Dual loop heat and air conditioning system
AssigneeVisteon Global Technologies, Inc.
InventorsShane A. Harte, Franck A. Vouzelaud, David K. Johnson, Thomas P. Gielda
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle heating and cooling system having a first coolant loop selectively connecting an engine cooling system with a heater core or a first coolant/refrigerant heat exchanger, a second coolant loop connecting a second coolant/refrigerant heat exchanger and the heater core to warm a passenger compartment of the vehicle. The system also includes a refrigerant loop that provides for conventional cooling of the passenger compartment of the vehicle, as well as operating as a heat pump, together with the coolant loops, to provide heat to the vehicle passenger compartment.
Claims17
A heating and cooling system for a vehicle having an engine and a passenger compartment, the heating and cooling system comprising:
- a first coolant loop having a coolant outlet line and a coolant inlet line adapted to couple to the engine, a heater core, a first heat exchanger, and a coolant valve for selectively directing flow of a coolant from the coolant outlet line to the coolant inlet line through one of the heater core and the first heat exchanger;
- a second coolant loop having a pump for selectively circulating the coolant through a first coolant/refrigerant heat exchanger, the heater core, and back to the pump;
- and
- a refrigerant loop having a compressor with an inlet and an outlet, a first refrigerant valve for selectively directing the flow of a refrigerant from the compressor outlet to one of a condenser and the first coolant/refrigerant heat exchanger, a refrigerant passage for directing the flow of the refrigerant through an evaporator, and a refrigerant line for returning the refrigerant to the compressor inlet.
A heating and cooling system for a vehicle having and engine and a passenger compartment, the heating and cooling system comprising:
- a first coolant loop having a coolant outlet line and a coolant inlet line adapted to couple to the engine, a heater core, a first coolant/refrigerant heat exchanger, and a coolant valve for selectively directing flow of a coolant from the coolant outlet line to the coolant inlet line through one of the heater core and the first coolant/refrigerant heat exchanger;
- a second coolant loop having a pump for selectively circulating the coolant through a second coolant/refrigerant heat exchanger, the heater core, and back to the pump;
- and
- a refrigerant loop having a compressor with an inlet and an outlet, a first refrigerant valve for selectively directing the flow of a refrigerant from the compressor outlet to one of a condenser and the second coolant/refrigerant heat exchanger, a second refrigerant valve for directing the flow of the refrigerant through one of an evaporator and the first coolant/refrigerant heat exchanger, and a refrigerant line for returning the refrigerant to the compressor inlet.
A method of providing heating and cooling to a passenger compartment of a vehicle having an engine, the method comprising the steps of:
- selectively circulating a coolant from the engine, through one of a heater core located in the passenger compartment and a first coolant/refrigerant heat exchanger, and back to the engine;
- selectively circulating the coolant from a pump, through a second coolant/refrigerant heat exchanger, the heater core and back to the pump;
- selectively circulating a refrigerant from a compressor and back to the compressor through one of a first refrigerant path, having a condenser, and evaporator, and an expansion valve between the condenser and the evaporator, and a second refrigerant path, having the second coolant/refrigerant heat exchanger, the first coolant/refrigerant heat exchanger, and the expansion valve between the second coolant/refrigerant heat exchanger and the first coolant/refrigerant heat exchanger.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.