EP-4399470-B1 - HEAT-TREATMENT MODULE WITH EXPANSION MEMBER

EP4399470B1EP 4399470 B1EP4399470 B1EP 4399470B1EP-4399470-B1

Inventors

TISSOT, JULIEN
Azzouz, Kamel
NACER BEY, MOUSSA
GUERRA, Julio

Dates

Publication Date: 20260513
Application Date: 20220905

Claims (5)

Thermal treatment module (1) for a thermal treatment system of a vehicle, comprising a first heat exchanger (2), a second heat exchanger (3) and an internal heat exchanger (4), the first heat exchanger (2) and the second heat exchanger (3) both being configured to operate a heat exchange between a refrigerant fluid and a heat transfer liquid, the internal heat exchanger (4) being configured to operate a heat exchange between the refrigerant fluid subjected in the thermal treatment system to two different temperature levels, wherein the thermal treatment module (1) comprises an expansion device (5) at least integral with the first heat exchanger (2) and/or the second heat exchanger (3) characterized in that the first heat exchanger (2) and the second heat exchanger (3) each comprise a heat exchange block (15) at the end of which is arranged an upper wall (13) for the first heat exchanger (2) and an upper face (14) for the second heat exchanger (3), the expansion device (5) being arranged at the level of the upper wall (13) of the first heat exchanger (2) and/or the upper face (14) of the second heat exchanger (3), the upper wall (13) of the first heat exchanger (2) and the upper face (14) of the second heat exchanger (3) being arranged opposite to the internal heat exchanger (4) with respect to the heat exchange block (15) of at least one of the heat exchangers (2, 3).
Thermal treatment module (1) according to claim 1, wherein the first heat exchanger (2) comprises a first pass (20) configured to be traversed by the refrigerant fluid and a second pass (21) configured to be traversed by the heat transfer liquid, the second heat exchanger (3) comprising a first passage (22) configured to be traversed by the refrigerant fluid and a second passage (23) configured to be traversed by the heat transfer liquid, the internal heat exchanger (4) comprising a first channel (24) configured to be traversed by the refrigerant fluid at a first temperature and a second channel (25) configured to be traversed by the refrigerant fluid at a second temperature different from the first temperature.
Thermal treatment module (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein at least the first pass (20) of the first heat exchanger (2) and at least the first channel (24) of the internal heat exchanger (4) form a first section (18) configured to circulate the refrigerant fluid at the first temperature.
Thermal treatment module (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein at least the first passage (22) of the second heat exchanger (3) and at least the second channel (25) of the internal heat exchanger (4) form a second section (19) configured to circulate the refrigerant fluid at the second temperature.
Thermal treatment module (1) according to the preceding claim, wherein the expansion device (5) separates the first section (18) from the second section (19) within the thermal treatment module (1).

Description

The present invention relates to the field of heat treatment systems within a vehicle and more particularly to a heat treatment module within such heat treatment systems. A heat treatment module according to the preamble of claim 1 is described in the document US 2016375745 A1 . Motor vehicles are commonly equipped with a refrigerant circuit and at least one heat transfer fluid circuit, both used to provide thermal treatment to various areas or components of the vehicle. It is known, in particular, to use the refrigerant circuit and/or the heat transfer fluid circuit to thermally treat an airflow directed into the passenger compartment of a vehicle equipped with such a circuit. In another application, the heat transfer fluid circuit is known to be used to cool components of the vehicle's powertrain, such as an electrical storage device, which is used to power an electric motor capable of propelling the vehicle. The thermal treatment system thus provides the energy needed to cool the electrical storage device during its operation. The refrigerant and heat transfer fluid circulate within their respective circuits and interact through multiple heat exchangers, ensuring heat transfer between the two fluids. To improve the compactness of the heat treatment system, several of these heat exchangers can be grouped into a single heat treatment module. Since automakers are constantly striving to improve their vehicles, one objective for enhancing such heat treatment modules is to consolidate more components of the heat treatment system within these modules. The present invention falls within this context by proposing a heat treatment module for a vehicle heat treatment system according to claim 1.1 Such a heat treatment module according to the invention thus allows for the integration of an expansion valve and three heat exchangers ensuring heat exchange either between the refrigerant and the heat transfer fluid, or within a refrigerant circuit itself, as is the case for the internal heat exchanger. This configuration allows the expansion valve to be integrated into the heat treatment module, thereby avoiding the need for a separate expansion valve and the associated piping required to connect it to the heat treatment module. The first and second heat exchangers facilitate heat exchange between the refrigerant and the heat transfer fluid, performing several functions dependent on the refrigerant temperature. For example, within these heat exchangers, the heat transfer fluid can condense the refrigerant to facilitate its subsequent expansion through the expansion valve. In other examples, the refrigerant can cool the heat transfer fluid so that the latter can then perform either a thermal treatment function for the vehicle's powertrain components or cool the cabin air via the HVAC system. The internal heat exchanger is specific to the refrigerant circuit. In other words, the internal heat exchanger allows heat exchange between two temperature levels of the refrigerant in order to operate a thermal regulation of the refrigerant fluid and thus to optimize the thermal performance of the refrigerant fluid circuit. The expansion valve is mechanically attached to at least the two heat exchangers in order to integrate it into the heat treatment module. Depending on the embodiment of the heat treatment module, the expansion valve provides a fluid connection between the two heat exchangers, or between one of the heat exchangers and the internal heat exchanger. According to one feature of the invention, the first heat exchanger comprises a first pass configured to be traversed by the refrigerant fluid and a second pass configured to be traversed by the heat transfer fluid, the second heat exchanger comprising a first pass configured to be traversed by the refrigerant fluid and a second pass configured to be traversed by the heat transfer fluid, the internal heat exchanger comprising a first channel configured to be traversed by the refrigerant fluid at a first temperature and a second channel configured to be traversed by the refrigerant fluid at a second temperature different from the first temperature. The temperature of the refrigerant varies depending on the pressure and the thermodynamic state of the fluid. Therefore, the terms "first temperature" and "second temperature" do not refer to temperatures in the physical sense, but rather to a first and second temperature level. The heat exchange within the first heat exchanger occurs between the refrigerant circulating in the first pass and the heat transfer fluid circulating in the second pass. This heat exchange may serve to condense the refrigerant to facilitate its subsequent expansion in the expansion chamber. Just as with the first heat exchanger, the heat exchange in the second heat exchanger occurs between the refrigerant circulating in the first pass and the heat transfer fluid circulating in the second pass. This heat exchange can be operated between the heat trans