CN-122003332-A - Temperature control device and method, in particular for a motor vehicle

CN122003332ACN 122003332 ACN122003332 ACN 122003332ACN-122003332-A

Abstract

A temperature regulating device comprising a refrigerant circuit (1) configured to perform a thermodynamic cycle, the circuit (1) comprising a first branch (36) and a second branch (38), both extending from a single first tapping point (40) of the circuit, the first branch (36) comprising a first heat exchanger (12) for exchanging heat with a first heat transfer fluid, the second branch (38) comprising a second heat exchanger (14) for exchanging heat with a second heat transfer fluid, the circuit being configured to supply a high pressure refrigerant fluid in parallel from the first tapping point (40) to the first and second heat exchangers in at least one heat pump mode for heating the first and/or second heat transfer fluid.

Inventors

M. Ahia
B. Nicholas
R. Muer
S. Carl

Assignees

法雷奥电气化公司

Dates

Publication Date: 20260508
Application Date: 20241009
Priority Date: 20231010

Claims (10)

1. A thermostat comprising a refrigerant circuit (1) configured to perform a thermodynamic cycle, the circuit (1) comprising a first branch (36) and a second branch (38), both extending from a single first tapping point (40) of the circuit, the first branch (36) comprising a first heat exchanger (12) for exchanging heat with a first heat transfer fluid, the second branch (38) comprising a second heat exchanger (14) for exchanging heat with a second heat transfer fluid, the circuit being configured to supply high pressure refrigerant in parallel from the first tapping point (40) to the first and second heat exchangers in at least one heat pump mode for heating the first and/or second heat transfer fluid.
2. The apparatus according to the preceding claim, wherein the circuit comprises a control element (30), the control element (30) controlling the circulation of a portion of the refrigerant supplied to the first heat exchanger (12) so as to have a different pressure level between the refrigerant entering the first heat exchanger (12) and the refrigerant entering the second heat exchanger (14) in at least some of the one or more heat pump modes.
3. The device according to the preceding claim, wherein the control element (30) is located on the first branch (36) so as to be located between the tapping point (40) and the first heat exchanger (12) in the direction of circulation of fluid in the first branch (36) in the one or more heat pump modes.
4. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, configured to circulate refrigerant in the first heat exchanger (12) in a first direction in the one or more heat pump modes and in an opposite direction in at least one refrigeration mode for cooling the first heat transfer fluid.
5. The apparatus according to the preceding claim, wherein the first branch (36) comprises a first expansion element (4) for expanding the refrigerant, the first expansion element (4) being located on the first branch (36) so as to be positioned upstream of the first heat exchanger (12) in the direction of circulation of fluid in the first branch (36) in the one or more refrigeration modes.
6. The apparatus according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the refrigerant circuit (1) comprises a third heat exchanger (16), the third heat exchanger (16) being configured to exchange heat with another heat transfer fluid, the apparatus being configured to circulate the high pressure refrigerant alternately either through the first and/or second heat exchangers (12, 14) in the one or more heat pump modes or through the third heat exchanger (16) in the one or more refrigeration modes.
7. A temperature regulation method employing a refrigerant circuit (1) to perform a thermodynamic cycle, the circuit (1) comprising a first branch (36) and a second branch (38), both extending from a single first tapping point (40) of the circuit, the first branch (36) comprising a first heat exchanger (12) for exchanging heat with a first heat transfer fluid, the second branch (38) comprising a second heat exchanger (14) for exchanging heat with a second heat transfer fluid, the method comprising the step of supplying a high pressure refrigerant in parallel from the first tapping point (40) to the first and second heat exchangers (12, 14) in at least one heat pump mode for heating the first and second heat transfer fluids.
8. The method according to the preceding claim, further comprising a control step of controlling the circulation of a portion of the refrigerant supplied to the first heat exchanger (12) so as to have a different pressure level between the refrigerant entering the first heat exchanger (12) and the refrigerant entering the second heat exchanger (14) in the one or more heat pump modes.
9. A method according to any one of claims 7 or 8, wherein the circulation of refrigerant in the first heat exchanger (12) is in a first direction in the one or more heat pump modes and in an opposite direction in at least one cooling mode for cooling the first heat transfer fluid.
10. The method according to any one of claims 7 or 8, wherein, in case the refrigerant circuit (1) comprises a third heat exchanger (16) configured to exchange heat with another heat transfer fluid, the high pressure refrigerant is circulated alternately either through the first and/or second heat exchanger (12, 14) in the one or more heat pump modes or through the third heat exchanger (16) in the one or more refrigeration modes.

Description

Temperature control device and method, in particular for a motor vehicle Technical Field The present invention relates to a temperature control device and a method, in particular for a motor vehicle. Background In this field, it has long been known to use a refrigerant circuit for air conditioning of a vehicle interior. In recent years, with the development of hybrid or electric drive devices, it has also been proposed to extend the range of use of such circuits to the temperature regulation of electrical energy storage devices (for example batteries powering the electric motors of the vehicle). The circuit needs to be able to operate in different modes, such as a cooling mode, which enables climate control and/or battery cooling of the vehicle interior, and a heat pump mode, which enables heating thereof. The circuits known at present a certain complexity, in particular when operating in heat pump mode. Some of which include electric heaters. Others include heat exchangers through which the refrigerant must pass before passing through the heat exchanger that implements battery heating to temperature condition other components, which may reduce the efficiency of the circuit. Disclosure of Invention The present invention aims to alleviate all or part of the above drawbacks and to this end proposes a temperature regulating device comprising a refrigerant circuit configured to perform a thermodynamic cycle, said circuit comprising a first branch and a second branch, both extending from a single first tapping point of said circuit, said first branch comprising a first heat exchanger for exchanging heat with a first heat transfer fluid, said second branch comprising a second heat exchanger for exchanging heat with a second heat transfer fluid, said circuit being configured to supply, in at least one heat pump mode, a high pressure refrigerant in parallel from said first tapping point to said first and second heat exchangers to heat said first and/or second heat transfer fluid. By "parallel" is meant that during the same cycle, the portion of the fluid passing through one heat exchanger does not pass through the other heat exchanger. Thanks to the configuration of two different parallel branches (i.e. said first and second branches), the circuit is able to share the thermal energy of the refrigerant in the high-pressure part of the circuit by supplying the first and second heat exchangers, respectively, without passing the other one. Preferably, the circuit includes a control element that controls the circulation of a portion of the refrigerant supplied to the first heat exchanger so that there is a different pressure level between the refrigerant entering the first heat exchanger and the refrigerant entering the second heat exchanger in at least some of the one or more heat pump modes. In this way, thanks to the control element, it is possible to adjust the fluid flow in each branch, and therefore the pressure at the inlet of each heat exchanger, according to the heating needs. According to various additional features of the invention, these features may be employed in combination or alone and constitute various embodiments of the invention: the device comprises a temperature regulation circuit configured for the first fluid cycle to be temperature regulated, Said temperature regulation circuit comprising said first heat exchanger, The temperature regulation loop further comprises an electrical energy storage system for exchanging heat with a first fluid to be temperature regulated, Said second heat transfer fluid is a gas stream, The control element is a valve which, Said control element being located on said first branch so as to be located between said tapping point and said first heat exchanger in the direction of refrigerant circulation in said first branch in said one or more heat pump modes, Said device being configured to circulate refrigerant in said first heat exchanger in a first direction in said one or more heat pump modes and in an opposite direction in at least one refrigeration mode for cooling said first heat transfer fluid, Said first branch comprising a first expansion element for expanding said refrigerant, said first expansion element being located on said first branch so as to be positioned upstream of said first heat exchanger in the direction of circulation of the refrigerant in said first branch in said one or more refrigeration modes, The refrigerant circuit comprises a third heat exchanger configured to exchange heat with another heat transfer fluid, the arrangement being configured to circulate high pressure refrigerant alternately either through the first and/or second heat exchanger in the one or more heat pump modes or through the third heat exchanger in the one or more refrigeration modes, Said first branch and said second branch comprising a junction point, The circuit comprising a fourth heat exchanger comprising a high pressure channel and a low pressure channel for the refrige