A heat pump includes a refrigerant loop. The refrigerant loop includes a first heat exchanger, a first region of a second heat exchanger, a third heat exchanger, a fourth heat exchanger, a compressor, a vapor generator, an accumulator, a first expansion valve, and a first three-way valve. The compressor includes a low-pressure inlet, a mid-pressure inlet, and an outlet. The vapor generator is positioned downstream of the outlet of the compressor and upstream of both the low-pressure inlet and the mid-pressure inlet. The accumulator is positioned immediately upstream of the compressor. The accumulator includes an inlet and an outlet. The first expansion valve is positioned upstream of the accumulator. The first expansion valve includes an inlet and an outlet. The first three-way valve is positioned immediately downstream of the first expansion valve and immediately upstream of the accumulator.

A gas injection type heat management system includes a first refrigerant line along which a compressor, an inner condenser, a first expansion valve, and a flash tank are sequentially provided and through which a refrigerant flows, a second refrigerant line along which a second expansion valve and an evaporator are sequentially provided and the refrigerant flows from the flash tank and circulates to the compressor via the second expansion valve and the evaporator, a third refrigerant line configured such that the refrigerant discharged from the flash tank flows directly to the compressor and a heat absorber for performing heat exchange between the refrigerant discharged from the inner condenser and the refrigerant discharged from the flash tank, and a controller for controlling whether to operate the compressor, whether to allow the refrigerant to flow and whether to expand the refrigerant.

A heat pump system for a vehicle includes: a cooling apparatus that includes a coolant line, and circulates a coolant in the coolant line; and an air conditioning device that circulates a refrigerant along a refrigerant line to control an indoor temperature of the vehicle, wherein the air conditioning device may include first and second heat exchangers connected through the refrigerant line, and in a heating mode of the vehicle, the first heat exchanger and the second heat exchanger may be supplied with a refrigerant separated into the refrigerant line and a first branch line after being expanded, or a refrigerant expanded after being separated into the refrigerant line and the first branch line.

A method of operating a cooling system for a vehicle including providing a cooling system including a coolant loop having a coolant valve, a first refrigerant loop having a first compressor and a first chiller configured to exchange heat with the coolant loop, a second refrigerant loop having a second compressor and a second chiller configured to exchange heat with the coolant loop, and a cooling system controller operably coupled to the first compressor, the second compressor, and the coolant valve. The coolant valve is configured to selectively direct or prevent the flow of coolant between the battery and each of the first chiller and the second chiller. The method further includes operating the cooling system in one of a second chiller only mode, a first chiller only mode, an air conditioning (AC) only mode, a first refrigerant loop only mode, and a dual refrigerant loop mode.

A method for controlling heating of a vehicle thermal management system including an HVAC subsystem may include: determining, by a controller, a target temperature for heating a passenger compartment of a vehicle when the HVAC subsystem operates in heating mode; determining, by the controller, whether an internal temperature of the passenger compartment is lower than the target temperature; adjusting, by the controller, an opening amount of a heating-side expansion valve of the HVAC subsystem to a first opening amount and opening the heating-side expansion valve when the internal temperature is lower than the desired target temperature; and decreasing, by the controller, RPM of a compressor of the HVAC subsystem when the internal temperature is higher than or equal to the desired target temperature. The first opening amount is an opening amount of the heating-side expansion valve with which a heat capacity generated by a heating operation of the HVAC subsystem reaches a maximum heat capacity.

Thermoelectric enhanced hybrid heat pump systems are provided herein. A compressor increases the pressure of refrigerant within tubing. A first heat exchanger is downstream of the compressor and changes enthalpy of first fluid flow through heat exchange with refrigerant. A second heat exchanger changes enthalpy of second fluid flow through heat exchange with refrigerant. A thermoelectric device is downstream of the first heat exchanger and reduces refrigerant temperature. Expansion valves are downstream of the thermoelectric device and first heat exchanger, respectively located on first and second sides of the thermoelectric device, and expand refrigerant and reduce refrigerant pressure while conserving refrigerant enthalpy. At least one valve reverses refrigerant flow within the tubing without changing compressor operation. A control system controls the thermoelectric device and at least one valve to switch the heat pump system from heating mode to cooling mode and from cooling mode to heating mode.

A heat pump system for a vehicle includes an air conditioner circulating a refrigerant through a refrigerant line, a coolant circulation device circulating a coolant through a coolant line, a first chiller connected to the coolant circulation device through the coolant line, connected to the refrigerant line through a first refrigerant connection line, and heat-exchanges a selectively introduced coolant with a refrigerant supplied from the air conditioner to control a temperature of a coolant, and a second chiller connected to the coolant circulation device through the coolant line, connected to a second refrigerant connection line so that a refrigerant is supplied from the air conditioner, and increases a temperature of a refrigerant by heat-exchanging a coolant and a refrigerant so that waste heat is recovered from a coolant selectively flowing thereinto, wherein the air conditioner includes a gas injection part that bypasses some of a refrigerant passing through a condenser to a compressor to increase a flow rate of a refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant line.

A thermal management device includes two or more heat dissipation devices that dissipate heat into a heat medium, a heat medium-air heat exchanger that exchanges heat between air and the heat medium having its heat dissipated in the two or more heat dissipation devices, a flow-rate adjustment device that adjusts a flow rate of the heat medium flowing through the heat dissipation device, and a control unit. The control unit controls an operation of the flow-rate adjustment device to increase the flow rate of the heat medium flowing through the one heat dissipation device, if the control unit estimates an increase in the amount of heat dissipation into the heat medium at the one heat dissipation device of the two or more heat dissipation devices.

A heat pump system for a vehicle may control a temperature of a battery module by using one chiller in which a refrigerant and a coolant are heat-exchanged, and may increase a flow rate of the refrigerant by applying a gas injection device that selectively operates in a heating or dehumidifying mode of a vehicle, thereby maximizing heating performance.

A heat pump system for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The heat pump system includes a refrigerant circuit that is flowable through by a refrigerant. The refrigerant circuit has a first partial circuit with a low pressure accumulator, a compressor, a heat pump heater, and an exterior heat exchanger. The refrigerant circuit has a second partial circuit with an evaporator and a chiller. The refrigerant circuit has a valve arrangement. The first partial circuit and the second partial circuit are fluidically connected with one another exclusively via the valve arrangement.