KR20140083551A - Air conditioner for electronic vehicles - Google Patents

Abstract

An air conditioner for electric vehicle according to the present invention includes a compressor for compressing a refrigerant, an internal heat exchanger for heat exchanging incoming refrigerant and indoor air, an external heat exchanger for heat exchanging incoming refrigerant and outdoor air, a first expansion equipment arranged between the internal heat exchanger and the external heat exchanger for expanding incoming refrigerant, an evaporator for dehumidifying indoor air by evaporating incoming refrigerant, a second expansion equipment arranged between the external heat exchanger and the evaporator for expanding incoming refrigerant, first and second switching valves for switching the air conditioner for cooling, heating, dehumidifying, and non-dehumidifying operation modes, and a ultraviolet irradiator for irradiating ultraviolet light to the evaporator.

Description

[0001] Air conditioner for electronic vehicles [

The present invention relates to an air conditioner of an electric vehicle, and more particularly, to an air conditioner of an electric vehicle to which an air conditioner having less power consumption and malodorous operation is applied.

A car is a means of transporting passengers and cargo on the road by producing power from its own engine and delivering it to the wheels. A car can be divided into a body, which forms a large appearance, and a chassis, in which various devices are connected to each other. The chassis includes the main devices such as power transmission devices, steering devices, suspension devices, and braking devices, as well as automobile engines that are the driving force of driving.

The engine is the driving force that drives the car. Most automotive engines are four-stroke internal combustion engines. A four-stroke internal combustion engine is the most common example of a reciprocating engine with an internal combustion engine ending one cycle by four strokes of suction, compression, explosion, and exhaust. The internal combustion engine, which mainly uses volatile fuel, obtains the kinetic energy by directly using the heat energy generated when the fuel is mixed with the oxygen in the air to be completely burned and then burned.

Such internal combustion engines using volatile fuels have caused environmental pollution due to exhaust gas and depletion of petroleum resources.

An electric vehicle (EV) is an automobile which is powered by an AC or DC motor and uses power from a battery to obtain power. It is largely classified into a battery-exclusive vehicle and a hybrid vehicle. A battery- When the motor is driven and the power is exhausted, the hybrid vehicle starts to operate the engine to generate electric power to charge the battery, and the electric motor can be driven to drive the vehicle.

In addition, the hybrid vehicle can be classified into a serial system and a parallel system. In the serial system, the mechanical energy output from the engine is converted into electrical energy through the generator, and the electrical energy is supplied to the battery or the motor. The concept of adding an engine and a generator to increase the mileage of an existing automobile by using the car. The parallel method can move the car by using the battery power and uses two power sources for driving the vehicle with only the engine (gasoline or diesel) Depending on the driving conditions, the engine and the motor may simultaneously drive the vehicle in a parallel manner.

Of these, it is most important to minimize the power consumption of a battery-driven electric vehicle. However, the air conditioner of an electric car is equipped with a heater in front of a vaporizer of a vehicle like a general internal combustion engine vehicle, and directly heats the room air by heating the air during heating. Therefore, the method of heating the indoor air with the heater has a problem that the power consumption is very large.

Further, by using an air conditioner having a large power consumption, the traveling distance of the electric vehicle becomes short.

In addition, there is a problem that odors are generated due to propagation of bacteria in the inner evaporator during operation of the air conditioner.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to provide an air conditioner for an electric vehicle to which an air conditioner is applied which consumes less electric power and reduces odors during operation.

The problems of the present invention are not limited to the above-mentioned problems, and other problems not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the following description.

In order to achieve the above object, an air conditioner of an electric vehicle according to the present invention comprises: a compressor for compressing a refrigerant; an internal heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the refrigerant and the air; an external heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the refrigerant and the outdoor air; A first expansion mechanism disposed between the internal heat exchanger and the external heat exchanger for expanding the refrigerant introduced therein, an evaporator for dehumidifying the room air by evaporating the refrigerant introduced into the evaporator, an evaporator disposed between the external heat exchanger and the evaporator, A first switching valve for changing the air conditioner to a cooling, heating, dehumidifying and dehumidifying mode, and an ultraviolet irradiator for irradiating ultraviolet rays to the evaporator.

The details of other embodiments are included in the detailed description and drawings.

According to the electric vehicle air-conditioning apparatus of the present invention, one or more of the following effects can be obtained.

First, there is an advantage that power consumption is small when the air in a car is cooled / heated.

Second, there is an advantage that the electric distance of the electric vehicle increases as the electric power consumption is small.

Third, it is possible to suppress the propagation of bacteria in the evaporator, and to suppress the odor during operation of the air conditioner.

The effects of the present invention are not limited to the effects mentioned above, and other effects not mentioned can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from the description of the claims.

1 is a schematic view of a vehicle body of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
2 is a partial perspective view schematically showing an air conditioner of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
3 is a partially exploded perspective view schematically showing an air conditioner of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 4 is a view schematically showing a flow of a refrigerant during an indoor dehumidifying cooling operation of an air conditioner of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
FIG. 5 is a view schematically showing a flow of a refrigerant in an indoor air-dehumidifying / heating operation of an air conditioner of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
6 is a schematic view illustrating a flow of a refrigerant during an indoor dehumidifying / heating operation of an air conditioner of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.
7 is a schematic view illustrating a flow of a refrigerant during a low temperature indoor dehumidifying / heating operation of an air conditioner of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS The advantages and features of the present invention and the manner of achieving them will become apparent with reference to the embodiments described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings. The present invention may, however, be embodied in many different forms and should not be construed as limited to the embodiments set forth herein. Rather, these embodiments are provided so that this disclosure will be thorough and complete, and will fully convey the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art. To fully disclose the scope of the invention to those skilled in the art, and the invention is only defined by the scope of the claims. Like reference numerals refer to like elements throughout the specification.

Hereinafter, the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings for explaining an air conditioner 100 of an electric vehicle according to embodiments of the present invention.

1 is a schematic view of a vehicle body of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

Referring to FIG. 1, an automobile according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a front body 10, a center body 20, and a rear body 30.

The body creates a closed space, places various devices inside it, and accommodates passengers and cargo. It is also necessary to have a structure that can open and close a part of the vehicle to facilitate the entry and exit of passengers and cargo and maintenance of various devices. It is also important to protect the passenger, the cargo, and various devices from outside rain, wind, and dust. In addition, the shape of the body of the vehicle body as the appearance of the body is still the shape of an automobile.

The front vehicle body 10, on which the power source and the components of the power transmission system are mounted, forms a well. A power source, and a transmission. The front vehicle body 10 is provided with a steering device for adjusting the direction of the rotation axis of the front wheel to change the traveling direction of the vehicle 1, a front suspension device for preventing the vibration of the road surface from directly touching the vehicle body, An air conditioner for heating, dehumidifying, etc. is provided.

It is necessary for the front vehicle body 10 to support the front wheel of the front wheel suspension device in addition to being mounted with heavy loads such as a power source, a transmission, and various auxiliary devices. In the front wheel drive vehicle, the drive force is also taken by the front vehicle body 10.

The front vehicle body 10 is damaged when it receives a strong impact due to an accident or the like, absorbs the impact and prevents a strong force from being transmitted to the vehicle body. The respective components of the front vehicle body 10 are fixed or welded to the front vehicle body 10 with bolts / nuts, and only the outer panel parts such as the front fenders and hoods can be separated.

The central vehicle body 20, which can be seated by the occupant, is composed of a front floor panel that forms the floor of the front side cabin, a tunnel which is provided in the front floor panel, and a side wall, which is provided at both side edges of the front floor, And an actual panel.

Most of the central vehicle body 20 is a vehicle room, that is, a space on which an occupant or the like rides. Further, the central body 20 is equipped with a door to prevent rain, wind or the like from entering from the outside. The front floor panel is a floor having a high strength and a large area as a floor in a vehicle interior. On the left and right of the front floor panel, a side seal panel, which is the base of the filler, is connected from the front to the rear. Further, a tunnel is provided in the center of the front floor.

The rear vehicle body 30, which can store spare tires and other objects, includes a rear floor panel that forms the bottom of the rear vehicle body 30. The rear vehicle body 30 is provided with a rear wheel suspension device for preventing the vibration of the road surface from directly contacting the vehicle body. The rear vehicle body 30 needs to support the rear wheel of the rear wheel suspension. In the rear wheel drive vehicle, the rear vehicle body 30 also takes the driving force. The rear vehicle body 30 is provided with a rear bumper for absorbing impacts in a rear collision.

2 is a partial perspective view schematically showing an air conditioner of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a partially exploded perspective view schematically showing an air conditioner of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 4 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a flow of a refrigerant during an indoor dehumidification cooling operation of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. Fig.

2 to 4, an air conditioner 100 of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention includes a compressor 110, an internal heat exchanger 120, a first expansion mechanism 130, an external heat exchanger The first switching valve 181, the second switching valve 182, the check valve 183, the IHX 150, the accumulator 170, the evaporator 160, the second expansion mechanism 161, A heater 200, and an ultraviolet ray irradiating unit 500. Further, the components above the heater 200 are connected by flow paths through which refrigerant flows.

Further, the second expansion mechanism 161 may be formed integrally with the evaporator 160.

Therefore, the air conditioner of the electric vehicle includes a first connection passage 193 for connecting the compressor 110 and the internal heat exchanger 120, a second connection 193 for connecting the internal heat exchanger 120 and the first expansion mechanism 130, A third connection passage 195 connecting the first expansion mechanism 130 and the external heat exchanger 140, a fourth connection passage 196 connecting the external heat exchanger 140 and the evaporator 160, A fifth connection passage 197 for connecting the evaporator 160 and the accumulator 170 and a sixth connection passage 198 for connecting the accumulator 170 and the compressor 110.

The compressor 110 compresses the introduced low-temperature low-pressure refrigerant into high-temperature high-pressure refrigerant. Various constructions can be applied to the compressor 110, and an inverter type compressor 110 or a constant speed compressor 110 may be employed. Further, the compressor 110 may be connected to the accumulator 170 to prevent liquid refrigerant from flowing into the compressor 110. The compressor 110 may be a multi-stage compressor. An oil separator (not shown) may be installed in the discharge pipe of the compressor 110 to recover the oil from the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 110.

The internal heat exchanger (120) condenses the incoming high temperature and high pressure refrigerant into low temperature and low pressure refrigerant. Accordingly, the inner soft exchanger 120 dissipates heat to the outside when the refrigerant is condensed.

Further, the internal heat exchanger 120 is disposed on the air passage 300 through which room air flows. The internal heat exchanger 120 is disposed on the side where the indoor air is discharged. Therefore, the internal heat exchanger 120 can heat the indoor air that radiates heat to the room air during the heating operation.

The air conditioner 100 of the electric vehicle may further include an air inflow blocking portion 121 for preventing the air exchanged with the internal heat exchanger 120 from entering the room through the air passage 300 have. The air inflow blocking portion 121 prevents the heat of the internal heat exchanger 120 from flowing into the passenger compartment of the vehicle when the air conditioner 100 of the electric vehicle operates in the cooling mode. The air inlet 121 may be a damper, for example. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

The compressor (110) and the internal heat exchanger (120) are connected to each other through a first connection passage through which the refrigerant can flow. The first connection flow path 193 is preferably made of a material having excellent heat resistance and corrosion resistance, because the high temperature and high pressure refrigerant discharged from the compressor 110 flows.

The first expansion mechanism (130) is disposed between the internal heat exchanger (120) and the external heat exchanger (140) to expand the refrigerant flowing in. Accordingly, the first expansion mechanism (130) first expansion mechanism (130) throttles the refrigerant that has passed through the internal heat exchanger (120). Further, the first expansion mechanism 130 is preferably composed of an electronic expansion valve or an orifice valve. An orifice valve is a constant-pressure expansion valve used to reduce the pressure of refrigerant by using the throttling action.

The first expansion mechanism (130) and the internal heat exchanger (120) are connected by a second connection passage (194) through which refrigerant can flow. A first switching valve 181 is disposed on the second connection passage 194. The first bypass passage 191 is connected to the evaporator 160 so that the refrigerant having passed through the internal heat exchanger 120 bypasses the first expansion mechanism 130 and the external heat exchanger 140 and flows to the evaporator 160 side. The first bypass passage 191 is connected to the second connection passage 194 through the first switching valve 181. That is, the first bypass passage 191 is connected to the first switching valve 181.

The first switching valve 181 connects the internal heat exchanger 120, the first expansion mechanism 130, and the first bypass passage 191. Accordingly, the first switching valve 181 switches the refrigerant flowing to the first expansion mechanism 130 side to flow into the first bypass flow path 191 during the low-temperature indoor heating operation.

The switching valve is a direction change valve that switches the direction of the flow path due to the valve. In general, the switching valve is composed of an anisotropic valve, a three-way valve, a four-way valve or the like. In the case of the present invention, the first switching valve 181 preferably comprises a three-way valve for connecting the internal heat exchanger 120, the first expansion mechanism 130, and the first bypass passage 191 as described above Do.

The external heat exchanger 140 exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing in and outdoor air. Therefore, the external heat exchanger 140 serves as a condenser during cooling operation and as an evaporator during heating operation. The external heat exchanger 140 is connected to the first expansion mechanism 130 through the third connection passage 195. The external heat exchanger 140 is connected to the evaporator 160 through the fourth connection passage 196.

The fourth connection passage 196 is connected to the first bypass passage 191. A check valve is disposed on the fourth connection passage 196. The check valve prevents the refrigerant flowing to the first bypass flow path 191 from flowing to the external heat exchanger 140 side during the low temperature indoor heating operation. Also. The second switching valve 182 and the internal heat exchanger 150 are disposed on the fourth connection passage 196.

The second bypass flow passage 192 is connected to the compressor 110 after the refrigerant flowing to the evaporator 160 bypasses the evaporator 160. Therefore, the second bypass passage 192 is a passage through which the refrigerant flows during the no-humidity operation. The second bypass passage 192 is connected to the fourth connection passage 196 through the second switching valve 182. That is, the second bypass passage 192 is connected to the second switching valve 182.

The second switching valve connects the IHX 150, the fourth connection passage 196, and the second bypass passage. Therefore, the second switching valve switches the refrigerant flowing to the evaporator 160 side to flow into the second bypass flow passage 192 during no-humidity operation. The second switching valve 182 is preferably a three-way valve connecting the IHX 150, the fourth connection passage 196, and the second bypass passage 192 as described above.

The IHX 150 exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing between the evaporator 160 and the external heat exchanger 140 and the refrigerant flowing between the accumulator 170 and the compressor 110. That is, the IHX 150 exchanges heat between the refrigerant flowing in the fourth connection passage 196 and the refrigerant flowing in the sixth connection passage 198, which will be described later.

The heat exchangers such as the external heat exchanger 140 and the IHX 150 refer to a device for transferring heat from a high temperature medium to a low temperature medium. Generally, a heat exchanger is used for a heater, a cooler, an evaporator, a condenser, and the like. Also, the heat transfer medium used to heat the desired fluid is referred to as a "heat transfer medium." On the contrary, a heat transfer medium is referred to as a "refrigerant". In this embodiment, R-134a and 1234yf are preferably used as the refrigerant.

The evaporator 160 evaporates the refrigerant to dehumidify the room air and cool the room air. The evaporator 160 is disposed on the air passage 300 as will be described later. To be precise, the evaporator 160 is disposed on the side where the room air flows. Accordingly, the heat of the air flowing on the air passage 300 is absorbed to condense moisture in the air. That is, the evaporator 160 refers to a device that absorbs heat when the liquid evaporates and becomes a gas, and rapidly lowers the ambient temperature.

The ultraviolet ray irradiating unit 500 irradiates ultraviolet rays to the evaporator 160 to sterilize the evaporator 160 with the sterilizing power of ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet rays are one of electron radiation having a wavelength of 100 to 380 nm and have a wavelength of about 254 nm which is excellent in sterilizing power and has a wavelength of about 254 nm. Preferably, the ultraviolet irradiation unit 500 irradiates light having a wavelength of 250 to 260 nm.

The evaporator 160 has a structure in which a plurality of pipes through which refrigerant passes are arranged, and the refrigerant and the outside air are heat-exchanged in the plurality of pipes. When the temperature of the air decreases during the heat exchange, the relative humidity increases, and when the relative humidity reaches 100%, the moisture present in the air condenses. The condensed water may flow in the evaporator 160, but may be present between the plurality of tubes of the evaporator 160, causing the evaporator 160 to generate bacteria. When the evaporator 160 generates germs, it causes a bad odor and causes internal air to be polluted.

The ultraviolet ray irradiating unit 500 dries moisture remaining in the evaporator 160 and destroys and sterilizes the DNA structure of the bacteria generated in the evaporator 160. Therefore, when the user operates the air conditioner of the automobile, it does not stink.

Preferably, the ultraviolet ray irradiating unit 500 is operated during the operation of the air conditioner and for a certain period of time after the operation of the air conditioner is stopped.

The configuration of the ultraviolet ray irradiating unit 500 is not limited and includes all means capable of irradiating ultraviolet rays. However, for example, the ultraviolet ray irradiating unit 500 may include at least one ultraviolet lamp or an ultraviolet light-emitting diode. However, the present invention is not limited thereto.

The ultraviolet ray irradiating unit 500 is preferably arranged to irradiate ultraviolet rays onto the wide surface of the evaporator 160.

The ultraviolet ray irradiating unit 500 may be disposed in contact with the air channel 300, but may be disposed apart from the air channel 300.

For example, the ultraviolet irradiation unit 500 may include an ultraviolet lamp 510 for generating ultraviolet rays and a fixing member 520 for fixing the ultraviolet lamp 510 to the airflow channel 300.

A drain portion 400 for discharging the condensed water generated in the evaporator 160 to the outside may be formed on the air flow passage 300.

The drain portion 400 may have various configurations for discharging the condensed water accumulated in the air flow path 300. For example, the air flow path 300 may be a discharge hose connected to the lower end.

The drain portion 400 may be disposed at a position vertically overlapping with the evaporator 160. [

The drain portion 400 is connected to the hole 310 formed in the air passage 300 and the hole 310 may be formed to be concave downward to induce the flow direction of the condensed water.

The second expansion mechanism (161) is disposed between the external heat exchanger (140) and the evaporator (160) to expand the refrigerant flowing in. Accordingly, the second expansion mechanism (161) throttles the refrigerant that has passed through the external heat exchanger (140). Further, the second expansion mechanism 161 is preferably composed of an electronic expansion valve or an orifice valve. An orifice valve is a constant-pressure expansion valve used to reduce the pressure of refrigerant by using the throttling action.

The accumulator 170 is connected to the compressor 110 and contains refrigerant. The accumulator 170 contains the refrigerant discharged from the compressor 110 during the indoor cooling operation and the refrigerant passing through the evaporator 160 or the refrigerant flowing through the second bypass flow passage 192 during the indoor heating operation It contains.

The accumulator 170 is a device for separating water for supplying only the gaseous refrigerant to the compressor 110, and it is preferable that the accumulator 170 is installed in the compressor 110 in front of the suction portion.

The heater 200 is disposed on the air passage 300 and disposed adjacent to the internal heat exchanger 120. The heater 200 is connected to the internal heat exchanger 120 and radiates heat to the room air. Accordingly, the heater 200 functions to heat the indoor air by assisting the internal heat exchanger 120 when the indoor air temperature is very low.

The heater 200 is preferably made of a PTC heater. PTC is a barium titanate (ceramics), a semiconductor element that increases rapidly in temperature as the temperature rises and is a safe heating element replacing the nichrome wire. If the resistance changes according to temperature, it will be used for air conditioner, hair dryer, clothes dryer and so on.

The air passage 300 is a passage through which room air flows. An evaporator 160, an internal heat exchanger 120, and a heater 200 are disposed on the air passage 300. The evaporator 160 may be disposed on the side where the room air is introduced and the internal heat exchanger 120 and the heater 200 may be disposed on the side where the room air is discharged. Therefore, after the room air is dehumidified, the cooling / heating can be performed.

The first expansion mechanism 130, the first switching valve 181, and the second switching valve 182 in the air conditioner 100 of the electric vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention include an electrically controllable valve desirable. Accordingly, the first expansion mechanism 130, the first switching valve 181, and the second switching valve 182 operate as shown in Table 1 below. Here, the first expansion mechanism 130 may be implemented as an electronic expansion valve.

division The first switching valve The first expansion mechanism The second switching valve Room dehumidification cooling operation OFF OFF OFF Indoor non-dehumidifying heating operation OFF ON ON Indoor dehumidification heating operation OFF OFF OFF Low temperature indoor dehumidification heating operation ON OFF OFF

However, in another embodiment of the present invention, the air conditioner 100 of the electric vehicle includes the IHX 150 and the accumulator 170 in the air conditioner 100 of the electric vehicle according to the embodiment of the present invention, May be omitted. Therefore, in another embodiment of the present invention, the air conditioner 100 of the electric vehicle includes the fifth connection channel 197 and the sixth connection channel 197 in the air conditioner 100 of the electric vehicle according to the above- And may include a seventh connection passage to which the evaporator 160 and the compressor 110 are connected instead of the flow passage 198.

The operation of the air conditioner for an electric vehicle according to the present invention will now be described.

FIG. 4 is a view schematically showing a flow of a refrigerant during an indoor dehumidifying cooling operation of an air conditioner of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. FIG. 5 is a view schematically showing a flow of a refrigerant in an indoor air-dehumidifying / heating operation of an air conditioner of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. 6 is a schematic view illustrating a flow of a refrigerant during an indoor dehumidifying / heating operation of an air conditioner of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention. 7 is a schematic view illustrating a flow of a refrigerant during a low temperature indoor dehumidifying / heating operation of an air conditioner of an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention.

4 to 7, the operation of the air conditioner for an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention will be described.

The air conditioner for an electric vehicle according to an embodiment of the present invention is classified into a cooling operation and a heating operation. The heating operation is classified into the indoor heating operation and the low temperature indoor heating operation. The indoor heating operation and the low-temperature indoor heating operation are classified into the dehumidifying operation and the dehumidifying operation. The cycle of operation of the electric vehicle air conditioner is classified as shown in Table 2 below.

division Refrigerant Flow compressor Internal heat exchanger The first expansion mechanism External heat exchanger evaporator Room dehumidification cooling operation compression condensation pass condensation evaporation Indoor non-dehumidifying heating operation compression condensation expansion expansion - Indoor dehumidification heating operation compression condensation pass condensation evaporation Low temperature indoor dehumidification heating operation compression condensation - - evaporation

First, referring to FIG. 4, the indoor dehumidification cooling operation will be described. The compressor 110 compresses the refrigerant. Therefore, the refrigerant forms a high temperature and a high pressure.

The compressed refrigerant flows along the first connection passage 193 toward the internal heat exchanger 120 and releases heat at this time. At this time, the air inflow blocking portion 121 is closed to prevent the heated air in the internal heat exchanger 120 from entering the room. The high temperature and high pressure refrigerant that has passed through the internal heat exchanger 120 flows to the first expansion mechanism 130 through the first switching valve 181 along the second connection passage 194. At this time, the first expansion mechanism 130 is in the OFF state, and the refrigerant flows into the external heat exchanger 140 through the third connection passage 195 without phase change. The refrigerant in the external heat exchanger 140 is radiated and changed into a low-temperature, high-pressure liquid refrigerant. The liquid refrigerant flows through the check valve 183 to the second switching valve 182 and flows through the IHX 150 along the fourth connection flow path 196. At this time, the heat exchange makes the refrigerant lower than the lowered temperature in the external heat exchanger. This is because heat exchange with cold refrigerant from the evaporator (160).

The refrigerant in the liquid state is expanded in the second expansion mechanism 161 after passing through the IHX 150, and then supplied to the evaporator 160. The temperature of the refrigerant is lowered through the phase change of the refrigerant and the refrigerant undergoes heat exchange with the air in the air flow path 300 . The air passing through the air passage 300 is cooled and discharged to the room of the vehicle.

The cool refrigerant in the gaseous state that has passed through the evaporator 160 flows to the accumulator 170 through the fifth connection passage 197. At this time, the liquid refrigerant that has not undergone the phase change can be separated without passing through. The cool refrigerant in the gaseous state passes through the sixth connection passage 198 and again passes through the IHX 150. At this time, the refrigerant undergoes heat exchange with the low temperature and high pressure refrigerant passing through the second switching valve 182, The refrigerant is supplied to the evaporator 160, and heat is absorbed in the heat exchanging process to change the state of the gas to a higher density.

The gaseous refrigerant passes through the IHX 150 and then into the compressor 110 and circulates in the manner described.

Referring to Fig. 5, the indoor non-dehumidifying heating operation will be described. The compressor 110 compresses the refrigerant. Therefore, the refrigerant is changed to high temperature and high pressure.

The compressed refrigerant flows to the internal heat exchanger 120 side, and the refrigerant flowing into the internal heat exchanger 120 is condensed. As the refrigerant is condensed, the heat of the refrigerant is released to the room air. Accordingly, the temperature of the refrigerant is lowered and the temperature of the room air is increased, so that the heating effect is generated. At this time, the air inflow blocking portion 121 is maintained in the open state.

The condensed refrigerant flows to the first expansion mechanism (130) side through the second connection passage (194). The refrigerant introduced into the first expansion mechanism 130 is expanded, and the temperature and pressure of the expanded refrigerant are lowered.

The refrigerant discharged from the first expansion mechanism (130) flows to the external heat exchanger (140) side through the third connection flow path (195). The refrigerant flowing into the external heat exchanger (140) undergoes heat exchange with the outdoor air. In the external heat exchanger (140), the refrigerant evaporates and absorbs the heat of the outdoor air. Therefore, the temperature of the refrigerant rises.

The refrigerant discharged from the external heat exchanger 140 is diverted from the second switching valve 182 and bypassed to the accumulator 170 through the second bypass flow passage 192. Therefore, the room air is not dehumidified. The refrigerant flowing into the accumulator 170 is filtered by the refrigerant in the liquid state, and only the refrigerant in the gaseous state flows to the compressor 110 side.

The indoor dehumidification heating operation will be described with reference to Fig. However, the indoor dehumidification heating operation is similar to the indoor dehumidification heating operation, and is different from the indoor dehumidifying heating operation.

The refrigerant discharged from the external heat exchanger 140 flows toward the evaporator 160 through the fourth connection passage 196. The refrigerant flowing toward the evaporator 160 is exchanged with the refrigerant flowing in the sixth connection passage 198 through the IHX 150 disposed on the fourth connection passage 196 and expanded in the second expansion mechanism 161 do. Therefore, the refrigerant flowing toward the evaporator 160 releases heat and the temperature is lowered.

The refrigerant flowing into the evaporator 160 evaporates and absorbs the heat of the room air. Thus, the indoor air can be dehumidified. Further, since the refrigerant absorbs heat from the room air, the temperature of the refrigerant rises. The refrigerant discharged from the evaporator 160 flows toward the accumulator 170 side. The refrigerant flowing into the accumulator 170 flows toward the compressor 110 side.

Referring to Fig. 7, the low temperature indoor dehumidification heating operation will be described.

And compresses the refrigerant in the compressor (110). Therefore, the refrigerant is changed to high temperature and high pressure.

The compressed refrigerant flows to the internal heat exchanger 120 side, and the refrigerant flowing into the internal heat exchanger 120 is condensed. As the refrigerant is condensed, the heat of the refrigerant is released to the room air. Accordingly, the temperature of the refrigerant is lowered and the temperature of the room air is increased, so that the heating effect is generated. At this time, the air inflow blocking portion 121 is maintained in the open state.

The refrigerant discharged from the internal heat exchanger 120 is diverted from the first switching valve 181 and bypassed to the second switching valve 182 through the first bypass flow line 191.

The refrigerant having passed through the second switching valve 182 flows toward the evaporator 160 side.

The refrigerant flowing to the evaporator 160 side by the first bypass flow path 191 flows toward the evaporator 160 through the fourth connection flow path 196. The refrigerant flowing to the evaporator 160 is heat-exchanged with the refrigerant flowing in the sixth connection passage 198 through the IHX 150 disposed on the fourth connection passage 196. Therefore, the refrigerant flowing toward the evaporator 160 releases heat and the temperature is lowered.

The refrigerant having passed through the IHX 150 is expanded into the second expansion mechanism 161 and supplied to the evaporator 160. The refrigerant flowing into the evaporator 160 evaporates and absorbs the heat of the room air. Thus, the indoor air can be dehumidified. Further, since the refrigerant absorbs heat from the room air, the temperature of the refrigerant rises.

The refrigerant discharged from the evaporator 160 flows toward the accumulator 170 and the refrigerant flowing into the accumulator 170 flows toward the compressor 110.

While the present invention has been particularly shown and described with reference to exemplary embodiments thereof, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the disclosed exemplary embodiments, but, on the contrary, It should be understood that various modifications may be made by those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention.

10: front body 20: center body
30: rear body 110: compressor
120: internal heat exchanger 130: first expansion mechanism
140: External heat exchanger 150: IHX
160: Evaporator 170: Accumulator
181: first switching valve 182: second switching valve
183: Check valve
191: first bypass passage 192: second bypass passage
194: second connection passage 196: fourth connection passage
198: sixth connection duct 200: heater
300: air flow

Claims (12)

A compressor for compressing the refrigerant;
An internal heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the refrigerant flowing in and the air;
An external heat exchanger for exchanging heat with the outdoor air;
A first expansion mechanism disposed between the internal heat exchanger and the external heat exchanger for expanding the refrigerant flowing therein;
An evaporator for evaporating the introduced refrigerant to dehumidify the room air;
A second expansion mechanism disposed between the external heat exchanger and the evaporator for expanding the refrigerant flowing therein;
First and second switching valves for changing the air conditioner to a cooling, heating, dehumidifying and dehumidifying operation mode;
And an ultraviolet ray irradiating unit for irradiating ultraviolet rays to the evaporator. The method according to claim 1,
And a heater connected to the internal heat exchanger and radiating heat to indoor air.
3. The method of claim 2,
Wherein the heater is a PTC heater.
The method according to claim 1,
And an accumulator connected to the compressor and containing a refrigerant.
5. The method of claim 4,
And an internal heat exchanger for exchanging heat between the evaporator, the refrigerant flowing in the external heat exchange period, and the refrigerant flowing in the accumulator and the compression period.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first expansion mechanism is an electronic expansion valve.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the first switching valve and the second switching valve are three-way valves.
The method according to claim 1,
Further comprising an air passage through which indoor air flows,
Wherein the evaporator, the internal heat exchanger, and the ultraviolet ray irradiating unit are disposed on the air flow path.
9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the ultraviolet ray irradiating unit includes at least one UV light emitting diode.
9. The method of claim 8,
Wherein the ultraviolet ray irradiating unit includes at least one ultraviolet lamp.
9. The method of claim 8,
And a drain flow path for discharging condensation water generated in the evaporator is formed in the air flow path.
The method according to claim 1,
Wherein the ultraviolet ray irradiation unit is operated during operation of the air conditioner and for a certain period of time after the operation of the air conditioner is stopped.

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