Vehicle Heat Exchanger Control Using Air and Condensate Water
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle air conditioners face challenges in reducing overall power consumption and improving cooling and heating performance due to limitations in heat exchanger design and condensation efficiency, particularly with the prior art's increased size and low condensing performance.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle air conditioner system that includes a variable heat exchanger and an evaporator, where air and condensate water are supplied to the heat exchanger to enhance heat exchange efficiency, and a control method to selectively use air as a heat source during heating to prevent adhesion and reduce power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If air is discharged through the air discharge based on air cooling or heating setting, then the heat pump system can perform air cooling and heating, but the overall size of the system increases
Solution Approach 1:
The air passage is designed to serve dual functions: during air cooling mode it acts as a cold air passage for cooling, and during air heating mode it acts as a hot air passage for heating. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for separate air discharge paths, reducing overall system size while maintaining both cooling and heating capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The system dynamically reconfigures the air passage function based on operational mode. The same air passage can be selectively used for cold air discharge in cooling mode or hot air discharge in heating mode, allowing the system to adapt its structure to different operational requirements without physical expansion
2Adaptability or versatility
If the condenser is installed in the air conditioning case, then air heating can be performed, but the condensing performance decreases due to small size
Solution Approach 1:
The condenser is positioned in the lower portion of the air conditioning case, utilizing vertical space rather than horizontal space. This three-dimensional arrangement allows the condenser to maintain adequate size for good condensing performance while fitting within the constrained space of the air conditioning case, thereby achieving both air heating capability and reliable condensing function
3Device complexity
If condensate water is discharged without heat exchange, then the discharge structure is simple, but power consumption increases and heat exchanger performance decreases
Solution Approach 1:
The discharge structure utilizes the temperature difference between the air passage and condensate water to enable self heat exchange. During air cooling mode, the air passage serves as a heat exchanger that automatically cools the condensate water without requiring additional power input, thereby reducing overall power consumption while improving heat exchanger performance through sub-cooling
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 improves cooling performance through sub-cooling and reduces power consumption by using air and condensate water as heat sources, enhancing the overall performance of the heat pump system.
Implementation Method 1
an evaporator evaporating the low-pressure liquid refrigerant throttled by the expansion means by exchanging heat with air blown to a vehicle interior
Implementation Method 2
exchanging heat with air blown to a vehicle interior
Implementation Method 3
a condenser condensing a high-pressure refrigerant delivered from the compressor
Implementation Method 4
dissipate heat while exchanging heat with air
Implementation Method 5
supply air and condensate water passing through the evaporator to the variable heat exchanger to enhance heat exchange efficiency
Implementation Method 6
use air and condensate water as a heat-absorbing heat source during air heating to further increase a heat absorption amount of the heat exchanger
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner and, more specifically, to a vehicle air conditioner which supplies, to a variable heat exchanger, condensate water and air, that have been blown by means of a supply part and passed through an evaporator, so as to enable sub-cooling and overall performance of the variable heat exchanger to be improved during cooling, thereby further increasing cooling performance, and which may use air and condensate water as a heat-absorbing heat source during heating so as to further increase the heat absorption amount of the variable heat exchanger, so that heating performance may be further increased, and thus overall power consumption for air conditioning may be reduced and an increase in heat pump system performance may be promoted.