Vehicle Heat Pump Coolant Loop for Heating and Battery Waste Heat
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The secondary loop cooling system in vehicle heat pump systems has lower cooling performance compared to direct cooling systems, and there is a need to improve heating performance by utilizing outside air, waste heat from electrical components, and batteries, while simplifying the refrigerant circuit and reducing costs.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle heat pump system design that includes a compressor, condenser, expansion valves, evaporator, cabin cooler, and radiator, with a refrigerant and coolant circulation system that allows for heat exchange between the refrigerant and coolant, and between the coolant and outside air and electrical components, optimizing the flow rate and using a series configuration to enhance heating performance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a secondary loop cooling system is used to cool the battery and electrical components, then the system can provide comprehensive thermal management, but the cooling performance deteriorates compared to direct cooling systems
Solution Approach 1:
The system divides the thermal management into two separate loops: a primary refrigerant loop for cooling the vehicle interior, and a secondary coolant loop for cooling the battery and electrical components. This segmentation allows each loop to be optimized independently, with the secondary loop providing direct cooling to heat-generating components while the primary loop handles cabin cooling.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a heat exchanger as an intermediary device that transfers heat from the secondary coolant loop to the primary refrigerant loop. This mediator enables efficient heat transfer between the two loops, allowing the system to achieve both comprehensive thermal management and high cooling performance through indirect cooling.
2Adaptability or versatility
If multiple heat exchangers and refrigerant valves are added to improve heating performance, then the heating capability is enhanced, but the device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent designs the heat exchanger to serve multiple functions: it acts as a condenser for the refrigerant loop, a heat exchanger for the coolant loop, and provides heating capability by reversing the heat flow direction. This multi-functionality allows the system to achieve enhanced heating performance without adding separate dedicated heating components.
Solution Approach 2:
The system merges the heating function with the existing cooling components by enabling the heat exchanger to operate in reverse mode for heating. The same coolant circulation system and heat exchanger used for cooling also provide heating when the refrigerant flow direction is reversed, eliminating the need for separate heating equipment.
3Ease of manufacture
If a simplified refrigerant circuit with fewer heat exchangers and valves is used, then the manufacturing cost is reduced, but the heating performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchanger is designed to perform multiple functions including cooling, heating, and heat transfer between loops. By making this single component multi-functional, the system achieves adequate heating performance without needing additional dedicated heating heat exchangers, thereby reducing manufacturing costs.
Solution Approach 2:
The system employs dynamic operation modes where the heat exchanger can switch between cooling and heating functions based on operational requirements. This dynamic capability allows a simplified component structure to deliver both heating and cooling performance, reducing the need for multiple static components.
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 heating performance by effectively absorbing heat from outside air and waste heat sources, simplifies the refrigerant circuit, and reduces costs by minimizing the number of heat exchangers and valves, while maintaining efficient cooling and heating capabilities.
Implementation Method 1
a compressor configured to compress and circulate a refrigerant
Implementation Method 2
the gaseous refrigerant becomes the liquid refrigerant by dissipating heat to the surrounding by means of a condenser
Implementation Method 3
a liquid refrigerant becomes a gaseous refrigerant by evaporating in an evaporator and absorbing heat from the surrounding
Implementation Method 4
a radiator configured to allow the coolant for cooling an electrical component to exchange heat with outside air
Implementation Method 5
a cabin cooler configured to cool a vehicle interior by allowing the coolant having passed through the evaporator to exchange heat with air
Data Source
AI summary
An embodiment of the present invention provides a vehicle heat pump system including a compressor configured to compress and circulate a refrigerant, a condenser configured to condense the compressed refrigerant, a first expansion valve configured to expand the condensed refrigerant, an evaporator configured to evaporate the refrigerant expanded by the first expansion valve by allowing the refrigerant to exchange heat with a coolant, a cabin cooler configured to cool a vehicle interior by allowing the coolant having passed through the evaporator to exchange heat with air, and a radiator configured to allow the coolant for cooling an electrical component to exchange heat with outside air, in which the coolant having passed through the radiator flows into the evaporator in a heating mode.