Air conditioner
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air conditioners for vehicles face fluctuations in waste heat generation due to the drive device and battery, leading to temperature fluctuations in the blown air during heating, which affects the comfort of the air conditioning target space.
Innovation Solution
The air conditioner incorporates a heat pump cycle, a heating unit, and a low-temperature side heat medium circuit with a heat dissipation amount adjustment control unit to stabilize the blown air temperature by adjusting the heat dissipation in the outside air radiator and heat exchange in the outside air heat exchanger.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If waste heat from the drive device and battery is used for heating the air conditioning target space, then energy efficiency is improved, but temperature fluctuations in the blown air occur due to variable heat generation, affecting comfort
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a heat storage unit as an intermediary between the heat generation device and the heating heat exchanger. This heat storage unit accumulates heat when available and releases it when needed, mediating the temperature fluctuations caused by variable waste heat generation from the drive device and battery, thereby stabilizing the blown air temperature while maintaining energy efficiency
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the thermal parameter (temperature) by introducing a heat storage unit that can store and release heat, thereby decoupling the variable heat generation from the heating process. This allows the system to maintain stable blown air temperature despite fluctuations in waste heat availability, resolving the contradiction between energy efficiency and temperature stability
2Temperature
If a heat storage unit is added to stabilize blown air temperature, then temperature stability is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat storage unit is designed to serve multiple functions: it stores heat from the heat generation device, supplies heat to the heating heat exchanger, and stabilizes the blown air temperature. By making the heat storage unit multi-functional, the patent reduces the need for separate components, thereby limiting the increase in device complexity while achieving temperature stability
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the heat storage function with the existing heating system by integrating the heat storage unit into the circuit that connects the heat generation device and the heating heat exchanger. This consolidation approach stabilizes blown air temperature without significantly increasing overall system complexity
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This configuration ensures consistent air conditioning comfort by stabilizing the blown air temperature despite fluctuations in heat generation, utilizing waste heat for heating while maintaining optimal conditions in the air conditioning target space.
Implementation Method 1
a compressor that compresses and discharges a refrigerant
Implementation Method 2
a condenser that condenses a high-pressure refrigerant compressed by the compressor by heat exchange
Implementation Method 3
an evaporator that exchanges heat between a low-pressure refrigerant decompressed by the decompression unit and a low-temperature side heat medium to evaporate the refrigerant
Implementation Method 4
a heating heat exchanger that heats blown air to be blown into an air conditioning target space using heat of the high-pressure refrigerant as a heat source
Implementation Method 5
an outside air radiator that dissipates the heat of the high-pressure refrigerant to outside air
Data Source
AI summary
An air conditioner includes a heat pump cycle, a heating unit, a low-temperature side heat medium circuit, and a heat dissipation amount adjustment control unit. The heat pump cycle has a compressor, a condenser, a decompression unit, and an evaporator. The heating unit has a heating heat exchanger, an outside air radiator, and a heat dissipation amount adjustment unit. The low-temperature side heat medium circuit has a heat generation device. The heat dissipation amount adjustment control unit controls the heat dissipation amount adjustment unit to adjust a heat dissipation amount in the outside air radiator such that a blown air temperature of the blown air heated by the heating heat exchanger approaches a predetermined target temperature.