Vehicle Air Flow Circulation Structure Preventing Heat Pump Short Circuit
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing air flow circulation structures in vehicles often result in a short circuit of air flow, leading to reduced heating performance of the heat pump cycle, as air heated by the engine room is not effectively supplied to the heat exchanger when the fan reverses direction, causing inefficiency in heat application.
Innovation Solution
The proposed air flow circulation structure includes a front shutter, a reversibly rotatable fan, and a duct member that guides air changed in direction by the fan to a heat source, ensuring that heated air is reliably supplied to the heat exchanger, preventing short circuits and enhancing temperature raising efficiency.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If the fan reverses direction to blow air from the engine compartment toward the outside air intake port, then air circulation is maintained, but air flow short circuit occurs and heating performance deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The air flow path is segmented into distinct regions using the duct member. The duct divides the air flow into a heated air path (guided toward the heat exchanger) and a bypass path (allowing direct circulation), preventing mixing and short circuiting while maintaining circulation efficiency.
Solution Approach 2:
The duct member acts as an intermediary structure that guides heated air from the engine compartment through a controlled path to the heat exchanger. This mediator ensures that heated air is effectively delivered to where it is needed, preventing short circuits while maintaining circulation.
2Device complexity
If air is blown directly from the fan without direction control, then air circulation is simple, but heated air is not effectively supplied to the heat exchanger
Solution Approach 1:
The duct member serves as an intermediary that channels heated air from the engine compartment to the heat exchanger. This simple intermediary structure ensures effective heat transfer without adding complex control mechanisms, maintaining heating efficiency while keeping the system relatively simple.
Solution Approach 2:
The duct member is positioned specifically at the location where heated air needs to be directed. This localized structural addition provides targeted air flow guidance only where needed, rather than requiring complex overall air flow control, thus maintaining heating efficiency with minimal added complexity.
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 improves the heating performance of the heat pump cycle by ensuring that air is effectively heated and applied to the heat exchanger, reducing the likelihood of short circuits and enhancing the overall heating efficiency.
Implementation Method 1
a fan configured to cause air to flow in a direction oriented from the outside air intake port through the heat exchanger toward the engine compartment when the front shutter is in an open state, and to cause the air to flow in a direction oriented from the engine compartment through the heat exchanger toward the outside air intake port when the front shutter is in a closed state
Implementation Method 2
a duct member configured to guide the air that is changed in direction by blowing from the fan and colliding with the front shutter, to a heat source of the vehicle, when the front shutter is in the closed state. In this case, the air heated by the heat source can be more effectively supplied to the heat exchanger
Implementation Method 3
a heat exchanger, a fan, and an outside air flap. For example, the heat exchanger may be a heat exchanger for a vehicle air conditioning system and may be adapted to be selectively used as a refrigerant condenser or a refrigerant evaporator disposed in an air flow passage
Data Source
AI summary
An air flow circulation structure for a vehicle includes a front shutter that opens or closes an outside air intake port, a fan and a duct member. The fan is configured to cause air to flow in a direction oriented from the outside air intake port through a heat exchanger toward an engine compartment when the front shutter is in an open state, and to cause the air to flow in a direction oriented from the engine compartment through the heat exchanger toward the outside air intake port when the front shutter is in a closed state. The duct member is configured to guide the air that is changed in direction by blowing from the fan and colliding with the front shutter to a heat source of the vehicle, when the front shutter is in the closed state.