Heat pump system for vehicle

Abstract

A heat pump system including a compressor mounted on a refrigerant circulation line for compressing and discharging refrigerant. An internal heat exchanger is mounted inside an air-conditioning case. An evaporator is mounted inside the air-conditioning case. An external heat exchanger is mounted outside the air-conditioning case. Refrigerant discharged from the internal heat exchanger is selectively expanded between the internal heat exchanger and the external heat exchanger. Refrigerant is also expanded along the refrigerant circulation line at an inlet side of the evaporator. A coolant circulation line is configured to circulate coolant toward electronic units of the vehicle. A refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger is configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant flowing the refrigerant circulation line and the coolant circulating through the coolant circulation line.

1 . A heat pump system for a vehicle which comprises:
 a compressor ( 100 ) mounted on a refrigerant circulation circuit for compressing and discharging refrigerant;   an internal heat exchanger ( 110 ) mounted inside an air-conditioning case ( 150 ) for exchanging heat between the air inside the air-conditioning case ( 150 ) and the refrigerant discharged from the compressor ( 100 );   an evaporator ( 160 ) mounted inside the air-conditioning case ( 150 ) for exchanging heat between the air inside the air-conditioning case ( 150 ) and the refrigerant supplied to the compressor ( 100 );   an external heat exchanger ( 130 ) mounted outside the air-conditioning case ( 150 ) for exchanging heat between the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circulation circuit and the outdoor air;   a coolant circulation circuit configured to circulate coolant toward electronic components ( 200 ) of the vehicle to cool the electronic components ( 200 ); and   a refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger ( 220 ) configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant flowing the refrigerant circulation circuit between the internal heat exchanger ( 110 ) and the external heat exchanger ( 130 ) and the coolant circulating through the coolant circulation circuit,   wherein the coolant of the electronic components ( 200 ) of the vehicle is circulated toward the refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger ( 220 ) in an air-conditioning mode, and the coolant of the electronic components ( 200 ) is circulated toward a chiller ( 180 ) in a heat pump mode.   
     
     
         2 . The heat pump system according to  claim 1 , wherein first expansion means ( 120 ) mounted on the refrigerant circulation circuit at the downstream side of the internal heat exchanger ( 110 ) to selectively expand refrigerant discharged from the internal heat exchanger ( 110 ); and second expansion means ( 140 ) mounted on the refrigerant circulation circuit of an inlet side of the evaporator ( 160 ) to expand the refrigerant supplied to the evaporator ( 160 ). 
     
     
         3 . The heat pump system according to  claim 2 , wherein the refrigerant circulation circuit is configured in such a way that the refrigerant circulates through the compressor ( 100 ), the internal heat exchanger ( 110 ), the refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger ( 220 ), the external heat exchanger ( 130 ), the second expansion means ( 140 ), the evaporator ( 160 ) and the compressor ( 100 ), so that the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circulation circuit radiates heat to the coolant and the outdoor air while passing through the refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger ( 220 ) and the external heat exchanger ( 130 ) in an air-conditioning mode. 
     
     
         4 . The heat pump system according to  claim 1 , wherein the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circulation circuit absorbs heat through the refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger ( 220 ) and the external heat exchanger ( 130 ) or the chiller ( 180 ) in the heat pump mode. 
     
     
         5 . The heat pump system according to  claim 4 , wherein the refrigerant circulation circuit is configured in such a way that the refrigerant circulates through the compressor ( 100 ), the internal heat exchanger ( 110 ), the first expansion means ( 120 ), the refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger ( 220 ), the external heat exchanger ( 130 ) and the compressor ( 100 ), so that the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circulation circuit absorbs heat from the coolant and the outdoor air while passing through the refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger ( 220 ) and the external heat exchanger ( 130 ) in the heat pump mode. 
     
     
         6 . The heat pump system according to  claim 4 , wherein the refrigerant circulation circuit is configured in such a way that the refrigerant circulates through the compressor ( 100 ), the internal heat exchanger ( 110 ), the first expansion means ( 120 ), the refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger ( 220 ), the external heat exchanger ( 130 ), the chiller ( 180 ) and the compressor ( 100 ), so that the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circulation circuit absorbs heat from the coolant and the outdoor air while passing through the refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger ( 220 ), the external heat exchanger ( 130 ) and the chiller ( 180 ) in the heat pump mode. 
     
     
         7 . The heat pump system according to  claim 2 , wherein the refrigerant circulation circuit is configured in such a way that the refrigerant circulates through the compressor ( 100 ), the internal heat exchanger ( 110 ), the first expansion means ( 120 ), the chiller ( 180 ) and the compressor ( 100 ), so that the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circulation circuit absorbs heat from the coolant while passing through the chiller ( 180 ) in the heat pump mode. 
     
     
         8 . The heat pump system according to  claim 2 , wherein a first bypass line (R 1 ) is mounted such that the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circulation circuit bypasses the second expansion means ( 140 ) and the evaporator ( 160 ). 
     
     
         9 . The heat pump system according to  claim 1 , wherein a second bypass line (R 2 ) is mounted such that the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circulation circuit bypasses the refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger ( 220 ) and the external heat exchanger ( 130 ). 
     
     
         10 . The heat pump system according to  claim 8 , wherein a chiller ( 180 ) for exchanging heat between the refrigerant flowing along the first bypass line (R 1 ) and the coolant circulating through the coolant circulation circuit is mounted on the first bypass line (R 1 ), such that the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circulation circuit absorbs heat through the refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger ( 220 ) and the external heat exchanger ( 130 ) or the chiller ( 180 ) in the heat pump mode. 
     
     
         11 . The heat pump system according to  claim 1 , wherein the coolant circulation circuit comprises a first coolant circulation circuit which circulates the coolant of the electronic components ( 200 ) toward the refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger ( 220 ) and a second coolant circulation circuit which circulates the coolant of the electronic components ( 200 ) toward the chiller ( 180 ) so as to circulate the coolant to the first coolant circulation circuit in the air-conditioning mode and circulate the coolant to the second circulation line (W 2 ) in the heat pump mode. 
     
     
         12 . The heat pump system according to  claim 11 , wherein an radiator ( 210 ) is mounted on the first coolant circulation circuit to cool the coolant circulating through the first coolant circulation circuit, and
 wherein the refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger ( 220 ) is mounted inside the radiator ( 210 ).   
     
     
         13 . The heat pump system according to  claim 1 , wherein a dehumidification line (R 3 ) which supplies some of the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circulation circuit is mounted on the refrigerant circulation circuit to perform dehumidification inside the vehicle in the heat pump mode, and
 wherein the dehumidification line (R 3 ) supplies some of the refrigerant passing through the first expansion means ( 120 ) toward the evaporator ( 160 ).   
     
     
         14 . The heat pump system according to  claim 12 , wherein the radiator ( 210 ) is mounted on the same line in the flow direction of the air passing through the external heat exchanger ( 130 ). 
     
     
         15 . The heat pump system according to  claim 1 , wherein the chiller ( 180 ) is mounted in the coolant circulation circuit. 
     
     
         16 . The heat pump system according to  claim 9 , wherein the refrigerant circulation circuit is configured in such a way that the refrigerant flows from the internal heat exchanger ( 110 ) to the second bypass line (R 2 ), bypasses the refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger ( 220 ) and the external heat exchanger ( 130 ), and exchanges heat with the coolant through the chiller ( 180 ) in the heat pump mode. 
     
     
         17 . A heat pump system for a vehicle which comprises:
 a compressor ( 100 ) mounted on a refrigerant circulation circuit for compressing and discharging refrigerant;   an internal heat exchanger ( 110 ) mounted inside an air-conditioning case ( 150 ) for exchanging heat between the air inside the air-conditioning case ( 150 ) and the refrigerant discharged from the compressor ( 100 );   an evaporator ( 160 ) mounted inside the air-conditioning case ( 150 ) for exchanging heat between the air inside the air-conditioning case ( 150 ) and the refrigerant supplied to the compressor ( 100 );   an external heat exchanger ( 130 ) mounted outside the air-conditioning case ( 150 ) for exchanging heat between the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circulation circuit and the outdoor air;   first expansion means ( 120 ) mounted on the refrigerant circulation circuit at the downstream side of the internal heat exchanger ( 110 ) to selectively expand refrigerant discharged from the internal heat exchanger ( 110 );   second expansion means ( 140 ) mounted on the refrigerant circulation circuit of an inlet side of the evaporator ( 160 ) to expand the refrigerant supplied to the evaporator ( 160 ),   a coolant circulation circuit configured to circulate coolant toward electronic components ( 200 ) of the vehicle to cool the electronic components ( 200 ); and   a refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger ( 220 ) configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant flowing the refrigerant circulation circuit between the internal heat exchanger ( 110 ) and the external heat exchanger ( 130 ) and the coolant circulating through the coolant circulation circuit,   wherein the refrigerant circulation circuit is configured in such a way that the refrigerant circulates through the compressor ( 100 ), the internal heat exchanger ( 110 ), the refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger ( 220 ), the external heat exchanger ( 130 ), the second expansion means ( 140 ), the evaporator ( 160 ) and the compressor ( 100 ), so that the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circulation circuit radiates heat to the coolant and the outdoor air while passing through the refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger ( 220 ) and the external heat exchanger ( 130 ) in an air-conditioning mode, and   wherein the refrigerant circulation circuit is configured in such a way that the refrigerant circulates through the compressor ( 100 ), the internal heat exchanger ( 110 ), the first expansion means ( 120 ), the chiller ( 180 ) and the compressor ( 100 ), so that the refrigerant circulating through the refrigerant circulation circuit absorbs heat from the coolant while passing through the chiller ( 180 ) in a heat pump mode.