Reversible Vehicle Heat Pump for Cabin Preheating and Precooling
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing heat pumps for vehicles lack a configuration that allows for selective heat transfer between the engine compartment and the passenger compartment, limiting their ability to efficiently cool or heat the passenger compartment.
Innovation Solution
A heat pump system with a housing that can be partially inserted into a vehicle dash, featuring a reversible heating and cooling mechanism. This system includes a battery, heat pump, heat exchangers, fans, and a selector to control the direction of heat transfer between the engine and passenger compartments.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If a heat pump system is installed in a vehicle to cool the passenger compartment, then cooling capability is improved, but the system cannot heat the passenger compartment
Solution Approach 1:
The heat pump system is designed with a reversible configuration that allows it to perform both cooling and heating functions. The system includes a first heat exchanger in the engine compartment and a second heat exchanger in the passenger compartment, with a refrigerant circulation path that can be reversed through a four-way valve, enabling the same system to pump heat in either direction between the engine and passenger compartments.
2Power
If the vehicle's primary battery is used to power the heat pump, then the heat pump can operate, but the battery becomes depleted
Solution Approach 1:
The system utilizes the engine compartment as a thermal reservoir, allowing the heat pump to draw thermal energy from the engine's operational heat during cooling mode, or transfer heat to the engine compartment during heating mode. This reduces the energy burden on the vehicle's primary battery by leveraging the engine's thermal output rather than relying solely on electrical power for both cooling and heating operations.
3Temperature
If a heat pump system is installed to provide temperature control, then temperature regulation is improved, but the system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat pump system is divided into distinct functional components: a first heat exchanger positioned in the engine compartment, a second heat exchanger positioned in the passenger compartment, a compressor, an expansion device, and a four-way valve. This segmentation allows each component to be optimized for its specific function while maintaining overall system manageability and ease of installation in the vehicle environment.
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 effectively preheats or precools the passenger compartment by selectively pumping heat from the engine compartment to the passenger compartment or vice versa, enhancing temperature control without depleting the vehicle's primary battery.
Implementation Method 1
The heat pump comprises a pair of heat exchangers and a pair of fans... Each fan is positioned to motivate air through a respective compartment and a respective heat exchanger that is positioned in the respective compartment
Implementation Method 2
The heat pump is configured to selectively pump heat between an engine compartment and passenger compartment of the vehicle
Implementation Method 3
Each fan is positioned to motivate air through a respective compartment and a respective heat exchanger that is positioned in the respective compartment
Data Source
AI summary
A reversible heating and cooling device for temperature control of a passenger compartment of a vehicle includes a housing, which is mountable within an aperture that is in a dash of a vehicle. A heat pump is attached within the housing. A selector is attached to the housing enables to selectively actuate a battery to power the heat pump in a first mode and a second mode. In the first mode, heat is pumped into the engine compartment, whereas, in the second mode, heat is pumped into the passenger compartment. The heat pump can be used to selectively cool and heat the passenger compartment.