UNIDIRECTIONAL CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM
A climate control system for a vehicle with a passenger compartment includes a heater circuit, a cooler circuit, and a primary loop, all of which have fixed flow directions. The heater circuit is filled with a first liquid medium and has a heater core, and the cooler circuit is filled with a second liquid medium and has a cooler core. The heater and cooler cores are selectively in thermal communication with the passenger compartment. The primary loop includes a compressor and an expansion valve and is filled with a refrigerant medium. No portion of the primary loop is within the passenger compartment. A liquid-cooled condenser thermally links the heater circuit and primary loop. A liquid-warmed evaporator thermally links the cooler circuit and primary loop. The primary loop is in direct heat-exchange communication with one of the first liquid medium and the second liquid medium.
1 . A climate control system for a vehicle having a passenger compartment, comprising:
a heater circuit filled with a first liquid medium and having a heater core selectively in thermal communication with the passenger compartment;
a cooler circuit filled with a second liquid medium and having a cooler core selectively in thermal communication with the passenger compartment;
a primary loop filled with a refrigerant medium, wherein no portion of the primary loop is within the passenger compartment, and having:
a compressor; and
an expansion valve;
wherein the heater circuit, the cooler circuit, and the primary loop each have fixed flow directions;
a liquid-cooled condenser thermally linking the heater circuit and the primary loop; and
a liquid-warmed evaporator thermally linking the cooler circuit and the primary loop, such that the primary loop is always in direct heat-exchange communication with one of the first liquid medium and the second liquid medium.
2 . The climate control system of claim 1 , wherein the heater circuit further includes:
a low-temperature radiator in thermal communication with ambient air, wherein the low-temperature radiator is disposed, in the direction of flow of the first liquid medium, between the heater core and the liquid-cooled condenser.
3 . The climate control system of claim 2 , wherein the heater core and the cooler core selectively communicate with a common air stream within the passenger compartment.
4 . The climate control system of claim 3 , wherein the expansion valve of the primary loop is an electronic expansion valve.
5 . The climate control system of claim 3 , wherein the primary loop further includes:
a liquid-gas separator disposed between the liquid-cooled condenser and the expansion valve, wherein the liquid-gas separator distributes gaseous portions of the refrigerant medium to the compressor and distributes liquid portions of the refrigerant medium to the liquid-warmed evaporator.
6 . The climate control system of claim 3 , wherein the heater circuit further includes:
a bypass path linking portions of the heater circuit on either side of the low-temperature radiator; and
a bypass valve selectively channeling the first liquid medium to the bypass path, such that the first liquid medium moves between the heater core and the liquid-cooled condenser without passing through the low-temperature radiator.
7 . The climate control system of claim 3 , wherein the cooler circuit further includes:
a liquid reservoir; and
a reservoir valve configured to selectively direct the second liquid medium into the liquid reservoir.
8 . The climate control system of claim 3 , wherein the vehicle has a battery and the cooling circuit further includes:
a battery path linking the cooling circuit and the battery, such that the battery is in thermal communication with the cooling circuit.
9 . The climate control system of claim 3 , wherein the primary loop further includes:
an internal heat exchanger selectively allowing direct heat-exchange communication between refrigerant flowing from the liquid-cooled condenser to the expansion valve and refrigerant flowing from the liquid-warmed evaporator to the compressor.
10 . The climate control system of claim 3 , wherein the primary loop further includes:
a subcooler in thermal communication with ambient air and disposed between the liquid-cooled condenser and the expansion valve.
11 . The climate control system of claim 3 , wherein the primary loop further includes:
an accumulator disposed between the liquid-warmed evaporator and the compressor.
12 . A climate control system for a vehicle having a passenger compartment, comprising:
a heater circuit filled with a first liquid medium and having a heater core selectively in thermal communication with the passenger compartment;
a cooler circuit filled with a second liquid medium and having a cooler core selectively in thermal communication with the passenger compartment, wherein the heater core and the cooler core selectively communicate with a common air stream within the passenger compartment;
a primary loop filled with a refrigerant medium, wherein no portion of the primary loop is within the passenger compartment, and having:
a compressor; and
an expansion valve;
wherein the heater circuit, the cooler circuit, and the primary loop each have fixed flow directions;
a liquid-cooled condenser thermally linking the heater circuit and the primary loop; and
a liquid-warmed evaporator thermally linking the cooler circuit and the primary loop, such that the primary loop is always in direct heat-exchange communication with one of the first liquid medium and the second liquid medium.
13 . The climate control system of claim 12 , wherein the vehicle has a battery and the cooling circuit further includes:
a battery path linking the cooling circuit and the battery, such that the battery is in thermal communication with the cooling circuit.
14 . The climate control system of claim 13 , wherein the heater circuit further includes:
a low-temperature radiator in thermal communication with ambient air, wherein the low-temperature radiator is disposed, in the direction of flow of the first liquid medium, between the heater core and the liquid-cooled condenser.
15 . The climate control system of claim 14 , wherein the heater circuit further includes:
a bypass path linking portions of the heater circuit on either side of the low-temperature radiator; and
a bypass valve selectively channeling the first liquid medium to the bypass path, such that the first liquid medium moves between the heater core and the liquid-cooled condenser without passing through the low-temperature radiator.
16 . The climate control system of claim 15 , wherein the cooler circuit further includes:
a liquid reservoir; and
a reservoir valve configured to selectively direct the second liquid medium into the liquid reservoir.
17 . The climate control system of claim 16 , wherein the expansion valve of the primary loop is an electronic expansion valve.