Method for operating a coolant circuit and vehicle air-conditioning system
AssigneeAudi AG
InventorsDirk Schroeder, Christian Rebinger
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method for operating a coolant circuit of a vehicle cooling system in an AC mode and in a heating mode, implemented by a heat pump function, having an evaporator branch including an evaporator and a first expansion element, a coolant compressor, an AC and heat pump branch, having an outer condenser or gas cooler, as a heat pump evaporator having a second expansion element. The AC and heat pump branch is connected to the coolant compressor via a first blocking element and to the evaporator branch via the second expansion element, a heating branch having an inner heating condenser or heating gas cooler and a second blocking element, connected downstream thereto.
Claims15
A method for operating a coolant circuit of a vehicle cooling system in an AC mode and in a heating mode, implemented by a heat pump function, comprising:
- an evaporator branch having an evaporator and an expansion element associated with the evaporator;
- a coolant compressor;
- an AC and heat pump branch having an outer condenser or gas cooler and a second expansion element as a heat pump evaporator for the heating mode, wherein the AC and heat pump branch is connected to the high pressure outlet of the coolant compressor via a first blocking element and to the evaporator branch via the second expansion element;
- a heating branch having an inner heating condenser or heating gas cooler and a second blocking element connected downstream thereto, wherein the heating branch is connected to the high pressure outlet of the coolant compressor via a third blocking element and to the evaporator branch via the second blocking element;
- a third expansion element with which the heating branch is connected to the AC and heat pump branch;
- and
- a temperature measuring device for determining the coolant temperature at the inlet of the heating condenser or heating gas cooler, wherein
- in the heating mode, the coolant temperature at the inlet of the inner heating condenser or heating gas cooler is limited to a maximum temperature value
- wherein the following process steps are performed at a startup in AC mode:
- extracting coolant from the heating branch by opening the second blocking element and closing both the third blocking element and the third expansion element;
- and
- closing the second blocking element, either if coolant pressure downstream of the second blocking element rises or after a defined period of time.
A vehicle cooling system having a coolant circuit for an AC mode and a heating mode, comprising:
- an evaporator branch having an evaporator and an expansion element associated with the evaporator;
- a coolant compressor;
- an AC and heat pump branch having an outer condenser or gas cooler, and a second expansion element as a heat pump evaporator for the heating mode, wherein the AC and heat pump branch is connected to the high pressure outlet of the coolant compressor via a first blocking element and to the evaporator branch via the second expansion element;
- a heating branch having an inner heating condenser or heating gas cooler and a second blocking element connected downstream thereto, wherein the heating branch can be connected to the high pressure outlet of the coolant compressor via a third blocking element and to the evaporator branch via the second blocking element;
- a third expansion element with which the heating branch can be connected to the AC and heat pump branch;
- and
- a temperature measuring device for determining the coolant temperature at the inlet of the heating condenser or heating gas cooler
- wherein the following process steps are performed at a startup in AC mode:
- extracting coolant from the heating branch by opening the second blocking element and closing both the third blocking element and the third expansion element;
- and
- closing the second blocking element, either if coolant pressure downstream of the second blocking element rises or after a defined period of time.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.