Vehicle Heat Pump Layout Using a Shared Evaporator and Waste Heat
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional heat pump systems for vehicles face challenges in reducing weight and manufacturing costs while maintaining efficiency, especially at low temperatures, due to the need for additional components and increased size of the air-conditioning case when using waste heat from the engine for heating.
Innovation Solution
A heat pump system that uses a common evaporator for both air-conditioning and heat pump modes, eliminating the need for an interior heat exchanger and utilizing waste heat from the engine to enhance fuel efficiency and heating performance, with a configuration that includes a compressor, evaporator, exterior heat exchanger, expansion means, and waste heat exchanger, and specific refrigerant circulation lines for each mode.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If a conventional heat pump system is installed with separate interior heat exchanger and evaporator, then heating and cooling functions are provided, but weight and manufacturing costs increase
Solution Approach 1:
The evaporator is designed to serve dual functions: acting as an evaporator in air-conditioning mode and as an interior heat exchanger (heater) in heat pump mode. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for a separate interior heat exchanger, thereby reducing system weight and manufacturing costs while maintaining both heating and cooling capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of the evaporator and interior heat exchanger into a single component. By combining these two previously separate heat exchangers into one multifunctional evaporator, the system achieves weight reduction and cost savings without compromising functional requirements
2Reliability
If engine is forcedly operated to secure heat source at low temperature, then heating is provided, but fuel efficiency deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The waste heat exchanger utilizes waste heat from the engine cooling water to evaporate the refrigerant in heat pump mode. This self-service approach allows the system to secure a heat source without forcing the engine to operate, thereby maintaining heating availability while improving fuel efficiency by utilizing otherwise wasted thermal energy
3Adaptability or versatility
If conventional heat pump system is installed with additional components, then heating function is provided, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The evaporator is designed to serve dual functions: acting as an evaporator in air-conditioning mode and as an interior heat exchanger (heater) in heat pump mode. This multi-functionality eliminates the need for a separate interior heat exchanger, thereby reducing system weight and manufacturing costs while maintaining both heating and cooling capabilities
Solution Approach 2:
The patent merges the functions of the evaporator and interior heat exchanger into a single component. By combining these two previously separate heat exchangers into one multifunctional evaporator, the system achieves weight reduction and cost savings without compromising functional 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 reduces weight and manufacturing costs by reusing the air-conditioning case structure and maintains efficiency at low temperatures by leveraging waste heat, preventing forced engine operation and enhancing fuel efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a compressor for compressing and discharging refrigerant
Implementation Method 2
an evaporator mounted inside an air-conditioning case for exchanging heat between the air inside the air-conditioning case and the refrigerant
Implementation Method 3
an exterior heat exchanger mounted outside the air-conditioning case for exchanging heat between the refrigerant and the outdoor air
Implementation Method 4
a waste heat exchanger for exchanging heat between waste heat of the vehicle and the refrigerant
Implementation Method 5
expansion means arranged between the evaporator and the exterior heat exchanger for expanding the refrigerant
Data Source
AI summary
A heat pump system for a vehicle which uses an evaporator of an air-conditioning case for common use in an air-conditioning mode and in a heat pump mode for cooling and heating so as to reduce weight and manufacturing costs. The heat pump system can be applied without any change in structure of the air-conditioning case, and can be operated even at low temperature without any influence of outdoor temperature because the heat pump system uses waste heat of an engine so as to enhance fuel efficiency and increase heating performance and efficiency.