COOLANT CIRCULATION SYSTEM FOR A VEHICLE

Abstract

A coolant circulation system for a vehicle performs heat management of a high voltage battery provided in an electric vehicle. The coolant circulation system is configured to be connected to the high voltage battery of the electric vehicle to combine coolant managed outside the electric vehicle and coolant circulated in the high voltage battery of the electric vehicle with each other to supply cooled or heated coolant to the high voltage battery. Thus, the charging efficiency is improved through temperature management of the high voltage battery when the high voltage battery is charged.

Description

Claims

1. A coolant circulation system for a vehicle, the coolant circulation system comprising: a heating tank and a cooling tank that are configured to store coolant therein;a coolant line configured to be selectively connected to a battery system of the vehicle and to supply the coolant in both the heating tank and the cooling tank to the battery system, the coolant line including a coolant valve configured to selectively supply the coolant in both the heating tank and the cooling tank to the battery system; anda refrigerant line in which refrigerant is circulated, the refrigerant line including a compressor, an expansion valve, a heating core provided in the heating tank, a cooling core provided in the cooling tank, and a refrigerant valve configured to change a flow direction of the refrigerant.

2. The coolant circulation system of claim 1, wherein the coolant line further comprises a coupling part connected to the battery system of the vehicle and a water pump configured to circulate the coolant.

3. The coolant circulation system of claim 2, wherein the coolant line is configured to allow the coolant to flow to the coupling part by passing through the heating tank or the cooling tank from the water pump.

4. The coolant circulation system of claim 2, wherein the coolant valve comprises a first coolant valve and a second coolant valve that are configured to allow the coolant to selectively flow from the heating tank or the cooling tank to the coupling part.

5. The coolant circulation system of claim 1, wherein the refrigerant line further comprises an external heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange with outside air.

6. The coolant circulation system of claim 5, wherein the refrigerant line is configured to allow the refrigerant to pass through the heating core or the external heat exchanger, the expansion valve, and the cooling core from the compressor and to be recirculated to the compressor.

7. The coolant circulation system of claim 5, wherein the refrigerant valve is a 6-way valve and is configured to change a flow of the refrigerant so that the refrigerant that has passed through the compressor selectively flows into one or more of the heating core, the cooling core, and the external heat exchanger.

8. The coolant circulation system of claim 7, wherein, in response to a rotation position of the refrigerant valve, the refrigerant valve allows the refrigerant to flow into the compressor and the heating core, and into the heating core and the external heat exchanger and prevents the refrigerant from flowing into the heating core and the cooling core, or the refrigerant valve allows the refrigerant to flow into the compressor and the external heat exchanger, and into the heating core and the cooling core and prevents the refrigerant from flowing into the compressor and the heating core.

9. The coolant circulation system of claim 5, wherein the refrigerant valve comprises a first refrigerant valve configured to change a flow of the refrigerant between the compressor, the expansion valve, and the heating core, a second refrigerant valve configured to change a flow of the refrigerant between the heating core, the external heat exchanger, and the compressor, and a third refrigerant valve configured to allow a flow of the refrigerant between the compressor and the external heat exchanger.

10. The coolant circulation system of claim 5, wherein the expansion valve comprises a first expansion valve arranged between the compressor and the external heat exchanger, and a second expansion valve arranged between the external heat exchanger and the cooling core.

11. The coolant circulation system of claim 1, wherein the heating tank further comprises a heater configured to heat the coolant.

12. The coolant circulation system of claim 1, further comprising: a controller configured to receive a coolant required temperature of the battery system, to control the coolant valve, the expansion valve, and the refrigerant valve, and to adjust temperature of the coolant supplied to the battery system of the vehicle.

13. The coolant circulation system of claim 12, wherein, when the battery system of the vehicle requires an increase in temperature of the coolant, the controller circulates the refrigerant of the refrigerant line, so that the coolant in the heating tank is heated by the heating core and the heated coolant is supplied to the battery system.

14. The coolant circulation system of claim 13, wherein, when temperature of the coolant in the cooling tank is equal to or higher than a preset temperature, the controller allows the battery system of the vehicle to perform a control according to the increase in temperature of the coolant.

15. The coolant circulation system of claim 12, wherein the heating tank further comprises a heater configured to heat the coolant, and wherein, when the battery system of the vehicle requires an increase in a temperature of the coolant and a temperature of the coolant in the cooling tank is less than a preset temperature, the controller limits circulation of the refrigerant in the refrigerant line, operates the heater, and supplies heated coolant in the heating tank to the battery system.

16. The coolant circulation system of claim 12, wherein, when the battery system of the vehicle requires heated coolant and cooled coolant, the controller circulates the refrigerant of the refrigerant line to heat the coolant in the heating tank by the heating core, and to cool the coolant in the cooling tank by the cooling core, and the controller selectively supplies the coolant in the heating tank or the cooling tank in response to a required coolant temperature of the battery system.

17. The coolant circulation system of claim 12, wherein, when the battery system of the vehicle requires a cooling of the coolant, the controller circulates the refrigerant of the refrigerant line, so that the coolant in the heating tank and the coolant in the cooling tank are cooled by the heating core and the cooling core, respectively, and the cooled coolant is supplied to the battery system.