Air conditioning self-cleaning system and method using battery waste heat recovery

Abstract

The air conditioning self-cleaning system and method utilizing battery waste heat recovery include a coolant circuit, a self-cleaning circuit and a heat exchanger; the self-cleaning circuit and the coolant circuit exchange energy through the heat exchanger; the self-cleaning circuit includes a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, an outdoor condenser, a first three-way valve and a second three-way valve; the present invention can quickly connect the vehicle air conditioning system and the battery waste heat recovery system in series in the coolant circuit through the adjustment of the two three-way valves to realize the self-cleaning function of the air conditioning system. The architecture absorbs ambient heat in the defrosting mode and dries the evaporator, and releases heat in the condensing mode to cool the evaporator, and realizes the self-cleaning function with low power using the battery waste heat. The air conditioning self-cleaning system utilizing battery waste heat recovery can make full use of the waste heat of the battery during parking and charging, realize low-energy self-cleaning of the air conditioning system, and greatly improve the cleanliness of the passenger compartment.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The invention belongs to the field of electric vehicle air conditioners and relates to an air conditioner self-cleaning system and method utilizing battery waste heat recovery. Background Art

[0002] The rise of smart cockpits in electric vehicles has made researchers and consumers pay more and more attention to the comfort of the passenger compartment. The quality of the in-car environment not only affects the driver's mood, but is also likely to have a certain impact on the driver's health. In the circulation process of the air conditioner of traditional models, dust and other impurities in the external environment are often not completely filtered out. After being turned on for a long time, a large amount of harmful substances will accumulate and adhere to the surface of the indoor heat exchanger fins. Some of the harmful substances will enter the cabin with the air flow, and the rest may become moldy. This not only affects the heat exchange performance between the indoor heat exchanger and the air, but also generates unpleasant odors, seriously reducing the air quality in the passenger compartment.

[0003] Although electric vehicles have the advantage of low electricity costs, how to better utilize the heat generated by the car itself is still a major research direction for improving the endurance of electric vehicles. Recovering battery waste heat for the self-cleaning function of the air conditioning system is very important. Summary of the invention

[0004] The purpose of the present invention is to provide an air-conditioning self-cleaning system and method using battery waste heat recovery, so as to solve the problem that during the circulation process of the air conditioner, impurities such as dust in the external environment are often not completely filtered out. After being turned on for a long time, a large amount of harmful substances will accumulate and adhere to the surface of the indoor heat exchanger fins. Some of the harmful substances will enter the crew cabin with the air flow, and the remaining part may become moldy, affecting the heat exchange performance between the indoor heat exchanger and the air, and also generating unpleasant odors, seriously reducing the air quality in the passenger cabin.

[0005] To achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solutions:

[0006] The air conditioning self-cleaning system that utilizes battery waste heat recovery includes a coolant circuit, a self-cleaning circuit, and a heat exchanger; the self-cleaning circuit and the coolant circuit exchange energy through the heat exchanger;

[0007] The self-cleaning circuit includes a compressor, an indoor heat exchanger, an outdoor condenser, a first three-way valve and a second three-way valve; the outlet of the compressor is divided into two paths, one path is connected to the first port of the second three-way valve, and the other path is connected to the first inlet of the heat exchanger; the second port of the second three-way valve is connected to the inlet end of the indoor heat exchanger, and the outlet end of the indoor heat exchanger is connected to the first port of the first three-way valve, and the second port of the first three-way valve is divided into two paths, one path is connected to one end of the outdoor condenser, and the other path is connected to the first outlet of the heat exchanger; the other end of the outdoor condenser is connected to the inlet of the compressor; the third port of the second three-way valve is connected between the compressor and the outdoor condenser, and the third port of the first three-way valve is connected to the outlet end of the indoor heat exchanger.

[0008] Furthermore, a second electronic expansion valve is provided at the first outlet of the heat exchanger, and a first electronic expansion valve is provided at the third port of the first three-way valve.

[0009] Furthermore, an air-conditioning electric heater is installed on the indoor heat exchanger.

[0010] Furthermore, a radiator is installed on the outdoor condenser, and a fan is arranged at the rear side of the indoor heat exchanger. When the fan is working, air passes through the heat exchanger and then flows into the cabin.

[0011] Furthermore, the coolant circuit includes a water pump, a power battery pack, a motor and a battery electric heater; the water pump outlet is connected to the heat dissipation structure of the power battery pack and the motor through a pipeline, the heat dissipation structure is connected to the battery electric heater through a pipeline, the battery electric heater outlet is connected to the second inlet of the heat exchanger, and the second outlet of the heat exchanger is connected to the water pump inlet.

[0012] Furthermore, the heat dissipation structure of the power battery pack and the motor is a radiator, which is used to dissipate heat for the motor and the power battery pack together, and the fan is used to supplement the air volume for heat dissipation when the vehicle is parked or at a low speed.

[0013] Furthermore, a dust detection sensor is provided on the indoor heat exchanger, and the dust detection sensor is connected to the vehicle controller.

[0014] Furthermore, a cleaning method of an air conditioning self-cleaning system utilizing battery waste heat recovery comprises the following steps:

[0015] The dust detection sensor detects the dust on the indoor evaporator. When the dust level is greater than the dust threshold, the battery charging status is detected. When the battery is in the charging state, the battery waste heat recovery and air conditioning self-cleaning mode are started; when the battery is not in the non-charging state, the air conditioning self-cleaning mode is directly started;

[0016] The vehicle controller controls the heat pump air conditioning system to operate in cooling mode, condensing the moisture in the cabin air on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger in the form of water droplets, and then increasing the cooling capacity by operating the compressor at high power, so that the water droplets on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger condense into frost, and the frost layer combines with the dust on the surface of the heat exchanger;

[0017] In defrost mode, the air conditioning system operates in heating mode, transferring the waste heat of the battery system to the indoor heat exchanger through the heat exchanger. The frost layer melts, and dust and other debris are collected outside the cabin with the water flow, and then the indoor heat exchanger is sterilized through high-temperature drying.

[0018] Furthermore, when the battery and the motor are not preheated sufficiently, two electric heaters provide additional heating, and a fan blows air toward the indoor heat exchanger to increase the drying temperature.

[0019] Compared with the prior art, the present invention has the following technical effects:

[0020] According to the charging status of the power battery and the control logic set, the self-cleaning function of the present invention can absorb heat from the power battery, transfer the heat to the air conditioning components in the cabin through the heat exchange circuit, and quickly connect the vehicle air conditioning system and the battery waste heat recovery system in series in the coolant circuit through the adjustment of two three-way valves to realize the self-cleaning function of the air conditioning system. The architecture absorbs ambient heat in the defrosting mode and dries the evaporator, and releases heat in the condensation mode to cool the evaporator, and realizes the self-cleaning function with low power using the battery waste heat. The air conditioning self-cleaning system that uses battery waste heat recovery can make full use of the waste heat of the battery when parking and charging, realize low-energy self-cleaning of the air conditioning system, and greatly improve the cleanliness of the passenger compartment.

[0021] The present invention further determines the charging state of the battery by determining the dust threshold, and starts the battery waste heat recovery and air conditioning self-cleaning mode or directly starts the air conditioning self-cleaning mode to fully utilize the waste heat of the battery and the motor.

[0022] The present invention is provided with two electric heaters, which are respectively used for heating the passenger compartment and the power battery in extreme environments, and the heating power changes the control strategy according to the degree of waste heat recovery. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0023] Figure 1 A model of an air conditioning self-cleaning system that utilizes battery waste heat recovery;

[0024] Figure 2 An air conditioning self-cleaning strategy to utilize battery waste heat recovery;

[0025] Figure 1 In the figure, 1 is a compressor, 2 is a second three-way valve, 3 is a battery water pump, 4 is a power battery pack, 5 is a chiller, 6 is an indoor heat exchanger, 7 is a fan, 8 is an outdoor condenser, 9 is a radiator, 10 is a first electronic expansion valve, 11 is an air-conditioning electric heater, 12 is a battery electric heater, 13 is a second electronic expansion valve, and 14 is a first three-way valve. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0026] The present invention is further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings:

[0027] See also Figure 1 and Figure 2 , the present invention is applied to the self-cleaning of the air conditioning system of an electric vehicle, comprising a refrigerant circuit (self-cleaning circuit) using R134a and a coolant circuit using water and ethylene glycol;

[0028] The self-cleaning circuit includes an electronic compressor 1, a heat exchanger 5, an indoor heat exchanger 6, an outdoor condenser 8, and an electronic expansion valve. When the cabin heat exchanger acts as a condenser, the fan works in reverse and the air does not pass through the cabin.

[0029] The two sides of the indoor heat exchanger of the refrigerant circuit are connected to a three-way valve, and the flow direction of the refrigerant is changed by adjusting the switch of the three-way valve to achieve switching between different modes;

[0030] Two electric PTC heaters in the structure are used to supplement heat in extreme environments, respectively heating the passenger compartment and heating the power battery;

[0031] In the heating mode, when there is no waste heat to be recovered from the power battery, the air conditioning system PTC is used for heating. The air is heated by the air conditioning electric heater 11 in the cabin and blown into the cabin; when there is waste heat to be recovered from the power battery, the refrigerant flows to the electric compressor 1, the indoor heat exchanger 6, the first three-way valve 14, the second electronic expansion valve 13, and the heat exchanger 5 in sequence;

[0032] In the cooling mode, the refrigerant flows to the electric compressor 1, the outdoor condenser 8, the first three-way valve 14, the first electronic expansion valve 10, the heat exchanger 5, and the second three-way valve 2 in sequence;

[0033] In the condensation mode, the refrigerant flows to the electric compressor 1, the outdoor condenser 8, the first three-way valve 14, the first electronic expansion valve 10, the heat exchanger 5, and the second three-way valve 2 in sequence; the compressor changes power according to the condensation temperature requirement.

[0034] In the defrosting and sterilization mode, the refrigerant flows to the electric compressor 1, the second three-way valve 2, the indoor heat exchanger 6, the first three-way valve 14, the second electronic expansion valve 13, and the heat exchanger 5 in sequence; the air conditioner electric heater 11 changes power according to the degree of battery waste heat recovery to supplement heating;

[0035] The coolant circuit includes a water pump 3, a power battery pack 4, a battery electric heater 12 and a heat exchanger 5, and the refrigerant circuit and the coolant circuit exchange energy through the heat exchanger 5;

[0036] The radiator is used for dissipating heat for the motor and the power battery pack, and the fan is used for supplementing the air volume and dissipating heat when the vehicle is parked or at a low speed.

[0037] In the heating mode and the defrosting and sterilization mode, the outdoor condenser exchanges heat with the outdoor air, and the refrigerant absorbs heat; in the cooling mode and the condensing mode, the outdoor condenser exchanges heat with the outdoor air, and the refrigerant releases heat.

[0038] Taking into account the problems of intelligent control of electric vehicles and the difficulty of indoor cleanliness detection, the present invention designs an air-conditioning self-cleaning strategy based on charging status and dust detection. During a period of time when the power battery pack is charging and there is no expected temperature rise in the battery, the vehicle-mounted system automatically carries out the self-cleaning procedure according to the preset settings. This strategy will make full use of the battery waste heat according to the needs of the driver and automatically select the best mode. The hot air generated in the defrosting and sterilization mode is led to the outside through the exhaust device, so that the temperature in the passenger compartment will not be significantly fluctuated due to the hot air generated by the air-conditioning defrosting and sterilization mode blowing into the cabin, and at the same time, the dirty attachments of the cabin heat exchanger are discharged outside the vehicle.

[0039] The air conditioning system designed by the present invention that utilizes battery waste heat recovery is suitable for Figure 1 The electric vehicle thermal management architecture shown includes an electric compressor, an outdoor condenser, an indoor heat exchanger, a heat exchanger, a power battery system, a radiator, and a three-way valve.

[0040] The cabin cooling and heating are switched by switching two three-way valves, and the fan is arranged behind the indoor heat exchanger. When the air conditioner is turned on, the fan works and the air flows through the heat exchanger into the cabin.

[0041] Different electric heaters are used to heat the passenger compartment and power battery in extreme environments. The heating power changes the control strategy according to the degree of waste heat recovery;

[0042] In the condensation mode, the air conditioning system operates in cooling mode, condensing the moisture in the cabin air in the form of water droplets on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger, and then increasing the cooling capacity by running the compressor at high power, so that the water droplets on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger condense into frost, and the frost layer combines with the dust on the surface of the heat exchanger.

[0043] In defrost mode, the air conditioning system operates in heating mode, transferring the waste heat of the battery system to the indoor heat exchanger through the chiller, melting the frost layer, and collecting dust and other debris outside the cabin with the water flow, and then drying the indoor heat exchanger through high temperature to achieve a sterilization effect. The electric heater provides additional heating, and the fan blows air to the indoor heat exchanger to increase the drying temperature to achieve a sterilization effect.

[0044] See also Figure 1 In one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an air conditioning self-cleaning system utilizing battery waste heat recovery, comprising a coolant circuit, a self-cleaning circuit and a heat exchanger 5; the self-cleaning circuit and the coolant circuit exchange energy through the heat exchanger;

[0045] The self-cleaning circuit includes a compressor 1, an indoor heat exchanger 6, an outdoor condenser 8, a first three-way valve 14 and a second three-way valve 2; the outlet of the compressor 1 is divided into two paths, one path is connected to the first port of the second three-way valve 2, and the other path is connected to the first inlet of the heat exchanger 5; the second port of the second three-way valve 2 is connected to the inlet end of the indoor heat exchanger 6, and the outlet end of the indoor heat exchanger 6 is connected to the first port of the first three-way valve 14, and the second port of the first three-way valve 14 is divided into two paths, one path is connected to one end of the outdoor condenser 8, and the other path is connected to the first outlet of the heat exchanger 5; the other end of the outdoor condenser 8 is connected to the inlet of the compressor 1; the third port of the second three-way valve 2 is connected between the compressor 1 and the outdoor condenser 8, and the third port of the first three-way valve 14 is connected to the outlet end of the indoor heat exchanger 6.

[0046] A second electronic expansion valve 13 is disposed at the first outlet of the heat exchanger 5 , and a first electronic expansion valve 10 is disposed on the third port of the first three-way valve 14 .

[0047] An air-conditioning electric heater 11 is installed on the indoor heat exchanger 6 .

[0048] A radiator 9 is installed on the outdoor condenser 8, and a fan 7 is arranged at the rear side of the indoor heat exchanger 6. When the fan is working, air passes through the heat exchanger and then flows into the cabin.

[0049] The coolant circuit includes a water pump 3, a power battery pack 4, a motor and a battery electric heater 12; the outlet of the water pump 3 is connected to the power battery pack 4 and the radiator 9 of the motor through a pipeline, the radiator 9 is connected to the battery electric heater 12 through a pipeline, the outlet of the battery electric heater 12 is connected to the second inlet of the heat exchanger 5, and the second outlet of the heat exchanger 5 is connected to the inlet of the water pump 3. The radiator 9 is used for the motor and the power battery pack 4 to dissipate heat together, and the fan 7 is used to supplement the air volume for heat dissipation when the vehicle is parked or the vehicle speed is not high.

[0050] The indoor heat exchanger 6 is provided with a dust detection sensor, and the dust detection sensor is connected to the vehicle controller.

[0051] According to the charging status of the power battery and the control logic set, the self-cleaning function of the present invention can absorb heat from the power battery, transfer the heat to the air conditioning components in the cabin through the heat exchange circuit, and quickly connect the vehicle air conditioning system and the battery waste heat recovery system in series in the coolant circuit through the adjustment of two three-way valves to realize the self-cleaning function of the air conditioning system. The architecture absorbs ambient heat in the defrosting mode and dries the evaporator, and releases heat in the condensation mode to cool the evaporator, and realizes the self-cleaning function with low power using the battery waste heat. The air conditioning self-cleaning system that uses battery waste heat recovery can make full use of the waste heat of the battery when parking and charging, realize low-energy self-cleaning of the air conditioning system, and greatly improve the cleanliness of the passenger compartment.

[0052] The above is an embodiment of the device of the present invention, which can be used to execute the embodiment of the method of the present invention. For details not disclosed in the embodiment of the device, please refer to the embodiment of the method of the present invention.

[0053] The dust detection sensor detects the dust on the indoor evaporator. When the dust level is greater than the dust threshold, the battery charging status is detected. When the battery is in the charging state, the battery waste heat recovery and air conditioning self-cleaning mode are started; when the battery is not in the non-charging state, the air conditioning self-cleaning mode is directly started;

[0054] The vehicle controller controls the heat pump air conditioning system to operate in cooling mode, condensing the moisture in the cabin air on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger in the form of water droplets, and then increasing the cooling capacity by operating the compressor at high power, so that the water droplets on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger condense into frost, and the frost layer combines with the dust on the surface of the heat exchanger;

[0055] In defrost mode, the air conditioning system operates in heating mode, transferring the waste heat of the battery system to the indoor heat exchanger through the heat exchanger. The frost layer melts, and dust and other debris are collected outside the cabin with the water flow, and then the indoor heat exchanger is sterilized through high-temperature drying.

[0056] The present invention further determines the charging state of the battery by determining the dust threshold, and starts the battery waste heat recovery and air conditioning self-cleaning mode or directly starts the air conditioning self-cleaning mode to fully utilize the waste heat of the battery and the motor.

[0057] The present invention is provided with two electric heaters, which are respectively used for heating the passenger compartment and the power battery in extreme environments, and the heating power changes the control strategy according to the degree of waste heat recovery.

[0058] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention rather than to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to the above embodiments, ordinary technicians in the relevant field should understand that the specific implementation methods of the present invention can still be modified or replaced by equivalents. Any modification or equivalent replacement that does not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention should be covered within the scope of protection of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. Air conditioning self-cleaning system using battery waste heat recovery, characterized in that: It includes a cooling liquid circuit, a self-cleaning circuit and a heat exchanger (5); the self-cleaning circuit and the cooling liquid circuit exchange energy through the heat exchanger; The self-cleaning circuit comprises a compressor (1), an indoor heat exchanger (6), an outdoor condenser (8), a first three-way valve (14) and a second three-way valve (2); the outlet of the compressor (1) is divided into two paths, one path is connected to the first port of the second three-way valve (2), and the other path is connected to the first inlet of the heat exchanger (5); the second port of the second three-way valve (2) is connected to the inlet end of the indoor heat exchanger (6), the outlet end of the indoor heat exchanger (6) is connected to the first port of the first three-way valve (14), and the second port of the first three-way valve (14) is divided into two paths, one path is connected to one end of the outdoor condenser (8), and the other path is connected to the first outlet of the heat exchanger (5); The other end of the outdoor condenser (8) is connected to the inlet of the compressor (1); the third port of the second three-way valve (2) is connected between the compressor (1) and the outdoor condenser (8), and the third port of the first three-way valve (14) is connected to the outlet of the indoor heat exchanger (6); The coolant circuit comprises a water pump (3), a power battery pack (4), a motor and a battery electric heater (12); the outlet of the water pump (3) is connected to the heat dissipation structure of the power battery pack (4) and the motor through a pipeline, the heat dissipation structure is connected to the battery electric heater (12) through a pipeline, the outlet of the battery electric heater (12) is connected to the second inlet of the heat exchanger (5), and the second outlet of the heat exchanger (5) is connected to the inlet of the water pump (3); The indoor heat exchanger (6) is provided with a dust detection sensor, and the dust detection sensor is connected to the vehicle controller.

2. The air conditioning self-cleaning system utilizing battery waste heat recovery according to claim 1, characterized in that: A second electronic expansion valve (13) is arranged at the first outlet of the heat exchanger (5), and a first electronic expansion valve (10) is arranged at the third port of the first three-way valve (14).

3. The air conditioning self-cleaning system utilizing battery waste heat recovery according to claim 1, characterized in that: An air-conditioning electric heater (11) is installed on the indoor heat exchanger (6).

4. The air conditioning self-cleaning system utilizing battery waste heat recovery according to claim 1, characterized in that: A radiator (9) is installed on the outdoor condenser (8), and a fan (7) is arranged on the rear side of the indoor heat exchanger (6). When the fan is working, air passes through the heat exchanger and then flows into the cabin.

5. The air conditioning self-cleaning system utilizing battery waste heat recovery according to claim 1, characterized in that: The heat dissipation structure of the power battery pack (4) and the motor is a radiator (9), the radiator (9) is used for the motor and the power battery pack (4) to dissipate heat together, and the fan (7) is used for supplementing the air volume to dissipate heat when the vehicle is parked or the vehicle speed is not high.

6. A cleaning method for an air conditioning self-cleaning system utilizing battery waste heat recovery, characterized in that: The air conditioning self-cleaning system utilizing battery waste heat recovery according to any one of claims 1 to 5 comprises the following steps: The dust detection sensor detects the dust on the indoor evaporator. When the dust level is greater than the dust threshold, the battery charging status is detected. When the battery is in the charging state, the battery waste heat recovery and air conditioning self-cleaning mode are started; when the battery is not in the charging state, the air conditioning self-cleaning mode is directly started using the electric heater; The vehicle controller controls the heat pump air conditioning system to operate in cooling mode, condensing the moisture in the cabin air on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger in the form of water droplets, and then increasing the cooling capacity by operating the compressor at high power, so that the water droplets on the surface of the indoor heat exchanger condense into frost, and the frost layer combines with the dust on the surface of the heat exchanger; In defrost mode, the air conditioning system operates in heating mode, transferring the waste heat of the battery system to the indoor heat exchanger through the heat exchanger. The frost layer melts, and dust and other debris are collected outside the cabin with the water flow, and then the indoor heat exchanger is sterilized through high-temperature drying.

7. The cleaning method of the air conditioner self-cleaning system utilizing battery waste heat recovery according to claim 6, characterized in that: When the battery and motor are not preheated enough, two electric heaters provide additional heating, and the fan blows air to the indoor heat exchanger to increase the drying temperature.

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