Multifunction reservoir for a secondary loop, climate control system and a secondary loop climate control system incorporating that multifunction reservoir

Abstract

A multifunction reservoir for a secondary loop climate control system includes a coolant vessel, a capsule held in the coolant vessel and a phase change material in the capsule. A secondary loop air conditioning system and a secondary loop heat pump system incorporating one or more multifunction reservoirs of the type described are also disclosed.

1 . A multifunction reservoir for a secondary loop climate control system, comprising:
 a coolant vessel;   a capsule held in said coolant vessel; and   a phase change material in said capsule.   
     
     
         2 . The multifunction reservoir of  claim 1 , further including an inlet port and an outlet port on said coolant vessel. 
     
     
         3 . The multifunction reservoir of  claim 2 , further including a modulating functionality feature at one of said inlet port and said outlet port to adjust coolant flow rate. 
     
     
         4 . The multifunction reservoir of  claim 3 , wherein said modulating functionality feature is a pulse width modulating solenoid value. 
     
     
         5 . The multifunction reservoir of  claim 1 , wherein said phase change material has phase change temperature below 15 degree Celsius for cooling circuit and between 15 to 90 degree Celsius for heating circuit. 
     
     
         6 . The multifunction reservoir of  claim 5 , wherein said phase change material is selected from a first group of materials consisting of paraffins or salt hydrates. 
     
     
         7 . The multifunction reservoir of  claim 1 , wherein said capsule includes an outer wall made from a second group of metallic materials consisting of aluminum, copper, stainless steel, and carbon steel. 
     
     
         8 . A secondary loop air conditioning system, comprising:
 a refrigerant loop adapted to circulate a refrigerant between a compressor, a condenser, an expansion device and a chiller; and   a coolant loop adapted to circulate a coolant between said chiller, a pump, a first cooler and a reservoir having an integrated phase change material feature.   
     
     
         9 . The secondary loop air conditioning system of  claim 8 , wherein said reservoir comprises a coolant vessel and said integrated phase change material feature comprises a capsule held in said coolant vessel and a phase change material in said capsule. 
     
     
         10 . The secondary loop air conditioning system of  claim 9 , further including an inlet port and an outlet port in said coolant vessel and a modulating functionality feature at one of said inlet port and said outlet port to adjust coolant flow rate. 
     
     
         11 . The secondary loop air conditioning system of  claim 10 , wherein said modulating functionality feature is a pulse width modulation solenoid value. 
     
     
         12 . The secondary loop air conditioning system of  claim 11 , wherein said phase change material has phase change temperature below 15 degree Celsius. 
     
     
         13 . The secondary loop air conditioning system of  claim 12 , wherein said phase change material is selected from a first group of materials consisting of paraffins or salt hydrates. 
     
     
         14 . The secondary loop air conditioning system of  claim 13 , wherein said capsule includes an outer wall made from a material selected from a second group of metallic materials consisting of aluminum, copper, stainless steel, and carbon steel. 
     
     
         15 . The secondary loop air conditioning system of  claim 8 , further including a second cooler in said coolant loop to provide an air conditioning function to two different zones of a motor vehicle. 
     
     
         16 . A secondary loop heat pump system, comprising:
 a first four-way valve;   a second four-way valve;   a cooling circuit in communication with said first four-way valve and said second four-way valve, said cooling circuit including a cold source, a first reservoir, a first heat exchanger and a first pump; and   a heating circuit in communication with said first four-way valve and said second four-way valve, said heating circuit including a heat source, a second reservoir, a second heat exchanger and a second pump wherein said first reservoir includes a first phase change material feature and said second reservoir includes a second phase change material feature.   
     
     
         17 . The secondary loop heat pump system of  claim 16 , wherein (a) said first reservoir comprises a first coolant vessel and said first phase change material feature comprises a first capsule held in said first coolant vessel and a first phase change material in said first capsule and (b) said second reservoir comprises a second coolant vessel and said second phase change material feature comprises a second capsule held in said second coolant vessel and a second phase change material in said second capsule. 
     
     
         18 . The secondary loop heat pump system of  claim 17 , wherein said first phase change material has a phase change temperature below 15 degree Celsius in the cooling circuit. 
     
     
         19 . The secondary loop heat pump system of  claim 17 , wherein said second phase change material has phase change temperature between 15 to 90 degree Celsius. 
     
     
         20 . The secondary loop heat pump system of  claim 17 , wherein said first phase change material is paraffin 14-carbons and said second phase change material is paraffin 28-carbons.