Chiller-Accumulator Valve Control for Intercooler Cooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional intercooler cooling systems for engines with forced induction systems overwork additional cooling components, reducing their performance and requiring increased sizing to support secondary cooling, which is inefficient and suboptimal.
Innovation Solution
A chiller system with a low temperature cooling circuit, a chiller-accumulator loop, and an air conditioning circuit with a bypass circuit, where a chiller shut off valve controls refrigerant flow to further cool coolant in the chiller-accumulator loop, providing increased cooling to the intercooler and compressed charge air, especially during drag or track racing modes.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If the air conditioning circuit continuously draws cooling from the additional component to provide secondary cooling to the intercooler, then the intercooler cooling performance is improved, but the air conditioning component is overworked and its overall performance is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically switches between different cooling modes using valves. The first valve directs refrigerant to either the evaporator for cabin cooling or to the chiller-accumulator for intercooler cooling. The second valve controls the flow of coolant through the chiller-accumulator or bypasses it. This dynamic switching allows the air conditioning component to provide secondary cooling to the intercooler when needed without continuously overworking, as it can return to normal cabin cooling operation when intercooler cooling is not required.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides secondary cooling to the intercooler periodically rather than continuously. The control system activates the chiller-accumulator cooling path when high engine performance is needed (such as during hard acceleration or racing conditions) and switches back to normal cabin cooling when these conditions are not present. This periodic activation reduces the cumulative workload on the air conditioning component while still providing enhanced intercooler cooling when performance is prioritized.
2Temperature
If the additional component is increased in size to support secondary cooling in addition to its primary operation, then the intercooler cooling capability is improved, but the system complexity and size increase
Solution Approach 1:
The air conditioning circuit is designed to serve multiple functions: primary cabin cooling through the evaporator and secondary intercooler cooling through the chiller-accumulator path. By making the air conditioning component multi-functional, the system can provide enhanced intercooler cooling capability without requiring a separate dedicated cooling system, thus avoiding increased system size and complexity.
Solution Approach 2:
The chiller-accumulator acts as an intermediary device that enables the air conditioning refrigerant to cool the coolant that flows through the intercooler. Instead of directly using refrigerant to cool the intercooler (which would require significant system modifications), the chiller-accumulator serves as a thermal mediator, transferring cooling from the refrigerant cycle to the coolant cycle, thereby providing enhanced intercooler cooling with minimal additional complexity.
3Temperature
If the chiller-accumulator loop is used to further cool the coolant after the low temperature radiator, then the compressed charge air cooling is improved, but the refrigerant flow path complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system uses dynamic valve control to manage refrigerant flow paths. The first valve switches refrigerant flow between the evaporator and the chiller-accumulator. The second valve directs coolant flow either through the chiller-accumulator or through a bypass line. This dynamic control allows the system to achieve further cooling of the coolant after the low temperature radiator when needed, while maintaining simpler flow paths during normal operation, thus balancing cooling performance with flow path 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 enhances engine performance by providing efficient and controlled cooling to the intercooler, reducing the load on the air conditioning compressor and allowing drivers to prioritize engine performance over cabin cooling, maintaining current AC component sizing without affecting weight or fuel economy.
Implementation Method 1
an intercooler configured to cool compressed charge air received from a turbocharger or a supercharger, a low temperature cooling circuit fluidly coupled to the intercooler, the low temperature cooling circuit circulating a coolant to provide cooling to the intercooler
Implementation Method 2
including a low temperature radiator configured to cool the coolant
Implementation Method 3
The chiller-accumulator is thermally coupled to the chiller-accumulator loop and the bypass circuit. The chiller shut off valve is configured to be controlled to be selectively opened to provide refrigerant to the chiller-accumulator to further cool the coolant in the chiller-accumulator loop
Implementation Method 4
The primary circuit is separate from the low temperature cooling circuit and includes a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator
Implementation Method 5
The primary circuit is separate from the low temperature cooling circuit and includes a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator
Implementation Method 6
The primary circuit is separate from the low temperature cooling circuit and includes a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator
Data Source
AI summary
A chiller system includes an intercooler configured to cool compressed charge air received from a turbocharger or a supercharger, a low temperature cooling circuit fluidly coupled to the intercooler, the low temperature cooling circuit circulating a coolant to provide cooling to the intercooler and including a low temperature radiator configured to cool the coolant, a chiller-accumulator loop having a combined chiller-accumulator, a chiller bypass line bypassing the chiller-accumulator, and a charging valve configured to selectively provide coolant to at least one of the chiller-accumulator loop and the chiller bypass line, and an air conditioner circuit circulating a refrigerant and having a primary circuit and a bypass circuit. Refrigerant is selectively supplied to the chiller-accumulator to further cool the coolant in the chiller-accumulator loop after the coolant is cooled by the low temperature radiator, thereby providing increased cooling to the intercooler and the compressed charge air to increase engine performance.