TEMPERING SYSTEM, IN PARTICULAR FOR A VEHICLE

A tempering system includes a refrigerant circuit with a heat-emitting heat exchanger around which air to be heated can flow, and a heat-absorbing heat exchanger around which air to be cooled can flow, and an air guide arrangement for optionally conducting exhaust air extracted from an interior to be thermally conditioned via the heat-emitting heat exchanger or the heat-absorbing heat exchanger and for optionally conducting fresh air via the heat-absorbing heat exchanger or the heat-emitting heat exchanger. The air guide arrangement is configured such that in a fresh air heating mode, fresh air to be conducted into the interior to be thermally conditioned is conducted as air to be heated via the heat-emitting heat exchanger and exhaust air to be extracted from the interior to be thermally conditioned is conducted as air to be cooled via the heat-absorbing heat exchanger.

CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application claims priority of German patent application nos. 10 2023 111 565.0, filed May 4, 2023, and 10 2023 120 143.3, filed Jul. 28, 2023, the entire content of both applications is incorporated herein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure concerns a tempering system, in particular for a vehicle, including at least one refrigerant circuit with at least one heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement around which air to be heated can flow, and at least one heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement around which air to be cooled can flow, and an air guide arrangement for optional conduction of waste air extracted from an interior to be thermally conditioned through the at least one heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement or the at least one heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement, and for optional conduction of fresh air through the at least one heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement or the at least one heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement.

BACKGROUND

Such a tempering system is known from US 2017/0259642. This known tempering system is shown in heating mode inFIG.2. In this tempering system generally designated10, which is configured to heat an interior12of a bus14, a refrigerant circuit16(shown schematically) includes, successively in the flow direction, a compressor18, one or more mutually parallel-connected heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangements20, an expansion valve22, and one or more mutually parallel-connected heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangements24. For thermal conditioning of the interior12, the heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement24may act or be operated as an evaporator heat exchanger arrangement, and the heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement20may act or be operated as a condenser heat exchanger arrangement. In the region of the heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement20, heat is emitted from the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circuit16and transmitted to the air flowing around the heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement20, while the heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement24receives heat from the air flowing around it and transmits it to the refrigerant. The air flowing around the heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement20is heated while the air flowing around the heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement24is cooled.

The tempering system10furthermore includes an air guide arrangement, generally designated26. The air guide arrangement26includes a first flap arrangement28assigned to the heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement20, and a second flap arrangement30assigned to the heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement24.

The first flap arrangement28includes three adjustable air guide flaps32,34,36. Similarly, the second flap arrangement30includes three adjustable air guide flaps38,40,42.

The first air guide flap32of the first flap arrangement32can be pivoted between a position shown inFIG.2, in which it opens a flow path on the interior12to the heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement20and blocks a flow path from an external environment to the heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement20, and a position in which it blocks the flow path from the interior12to the heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement20while opening the flow path from the external environment to the heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement20.

The second air guide flap34can be switched between a position shown inFIG.2, in which it blocks a flow path from the heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement20to a discharge volume44, and a position in which it opens the flow path from the heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement20to the discharge volume44.

The third air guide flap36of the first flap arrangement28can be moved between a position shown inFIG.2, in which it opens a flow path from the heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement20to a supply volume46, and a position in which it blocks the flow path from the heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement20to the supply volume46.

In the heating mode of the tempering system10, shown inFIG.2, the air guide flaps32,34,36of the first flap arrangement28are set such that air extracted from the interior12flows as recirculation air U to the heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement20, receives heat there and is conveyed back to the interior12via the supply volume46and a supply fan arrangement48.

The fourth air guide flap38of the second flap arrangement30can be pivoted between a position shown inFIG.2, in which it opens a flow path from the external environment to the heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement24and blocks a flow path from the interior12to the heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement24, and a position in which it blocks the flow path from the external environment to the heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement24while opening the flow path from the interior12to the heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement24.

The fifth air guide flap40of the second flap arrangement30can be switched between a position shown inFIG.2, in which it opens a flow path from the heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement24to the discharge volume44, and a position in which it blocks the flow path from the heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement24to the discharge volume44.

The sixth air guide flap42of the second flap arrangement30can be moved between a position shown inFIG.2, in which it blocks a flow path from the heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement24to the supply volume46, and a position in which it opens the flow path from the heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement24to the supply volume46.

In the heating mode of the tempering system10shown inFIG.2, fresh air F drawn in from the outside flows through the heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement24, where it emits heat to the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circuit16, and leaves the discharge volume44in the direction of the external environment under the conveying effect of a discharge fan arrangement50.

SUMMARY

An object of the present disclosure is to provide a tempering system and a method for operating a tempering system with which an increased efficiency is achieved for thermal conditioning of an interior.

According to a first aspect of the present disclosure, this object is achieved by a tempering system, in particular for a vehicle, including:at least one refrigerant circuit with at least one heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement around which air to be heated can flow, and at least one heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement around which air to be cooled can flow,an air guide arrangement for optional conduction of waste air extracted from an interior to be thermally conditioned through the at least one heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement or the at least one heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement, and for optional conduction of fresh air through the at least one heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement or the at least one heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement.

In the tempering system according to the disclosure, the air guide arrangement is configured such that in a fresh air heating mode, fresh air to be conducted into the interior to be thermally conditioned is conducted as at least part of the air to be heated, preferably as all the air to be heated, through the at least one heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement, and waste air to be extracted from the interior to be thermally conditioned is conducted as at least part of the air to be cooled, preferably as all the air to be cooled, through the at least one heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement.

Alternatively or additionally, in the tempering system according to the disclosure, the guide arrangement is configured such that in a fresh air cooling mode, fresh air to be conducted into the interior to be thermally conditioned is conducted as at least part of the air to be cooled through the at least one heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement, and waste air to be extracted from the interior to be thermally conditioned is conducted as at least part of the air to be heated through the at least one heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement.

The tempering system according to the disclosure also works efficiently as a heat pump in fresh air heating mode, that is, a heating mode in which at least a part of the air to be heated and conducted into the interior has not previously been extracted from the interior as recirculation air, but is extracted as fresh air from outside the interior to be thermally conditioned, for example from an external environment. In a state in which an interior of, for example, a vehicle is to be heated or kept warm, it is assumed that the waste air extracted from the interior in fresh air heating mode and to be replaced by fresh air has a higher temperature than the fresh air drawn in from the external environment. By conducting the comparatively warm waste air, to be replaced by fresh air to be heated, through the at least one heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement, this can extract heat from the comparatively warm waste air in heat pump mode of the tempering system, and transmit it to the fresh air to be conducted into the interior. Thus in comparison with a fresh air heating mode in which the heat to be transmitted to the fresh air to be heated and conducted into the interior is extracted from a fresh air stream received from the external environment, conducted through the at least one heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement and then discharged again to the environment, the tempering system as an air heat pump is operated at an operating point at which it has a significantly higher efficiency.

Accordingly, also in fresh air cooling mode, the tempering system constructed according to the disclosure can work as a heat pump in order to use the waste air to be extracted for example from a cooled interior of the vehicle as a heat carrier, to which heat extracted from the fresh air to be cooled and conducted into the interior can be transmitted.

In order, in fresh air heating mode, to convey into the interior the fresh air to be heated and conducted into the interior, it is proposed that a supply fan arrangement is provided for conveying, in fresh air heating mode, fresh air to be conducted into the interior to be thermally conditioned so as to flow around the at least one heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement. Alternatively or additionally, the supply fan arrangement may be provided for conveying, in fresh air cooling mode, fresh air to be conducted into the interior to be thermally conditioned so as to flow around the at least one heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement.

To conduct thermally conditioned air, in particular also the fresh air heated in fresh air heating mode or the fresh air cooled in fresh air cooling mode, into the interior, a supply volume may be provided for receiving the fresh air conveyed by the supply fan arrangement in fresh air heating mode so as to flow around the at least one heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement and for emitting the fresh air heated by the at least one heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement to the interior to be thermally conditioned, and/or for receiving the fresh air conveyed by the supply fan arrangement in fresh air cooling mode so as to flow around the at least one heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement and for emitting the fresh air cooled by the at least one heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement to the interior to be thermally conditioned.

To discharge air from the interior, in particular also to discharge the waste air to be discharged to the outside, that is, to the external environment, in fresh air heating mode, a discharge fan arrangement may be provided for conveying waste air to be extracted from the interior to be thermally conditioned in fresh air heating mode so as to flow around the at least one heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement. Alternatively or additionally, the discharge fan arrangement may be provided for conveying waste air to be extracted from the interior to be thermally conditioned in fresh air cooling mode so as to flow around the at least one heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement.

Here, a discharge volume may be provided for receiving the waste air conveyed by the discharge fan arrangement in fresh air heating mode so as to flow around the at least one heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement and for emitting the waste air cooled by the at least one heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement to an external environment, and/or for receiving waste air conveyed by the discharge fan arrangement in fresh air cooling mode so as to flow around the at least one heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement and for emitting the waste air heated by the at least one heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement to an external environment.

For defined setting of the air flows, in particular in fresh air heating mode, the guide arrangement assigned to the at least one heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement may include a first flap arrangement for optional conduction of the air flowing around the at least one heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement into the supply volume or into the discharge volume, and/or the guide arrangement assigned to the at least one heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement may include a second flap arrangement for optional conduction of the air flowing around the at least one heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement into the supply volume or into the discharge volume.

In order in the various operating modes to be able to guarantee the function of the refrigerant circuit as a heat pump in a wide temperature spectrum, it is proposed that the refrigerant circuit contains CO2 as refrigerant.

The disclosure furthermore concerns a vehicle, in particular a bus, including a tempering system constructed according to the disclosure.

According to a further aspect, the object cited initially is achieved by a method for thermal conditioning of an interior via a tempering system, constructed, for example, according to the present disclosure, wherein the tempering system includes at least one refrigerant circuit with at least one heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement around which air to be heated can flow, and at least one heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement around which air to be cooled can flow, and an air guide arrangement for optional conduction of waste air extracted from an interior to be thermally conditioned through the at least one heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement or the at least one heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement, and for optional conduction of fresh air through the at least one heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement or the at least one heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement, in which method:in a fresh air heating mode, fresh air to be conducted into the interior to be thermally conditioned is conducted as at least part of the air to be heated, preferably as all the air to be heated, through the at least one heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement, and waste air to be extracted from the interior to be thermally conditioned is conducted as at least part of the air to be cooled, preferably as all the air to be cooled, through the at least one heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement, and/orin a fresh air cooling mode, fresh air to be conducted into the interior to be thermally conditioned is conducted as at least part of the air to be cooled through the at least one heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement, and waste air to be extracted from the interior to be thermally conditioned is conducted as at least part of the air to be heated through the at least one heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

The structure or operation of a tempering system is described below with reference toFIG.1, wherein the system may be used, for example, for thermal conditioning of a bus and in its fundamental structure may be configured as the tempering system10described above with reference toFIG.2. Therefore with respect to the fundamental configuration of the tempering system10ofFIG.1, described in more detail below with respect to a fresh air heating mode, reference is made to the above statements in relation toFIG.2. Components with structure or function corresponding to the components described above with reference toFIG.2carry the same reference signs inFIG.1.

FIG.1shows a tempering system10in a fresh air heating mode in which, in principle, the interior12of the bus14is to be heated, but the air to be heated and introduced into the interior12has not previously been extracted from the interior12as circulated air, but supplied from the external environment as fresh air F. It is pointed out that in the sense of the present disclosure, such a fresh air heating mode also includes a mode in which a part of the air to be heated and conducted into the interior is supplied as fresh air F from the external environment, while a further part is extracted from the interior12as recirculation air and returned thereto.

FIG.2shows that the air guide arrangement26is set such that the first air guide flap32of the first flap arrangement28blocks the flow path from the interior12to the heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement20, while the flow path from the external environment to the heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement20is open. Under the conveying effect of the supply fan arrangement48, fresh air F from the external environment is conveyed through the heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement20into the supply volume46and via this into the interior12of the bus14. When flowing around the heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement20of the refrigerant circuit16, the fresh air F absorbs heat from the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circuit16and, thus heated, enters the interior12. For this, the second air guide flap34and the third air guide flap36of the first flap arrangement28are set such that the second air guide flap34blocks the flow path to the discharge volume44while the third air guide flap36opens the flow path to the supply volume46.

In the second flap arrangement30of the air guide arrangement26, the fourth air guide flap38is set such that it opens the flow path from the interior12to the heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement24and blocks the flow path from the external environment to the heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement24. The fifth air guide flap40of the second flap arrangement30is set such that it opens the flow path from the heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement24to the discharge volume44, and the sixth air guide flap42of the second flap arrangement30is set such that it blocks the flow path from the heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement24to the supply volume46, and conducts the waste air A, extracted from the interior12and flowing through the heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement24, in the direction towards the discharge volume44. Under the conveying effect of the discharge fan arrangement50, the waste air A, extracted from the interior12and conducted through the heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement24, flows via the discharge volume44to the external environment. In doing so, heat is extracted from the waste air A extracted from the interior12at the heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement24, and transmitted to the refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit16, which then in turn can transmit it to the fresh air F to be conducted into the interior12at the heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement20in heat pump mode of the refrigerant circuit16.

By operating the tempering system10in a fresh air heating mode in which heat to be transmitted to the fresh air F to be conducted into the interior12is taken from the comparatively warm waste air A extracted from the interior12, it is possible to operate the refrigerant circuit16in heat pump mode at an operating point which allows a comparatively high efficiency. In order to guarantee that heat pump mode is possible over a broad range of temperature of the fresh air F, advantageously CO2 is used as a refrigerant in the refrigerant circuit16. The thermal energy contained in the waste air A to be discharged from the interior12is therefore not—as is the case in conventional buses-emitted to the external environment as heat losses with the otherwise unused waste air A, but is used to increase the efficiency of the tempering system10for heating the fresh air F to be conducted into the interior12.

If, in this fresh air heating mode, a part of the air to be conducted into the interior12is provided by recirculation air previously extracted from the interior12, while another part of the fresh air is supplied from the external environment, at the first flap arrangement28, the first air guide flap32may be set to a position in which it completely blocks neither the flow path from the interior14to the heat-emitting heat exchanger20nor the flow path from the external environment to the heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement20. Thus under the conveying effect of the supply fan arrangement48, a mixture of fresh air F and recirculation air can be conducted through the heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement20and back-heated-to the interior12. Depending on the positioning of the first air guide flap32, the ratio of fresh air F to recirculation air can be set.

It is pointed out that the tempering system10shown inFIG.1can evidently also be operated in other operating modes. For example, in recirculation air heating mode or recirculation air cooling mode shown inFIG.2, or in fresh air cooling mode illustrated inFIG.3. In fresh air mode, the air guide flaps38,40,42of the flap arrangement30are set such that fresh air F drawn in from the outside flows through the heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement24and emits heat to the refrigerant circulating in the refrigerant circuit16. Then, under the conveying effect of the supply fan arrangement48, the cooled fresh air F flows in the direction of the supply air volume46and from there into the interior12.

The waste air A to be extracted from the interior12and replaced by fresh air F is conducted by the air guide flaps32,34,36of the flap arrangement28out of the interior12through the heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement20in the direction of the discharge volume44. On flowing through the heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement20, the waste air A receives heat from the heat transfer medium circulating in the heat transfer medium circuit16, and then flows to the outside under the conveying effect of the discharge fan arrangement50.

The fresh air heating mode or fresh air cooling mode, described with reference to the embodiment of the tempering system shown inFIGS.1and3, can also be achieved with a tempering system in which the refrigerant circuit with the various types of heat exchanger arrangements is operated such that, depending on the circulation direction of the refrigerant, each of the heat exchanger arrangements can be operated either as an heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement or as a heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement. If for example the fresh air to be introduced into the interior12is to be cooled, a heat exchanger arrangement, through which it flows in this fresh air cooling mode and is conducted to the interior, is operated as heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement, while the other heat exchanger arrangement in this mode is operated as heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement. If the fresh air is to be heated and conducted into the interior, the same heat exchanger arrangement is operated as a heat-emitting heat exchanger arrangement while the other heat exchanger arrangement is operated as a heat-absorbing heat exchanger arrangement. With optional conduction of the two air flows through the two types of heat exchangers, this allows widely varying operating modes to be provided with a simply structured air guide arrangement.

It should also be emphasized that the tempering system constructed or operated according to the disclosure may also be used in other applications, for example for thermal conditioning of buildings, and may be configured differently in particular with respect to the devices provided for setting the various air flows. Thus for example one or both flap arrangements28,30may, instead of the pairs of air guide flaps34,36or40,42, have only a single flap which, corresponding to the functionality of the air guide flaps32,38, conducts the air flowing through a respective heat exchanger arrangement20or24either in the direction towards the supply volume46or in the direction towards the discharge volume44.