Vehicle Cabin Heating With Dehumidification via Liquid Receiver Control
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing air-conditioning devices cannot perform dehumidification while maintaining a heating state, as they require switching to a cooling mode for dehumidification, disrupting the cabin-heating operation.
Innovation Solution
An air-conditioning device with a compressor, outside heat exchanger, evaporator, liquid receiver, restrictor mechanism, and expansion valve that temporarily switches between operation modes to store liquid-phase refrigerant in the liquid receiver during dehumidification requests, allowing dehumidification to occur while maintaining cabin-heating by using the stored refrigerant.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Manufacturing precision
If the refrigeration cycle is switched to cabin-cooling mode for dehumidification, then dehumidification can be performed, but the cabin-heating operation is disrupted
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the refrigeration cycle into two independent operational paths: a first operation mode for cabin heating with restricted refrigerant flow, and a second operation mode for dehumidification with promoted liquid-phase refrigerant storage. This segmentation allows the system to perform dehumidification while maintaining cabin heating by switching between modes rather than disrupting the entire system
Solution Approach 2:
The patent dynamically switches between two operation modes based on dehumidification requests. The restrictor mechanism dynamically adjusts refrigerant flow, and the expansion valve dynamically controls refrigerant expansion timing. This dynamic operation enables the system to maintain adaptability by transitioning from heating-only mode to a combined dehumidification-heating mode when needed
2Temperature
If the refrigeration cycle is switched to heat pump cabin-heating mode for heating, then cabin-heating operation is achieved, but dehumidification cannot be performed
Solution Approach 1:
The patent creates a multi-functional operation mode where the refrigeration cycle simultaneously performs both cabin heating and dehumidification. The heater unit continues to provide heating while the evaporating unit performs dehumidification by evaporating liquid-phase refrigerant. This universal mode allows the system to achieve both temperature control and humidity control in one operational state
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary action by storing liquid-phase refrigerant in the liquid receiver during the first operation mode before switching to dehumidification. This preliminary storage of liquid refrigerant enables the evaporating unit to immediately perform dehumidification when needed, without requiring a full system mode change that would disrupt heating
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
Enables stable dehumidifying cabin-heating operation by promoting the storage of liquid-phase refrigerant in the liquid receiver, allowing dehumidification to be performed while maintaining the cabin-heating state without switching to a cooling mode.
Implementation Method 1
a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant
Implementation Method 2
an outside heat exchanger configured to perform heat exchange between the refrigerant and outside air
Implementation Method 3
an evaporating unit configured to evaporate the refrigerant by causing the refrigerant to absorb heat of air to be led to a vehicle cabin of the vehicle
Implementation Method 4
a heater unit configured to heat the air to be led to the vehicle cabin using heat of the refrigerant compressed by the compressor
Implementation Method 5
the liquid receiver being configured to separate the refrigerant led from the outside heat exchanger into a liquid-phase refrigerant and a gaseous-phase refrigerant
Implementation Method 6
the restrictor mechanism being configured to decompress and expand the refrigerant
Implementation Method 7
the expansion valve being configured to decompress and expand the refrigerant that has passed through the outside heat exchanger
Data Source
AI summary
An air-conditioning device includes a heater unit that heats the air to be lead to a vehicle cabin using the heat of the refrigerant compressed by a compressor, a liquid receiver arranged at the downstream side of an outside heat exchanger, a liquid receiver separating the refrigerant lead from the outside heat exchanger into a liquid-phase refrigerant and a gaseous-phase refrigerant and storing the liquid-phase refrigerant, and a restrictor mechanism provided between the heater unit and the outside heat exchanger, the restrictor mechanism decompressing and expanding the refrigerant. When there is a dehumidification request, the operation mode is temporarily switched from a dehumidifying cabin-heating mode which evaporates the refrigerant by an evaporating unit and radiates heat by the heater unit in the state in which the restrictor mechanism restricts the flow of the refrigerant, to the cabin-cooling mode which evaporates the refrigerant by the evaporating unit while promoting the storage of the liquid-phase refrigerant in the liquid receiver.