Gas Injection Heat Management with Flash Tank Refrigerant Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Electric vehicles face inefficiencies in heat management due to the lack of a heat source, leading to increased energy consumption and reduced travel distance, as they require separate heating processes for both interior and electrical components, necessitating a technology that can efficiently manage different thermal needs.
Innovation Solution
A gas injection type heat management system utilizing a flash tank and heat exchanger to reduce separate heater usage by leveraging energy from the compressor through refrigerant heat exchange, with a control unit managing refrigerant flow and expansion to achieve COP=1 heating modes without external coolant interaction.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a separate heater is used for initial heating in electric vehicles, then interior heating function is achieved, but energy consumption increases and travel distance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the heating function with the existing refrigeration cycle by integrating a heat exchanger that can operate in both cooling and heating modes. The compressor, condenser, evaporator, and expansion valve work together to transfer heat between the interior and exterior environments, eliminating the need for a separate heater system.
Solution Approach 2:
The refrigeration system is designed to perform multiple functions: cooling the interior during hot weather, heating the interior during cold weather, and maintaining battery temperature. The same components (compressor, condenser, evaporator, expansion valve) are used for both heating and cooling operations, maximizing system utility while minimizing energy consumption.
2Temperature
If separate heating systems are provided for interior and electrical components, then thermal needs are met, but system complexity and energy consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs a unified thermal management system where the same refrigeration cycle components serve multiple thermal needs. The condenser can heat the interior while the evaporator cools the battery, or the system can be configured to heat both interior and battery simultaneously, reducing the need for separate heating systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the heating and cooling systems into a single integrated refrigeration cycle. By using the heat exchanger in reverse mode during heating, the system provides both interior heating and electrical component thermal management through coordinated operation of shared components, thereby reducing overall system complexity.
3Temperature
If compressor energy is not utilized for heating, then heating function is provided by separate heater, but energy efficiency decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the waste heat generated by the compressor into a useful heating resource. During heating mode, the compressor discharges high-temperature refrigerant that passes through the condenser to provide interior heating, thereby utilizing what would otherwise be wasted energy from the compression process.
Solution Approach 2:
The refrigeration system serves its own heating needs by utilizing the compressor's output energy. The high-temperature refrigerant from the compressor directly contributes to interior heating through the condenser, allowing the system to provide both cooling and heating functions using the same energy input without requiring additional heating energy.
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 system improves compressor efficiency and reduces energy consumption by using refrigerant heat exchange to perform initial heating without a separate heater, enhancing overall thermal management and fuel economy in electric vehicles.
Implementation Method 1
a heat absorber for performing heat exchange between the refrigerant discharged from the inner condenser and the refrigerant discharged from the flash tank
Data Source
AI summary
A gas injection-type heat management system includes a first refrigerant line along which a compressor, an inner condenser, a first expansion valve, and a flash tank are sequentially provided and through which a refrigerant flows, a second refrigerant line along which a second expansion valve and an evaporator are sequentially provided and the refrigerant flows from the flash tank and circulates to the compressor via the second expansion valve and the evaporator, a third refrigerant line configured such that the refrigerant discharged from the flash tank flows directly to the compressor and a heat absorber for performing heat exchange between the refrigerant discharged from the inner condenser and the refrigerant discharged from the flash tank, and a controller for controlling whether to operate the compressor, whether to allow the refrigerant to flow and whether to expand the refrigerant.