Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heating system of a hybrid vehicle capable of achieving an improvement in fuel economy of the hybrid vehicle and a method for controlling the same.
Description of Related Art
Generally, vehicles are equipped with an air conditioning apparatus, which adjusts passenger compartment temperature for user convenience, not only to provide a pleasant environment, but also to remove frost or dew formed on vehicle windows, to secure driver visibility, thereby being capable of securing stable travel.
Such an air conditioning apparatus includes cooling and heating systems for adjusting passenger compartment temperature to a temperature desired by passengers. In the cooling system, an evaporator core is provided at a refrigerant line. Cold refrigerant circulates through the evaporator core, and ambient air passes around the evaporator core and, as such, the refrigerant in the evaporator core exchanges heat with the ambient air, thereby cooling air to be supplied to a passenger compartment.
In the heating system, a heater core is provided at a cooling water line. Hot cooling water circulates through the heater core, and ambient air passes around the heater core and, as such, the cooling water in the heater core exchanges heat with the ambient air, thereby heating air to be supplied to the passenger compartment.
In the heating system, during driving of an engine, cooling water absorbs heat generated from an engine or absorbs heat generated from electronic parts in the case of an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle, and supplies the absorbed heat to the heater core. During initial engine start, however, heat is insufficiently generated from the engine and, as such, temperature of the cooling water may be insufficient. Meanwhile, heat supplied from electronic parts of an electric vehicle or a hybrid vehicle may be insufficient to heat passenger compartment air. To this end, in such a hybrid vehicle, the engine thereof starts to supplement shortage of thermal energy, even when engine power is not needed. For this reason, fuel economy may be degraded.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.