Viscous heater for heat pump system

Abstract

An air-conditioning system for a vehicle includes a heat pump system to heat the vehicle. A viscous heater is disposed within the heat pump system to supplement the heat pump system during a heat mode of the air-conditioning system.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . An air-conditioning system for a vehicle comprising:
 a heat pump system conditioning air for a passenger cabin of a vehicle; and   a viscous heater disposed within the heat pump system, wherein the viscous heater receives and heats refrigerant flowing in the heat pump system.   
     
     
         2 . The air-conditioning system of  claim 1 , wherein a plurality of the viscous heaters are disposed within the heat pump system. 
     
     
         3 . The air-conditioning system of  claim 1 , wherein the viscous heater includes an electric motor. 
     
     
         4 . The air-conditioning system of  claim 1  further comprising:
 a coolant loop coupled to the heat pump system for conditioning the air for the passenger cabin of the vehicle. 
 
     
     
         5 . The air-conditioning system of  claim 4  further comprising:
 another viscous heater disposed along the coolant loop for heating coolant flowing in the coolant loop. 
 
     
     
         6 . An air-conditioning system for a vehicle comprising:
 a heat pump system including a compressor compressing refrigerant flowing therein, an internal condenser communicating with the compressor for receiving the refrigerant and exchanging heat between the refrigerant flowing therein and air blowing through the internal condenser, an external heat exchanger communicating with the internal condenser for receiving the refrigerant and exchanging heat between the refrigerant flowing therein and air blowing through the external heat exchanger, and an accumulator communicating with the external heat exchanger for receiving the refrigerant and communicating with the compressor for providing the refrigerant; and   a viscous heater disposed within the heat pump system, the viscous heater receiving and heating the refrigerant flowing in the heat pump system.   
     
     
         7 . The air-conditioning system of  claim 6  wherein the heat pump system further comprises an electric motor that powers the compressor and the viscous heater. 
     
     
         8 . The air-conditioning system of  claim 6 , wherein a plurality of the viscous heaters are disposed within the heat pump system. 
     
     
         9 . The air conditioning system of  claim 6  wherein the heat pump system further comprises:
 a fan that blows air through the external heat exchanger; and 
 an electric motor that powers the fan and the viscous heater. 
 
     
     
         10 . The air-conditioning system of  claim 6 , wherein the heat pump system further includes:
 a gas-liquid separator that communicates with the internal condenser to receive the refrigerant, the gas liquid separator separates the refrigerant into vapor and liquid forms, and the gas-liquid separator further communicates with the compressor and the external heat exchanger to substantially provide the vapor form of the refrigerant to the compressor and the liquid form of the refrigerant to the external heat exchanger.   
     
     
         11 . The air-conditioning system of  claim 10 , wherein the viscous heater is disposed between the compressor and the gas-liquid separator, the viscous heater communicates with the gas-liquid separator to receive the vapor form of the refrigerant and communicates with the compressor to provide the vapor form of the refrigerant after heating the refrigerant received from the gas-liquid separator. 
     
     
         12 . The air-conditioning system of  claim 6 , wherein the viscous heater includes an electric motor. 
     
     
         13 . An air-conditioning system for heating and cooling a vehicle comprising:
 a heat pump system including a compressor compressing refrigerant flowing therein, a water-to-refrigerant heat exchanger communicating with the compressor for receiving the refrigerant and exchanging heat between the refrigerant and coolant, an external heat exchanger communicating with the water-to-refrigerant heat exchanger for receiving the refrigerant and exchanging heat between the refrigerant flowing therein and air blowing through the external heat exchanger, and an accumulator communicating with the external heat exchanger for receiving the refrigerant and communicating with the compressor for providing the refrigerant;   a coolant loop communicating with the water-to-refrigerant heat exchanger of the heat pump system for providing the coolant; and   a viscous heater providing supplemental heat.   
     
     
         14 . The air-conditioning system of  claim 13 , wherein the viscous heater is disposed within the heat pump system to heat the refrigerant flowing in the heat pump system. 
     
     
         15 . The air-conditioning system of  claim 13  wherein the viscous heater is disposed within the coolant loop to heat the coolant flowing in the coolant loop. 
     
     
         16 . The air-conditioning system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 at least one other viscous heater disposed within the heat pump system for receiving and heating the refrigerant flowing in the heat pump system.   
     
     
         17 . The air-conditioning system of  claim 13 , wherein the viscous heater further comprises an electric motor. 
     
     
         18 . The air-conditioning system of  claim 13 , wherein
 the coolant loop includes a heater core that exchanges heat between the coolant flowing therein and air blowing through the heater core, and a pump that communicates with the heater core for pushing the coolant through the coolant loop, and   the viscous heater is disposed between the pump of the coolant loop and the water-to-refrigerant heat exchanger of the heat pump system, the viscous heater communicates with the pump to receive the coolant and communicates with the water-to-refrigerant heat exchanger to provide the coolant after heating the coolant received from the pump.