Vehicle Refrigerant Circuit Layout for High-Load Heat Dissipation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing refrigerant circuits in vehicles face challenges in efficiently dissipating heat under severe conditions, such as rapid charging and high ambient temperatures, due to limited frontal surface area and overlapping heat exchangers, leading to oversizing of components or limited cooling power.
Innovation Solution
A thermal regulation circuit with a series arrangement of heat exchangers, including a third exchanger for ambient air, allows refrigerant fluid to circulate through the first and third exchangers and heat-transfer fluid through the second, optimizing heat dissipation by using ambient air and maintaining cooling capabilities for both circuits.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Power
If exchangers are positioned in series at the front of the vehicle to optimize thermal efficiency, then heat dissipation capability is improved, but the air flow temperature increases downstream reducing cooling effectiveness
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the heat exchanger system into multiple independent exchangers (first exchanger for refrigerant circuit, second exchanger for heat-transfer fluid circuit, and third exchanger for ambient air) positioned in series. Each exchanger handles a specific fluid circuit independently, allowing the system to maintain high heat dissipation capability while managing air flow temperature through distributed thermal processing rather than concentrated heat exchange.
2Area of stationary object
If frontal surface area is limited, then vehicle design constraints are met, but heat dissipation efficiency is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent addresses the limited frontal surface area constraint by utilizing the third dimension (depth) through series arrangement of multiple heat exchangers. Instead of expanding the frontal area horizontally, the system stacks exchangers in the depth direction, allowing each exchanger to access ambient air sequentially. This dimensional transition enables high heat dissipation efficiency within constrained frontal surface area by maximizing the use of available space in the series configuration.
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 solution provides high heat-dissipation power for refrigerant-fluid circuits and maintains heat-transfer fluid capabilities, effectively cooling components even under severe conditions, while optimizing frontal surface area utilization.
Implementation Method 1
a first heat exchanger (2) through which a refrigerant fluid is intended to circulate and through which an air flow is intended to pass in order to provide cooling of the refrigerant fluid
Implementation Method 2
a second heat exchanger (4) through which a heat-transfer fluid is intended to circulate and through which an air flow is intended to pass in order to provide cooling of the heat-transfer fluid
Implementation Method 3
a third heat exchanger (6) through which a refrigerant fluid is intended to circulate and through which an ambient air flow is intended to pass in order to provide cooling of the refrigerant fluid
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal regulation circuit for a vehicle includes a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, and a third heat exchanger. The first and the second heat exchangers are situated in series such that an ambient air flow passes through the first heat exchanger prior to passing through the second heat exchanger. The ambient air flow also passes through the third heat exchanger. The thermal regulation circuit is configured to allow a refrigerant fluid to circulate through the first heat exchanger and then the third heat exchanger. The thermal regulation circuit is configured to allow a heat-transfer fluid to circulate through the second heat exchanger.