Vehicle Air Conditioner Coolant Branch Control for Multi-Zone Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle air conditioners struggle to individually and appropriately adjust the flow rates of cooling water to multiple heater cores and outside-air heat exchangers, leading to inefficiencies in temperature control within the vehicle interior.
Innovation Solution
An air conditioner system with a heat-radiation heat exchanger and outside-air heat exchanger, featuring flow rate adjusting units and controllers to manage the flow of a heat medium across multiple heater cores and exchangers, along with air mix doors to adjust air temperatures, ensuring precise temperature control.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Device complexity
If a single heat medium circuit is used for multiple heater cores and heat exchangers, then the device complexity is reduced, but the temperature control precision for each zone deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The heat medium circuit is segmented into multiple independent branches, each serving specific heater cores or heat exchangers. Flow rate adjusting units are installed in each branch to enable independent flow control, allowing precise temperature regulation for different zones while maintaining a relatively simple overall circuit structure.
Solution Approach 2:
The system incorporates adjustable flow rate controlling devices that can dynamically modify the heat medium flow distribution to multiple heater cores and heat exchangers. This dynamic adjustment capability enables precise temperature control for different zones without requiring completely separate circuits, balancing complexity and control precision.
2Measurement precision
If separate heat medium circuits are used for each heater core and heat exchanger, then the temperature control precision is improved, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple heat medium circuits are merged into a unified system with shared components such as the pump and reservoir. Flow rate adjusting units are strategically placed at branch points to maintain independent control capability while reducing overall system complexity through component sharing and integration.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat medium circuit is designed with multi-functional branches that can serve different heater cores and heat exchangers. A single circuit configuration can accommodate multiple functions through adjustable flow distribution, reducing the need for completely separate dedicated circuits for each component.
3Measurement precision
If flow rate adjusting units are installed in all branches, then the temperature control precision is improved, but the device complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
Flow rate adjusting units are selectively installed in specific branches where precise temperature control is most critical, such as heater core branches. This localized approach achieves effective temperature control for key zones while avoiding the need to equip all branches with adjusting units, thereby reducing overall system complexity and cost.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses an intermediary control mechanism that regulates flow distribution through strategically placed adjusting units. These intermediaries enable indirect control of temperature in multiple zones without requiring direct adjustment capabilities in every branch, simplifying the overall control architecture.
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
The system effectively adjusts temperatures in the vehicle interior by optimizing the flow rates and air mix ratios, enhancing comfort and efficiency by maintaining target temperatures across different zones.
Implementation Method 1
a heat-radiation heat exchanger configured to radiate heat to a heat medium from the refrigerant that is discharged from the compressor
Implementation Method 2
a first heater core and a second heater core that are disposed in the heat medium circuit to perform heat exchange between the heat medium and air blown into a space to be air conditioned
Implementation Method 3
an outside-air heat exchanger that is disposed in the heat medium circuit to perform heat exchange between outside air and the heat medium
Data Source
AI summary
In an air conditioner, a heat medium circuit includes: a first branch part, a first merging part, a second branch part, and a second merging part. A first flow rate adjusting unit is disposed in the heat medium circuit between the first branch part and an outside-air heat exchanger or between the outside-air heat exchanger and the first merging part, and a second flow rate adjusting unit is disposed in the heat medium circuit between the first branch part and the first heater core or between the first heater core and the first merging part. At least one of the first flow rate adjusting unit or the second flow rate adjusting unit is configured to optionally adjust the flow rate of the heat medium, and a controller controls the at least one of the first flow rate adjusting unit or the second flow rate adjusting unit.