# US 10,866,019 B2 · Method and system for operating a heat pump of a vehicle

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- Number: US 10,866,019 B2
- Document ID: US10866019B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 16/584,697
- Filed: 2019-09-26
- Published: 2020-01-23
- Granted: 2020-12-15
- Earliest claimed: 2016-02-23
- Assignees: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Applicants: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
- Inventors: Timothy Noah Blatchley; James George Gebbie; Clay Wesley Maranville; Angel Fernando Porras
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10866019B2

## CPC

- F25B 49/022: {Compressor control arrangements}
- B60H 1/00007: {Combined heating, ventilating, or cooling devices (control systems or mechanisms B60H1/00642)}
- B60H 1/00921: {where the flow direction of the refrigerant does not change and there is an extra subcondenser, e.g. in an air duct}
- B60H 1/3213: {for increasing the efficiency in a vehicle heat pump}
- B60H 2001/00957: {comprising locations with heat exchange within the refrigerant circuit itself, e.g. cross-, counter-, or parallel heat exchange}
- B60H 2001/3238: {related to the operation of the compressor}
- B60H 2001/325: {of the refrigerant at a compressing unit}
- B60H 2001/3272: {to control the revolving speed of a compressor}
- F25B 9/008: {the refrigerant being carbon dioxide}
- F25B 2309/061: with cycle highest pressure above the supercritical pressure
- F25B 2600/025: by controlling speed
- F25B 2700/193: of the compressor
- F25B 2700/1931: Discharge pressures
- F25B 2700/1933: Suction pressures
- F25B: REFRIGERATION MACHINES, PLANTS OR SYSTEMS; COMBINED HEATING AND REFRIGERATION SYSTEMS; HEAT PUMP SYSTEMS
- B60H: ARRANGEMENTS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR PASSENGER OR GOODS SPACES OF VEHICLES

## Abstract

Methods and systems for providing control of a heat pump of a motor vehicle are presented. In one operating mode, speed of a heat pump compressor is controlled responsive to an outlet pressure of the heat pump compressor. In a second operating mode, speed of the heat pump compressor is controlled responsive to a pressure ratio between an inlet and an outlet of the heat pump compressor.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A vehicle system, comprising:
a refrigerant loop including a compressor;
an interior heat exchanger in fluid communication with the compressor;
an exterior heat exchanger in fluid communication with the compressor;
a first pressure sensor coupled to a conduit at an outlet side of the compressor; and
a controller including executable instructions stored in non-transitory memory to:
while the exterior heat exchanger is operating under a first condition as an evaporator and while a flow of refrigerant to the interior heat exchanger is inhibited, adjust a speed of the compressor in a first mode based on a pressure ratio across an outlet of the compressor and an inlet of the compressor; and
while the exterior heat exchanger is operating as a condenser and while the interior heat exchanger is operating as an evaporator, adjust the speed of the compressor in a second mode based on a pressure at the outlet of the compressor and not a pressure at the inlet of the compressor;
where the first mode is different from the second mode.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The vehicle system of claim 1, where the pressure ratio is based at least in part on output of the first pressure sensor.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The vehicle system of claim 2, further comprising a second pressure sensor positioned at the inlet of the compressor, where the controller further comprises executable instructions stored in the non-transitory memory to:
base the pressure ratio on the second pressure sensor positioned at the inlet of the compressor.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The vehicle system of claim 1, where the controller further comprises executable instructions stored in the non-transitory memory to:
adjust the speed of the compressor responsive to a proportional-integral (PI) controller that adjusts the speed of the compressor only when the pressure ratio exceeds a threshold pressure ratio.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The vehicle system of claim 1, where:
the first mode is activated in response to operating a heat pump that includes the refrigerant loop in a heating mode and the second mode is activated in response to operating the heat pump that includes the refrigerant loop in a cooling mode; and
the heating mode and the cooling mode are different modes each configured to control a temperature of a vehicle cabin.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The vehicle system of claim 1, where:
the first mode is activated in response to operating a heat pump that includes the refrigerant loop in a first dehumidification mode and where the second mode is activated in response to operating the heat pump in a second dehumidification mode different from the first dehumidification mode; and
the first and second dehumidification modes are distinct modes.

### Claim 7 (depends on 5)

The vehicle system of claim 5, further comprising a coolant subsystem including:
a heater core arranged in the vehicle cabin; and
an intermediate heat exchanger transferring thermal energy between the heat pump and coolant in the coolant subsystem;
where the controller comprises executable instructions stored in the non-transitory memory to:
transfer thermal energy between the heat pump and the coolant subsystem via the intermediate heat exchanger during the heating mode.

### Claim 8 (depends on 5)

The vehicle system of claim 5, where the pressure at the inlet of the compressor is inferred by subtracting an accumulator compensation pressure from a pressure at an outlet of a battery chiller heat exchanger in a battery chiller loop coupled to the heat pump.

### Claim 9 (depends on 8)

The vehicle system of claim 8, where, when the exterior heat exchanger is operated as the evaporator, the pressure at the outlet of the compressor is less than a threshold pressure.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The vehicle system of claim 1, further comprising an internal heat exchanger coupled to the heat pump and a battery chiller loop and where the controller comprises executable instructions stored in the non-transitory memory to:
determine the pressure at the inlet of the compressor based on a pressure at an outlet of a battery chiller heat exchanger in the battery chiller loop.

### Claim 11 (depends on 10)

The vehicle system of claim 10, where, when the exterior heat exchanger is operated as the condenser, the pressure at the outlet of the compressor is greater than a threshold pressure.