Vehicle Air-Conditioning System with Separated Indoor Outdoor Air Flow Paths

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Existing vehicle air-conditioning systems fail to completely prevent air pollution from entering the passenger compartment, as they introduce outdoor air during air conditioning, which can contain harmful contaminants like fine dust, leading to insufficient protection against indoor air pollution.

Innovation Solution

A vehicle air-conditioning system that separates indoor and outdoor air flow-paths, using a cold-air circulation section, a hot-air circulation section, and a purification circulation section to recirculate and purify indoor air, eliminating the need for outdoor air intake, and includes components like carbon dioxide absorbers, air washers, oxygen generators, and moisture suppliers to maintain air quality.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Adaptability or versatility

If outdoor air is introduced during air conditioning, then ventilation function is improved, but air pollution protection deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveventilation functionVSAvoidair pollution

Core Design Contradiction:

Adaptability or versatilityVSObject-affected harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The air flow path is segmented into separate indoor and outdoor paths. The outdoor air flow path is completely blocked off, while the indoor air flow path is established for recirculation. This segmentation allows the system to provide ventilation through indoor air circulation while completely preventing outdoor air pollution from entering the passenger compartment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #1Segmentation

Solution Approach 2:

The harmful outdoor air intake function is extracted and removed from the system. Only the beneficial indoor air recirculation function remains active. The outdoor air flow path blocking mechanism extracts and eliminates the pollution source by preventing outdoor air from entering the air conditioning system entirely.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #2Taking out (Extraction)

2Object-affected harmful factors

If outdoor air flow path is blocked, then air pollution protection is improved, but ventilation function deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveair pollution protectionVSAvoidventilation function

Core Design Contradiction:

Object-affected harmful factorsVSAdaptability or versatility

Solution Approach 1:

Indoor air serves as an intermediary medium to provide ventilation functionality. Instead of using outdoor air directly, the system recirculates and treats indoor air, which has already been filtered and is free from outdoor pollutants. This intermediary approach maintains ventilation while blocking pollution.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Solution Approach 2:

The system creates a controlled, pollution-free indoor air environment that acts as an inert atmosphere relative to outdoor pollutants. By recirculating this purified indoor air, the system provides continuous ventilation without reintroducing harmful outdoor contaminants into the passenger compartment.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #39Inert atmosphere (Inert environment)

3Quantity of substance

If indoor air is recirculated without outdoor air mixing, then air quality is improved, but heat exchange efficiency deteriorates

Engineering Contradiction:

Improveair qualityVSAvoidheat exchange efficiency

Core Design Contradiction:

Quantity of substanceVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system changes the parameters of indoor air through active purification processes including filtration, humidity control, and temperature regulation. By continuously adjusting these parameters, the recirculated indoor air maintains optimal quality and thermal properties for efficient heat exchange, eliminating the need for outdoor air mixing while preserving energy efficiency.

Inventive Principle:

Principle #35Parameter changes

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 system effectively prevents the introduction of outdoor pollutants, improving indoor air quality, simplifying heating and cooling processes, and increasing fuel efficiency by relying solely on recirculated indoor air, thus enhancing user safety and comfort.

Implementation Method 1

indoor air of a vehicle is cooled via heat exchange with a refrigerant

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat exchange: Heat Exchanger

Implementation Method 2

the indoor air of the vehicle is raised in temperature via heat exchange

Methodology Applied

Scientific EffectHeat exchange: Heat Exchanger

Data Source

PatentUS10717347B2Air-conditioning system for vehicle

Publication Date: 2020.07.21 HYUNDAI MOTOR CO LTD

AI summary

A vehicle air-conditioning system includes a cold-air circulation section in which indoor air of a vehicle is cooled via heat exchange with a refrigerant and is again supplied to a passenger compartment, a hot-air circulation section in which the indoor air is raised in temperature via heat exchange and is then again supplied to the passenger compartment, a purification circulation section in which the indoor air is introduced and purified and is then again supplied to the passenger compartment, and a refrigerant circulation section in which the refrigerant circulates to undergo heat exchange with the cold-air circulation section and the hot-air circulation section. The vehicle air-conditioning system separates an indoor air flow-path from an outdoor air flow-path to block outdoor air when performing air conditioning, and performs air conditioning of the passenger compartment using only the indoor air without entry of the outdoor air.