Vehicle Thermal Management Switching Engine Radiator Heat Absorption
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing thermal management systems for vehicles face challenges in air-heating performance when the engine coolant temperature is low, as the engine radiator becomes ineffective, leading to reduced heat exchange performance and degraded interior heating capabilities.
Innovation Solution
A thermal management system that includes a compressor, air heater, chiller, cooler core, and engine radiator, with a switching device to switch between independent and communication modes, allowing the heat medium to flow between the cooler cooling circuit and engine cooling circuit, enabling the engine radiator to absorb heat from outside air for air-heating when the engine coolant temperature is low.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If the engine radiator is not used when engine coolant temperature is low, then the heat-absorption heat exchanger can be mounted, but the air-heating performance is degraded due to reduced heat exchange capacity
Solution Approach 1:
The engine radiator is designed to serve dual functions: traditional heat dissipation when engine coolant temperature is high, and heat absorption from outside air when engine coolant temperature is low. This multi-functionality allows the same component to adapt to different thermal management needs without requiring separate dedicated heat exchangers for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal management system dynamically switches the operating mode of the engine radiator based on real-time engine coolant temperature. When temperature drops below a threshold, the system activates the heat-absorption mode by controlling the coolant circulation, enabling the radiator to absorb heat from outside air and maintain effective air-heating performance under varying thermal conditions.
2Volume of stationary object
If the heat-absorption heat exchanger is downsized to fit vehicle mounting space restrictions, then mounting space is saved, but heat exchange performance is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The engine radiator is designed to serve dual functions: traditional heat dissipation when engine coolant temperature is high, and heat absorption from outside air when engine coolant temperature is low. This multi-functionality allows the same component to adapt to different thermal management needs without requiring separate dedicated heat exchangers for each function.
Solution Approach 2:
The thermal management system dynamically switches the operating mode of the engine radiator based on real-time engine coolant temperature. When temperature drops below a threshold, the system activates the heat-absorption mode by controlling the coolant circulation, enabling the radiator to absorb heat from outside air and maintain effective air-heating performance under varying thermal conditions.
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 solution enhances air-heating performance by effectively utilizing the engine radiator, improving the vehicle's interior heating capacity even at low engine coolant temperatures, without increasing energy consumption or requiring auxiliary heat sources.
Implementation Method 1
a compressor (26) that draws and discharges a refrigerant in a refrigeration cycle (25)
Implementation Method 2
a heat-absorption heat exchanger... that exchanges heat between the outside air and the coolant in the low-temperature side coolant circuit, thereby absorbing heat from the outside air into the coolant
Implementation Method 3
absorbing heat from the outside air in the engine radiator (32)
Data Source
AI summary
A thermal management system for a vehicle includes an engine cooling circuit that causes a heat medium to circulate through an engine, and an engine radiator that exchanges heat between the heat medium in the engine cooling circuit and outside air. The thermal management system for a vehicle further includes a switching device that switches between an independent mode in which the heat medium circulates respectively independently through a cooler cooling circuit and the engine cooling circuit, and a communication mode in which the cooler cooling circuit and the engine cooling circuit communicate with each other to cause the heat medium to flow between a chiller and the engine radiator; and a controller that controls an operation of the switching device to switch to the communication mode when a temperature of the heat medium in the engine cooling circuit is lower than a first heat-medium temperature.