Vehicle Heat Pump Shared Intake Duct for Compact HVAC Packaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing heat pump systems for vehicles occupy a large installation space and incur increased size and manufacturing costs due to the need for two separate intake ducts for the blowers, which are mounted at the inlet sides of the cold and warm air passageways.
Innovation Solution
A heat pump system design where a single intake duct supplies air to both blowers, with a bypass mechanism allowing warm air to be redirected to the evaporator, enhancing heat absorption and heating performance, and vertically arranging the blowers to minimize space and costs.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of operation
If two separate intake ducts are mounted for the first blower and second blower, then each blower can independently supply air to cold and warm air passageways, but the installation space increases and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines two separate intake ducts into a single shared intake duct that supplies air to both the first blower and second blower. This merging reduces the number of components and installation space while maintaining the ability to independently control air supply to cold and warm air passageways through the blowers themselves.
Solution Approach 2:
The single intake duct is designed to serve multiple functions by supplying air to both blowers simultaneously. This universal air supply structure eliminates the need for dedicated intake ducts for each blower, reducing system complexity and space requirements while preserving operational independence.
2Ease of operation
If two separate intake ducts are mounted for the first blower and second blower, then each blower can independently supply air to cold and warm air passageways, but the system size increases and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges two separate intake ducts into one shared duct structure, reducing the total number of components in the system. This simplification lowers manufacturing costs and assembly complexity while the blowers maintain their independent control capabilities through separate operational mechanisms.
3Area of stationary object
If a single intake duct is used for both blowers, then space efficiency is maximized and manufacturing costs are reduced, but air supply flexibility may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The single intake duct is designed as a universal air supply structure that can serve both blowers simultaneously or independently. The duct includes multiple outlets or branches that can be selectively activated, maintaining air supply flexibility while minimizing space usage and component count.
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 absorption, even in low-temperature conditions.
Implementation Method 1
The evaporator 4 exchanges heat between the refrigerant and air blown to the interior of the vehicle by a blower (not shown). Then, the refrigerant is evaporated in the evaporator 4 and discharged in a gaseous phase of low-temperature and low-pressure.
Implementation Method 2
Then, the condenser 2 condenses the gas-phase refrigerant into liquid-phase refrigerant of high-temperature and high-pressure by exchanging heat with outdoor air.
Implementation Method 3
the compressor 1 inhales and compresses gas-phase refrigerant of low-temperature and low-pressure while driving by driving power of an engine or a motor, and then sends the refrigerant in the gaseous phase of high-temperature and high-pressure to the condenser 2.
Implementation Method 4
the liquid-phase refrigerant of high-temperature and high-pressure 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 low-pressure.
Data Source
Figure 1
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Figure 3
AI summary
Disclosed herein is a vehicle comprising a heat pump system 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, the fist blower (130a) and the second blower (130b) being arranged in the width direction of the vehicle, the air-conditioning case (110) comprising a partition wall (113) partitioning the inside of the air-conditioning case (110) into an upper part and a lower part, wherein the cold air passageway (111) is arranged at the upper part from the partition wall (113) and the warm air passageway (112) is arranged at the lower part from the partition wall (113).