Vehicle Heat Pump Control for Waste Heat Recovery and Cabin Heating
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Solution Overview
Problem
Environmental-friendly vehicles, such as hybrid electric vehicles and electric vehicles, face challenges in optimizing thermal management to enhance energy efficiency, particularly in electric vehicles where waste heat from the engine cannot be recovered for indoor air conditioning.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management system for vehicles that includes a fluid transfer device with a heat pump function to recover waste heat from vehicle parts and control indoor heating, using a control unit to optimize power consumption and meet thermal management constraints based on a predictive model.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a heat pump system is used for indoor heating in electric vehicles, then indoor air conditioning performance is improved, but power consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system recovers waste heat from the motor and inverter that would otherwise be discarded, converting this harmful thermal energy into useful heating for the passenger compartment. This reduces the need for additional power consumption for heating while maintaining comfortable indoor temperatures.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat pump system is designed to serve multiple functions: it provides indoor heating while simultaneously recovering waste heat from multiple vehicle components (motor, inverter). This multi-functionality allows the system to improve indoor air conditioning performance without proportionally increasing power consumption, as it utilizes otherwise wasted thermal energy.
2Loss of energy
If waste heat recovery from vehicle parts is prioritized, then energy efficiency is improved, but thermal management constraints of vehicle parts may be violated
Solution Approach 1:
The control system dynamically adjusts the heat recovery rate based on real-time thermal states of vehicle components. When component temperatures approach critical thresholds, the system automatically reduces heat recovery to maintain safe operating temperatures, ensuring thermal management constraints are satisfied while maximizing energy efficiency under varying conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements a feedback control mechanism that continuously monitors the thermal states of the motor, inverter, and passenger compartment. Based on this feedback, the control unit adjusts the heat pump operation to recover waste heat efficiently while preventing overheating of critical components, thus maintaining both energy efficiency and reliability.
3Use of energy by moving object
If optimal control based on predictive models is implemented, then power consumption is minimized, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system uses predictive models to forecast future thermal states and pre-adjusts heat pump operation to anticipate heating demands. This preliminary action allows the system to minimize power consumption by avoiding reactive heating adjustments, while the predictive nature reduces the need for complex real-time control algorithms.
Solution Approach 2:
The system replaces complex mechanical thermal management systems with a control-based approach using predictive models and algorithms. This substitution reduces physical system complexity while achieving optimal power consumption through intelligent control of the heat pump based on predicted thermal requirements.
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 efficiently consumes energy by optimizing indoor heating while recovering waste heat, thereby increasing the electricity efficiency of the vehicle and extending the traveling distance per charging amount.
Implementation Method 1
a fluid transfer device configured to perform a heat pump function of exchanging heat with at least one vehicle part to selectively recover waste heat of the vehicle part and discharging air into a vehicle interior to perform indoor heating
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal management system for a vehicle includes a fluid transfer device including a power consumption unit configured to consume power for performing the heat pump function and includes a control unit configured to control the fluid transfer device based on an optimal control value.