Automotive heat pump system
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle heat pump systems require large air-cooled condensers and high-capacity blowers, leading to increased size, power consumption, and noise due to the need for extensive air volume to manage radiant heat, which complicates the system design.
Innovation Solution
Incorporating a water-cooled condenser between the compressor and air-cooled condenser to exchange heat between refrigerant and coolant, reducing the size of the air-cooled condenser and blower capacity, and using controlling means to manage heat exchange based on heating and cooling modes, along with a receiver drier to enhance heating performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a large air-cooled condenser is used to manage radiant heat, then heating and cooling function is achieved, but system size increases
Solution Approach 1:
The condenser is divided into two separate units: an air-cooled condenser for heating mode and a water-cooled condenser for cooling mode. This segmentation allows each condenser to be optimized for its specific function, reducing the overall system size compared to using a single large air-cooled condenser for both modes.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention introduces a new cooling dimension by adding a water-cooled condenser that utilizes the vehicle's coolant system. This adds a thermal management dimension that doesn't rely on air volume, thereby reducing the size requirements of the air-cooled condenser and overall system.
2Reliability
If a large air-cooled condenser is used to manage radiant heat, then heating and cooling function is achieved, but blower capacity and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
By segmenting the condensing function into air-cooled and water-cooled paths, the system can select the more energy-efficient option for each operating mode. The water-cooled path uses the vehicle's existing coolant circulation rather than requiring high-power blowers.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses the vehicle's coolant system as an intermediary thermal management resource. The coolant absorbs heat from the refrigerant in the water-cooled condenser, eliminating the need for high-capacity blowers and reducing electrical power consumption.
3Reliability
If a large air-cooled condenser is used to manage radiant heat, then heating and cooling function is achieved, but noise increases
Solution Approach 1:
Segmenting the condensing function reduces the size of the air-cooled condenser, which in turn reduces the blower capacity needed. Smaller blowers operate at lower speeds and generate less noise.
Solution Approach 2:
The coolant system acts as an intermediary that handles heat rejection without requiring high-volume air movement. This eliminates the primary noise source (large blowers) while maintaining effective thermal management.
4Volume of stationary object
If the air-cooled condenser size is reduced, then system size and power consumption decrease, but heat exchange capability is compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchange capability is maintained by providing two specialized condensers: a smaller air-cooled condenser optimized for heating and a water-cooled condenser optimized for cooling. Each handles its designated thermal load efficiently, preventing the need for an oversized single unit.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the thermal management parameter from air-cooling-only to a dual-mode system (air-cooled for heating, water-cooled for cooling). This allows the air-cooled condenser to be sized appropriately for heating duty while the water-cooled condenser handles cooling duty, maintaining overall heat exchange capability with reduced total size.
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 reduces the overall system size, blower count, and power consumption while minimizing noise, improving heating and cooling efficiency by leveraging multiple heat sources and optimizing refrigerant pressure.
Implementation Method 1
a water-cooled condenser mounted on a refrigerant circulation line between the compressor and the air-cooled condenser to exchange heat between refrigerant and coolant
Implementation Method 2
exchange heat between refrigerant and coolant
Implementation Method 3
an air-cooled condenser mounted on a warm air passageway, expansion means and an evaporator mounted on a cold air passageway
Implementation Method 4
in order to construct the air-cooled condenser requiring lots of radiant values
Implementation Method 5
an evaporator mounted on a cold air passageway of an air-conditioning case in order to carry out heating and cooling
Implementation Method 6
The evaporator 4 exchanges heat between the refrigerant and air blown to the interior of the vehicle by a blower (not shown). Then, the refrigerant is evaporated in the evaporator 4
Implementation Method 7
a compressor 1 for compressing and discharging refrigerant
Implementation Method 8
an expansion valve 3 for throttling the refrigerant condensed and liquefied in the condenser 2
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a heat pump system for a vehicle, which includes a compressor, an air-cooled condenser mounted on a warm air passageway, expansion means and an evaporator mounted on a cold air passageway of an air-conditioning case in order to carry out heating and cooling and further includes a water-cooled condenser mounted on a refrigerant circulation line between the compressor and the air-cooled condenser to exchange heat between refrigerant and coolant, thereby reducing the number and the size of blowers and the size of the entire system because the size of the air-cooled condenser inside the warm air passageway is reduced, and decreasing power consumption and noise by reducing capacity of a motor of the blower.