooled starts being cooled, the compressor is started up after the first pump is started up.