MOTOR VEHICLE CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM

摘要

A vehicle climate control system includes a thermal-adsorption heat pump driven by engine exhaust heat, the heat pump including two adsorbers asynchronously switching between adsorbing and desorbing modes, each adsorber coupled with a corresponding antifreeze tank via a plurality of refrigerant-containing wick chambers. Cold heat transfer fluid (HTF) flows through the adsorber during the adsorbing mode which causes evaporation of refrigerant from the wick chambers, thereby cooling antifreeze, whereas hot HTF flows through the adsorber during the desorbing mode which causes condensation of refrigerant at the wick chambers, thereby heating antifreeze. In this way, the thermal-adsorption heat pump may condition cabin air independent of engine coolant and without exerting a load on the engine.

主权项

1. A method for vehicle cabin climate control system, comprising:
during engine operation, asynchronously switching first and second adsorbers of a thermal-adsorption heat pump communicating with engine exhaust heat between adsorbing and desorbing modes, the adsorbing adsorber cooling antifreeze via wick chambers and the desorbing adsorber heating antifreeze via wick chambers; and conditioning cabin air via the heated antifreeze or the cooled antifreeze depending on an operating mode of the climate control system.