Vehicle Heat Storage Unit for Waste Heat Recovery
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Solution Overview
Problem
In vehicles, over 70% of the energy from fuel is lost as waste heat, which is not effectively utilized, leading to inefficiencies in fuel consumption, comfort, and emissions.
Innovation Solution
A method and system that store waste heat from a vehicle's exhaust gas in a heat-storage unit and systematically convey it to various heat sinks, such as coolant water, transmission oil, and the internal combustion engine, allowing for precise regulation of heat transfer, using a phase-transition material and thermal oil as a transfer medium, to optimize energy use and comfort.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If waste heat is released into the environment without utilization, then the system is simple, but energy is lost and fuel consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent converts the harmful waste heat that would otherwise be lost to the environment into a useful resource. The heat-storage unit captures waste heat from the exhaust gas and stores it in a phase-transition material, which then releases this stored heat to warm the passenger compartment and warm up the engine coolant, thereby reducing fuel consumption during cold starts.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces a heat-storage unit with phase-transition material as an intermediary between the waste heat source (exhaust gas) and the heat sinks (passenger compartment, engine coolant). This intermediary enables thermal energy to be stored and released on demand, decoupling the heat source from the heat sinks and allowing flexible heat management.
2Speed
If heat is quickly transferred to the passenger compartment, then comfort is improved, but the amount of heat available is limited
Solution Approach 1:
The patent performs preliminary action by storing thermal energy in advance in the heat-storage unit. The phase-transition material accumulates heat during periods when it is not needed (when the vehicle is running and exhaust heat is abundant), so that this pre-stored heat can be quickly released to the passenger compartment when needed, providing both fast heating and sufficient heat quantity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transitions of the heat-storage material to achieve high-density thermal energy storage. The material transitions between solid and liquid phases, absorbing and releasing large amounts of latent heat, which enables both rapid heat delivery and sufficient total heat quantity for warming the passenger compartment and engine.
3Productivity
If multiple heat sinks are warmed simultaneously, then overall system efficiency is improved, but heat distribution control becomes complex
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic heat distribution control where the system can adaptively allocate heat to different sinks based on real-time vehicle conditions. The control unit monitors parameters such as engine temperature, ambient temperature, and vehicle operation state to dynamically adjust the heat flow distribution between the passenger compartment, engine coolant, and other heat sinks, optimizing system efficiency without requiring overly complex manual control.
4Use of energy by moving object
If the engine is warmed up quickly, then fuel consumption is reduced, but the heat source availability varies
Solution Approach 1:
The patent ensures continuous useful action by maintaining a heat-storage unit that continuously accumulates thermal energy from the exhaust gas during engine operation. This continuous charging of the heat-storage unit ensures that heat is always available for engine warm-up, regardless of variations in exhaust heat availability due to different operating conditions, thereby reliably reducing fuel consumption during cold starts.
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 enables the efficient reuse of waste heat, reducing fuel consumption, improving passenger compartment heating, and lowering emissions by allowing for controlled heat distribution based on vehicle conditions and priorities, thereby enhancing comfort and reducing wear and tear.
Implementation Method 1
A method and system that store waste heat from a vehicle's exhaust gas in a heat-storage unit and systematically convey it to various heat sinks, such as coolant water, transmission oil, and the internal combustion engine, allowing for precise regulation of heat transfer, using a phase-transition material and thermal oil as a transfer medium
Implementation Method 2
A method and system that store waste heat from a vehicle's exhaust gas in a heat-storage unit and systematically convey it to various heat sinks... using a phase-transition material
Implementation Method 3
using a phase-transition material and thermal oil as a transfer medium, to optimize energy use and comfort
Implementation Method 4
systematically convey it to various heat sinks, such as coolant water, transmission oil, and the internal combustion engine
Data Source
AI summary
A method and a system (20) for transmitting heat for a vehicle (10) are described. In this case, the waste heat which is contained in the exhaust gas (3) of the vehicle (10) is stored in a heat accumulator (1) of the vehicle (10). The thermal energy stored in the heat accumulator (1) is conducted to at least one heat sink (11-16). The heat accumulator (1) can be thermally coupled to the at least one heat sink (11-16) and uncoupled therefrom. In the coupled state the amount of heat per time unit that is conducted to the at least one heat sink is set.