Vehicle Thermal Energy Allocation Across Multiple Heat Sources
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current vehicle thermal energy management systems are not optimized, leading to inefficient heat distribution and energy waste due to the lack of consideration for the suppliable heat amounts of various heat sources within the vehicle.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle thermal energy control system that includes a heat source and a heat amount distributor, which calculates and distributes a demanded heat amount based on the suppliable heat amounts of heat generators and heat exchangers, ensuring efficient allocation of thermal energy across the vehicle.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If heat management is optimized considering suppliable heat amounts of all heat sources, then heat distribution efficiency is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple heat sources (engine cooling water system, heat pump, exhaust heat recovery system) into a unified thermal management system. The heat amount distributor integrates control of all these heat sources to collectively satisfy heat demands, rather than managing them separately. This merging enables optimized heat distribution efficiency by coordinating the suppliable heat amounts from all sources while maintaining manageable system complexity through integrated control architecture.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat amount distributor serves multiple functions: it calculates total heat demands from various components, determines suppliable heat amounts from multiple heat sources, performs heat balance calculations, and distributes heat allocation to each heat source. This multi-functional controller consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate control systems, improving efficiency while keeping the system architecture manageable.
2Loss of energy
If heat amount is distributed based on suppliable heat amounts of all heat sources, then energy waste is reduced, but calculation complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The heat amount distributor performs preliminary calculations of suppliable heat amounts from each heat source before distributing heat allocation. By pre-calculating the heat supply capacity of the engine cooling water system, heat pump, and exhaust heat recovery system, the controller can optimally allocate heat demands without energy waste. This preliminary action reduces energy loss by ensuring heat is distributed based on actual supply capabilities rather than demand alone, while the systematic calculation approach manages complexity through structured computation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system implements feedback control where the heat amount distributor continuously monitors heat demands from various components and adjusts heat allocation based on real-time suppliable heat amounts. This feedback mechanism ensures energy is distributed efficiently according to actual system conditions, reducing energy waste from mismatched supply and demand. The iterative calculation process manages complexity by using feedback loops that converge to optimal solutions.
3Use of energy by moving object
If integrated heat management is implemented across the entire vehicle, then thermal energy utilization is improved, but control system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The integrated heat management system is segmented into distinct functional modules: heat demand calculation units for each component (engine, cabin, battery), heat amount distributor, and individual heat source control units. This segmentation allows the complex integrated system to be managed through modular components, each handling specific calculations. The heat amount distributor coordinates these segments by performing heat balance calculations that consider suppliable heat amounts from all sources, improving thermal energy utilization while keeping control complexity manageable through modular architecture.
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 improved heat management by optimizing the distribution of thermal energy, reducing energy waste, and ensuring that thermal energy is efficiently used across the vehicle, even when the suppliable heat amounts of individual sources are insufficient.
Implementation Method 1
a heat exchanger configured to exchange heat between cooling water and the refrigerant
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle thermal energy control system that is able to achieve improved heat management in the entirety of a vehicle is provided. A thermal energy control system is provided in a vehicle and includes heat sources and a heat amount distributor configured to assign a demanded heat amount calculated from heat demands generated in the entirety of the vehicle, to each heat source on the basis of a suppliable heat amount of each heat source.