Vehicle HVAC Heater Core Layout for Supplemental Coolant Cooling
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
The existing vehicle thermal management systems have low heat exchange efficiency between the HVAC and cooling subsystems, resulting in suboptimal performance for both the HVAC and cooling subsystems.
Innovation Solution
The system includes a HVAC subsystem with a heater core located downstream of the evaporator and a coolant loop thermally connected to the heater core, featuring adjustable air mixing doors and a discharge pipe for enhanced heat exchange, along with a PTC heater for improved heating performance, allowing supplemental cooling of the coolant and independent adjustment of air flow rates across the heater core.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the coolant loop is thermally connected to the heater core with adjustable air mixing doors, then heat exchange efficiency is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heater core is integrated into both the HVAC subsystem and cooling subsystem, allowing it to perform dual functions: conditioning air for the passenger compartment and cooling the coolant. The air mixing doors enable the system to selectively direct air flow to achieve different thermal management objectives, making the heater core a multi-functional component that serves both subsystems.
Solution Approach 2:
The air mixing doors are made adjustable to dynamically control the flow rate of air passing across the heater core. This dynamic adjustment capability allows the system to optimize heat exchange efficiency under different operating conditions, such as varying cooling loads or HVAC requirements, thereby resolving the contradiction between improved heat exchange and system complexity.
2Productivity
If the heater core is located downstream of the evaporator with independent air flow adjustment, then HVAC performance is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The air flow control is segmented into multiple independent air mixing doors that can be individually adjusted. This segmentation allows precise control over the air flow rate across different sections of the heater core, enabling optimized HVAC performance while maintaining a manageable system architecture through modular control elements.
3Productivity
If supplemental cooling of coolant is enabled through the heater core, then cooling subsystem performance is improved, but loss of energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system converts the typically wasted heat from the heater core into a beneficial cooling resource for the coolant. By directing air flow across the heater core when coolant cooling is required, the system transforms what would be energy loss into useful cooling capacity, thereby improving cooling subsystem performance while actually reducing net energy loss through heat recovery.
Solution Approach 2:
The heater core serves the cooling subsystem using its own thermal energy exchange capability, without requiring additional active cooling components. The air conditioning system essentially cools the coolant using the heater core's heat exchange surfaces, allowing the system to self-regulate thermal energy distribution between subsystems.
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 configuration enhances heat exchange efficiency, improves the performance of both the HVAC and cooling subsystems, maintains constant HVAC performance, and reduces the size and cost of cooling system components by allowing supplemental cooling of the coolant and efficient heat rejection.
Implementation Method 1
the coolant loop may be thermally connected to the heater core... the air heated by the heater core may be discharged to the outside of a passenger compartment... supplemental cooling of the coolant
Implementation Method 2
The evaporator may cool the air... the cooling subsystem may be thermally connected to the HVAC subsystem so that the coolant circulating in the cooling subsystem may exchange heat with a refrigerant circulating in the HVAC subsystem
Implementation Method 3
the heater core may heat the air which is directed into the passenger compartment... the air heated by the heater core may be discharged to the outside of a passenger compartment
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle thermal management system, may include a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) subsystem including an HVAC casing in which a heater core and an evaporator are received; and a cooling subsystem including a coolant loop through which a coolant circulates, wherein the heater core is located on the downstream side of the evaporator in an air flow direction, and the coolant loop is thermally connected to the heater core. The HVAC subsystem includes: an air mixing chamber located on the downstream side of the heater core within the HVAC casing; a discharge pipe fluidically communicating with the air mixing chamber, and being opened to the outside of a passenger compartment; and a flap configured for selectively opening and closing the discharge pipe.