Vehicle Temperature Management Apparatus Bypass Channel Pressure Loss
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle temperature management systems experience significant pressure loss in heaters and radiators, leading to increased pump size and power consumption to maintain refrigerant flow rates.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle temperature management apparatus that includes a refrigerant circulation circuit with parallel chiller and radiator heat exchange channels, a channel selection section, and a switching control section to selectively route the refrigerant through these channels, allowing the chiller to act as a bypass and reducing pressure loss when heating or cooling, thereby minimizing pump size and power consumption.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the heater or radiator is disposed in parallel in the refrigerant circulation circuit to perform temperature management, then temperature control capability is improved, but pressure loss increases
Solution Approach 1:
The refrigerant circulation circuit is segmented into multiple parallel channels (heater channel, radiator channel, bypass channel) that can be independently controlled. The channel selection section selectively opens or closes specific channels based on operational requirements, allowing the system to segment the flow path to minimize pressure loss while maintaining temperature control capability.
Solution Approach 2:
A bypass channel is introduced as an intermediary path that allows refrigerant to flow around the heater and radiator when they are not needed. This intermediary channel reduces the overall pressure loss in the circuit by providing a low-resistance alternative path, while the channel selection section acts as a mediator to direct flow appropriately.
2Productivity
If the pump size is increased to maintain refrigerant flow rate despite pressure loss, then flow rate stability is improved, but device size and power consumption increase
Solution Approach 1:
The system dynamically adjusts the circuit configuration by selectively opening or closing channels based on operational conditions. The channel selection section dynamically routes refrigerant through optimal paths (e.g., using the bypass channel when heater/radiator are not active), which dynamically reduces pressure loss and allows a smaller pump to maintain adequate flow rates.
Solution Approach 2:
The system changes the flow path parameters (which channels are open/closed) based on operational requirements. By changing the circuit configuration parameters dynamically, the pressure loss characteristics are optimized for different operating modes, enabling reduced pump size while maintaining flow rate stability when needed.
3Productivity
If the pump power is increased to overcome pressure loss, then refrigerant circulation capability is improved, but energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The circulation system is segmented into controllable channels that can be activated only when needed. The channel selection section segments the refrigerant flow to bypass unnecessary components (heater, radiator) when they are not required, reducing overall circuit resistance and pressure loss, thereby reducing the power needed for circulation.
Solution Approach 2:
The bypass channel extracts the refrigerant flow from the high-resistance heater/radiator paths and redirects it through a low-resistance alternative path when these components are not needed. This extraction of flow from unnecessary components reduces the total pressure loss and consequently reduces the power consumption required for circulation.
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 reduces the size of the refrigerant pump and lowers power consumption by minimizing pressure loss in the refrigerant circulation circuit, allowing for efficient temperature management of vehicle-mounted devices while maintaining flow rates with reduced energy expenditure.
Implementation Method 1
a radiator heat exchange channel provided in parallel to the chiller heat exchange channel in the refrigerant circulation circuit, the radiator heat exchange channel including a radiator that causes outside air and the refrigerant to exchange heat therebetween
Implementation Method 2
a chiller heat exchange channel provided in the refrigerant circulation circuit and including a chiller that cools the refrigerant
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle temperature management apparatus includes: a channel selection section that selects at least one of a chiller heat exchange channel, a radiator heat exchange channel, and a heater heat exchange channel as a channel of a refrigerant in a refrigerant circulation circuit; a switching control section that controls the channel switching section such that the channel switching section selects at least one of the chiller heat exchange channel, the radiator heat exchange channel, and the heater heat exchange channel; and an operation control section that controls an operation of a chiller. When the radiator heat exchange channel or the heater heat exchange channel is selected as the channel of the refrigerant, the switching control section controls the channel selection section such that the channel selection section further selects the chiller heat exchange channel, and the operation control section does not operate the chiller.