Vehicle Heat Pump Intake Duct and Bypass Layout for Low-Temp Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat pump systems for vehicles occupy large installation space and incur high manufacturing costs due to separate intake ducts for each blower, which limits space efficiency and increases size and costs.
Innovation Solution
A heat pump system design featuring a single intake duct for both blowers, with a bypass mechanism that allows warm air from the condenser to be redirected to the evaporator, enhancing air volume and temperature for improved heating performance, and vertically arranged blowers to minimize system size and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If separate intake ducts are provided for each blower, then each blower can independently supply air, but the installation space increases and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the air supply function for both blowers into a single common intake duct, eliminating the need for separate ducts. This merging approach reduces the overall installation space and manufacturing costs while maintaining the ability of each blower to independently draw air through the shared duct system.
Solution Approach 2:
The common intake duct serves multiple functions by providing air supply to both the first blower (for cold air passageway) and the second blower (for warm air passageway). This universal duct design eliminates redundant components and reduces the overall system footprint.
2Reliability
If separate intake ducts are provided for each blower, then air supply is reliable, but manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
By merging the intake ducts into a single common duct, the manufacturing cost is reduced due to fewer components, less material usage, and simpler assembly processes. The reliability is maintained through proper duct design that ensures adequate air supply to both blowers.
Solution Approach 2:
The universal intake duct design performs the air supply function for both blowers, reducing manufacturing complexity and cost while ensuring reliable operation through appropriate duct sizing and configuration.
3Productivity
If warm air is bypassed to the evaporator, then air volume and temperature increase for better heating performance, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The bypass door provides a dynamic control mechanism that can be opened or closed based on heating requirements. When opened, it allows warm air from the condenser to bypass to the evaporator, increasing air volume and temperature for improved heating performance. When closed, it maintains the normal cooling pathway.
Solution Approach 2:
The bypass door acts as an intermediary control element that regulates the flow of warm air between the condenser and evaporator. This simple mechanical mediator enables the system to switch between different operational modes (heating/cooling) without requiring complex control systems.
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 design maximizes space efficiency, reduces system size and manufacturing costs, and enhances heating performance by increasing air volume and temperature, even in low-temperature conditions, while preventing evaporator frosting.
Implementation Method 1
an evaporator 4 for exchanging heat between the liquefied refrigerant of low pressure throttled by the expansion valve 3 and air blown to the interior of the vehicle and evaporating the refrigerant to cool the air discharged to the interior of the vehicle due to heat absorption by evaporative latent heat
Implementation Method 2
the condenser 2 condenses the gas-phase refrigerant into liquid-phase refrigerant of high-temperature and highpressure by exchanging heat with outdoor air
Implementation Method 3
the compressor 1 inhales and compresses gas-phase refrigerant of low-temperature and lowpressure while driving by driving power of an engine or a motor, and then sends the refrigerant in the gaseous phase of high-temperature and highpressure to the condenser 2
Implementation Method 4
the liquid-phase refrigerant of high-temperature and highpressure sent from the condenser 2 rapidly expands by a throttling action of the expansion valve 3 and is sent to the evaporator 4 in a wet-saturated state of low-temperature and lowpressure
Data Source
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AI summary
Disclosed herein is a heat pump system for a vehicle which includes an evaporator (104) mounted on a cold air passageway (111) inside an air-conditioning case (110), a condenser (102) mounted on a warm air passageway (112), a first blower (130a) mounted at an inlet (111a) side of the cold air passageway (111) of the air-conditioning case (110), a second blower (130b) mounted at an inlet side (112a) of the warm air passageway (112) and an intake duct (140) mounted between the first blower (130a) and the second blower (130b) to supply indoor air and outdoor air to the first blower (130a) and the second blower (130b) respectively, including a bypass door (115) mounted between the cold air passageway (111) and the warm air passageway (112) so that some of the warm air heated while passing through the condenser (102) is bypassed toward the evaporator (104) of the cold air passageway (111), thereby increasing air volume induced into the evaporator (111), increasing temperature of the air induced into the evaporator (111) even in the extremely low surroundings and increasing temperature of the air discharged to the interior of the vehicle.