EV Charging and Cabin Air Conditioning Coordination

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Solution Overview

Problem

Electric vehicles face challenges in balancing air conditioning comfort, cruising range, and charging time, especially when grid power is limited, as pre-air conditioning can reduce the state of charge and extend charging time, making it difficult to coordinate high comfort, long range, and short charging time.

Innovation Solution

A method that charges the electric vehicle's energy accumulator to a minimum state of charge, then prioritizes pre-air conditioning to achieve a desired interior state at departure time, allowing simultaneous charging to a target state of charge with excess energy, and uses both grid and accumulator power for air conditioning when necessary, ensuring comfort and range.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Ease of operation

If pre-air conditioning is activated during charging, then air conditioning comfort is improved, but the state of charge decreases and charging time increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveair conditioning comfortVSAvoidcharging time

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary air conditioning of the vehicle interior during charging periods when power is available, preparing the cabin temperature in advance before the vehicle is driven. This allows the air conditioning system to be less demanding during actual driving, reducing the need to deplete the energy accumulator during trips.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The control system dynamically adjusts the air conditioning power consumption based on the current state of charge, ambient conditions, and predicted driving patterns. When state of charge is high, more power can be allocated to air conditioning; when state of charge is low, the system prioritizes maintaining minimum charge levels.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

2Ease of operation

If pre-air conditioning is activated during charging, then air conditioning comfort is improved, but the cruising range is reduced

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveair conditioning comfortVSAvoidcruising range

Core Design Contradiction:

Ease of operationVSLength of moving object

Solution Approach 1:

Inventive Principle:

Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system ensures continuous air conditioning comfort by maintaining the cabin temperature during charging and seamlessly transitioning to using stored energy during driving, rather than allowing the cabin temperature to fluctuate or requiring the system to shut down during trips.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #20Continuity of useful action

3Length of moving object

If the energy accumulator is charged to a high target state of charge, then the cruising range is extended, but the time required to reach the target state increases

Engineering Contradiction:

Improvecruising rangeVSAvoidcharging time

Core Design Contradiction:

Length of moving objectVSLoss of time

Solution Approach 1:

The system charges the energy accumulator to a minimum necessary state of charge level rather than always charging to a high target level. This partial charging approach is sufficient to meet the cruising range requirements for predicted trips, avoiding the time penalty of charging to excessive levels that would not be utilized.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #16Partial or excessive action

Solution Approach 2:

The control system dynamically adjusts the target state of charge based on predicted driving patterns, ambient conditions, and current state of charge. The target is adjusted to be the minimum necessary level to ensure sufficient cruising range for upcoming trips, rather than maintaining a consistently high charge level.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #15Dynamics

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 method improves comfort by providing a desired air conditioning state at departure while minimizing the reduction in cruising range, ensuring air conditioning independence from charge state and surrounding conditions, and reducing energy consumption during trips.

Implementation Method 1

an electric refrigerant compressor (2) which draws in cold, gaseous refrigerant and compresses it

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectCompression: Compression

Implementation Method 2

The refrigerant is evaporated in an evaporator (4) while at the same time dissipating thermal energy from the environment

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectEvaporation: Evaporation

Implementation Method 3

a heat exchanger (9), through which a coolant flows; and this heat exchanger heats the air (12) that is received

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat exchanger: Heat Exchanger

Implementation Method 4

an electric heater (13), which is supplied with electric energy by the electric energy accumulator (10)

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectJoule heating: Joule Heating

Data Source

PatentUS9446667B2Charging an electric vehicle and air conditioning of the vehicle interior

Publication Date: 2016.09.20 BAYERISCHE MOTOREN WERKE AG

AI summary

A method is provided for charging an electric vehicle with an electric energy accumulator and for stationary mode air conditioning the vehicle interior by way of an electric air conditioning system. The electric energy accumulator is charged to a minimum state of charge. After the energy accumulator has reached the minimum state of charge, the interior is air conditioned in such a way that at an assumed departure time a preset air conditioning state of the interior is reached. The energy accumulator is charged to a target state of charge with any excess energy that is not required to reach the air conditioning state.