Cooling system for mobile body, mobile body with cooling system, and cooling control method

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Solution Overview

Problem

Existing cooling systems for moving vehicles, such as aircraft, do not efficiently utilize the latent heat region at the heat exchanger, leading to inefficient and unstable cooling cycles due to sub-cooling issues and variations in external environments.

Innovation Solution

A cooling system that regulates the flow rate of refrigerant using a flow rate regulation device to maintain pressure above saturation pressure and adjusts the expansion valve opening to ensure sub-cooling, utilizing the latent heat region at the condenser for stable cooling.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Temperature

If a large-capacity air conditioner is installed to cool the battery, then the battery cooling performance is improved, but the available space in the vehicle is reduced and vehicle height increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery temperatureVSAvoidvehicle space
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSVolume of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent combines the battery cooling function with the existing air conditioner system by adding a heat exchanger that utilizes the air conditioner's refrigerant. This merging approach allows the battery to be cooled using the air conditioner's cooling capacity without requiring a separate large-capacity air conditioner, thereby preserving vehicle space

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

Solution Approach 2:

The air conditioner system is designed to serve multiple functions: cooling the passenger compartment and cooling the battery. The heat exchanger enables the refrigerant to transfer heat from the battery, making the air conditioner system universal for both cabin and battery thermal management

Inventive Principle:
Principle #6Universality (Multi-functionality)

2Temperature

If a large-capacity air conditioner is installed to cool the battery, then the battery cooling performance is improved, but the vehicle height increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery temperatureVSAvoidvehicle height
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSLength of stationary object

Solution Approach 1:

The patent integrates the battery cooling function into the existing air conditioner system architecture, eliminating the need for additional height-consuming cooling equipment. The heat exchanger is positioned to utilize the refrigerant flow path without increasing vehicle height

Inventive Principle:
Principle #5Merging (Combining)

3Device complexity

If natural circulation is used for coolant flow, then the system complexity is reduced, but the heat dissipation performance is insufficient

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling system complexityVSAvoidheat dissipation efficiency
Core Design Contradiction:
Device complexityVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The patent introduces a pump as an intermediary device to actively circulate the coolant through the heat exchanger and battery cooling passages. This active circulation overcomes the insufficient heat dissipation of natural circulation while maintaining relatively simple system architecture

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The cooling system utilizes hydraulic circulation through a pump-driven coolant flow system. The pump forces coolant through the heat exchanger and battery cooling passages, enabling efficient heat transfer that cannot be achieved through natural convection alone

Inventive Principle:
Principle #29Pneumatics and hydraulics

4Temperature

If the heat exchanger is positioned near the battery, then the cooling efficiency is improved, but the layout flexibility is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvecooling efficiencyVSAvoidlayout flexibility
Core Design Contradiction:
TemperatureVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

The patent extracts the heat exchanger from direct integration with the battery and positions it in a separate location within the vehicle. The coolant circulation system connects the heat exchanger to the battery cooling passages, allowing the heat exchanger to be positioned for optimal thermal management while maintaining layout flexibility

Inventive Principle:
Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

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

Establishes an efficient and stable cooling cycle by ensuring the refrigerant is in a gas phase at the condenser inlet and sub-cooled at the outlet, enhancing cooling performance and coefficient of performance (COP) while adapting to varying external environments.

Implementation Method 1

a heat exchanger positioned in a vehicle front upper space... the heat exchanger... heat transfer from the battery cooling water

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectHeat conduction: Conduction (thermal)

Implementation Method 2

the heat exchanger... air conditioner refrigerant... refrigerant circulation path passes through the heat exchanger

Methodology Applied
Scientific EffectConvection: Convection

Data Source

PatentEP4269243B1Cooling system for mobile body, mobile body with cooling system, and cooling control method
Publication Date: 2026.04.29 KAWASAKI JUKOGYO KK
  • EP4269243B1 patent drawingFigure 1
  • EP4269243B1 patent drawingFigure 2
  • EP4269243B1 patent drawingFigure 3

AI summary

It is an object to enable establishment of an efficient and stable cooling cycle. A cooling system for a moving vehicle includes: a compressor; a condenser; an expansion valve; an evaporator; a flow rate regulation device that regulates a flow rate when a cooling fluid depending on an environment external to the moving vehicle is directed to the condenser; an environmental temperature acquisition sensor that detects an environmental condition to acquire an environmental temperature to which the condenser is subjected by the cooling fluid; a pressure sensor that detects pressure of a refrigerant at the condenser; a temperature sensor that detects a temperature of the refrigerant downstream of the condenser; and a controller that performs first processing to regulate, based on the environmental temperature and an output from the pressure sensor, the flow rate of the cooling fluid so that the pressure of the refrigerant at the condenser is higher than saturation pressure of the refrigerant at the environmental temperature and second processing to regulate, based on the output from the pressure sensor and an output from the temperature sensor, opening of the expansion valve so that the refrigerant downstream of the condenser is sub-cooled.