Vehicle climate control system utilizing a heat pump

A climate control system of an electric or hybrid electric vehicle, comprising:

• a heat pump having a refrigerant compressor, a condenser heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and an evaporator heat exchanger;
• the condenser heat exchanger exchanging heat between refrigerant and working fluid within a hot fluid chamber;
• the evaporator heat exchanger exchanging heat between refrigerant and working fluid within a cold fluid chamber;
• and
• an insulated fluid reservoir selectively in fluid communication with the cold fluid chamber, the insulated fluid reservoir having a PTC heater selectively powered by at least one of a drivetrain battery unit and a shore power source.

A method of providing climate control in an occupant compartment of an electric or hybrid electric vehicle, comprising the steps of:

• providing a heat pump having a refrigerant compressor, a condenser heat exchanger, an expansion valve, and an evaporator heat exchanger;
• exchanging heat between refrigerant and working fluid within a hot fluid chamber by way of the condenser heat exchanger;
• exchanging heat between refrigerant and working fluid within a cold fluid chamber by way of the evaporator heat exchanger;
• selectively placing an insulated fluid reservoir in fluid communication with the cold fluid chamber using an insulated fluid reservoir to cold fluid chamber pump;
• selectively placing the insulated fluid reservoir in fluid communication with the hot fluid chamber using an insulated fluid reservoir to hot fluid chamber pump;
• selectively heating working fluid within the insulated fluid reservoir using a PTC heater by selectively powering the PTC heater from at least one of a drivetrain battery unit by way of a drive train battery connector and from a shore power source by way of a shore power contactor;
• Selectively placing the hot fluid chamber in fluid communication with at least one of:
• at least one cabin heat exchanger using a hot fluid chamber to cabin heat exchanger pump,
• at least one defrost/defog combination fluid heat exchanger PTC heater using a hot fluid chamber to defrost/defog combination fluid heat exchanger PTC heater pump, and
• at least one ambient air heat exchanger using a hot fluid chamber to ambient air heat exchanger pump;
• selectively placing the cold fluid chamber in fluid communication with at least one vehicle interior cooling module using a cold fluid chamber to vehicle interior cooling modules pump;
• and
• selectively placing a liquid cooled heat sink in fluid communication with at least one of the cold fluid chamber and the hot fluid chamber using a liquid cooled heat sink pump and at least one control valve, the liquid cooled heat sink being connected to at least one of an electric drive motor of the vehicle and power electronics connected to the electric drive motor.