Vehicle Air-Conditioner Heat Pump Engine Output Coordination
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Solution Overview
Problem
In hybrid vehicles, the existing techniques for heating coolant water using a heat pump often result in reduced fuel economy due to decreased heat pump output with increasing coolant water temperature, leading to insufficient heating and inefficiencies in thermal management.
Innovation Solution
An air-conditioner system that adjusts the output of the heat pump and engine based on coolant water temperature to maintain a target heating thermal amount, optimizing heat generation efficiency by decreasing heat pump output in low-efficiency ranges and increasing engine output to ensure adequate heating.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Use of energy by moving object
If the output of the heat pump is merely decreased with an increase in the coolant water temperature, then power consumption of the heat pump is reduced, but there is a probability that a target thermal amount for heating cannot be ensured due to an insufficient heating amount of the coolant water
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines the heat pump and engine heating functions into a unified thermal management system. The controller integrates both heat pump output and engine output to collectively satisfy the target heating thermal amount, rather than relying solely on the heat pump. This merging allows the system to maintain heating reliability while reducing heat pump power consumption by leveraging engine waste heat.
Solution Approach 2:
The controller dynamically changes the operating parameters of both the heat pump (rotation speed) and the engine (output level) based on coolant water temperature. By adjusting these parameters in coordination, the system optimizes the combination of heat pump output and engine output to meet heating demands while minimizing total power consumption.
2Use of energy by moving object
If the rotation speed of the compressor of the heat pump is decreased with an increase in the coolant water temperature and the engine output, then the output of the heat pump is decreased, but depending on the engine output, the output of the heat pump cannot be decreased much even when the coolant water temperature is high, which leads to a probability that the fuel economy cannot be effectively improved
Solution Approach 1:
The controller implements dynamic parameter changes for both the heat pump rotation speed and engine output based on coolant water temperature. As coolant temperature increases, the system progressively reduces heat pump rotation speed while coordinating engine output adjustments, enabling effective fuel economy improvement across a wide range of operating conditions.
Solution Approach 2:
The system transitions from a static heat pump control approach to a dynamic coordinated control approach. The controller continuously adjusts the rotation speed of the heat pump compressor and the engine output in real-time based on coolant temperature feedback, creating a flexible adaptive system that can effectively respond to varying thermal demands and optimize fuel economy.
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 approach enhances fuel economy by optimizing heat pump and engine outputs in response to coolant water temperature, ensuring the target heating thermal amount is met while improving fuel efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a heating device configured to heat coolant water... a heat pump and an exhaust heat recovery unit are provided at the heating device configured to heat the coolant water
Data Source
AI summary
A heat pump and a heater core are provided at a heating coolant water circuit connected to an engine. As heating thermal amount control, the control of decreasing the output of the heat pump and increasing the output of the engine with an increase in an engine outlet water temperature detected by an engine outlet water temperature sensor, thereby ensuring a target heating thermal amount. Thus, in response to a decrease in a heat generation efficiency of the heat pump with an increase in the engine outlet water temperature, the output of the heat pump is decreased so that fuel economy can be improved while the output of the engine is increased so that the target heating thermal amount can be ensured.