Coolant circuit, in particular a heat pump circuit

Abstract

A heat pump circuit has the following components when seen in the flow direction: a compressor; a condenser or gas cooler; a first coolant/air heat exchanger as a sub-cooler, via which the coolant dispenses heat; a first expansion element; a first coolant/air heat exchanger, via which the coolant absorbs heat from the ambient air; a second expansion element; and a third coolant/air heat exchanger, via which the coolant absorbs heat from the ambient air. The arrangement of the heat exchanger is in front of the drive engine relative to the travel direction. The danger of the ambient heat exchanger freezing is minimized. With this arrangement.

Claims

1. A refrigerant circuit, comprising: a compressor; a condenser or gas cooler; a first heat exchanger via which refrigerant discharges heat; a first expansion member; a second heat exchanger via which the refrigerant absorbs heat from ambient air; a second expansion member; and a third heat exchanger via which the refrigerant absorbs heat from the ambient air, wherein the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit flows in the following order forming a single cooling loop for the refrigerant: the compressor, the condenser or gas cooler, the first heat exchanger, the first expansion member, the second heat exchanger, the second expansion member, and the third heat exchanger, the first heat exchanger is arranged such that heated air which is discharged by the first heat exchanger flows against, through or around the third heat exchanger, the refrigerant circuit is arranged in a vehicle, and when viewed from a front of the vehicle towards a back of the vehicle, the second heat exchanger is arranged in front of the first heat exchanger which is arranged in front of the third heat exchanger, such that the second, first, and third heat exchangers are arranged in a row one behind another.

2. The refrigerant circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the refrigerant circuit is arranged in a vehicle, wherein, when viewed from a front of the vehicle towards a back of the vehicle, the first heat exchanger is arranged in front of the third heat exchanger.

3. The refrigerant circuit as claimed in claim 2, wherein the second heat exchanger is arranged in front of the first heat exchanger when viewed from the front of the vehicle towards the back of the vehicle.

4. The refrigerant circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the refrigerant circuit is arranged in a vehicle, and the first heat exchanger, the second heat exchanger and the third heat exchanger are arranged, when viewed from a front of the vehicle towards a back of the vehicle, in front of a drive motor of the vehicle.

5. The refrigerant circuit as claimed in claim 4, wherein the drive motor is an internal combustion engine.

6. The refrigerant circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and/or second expansion member is a mechanical thermostatic expansion member that is operable without being electrically controlled.

7. The refrigerant circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the first and/or the second expansion member is an expansion member that is electrically controlled.

8. The refrigerant circuit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: an accumulator arranged between the third heat exchanger and the compressor.

9. The refrigerant circuit as claimed in claim 8, further comprising: a second accumulator, in addition to the accumulator, arranged downstream of the first heat exchanger.

10. The refrigerant circuit as claimed in claim 1, further comprising: an accumulator arranged downstream of the first heat exchanger.

11. The refrigerant circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the condenser or gas cooler is a heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between refrigerant and air.

12. The refrigerant circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the condenser or gas cooler is a heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between refrigerant and coolant.

13. The refrigerant circuit as claimed in claim 1, wherein the refrigerant circuit is a heat pump circuit.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(1) The single FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of a refrigerant circuit according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

(2) FIG. 1 shows a refrigerant circuit 1 which, when viewed in the flow direction of the refrigerant (indicated by arrows 2a, 2b), has a refrigerant compressor 3 and a condenser or gas cooler 4. The condenser or gas cooler 4 may be a refrigerant/air heat exchanger, that is to say, a heat exchanger via which the compressed and heated refrigerant discharges heat to air for heating (for example, the passenger compartment).

(3) Alternatively, the condenser or gas cooler 4 may also be a refrigerant/fluid heat exchanger via which the compressed and heated refrigerant discharges heat to a fluid circuit of a vehicle.

(4) The compressed refrigerant heated in the condenser or gas cooler 4 flows through a first refrigerant/air heat exchanger 5 which acts as a sub-cooler. In the first refrigerant/air heat exchanger 5, the refrigerant discharges heat to the air flowing through or around the first refrigerant/air heat exchanger 5. The refrigerant is thereby further cooled. The pressure of the refrigerant originating from the first refrigerant/air heat exchanger 5 is then reduced in a first expansion member 6 to a saturation vapor pressure which substantially corresponds to the dew point temperature of the air or which substantially corresponds to a temperature of 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10K above the dew point temperature of the air.

(5) After the pressure reduction in the first expansion member 6, in a second refrigerant/air heat exchanger 7 there is carried out a heat absorption from the ambient air or the travel wind 8 (non-critical heat absorption).

(6) After flowing through the second refrigerant/air heat exchanger 7, which acts as a first evaporator, the refrigerant further has its pressure reduced by way of a second expansion member 9 and subsequently flows through a third refrigerant/air heat exchanger 10 in which the refrigerant absorbs heat from the ambient air or the travel wind. From the third refrigerant/air heat exchanger 10, the refrigerant flows via a collector (low-pressure collector) 11 back to the intake side of the refrigerant compressor 3.

(7) Alternatively or additionally to the collector 11, a (high-pressure) collector 22 may be arranged downstream of the first refrigerant/air heat exchanger 5.

(8) As already mentioned, the refrigerant circuit 1 shown in FIG. 1 may be installed in a vehicle. The arrangement 12 formed by the first, second and third refrigerant/air heat exchanger may be arranged in front of a drive motor 21 (for example, an internal combustion engine) of the vehicle.

(9) As can be seen in FIG. 1, when viewed in the travel direction 13 of the vehicle, the first refrigerant/air heat exchanger (sub-cooler) 5 is arranged in front of the third refrigerant/air heat exchanger 10. It is thereby possible for air discharged by the first refrigerant/air heat exchanger (sub-cooler) 5 to flow against or through the third refrigerant/air heat exchanger 10. The air discharged by the first refrigerant/air heat exchanger (sub-cooler) 5 is relatively warm and thus prevents freezing of the third refrigerant/air heat exchanger 10.

(10) As can be seen in FIG. 1, the second refrigerant/air heat exchanger 7 when viewed in the travel direction 13 of the vehicle may be arranged in from of the first refrigerant/air heat exchanger 5. The second refrigerant/air heat exchanger 7 draws a given quantity of heat from the air or travel wind which passes through it. The cooled air originating from the second refrigerant/air heat exchanger 7 subsequently flows through the first refrigerant/air heat exchanger 5. Since this air is cooled, it can effectively absorb heat from the first refrigerant/air heat exchanger (sub-cooler) 5.

(11) The foregoing disclosure has been set forth merely to illustrate the invention and is not intended to be limiting. Since modifications of the disclosed embodiments incorporating the spirit and substance of the invention may occur to persons skilled in the art, the invention should be construed to include everything within the scope of the appended claims and equivalents thereof.