HEATING AND COOLING SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE

Abstract

A heating and cooling system (4A, 4B, 4C, 4D) for a vehicle (1), comprising a heating and cooling module (6) comprising a refrigerant circuit (7), and a refrigerant-air heat exchanger (22) fluidly connected to the refrigerant circuit (7) for tempering a vehicle interior (3) of the vehicle (1), the refrigerant-air heat exchanger (22) being provided outside the heating and cooling module (6).

Claims

1. A heating and cooling system for a vehicle, comprising: a heating and cooling module comprising a refrigerant circuit; and a refrigerant-air heat exchanger fluidly connected to the refrigerant circuit for tempering a vehicle interior of the vehicle, the refrigerant-air heat exchanger being provided outside the heating and cooling module.

2. The heating and cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that the heating and cooling module comprises a reversing valve which can be switched from a first switching position, in which the heating and cooling module operates as a heat pump, into a second switching position, in which the heating and cooling module operates as a refrigeration apparatus, and vice versa.

3. The heating and cooling system according to claim 2, characterized in that the refrigerant-air heat exchanger functions as a condenser for heating the vehicle interior in the first switching position and as an evaporator for cooling the vehicle interior in the second switching position.

4. The heating and cooling system according to claim 2, characterized by a first coolant circuit which is in heat transfer with the refrigerant circuit by means of a first refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger, the first refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger acting as a condenser in the first switching position and as an evaporator in the second switching position.

5. The heating and cooling system according to claim 4, characterized by a first coolant-air heat exchanger for tempering the vehicle interior, the first coolant-air heat exchanger being in fluid communication with the first coolant circuit.

6. The heating and cooling system according to claim 5, characterized in that the refrigerant-air heat exchanger is connected upstream of the first refrigerant-air heat exchanger.

7. The heating and cooling system according to claim 2, characterized by a second coolant circuit which is in heat transfer with the refrigerant circuit by means of a second refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger, the second refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger acting as an evaporator in the first switching position and as a condenser in the second switching position.

8. The heating and cooling system according to claim 7, characterized by a second coolant-air heat exchanger for tempering the vehicle interior, the second coolant-air heat exchanger being in fluid communication with the second coolant circuit.

9. The heating and cooling system according to claim 8, characterized in that the refrigerant-air heat exchanger is connected upstream of the second coolant-air heat exchanger.

10. The heating and cooling system according to claim 7, characterized in that the second coolant circuit comprises a coolant-air heat exchanger for delivering and receiving heat to and from an environment of the heating and cooling system.

11. The heating and cooling system according to claim 1, characterized by lines leading away from the heating and cooling module, the refrigerant-air heat exchanger being in fluid communication with the refrigerant circuit by means of the lines.

12. The heating and cooling system according to claim 1, characterized in that the heating and cooling module is block shaped.

13. Vehicle, in particular electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle, comprising a heating and cooling system according to claim 1, the refrigerant-air heat exchanger being provided in or on the vehicle interior.

14. The vehicle according to claim 13, characterized in that the heating and cooling module is provided in or on an engine compartment of the vehicle.

15. The vehicle according to claim 13, characterized by an accumulator and/or drive components, the heating and cooling system being configured to temper the accumulator and/or the drive components.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0048] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of a vehicle;

[0049] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of a heating and cooling system for the vehicle according to FIG. 1;

[0050] FIG. 3 shows another schematic view of the heating and cooling system according to FIG. 2;

[0051] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a further embodiment of a heating and cooling system for the vehicle according to FIG. 1;

[0052] FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of a further embodiment of a heating and cooling system for the vehicle according to FIG. 1; and

[0053] FIG. 6 shows a schematic view of a further embodiment of a heating and cooling system for the vehicle according to FIG. 1.

[0054] In the figures, identical or functionally identical elements have been provided with the same reference signs, unless otherwise indicated.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0055] FIG. 1 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of a vehicle 1. The vehicle 1 is a motor vehicle, in particular an electric vehicle or hybrid vehicle. However, the vehicle 1 may also be a commercial vehicle, for example a truck. Furthermore, the vehicle 1 may also be an aircraft, a watercraft or a rail vehicle. In the following, however, it will be assumed that the vehicle 1 is a motor vehicle.

[0056] The vehicle 1 includes a body 2 enclosing a passenger compartment or vehicle interior 3 of the vehicle 1. The vehicle interior 3 may contain a driver and passengers. The vehicle 1 further comprises a heating and cooling system 4A for tempering the vehicle interior 3 and vehicle components, such as an engine, in particular an electric motor, or an accumulator.

[0057] In this context, tempering is understood to mean heating and/or cooling. The heating and cooling system 4A may also be referred to as a thermal management system. That is, the terms heating and cooling system and thermal management system may be interchanged as desired. The heating and cooling system 4A is at least partially housed in an engine compartment 5 of the vehicle 1.

[0058] FIG. 2 shows a schematic view of an embodiment of a heating and cooling system 4A as previously mentioned. The heating and cooling system 4A comprises a compact heating and cooling module 6 housed, for example, in the engine compartment 5 of the vehicle 1. The heating and cooling module 6 comprises a refrigerant circuit 7 in which a refrigerant K circulates. The refrigerant K may be 1,1,1,2-Tetrafluoroethane (R-134a).

[0059] A refrigerant transports enthalpy from a refrigerated product to the environment. The difference to a coolant is that a refrigerant can transport enthalpy along a temperature gradient in a refrigerant circuit, so that the ambient temperature may even be higher than the temperature of the object to be cooled with the expenditure of supplied energy, whereas a coolant is only capable of transporting enthalpy in a coolant circuit against the temperature gradient to a point of lower temperature.

[0060] The refrigerant circuit 7 comprises a compressor 8 driven by a motor 9. Downstream of the compressor 8, a reversing valve 10 is provided. In FIG. 2, the reversing valve 10 is in a first switching position Z1. By means of the reversing valve 10, a flow direction of the refrigerant K in the refrigerant circuit 7 can be reversed. The compressor 8 is in fluid communication with the reversing valve 10 via a line 11. A line 12 leads away from the reversing valve 10 to a first refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger 13.

[0061] Via the first refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger 13, a first coolant circuit 14 is in heat exchange with the refrigerant circuit 7. A coolant K1, for example water, circulates in the first coolant circuit 14. The first coolant circuit 14 comprises a pump 15, for example the first coolant circuit 14 is adapted to remove heat from a battery or accumulator 16 of the vehicle 1.

[0062] Downstream of the first refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger 13, an expansion device 17 is provided which comprises a throttle 18 and a check valve 19 connected upstream of the throttle 18, and a further check valve 20 connected in parallel with the throttle 18 and the check valve 19.

[0063] Downstream of the expansion device 17, a line 21 leads to a refrigerant-air heat exchanger 22. The refrigerant-air heat exchanger 22 is an indoor heat exchanger. Upstream of the refrigerant-air heat exchanger 22 is an expansion device 23, which comprises a throttle 24 and a check valve 25 connected upstream of the throttle 24, and a check valve 26 connected in parallel with the throttle 24 and the check valve 25.

[0064] The refrigerant-air heat exchanger 22 is provided outside the heating and cooling module 6. In particular, the refrigerant-air heat exchanger 22 is located outside the engine compartment 5. The refrigerant-air heat exchanger 22 may be located in the vehicle interior 3. From the refrigerant-air heat exchanger 22, a line 27 leads back to the line 12 and opens into the line 12 between the reversing valve 10 and the first refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger 13.

[0065] A line 28 branches off from the line 21 and leads to a refrigerant-refrigerant heat exchanger 29. The line 28 leads through the refrigerant-refrigerant heat exchanger 29 or is part of the refrigerant-refrigerant heat exchanger 29.

[0066] Downstream of the refrigerant-refrigerant heat exchanger 29 is an expansion device 30, which comprises a check valve 31 and a throttle 32 connected in series with the check valve 31. Further, the expansion device 30 comprises another check valve 33 and a throttle 34 connected in series with the check valve 33. The check valve 33 and the throttle 34 are connected in parallel with the check valve 31 and the throttle 32. Further, the expansion device 30 comprises a check valve 35 connected in parallel with the check valves 31, 33.

[0067] A line 36 leads from the expansion device 30 to the reversing valve 10, and a second refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger 37 is provided on the line 36. The second refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger 37 allows heat transfer between the refrigerant circuit 7 and a second coolant circuit 38. A coolant K2 circulates in the second coolant circuit 38. The coolant K2 may be water.

[0068] The second coolant circuit 38 includes a pump 39 and a coolant-air heat exchanger 40. The second coolant circuit 38 may be used to remove heat from drive components 41, 42 of the vehicle 1. The drive components 41, 42 may comprise, for example, a drive motor, a drive train and/or electronic components.

[0069] An optional bypass line 43 leads from the throttle 32 to the line 36. The bypass line 43 can be used to bypass the second refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger 37. The bypass line 43 opens into the line 36 between the second refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger 37 and the reversing valve 10.

[0070] A line 44 leads from the reversing valve 10 to a collector 45. A line 46 leads from the collector 45 back to the reversing valve 10. The line 46 leads through the refrigerant-refrigerant heat exchanger 29 or is part of the refrigerant-refrigerant heat exchanger 29.

[0071] Optionally, the heating and cooling system 4A may comprise a coolant-air heat exchanger 47 which is in fluid communication with the second coolant circuit 38 by means of lines 48, 49. The coolant-air heat exchanger 47 is an indoor heat exchanger. The coolant-air heat exchanger 47 is preferably arranged within the vehicle interior 3.

[0072] FIG. 2 shows the heating and cooling system 4A in a heating mode, in which the refrigerant-air heat exchanger 22 acts as a condenser to heat the vehicle interior 3. As previously mentioned, the reversing valve 10 is in its first switching position Z1. The refrigerant circuit 7 is operated as a heat pump. For this purpose, the refrigerant K is delivered from the compressor 8 via the reversing valve 10 and the line 12 to the first refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger 13. The first refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger 13 acts as a condenser. In the first refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger 13, the refrigerant K can transfer heat to the first coolant circuit 14.

[0073] The cooled refrigerant K is then supplied to the refrigerant-refrigerant heat exchanger 29 via the check valve 20 of the expansion device 17, the line 21 and via the line 28 branching off from the line 21, through which the refrigerant K can transfer heat to a countercurrent flow of the refrigerant K. Subsequently, the refrigerant K is conveyed to the throttle 34 of the expansion device 30, which causes a pressure reduction of the refrigerant K. Downstream of the throttle 34, the refrigerant K passes to the second refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger 37 which acts as an evaporator. In the second refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger 37, the refrigerant K can absorb heat from the second coolant circuit 38.

[0074] The refrigerant K then passes through the line 36 and the reversing valve 10 into the collector 45, in which the refrigerant K may be stored. From the collector 45, the temporarily stored refrigerant K can be supplied to the compressor 8 via the refrigerant-refrigerant heat exchanger 29 arranged downstream of the collector 45. In the refrigerant-refrigerant heat exchanger 29, the refrigerant K can absorb heat from the countercurrent flow of the refrigerant K. Through the compressor 8, the refrigerant K is again supplied to the line 12.

[0075] Upstream of the first refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger 13, the line 27 branches off from the line 12 to supply refrigerant K to the refrigerant-air heat exchanger 22. The refrigerant-air heat exchanger 22 thereby acts as a condenser and can thus dissipate heat from the refrigerant K to an air flow L flowing into the vehicle interior 3. The refrigerant K is returned to the line 21 via the check valve 26 of the expansion device 23.

[0076] By means of the optional coolant-air heat exchanger 47, heat from the second coolant circuit 38 can be transferred to the air flow L in the vehicle interior 3. The coolant-air heat exchanger 47 is arranged downstream of the refrigerant-air heat exchanger 22 in a flow direction of the air flow L.

[0077] The bypass line 43 may be used to bypass the second refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger 37. A switch valve may be provided for this purpose. Consequently, the refrigerant K does not flow through the second refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger 37, so that the second coolant circuit 38 can be rendered inoperative. Alternatively, the second coolant circuit 38 may be operated separately.

[0078] FIG. 3 shows the heating and cooling system 4A in a cooling mode, in which the refrigerant-air heat exchanger 22 acts as an evaporator to cool the vehicle interior 3. For this purpose, the reversing valve 10 is moved to a second switching position Z2 different from the first switching position Z1. In the cooling mode, the heating and cooling system 4A is operated as a refrigeration apparatus. For this purpose, the refrigerant K is supplied from the compressor 8 via the reversing valve 10 and the line 36 to the second refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger 37, which acts as a condenser in the cooling mode. The refrigerant K thereby gives off heat to the second coolant circuit 38. For example, the heat may be transferred to an environment U of the heating and cooling system 4A via the coolant-air heat exchanger 40.

[0079] The refrigerant K cooled by means of the second refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger 37 is supplied to the refrigerant-refrigerant heat exchanger 29 through the line 36, the check valve 35 of the expansion device 30, and the line 28, by means of which the refrigerant K can give further heat to a counterflow of the refrigerant K. Subsequently, the refrigerant K is supplied to the first refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger 13 via the check valve 19 and the throttle 18, which causes a pressure reduction of the refrigerant K, of the expansion device 17. The first refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger 13 acts as an evaporator, so that the refrigerant K in the first refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger 13 can absorb heat from the first coolant circuit 14.

[0080] The refrigerant K returns to the reversing valve 10 via the line 12, and from there to the collector 45. The refrigerant K delivered from the collector 45 can absorb heat from the countercurrent flow of refrigerant K via the refrigerant-refrigerant heat exchanger 29 before the refrigerant K is returned to the compressor 8.

[0081] The refrigerant-air heat exchanger 22 is supplied with refrigerant K via the line 21, as well as via the check valve 25 and the throttle 24 of the expansion device 23. The refrigerant-air heat exchanger 22 acts as an evaporator, so that it can absorb heat from the air flow L for cooling the vehicle interior 3. The refrigerant K heated in the refrigerant-air heat exchanger 22 is returned to the line 12 via the line 27.

[0082] The coolant-air heat exchanger 47 may act as a condenser, so that the air flow L cooled by the refrigerant-air heat exchanger 22 is reheated. This has the effect of dehumidifying the air flow L. This effect can be used, for example, for window clarification.

[0083] FIG. 4 shows a schematic view of a further embodiment of a heating and cooling system 4B. The heating and cooling system 4B is substantially the same as the heating and cooling system 4A, except that a further coolant-air heat exchanger 50 is provided which is in fluid communication with the first coolant circuit 14. Lines 51, 52 are provided for this purpose.

[0084] The coolant-air heat exchanger 50 is also referred to as the first coolant-air heat exchanger, as this is associated with the first coolant circuit 14. The coolant-air heat exchanger 47 is also referred to as the second coolant-air heat exchanger, as this is associated with the second coolant circuit 38.

[0085] The first coolant-air heat exchanger 50 may also be used for tempering the vehicle interior 3. The first coolant-air heat exchanger 50 is located downstream of the refrigerant-air heat exchanger 22 in the air flow L. The functionality of the heating and cooling system 4B is the same as that of the heating and cooling system 4A.

[0086] FIG. 5 shows a schematic view of a further embodiment of a heating and cooling system 4C. The heating and cooling system 4C is substantially the same as the heating and cooling system 4B except that the first coolant-air heat exchanger 50 is in fluid communication with the second coolant circuit 38 via lines 48, 49 and with the first coolant circuit 14 via lines 51, 52. The second coolant-air heat exchanger 47 is omitted in this case.

[0087] Associated with the first coolant-air heat exchanger 50 are valves 53, 54 by means of which the first coolant-air heat exchanger 50 can be brought into fluid communication with either the first coolant circuit 14 or the second coolant circuit 38. The first coolant-air heat exchanger 50 can thus be used to either heat or cool the vehicle interior 3. The functionality of the heating and cooling system 4C is otherwise the same as that of the heating and cooling system 4B.

[0088] FIG. 6 shows a schematic view of a further embodiment of a heating and cooling system 4D. The heating and cooling system 4D is substantially the same as the heating and cooling system 4A except that the heating and cooling system 4D does not include a coolant-air heat exchanger 47, 50. The functionality of the heating and cooling system 4D is otherwise the same as that of the heating and cooling system 4A.

[0089] Although the present invention has been described with reference to examples of embodiments, it can be modified in a variety of ways.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0090] 1 Vehicle [0091] 2 Body [0092] 3 Vehicle interior [0093] 4A Heating and cooling system [0094] 4B Heating and cooling system [0095] 4C Heating and cooling system [0096] 4D Heating and cooling system [0097] 5 Engine compartment [0098] 6 Heating and cooling module [0099] 7 Refrigerant circuit [0100] 8 Compressor [0101] 9 Motor [0102] 10 Reversing valve [0103] 11 Line [0104] 12 Line [0105] 13 Refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger [0106] 14 Coolant circuit [0107] 15 Pump [0108] 16 Accumulator [0109] 17 Expansion device [0110] 18 Throttle [0111] 19 Check valve [0112] 20 Check valve [0113] 21 Line [0114] 22 Refrigerant-air heat exchanger [0115] 23 Expansion device [0116] 24 Throttle [0117] 25 Check valve [0118] 26 Check valve [0119] 27 Line [0120] 28 Line [0121] 29 Refrigerant-refrigerant heat Exchanger [0122] 30 Expansion device [0123] 31 Check valve [0124] 32 Throttle [0125] 33 Check valve [0126] 34 Throttle [0127] 35 Check valve [0128] 36 Line [0129] 37 Refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger [0130] 38 Coolant circuit [0131] 39 Pump [0132] 40 Coolant-air heat exchanger [0133] 41 Drive component [0134] 42 Drive component [0135] 43 Bypass line [0136] 44 Line [0137] 45 Collector [0138] 46 Line [0139] 47 Coolant-air heat exchanger [0140] 48 Line [0141] 49 Line [0142] 50 Coolant-air heat exchanger [0143] 51 Line [0144] 52 Line [0145] 53 Valve [0146] 54 Valve [0147] K Refrigerant [0148] K1 Coolant [0149] K2 Coolant [0150] L Air flow [0151] U Environment [0152] Z1 Switching position [0153] Z2 Switching position