Vehicle Air-Conditioning Heat Pump Using Coolant-Coupled Evaporation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional air-conditioning systems for electric vehicles often require additional electric heating devices to provide sufficient heat, leading to increased costs.
Innovation Solution
An air-conditioning system with a refrigerant circuit and a thermally coupled coolant circuit, utilizing a heat source in the coolant circuit to transfer heat to the refrigerant, eliminating the need for an additional electric heating device in the refrigerant circuit.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If an additional electric heating device is added to the refrigerant circuit to provide sufficient heat, then the heating capability is improved, but the manufacturing cost increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the heating function into the existing coolant circuit by adding a heat source there, rather than adding a separate heating device to the refrigerant circuit. This combines multiple functions (heating and refrigeration) into a unified system architecture, reducing overall system complexity and manufacturing cost while maintaining adequate heating capability.
Solution Approach 2:
The coolant acts as an intermediary medium that transfers heat from the heat source to the refrigerant through thermal coupling. This intermediary approach allows heat transfer between the coolant circuit and refrigerant circuit without direct mixing, enabling the heating function to be achieved through the coolant circuit rather than requiring a separate heating device in the refrigerant circuit.
2Ease of manufacture
If a coolant circuit with heat source is used to heat the refrigerant, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The coolant circuit is designed to serve multiple functions: it cools the drive train during operation and provides heating for the refrigerant when needed. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate dedicated heating equipment, simplifying the overall system architecture and reducing manufacturing costs despite the thermal coupling between circuits.
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
Efficient heating of the vehicle interior with reduced manufacturing costs by utilizing existing heat sources, such as an electric heating device or waste heat from an electric energy store or drive train, without incurring additional costs.
Implementation Method 1
the coolant circuit is thermally connected to the refrigerant circuit via the evaporator (6) of the latter, so that heat acting as evaporation heat in the evaporator (6) can be transferred from the coolant to the refrigerant
Implementation Method 2
a condenser (4) for condensing the refrigerant subject to passing condensation heat on to a fluid conducted through the condenser
Implementation Method 3
a heat source for heating the coolant is arranged in the coolant circuit. The coolant circuit is thermally connected to the refrigerant circuit via the evaporator (6) of the latter, so that heat acting as evaporation heat in the evaporator (6) can be transferred from the coolant to the refrigerant
Data Source
AI summary
An air-conditioning system for a motor vehicle is disclosed. The air-conditioning system includes a refrigerant circuit for being flowed through by a refrigerant. In the refrigerant circuit, a compressor for compressing the refrigerant, a condenser for condensing the refrigerant subject to passing condensation heat on to a fluid conducted through the condenser, an expansion device for expanding the refrigerant and an evaporator for evaporating the refrigerant are arranged. A coolant circuit is provided fluidically separated from the refrigerant circuit for being flowed through by a coolant. In the coolant circuit at least one heat source for heating the coolant is arranged. The coolant circuit is thermally connected to the refrigerant circuit via the evaporator of the refrigerant circuit, so that in the evaporator heat from the coolant is transferrable to the refrigerant.