A control system includes a refrigerant recovery module and at least one of a valve control module and a compressor control module. The refrigerant recovery module is configured to generate a refrigerant recovery signal to initiate a recovery of refrigerant from a first heat exchanger of a thermal system for an electric vehicle, and to stop the refrigerant recovery based on a temperature of refrigerant circulating through the first heat exchanger. The valve control module is configured to open a first valve to allow refrigerant to flow through the first heat exchanger in response to the refrigerant recovery signal. The compressor control module is configured to increase a speed of a compressor disposed upstream from the first heat exchanger in response to the refrigerant recovery signal.

The invention relates to a thermal conditioning circuit (1) for a hybrid or electric motor vehicle, in which a refrigerant can circulate, said circuit (1) comprising a compressor (3), a condenser (5), an evaporator-condenser (7), an evaporator (9) and a heat exchanger (11) thermally coupled to an electric member, e.g. a vehicle electric battery, characterized in that the circuit is configured to operate at least in the following three modes in which the refrigerant can circulate in a cascade and successively:—via the condenser (5), the evaporator-condenser (7) and the evaporator (9) in a first mode;—via the condenser (5), the evaporator (9) and the evaporator-condenser (7) in a second mode; and —in another mode, i.e. a third mode, in which the evaporator (9) is arranged in parallel to the heat exchanger (11) and/or to the evaporator-condenser (7) such that the refrigerant can circulate in a cascade and successively via the condenser (5) and then via at least two of said elements (7, 9, 11) that are arranged in parallel.

An auxiliary heat exchanger separated from a main heat exchanger is disposed at the position facing a heat exhausting passage. The auxiliary heat exchanger switches among an inside air heat exchanging state in which a condenser performs heat exchange with the air inside the vehicle interior, an outside air heat exchanging state in which the condenser performs heat exchange with the air outside the vehicle interior, and a ventilation heat exchanging state in which the condenser performs heat exchange with the ventilation air. The auxiliary heat exchanger switches among an inside air heat exchanging state in which the evaporator performs heat exchange with the air inside the vehicle interior, an outside air heat exchanging state in which the evaporator performs heat exchange with the air outside the vehicle interior, and a ventilation heat exchanging state in which the evaporator performs heat exchange with the ventilation air.

A refrigeration cycle device is configured to be selectively switchable between an air-cooling first refrigerant circuit that causes refrigerant to flow out of a liquid-phase refrigerant outlet of a gas-liquid separator, and an air-heating second refrigerant circuit that causes the refrigerant to flow out of a gas-phase refrigerant outlet of the gas-liquid separator. In the refrigeration cycle device, an oil separator is disposed in a refrigerant passage that leads from a heat dissipation device to a first expansion valve. Thus, when the first refrigerant circuit is configured in the refrigeration cycle device, the refrigerant passing through the oil separator is in a single gas phase or in an almost gas phase, so that oil can be easily separated from the refrigerant. Furthermore, when the refrigerant circulates through the first refrigerant circuit, oil can be retained at a position other than the gas-liquid separator.

The invention relates to an assembly including a heat exchanger and a mounting on which the heat exchanger is mounted. The heat exchanger including a first channel for circulating a coolant supplied by a first collector provided with a first pipe in which the coolant can circulate. The heat exchanger also including a second channel for circulating the coolant supplied by a second collector provided with a second pipe in which the coolant can circulate. The first and second channels define a heat-exchange surface that extends in a substantially vertical plane. The first pipe is located in a lower half of the first collector along a first axis parallel to the plane of the heat-exchange surface, with the second pipe located above the first pipe along the first axis. The invention further relates to an air-conditioning loop including the above-described assembly.

A heat pump system for a vehicle, which makes refrigerant bypass an external heat exchanger and turns off a fan mounted on the external heat exchanger when temperature of the outdoor air is lower than setting temperature and the vehicle enters into an idle state in a heat pump mode, thereby continuously operating the heat pump mode even in the below zero temperature so as to keep heating performance, reducing consumption of electrical power without needing to operate an electric heater, and preventing excessive noise of a fan when the vehicle enters into an idle state in the below zero temperature.

A heat pump includes a refrigerant loop. The refrigerant loop includes an accumulator having an inlet and an outlet, a compressor, a first heat exchanger, and a first coupling point. The compressor includes a low-pressure inlet and an outlet. The low-pressure inlet is downstream of the outlet of the accumulator. The first heat exchanger includes an inlet and an outlet. The first coupling point is positioned immediately downstream of the outlet of the accumulator and immediately upstream of the low-pressure inlet of the compressor. The first coupling point is immediately downstream of the outlet of the first heat exchanger such that a first heat exchange fluid circulating through the refrigerant loop is directed to the low-pressure inlet of the compressor upon exiting the outlet of the first heat exchanger.

An injection-type heat exchange module includes an outer tank connected to an external condenser or an indoor condenser and a lower chamber connected to an evaporator and a compressor, an inner tank disposed so as to exchange heat with a refrigerant in the outer tank and connected to the compressor, the evaporator, or a lower portion of the outer tank, a first valve disposed at an upper end of the inner tank, a second valve rotatably coupled to a lower end of the inner tank, and an actuator connected to the first valve and the second valve to simultaneously rotate the same. The first and second valves are configured to permit flow of, expand, or block the flow of the refrigerant by rotation thereof.

Disclosed is an integrated thermal management system for a vehicle including a refrigerant flow line extending to allow a refrigerant discharged from a compressor to flow in the order of an indoor condenser, an external condenser, and an evaporator and to flow back to the compressor, a refrigerant chiller line branching from the refrigerant flow line at each of the points downstream of the compressor, the indoor condenser, or the external condenser, the refrigerant chiller line joining the refrigerant flow line at a point upstream of the compressor after the refrigerant passes through a battery chiller and an electric chiller or bypasses the same, a battery cooling line extending to allow a coolant to circulate while passing through a battery radiator or the battery chiller, and an electric cooling line extending to allow a coolant to circulate while passing through an electric radiator or the electric chiller.

Disclosed therein are a heat pump system for a vehicle and a method of controlling the heat pump system, which determines that frosting begins on an exterior heat exchanger and carries out a defrosting control if a difference value between outdoor temperature and refrigerant temperature of an outlet side of the exterior heat exchanger is above a frosting decision temperature in a heat pump mode, thereby increasing frost-prevention and defrosting effects and enhancing heating performance and stability of the system because the system recognizes the beginning of frosting on the exterior heat exchanger at a proper time so as to carry out the defrosting control.