Electric or hybrid traction vehicle equipped with an air conditioning system, with heat recovery from cooling of electrical and/or electronic components
An electric or hybrid traction vehicle is provided with a passenger compartment conditioned using an air conditioning system, and with electrical/electronic components which are cooled by a waste heat dissipation and recovery system; such system transfers the recovered heat to an additional heat exchanger for heating and/or post-heating an air flow, which is conveyed towards the passenger compartment via an aeraulic duct; the additional exchanger is arranged in series with, and downstream of, an evaporator of a refrigerating assembly, which cools the air flow in the aeraulic duct.
1 . An electric or hybrid traction vehicle ( 1 ), comprising:
a passenger compartment ( 11 );
an air conditioning system ( 15 ) for conditioning said passenger compartment ( 11 ) by means of at least one air flow;
at least one electrical and/or electronic component ( 8 ) which tends to heat up during normal operating conditions;
the air conditioning system ( 15 ) comprising:
a waste heat dissipation and recovery system ( 35 ) comprising:
a) a first circuit ( 36 ), in which a heat transfer fluid flows, in use;
b) a first heat exchanger ( 38 ) for removing heat from said electrical and/or electronic component ( 8 ); and
c) at least one second heat exchanger ( 28 ) for transferring the heat removed by said first heat exchanger ( 38 ) to said air flow;
an aeraulic duct ( 20 ) conveying said air flow towards said passenger compartment ( 11 );
a refrigerating assembly ( 30 ) comprising a third heat exchanger or evaporator ( 27 ), arranged along said aeraulic duct ( 20 ) and configured to remove heat from said air flow;
said second heat exchanger ( 28 ) being arranged along said aeraulic duct ( 20 ) in series with, and downstream of, said third heat exchanger or evaporator ( 27 );
the waste heat dissipation and recovery system ( 35 ) further comprising:
a further heat exchanger ( 39 ) for transferring, to a fluid, at least a part of the heat which has been removed by said first heat exchanger ( 38 );
moving means ( 40 ) for forcedly making said fluid circulate through said further exchanger ( 39 );
a bypass pipe ( 41 ) arranged in parallel to said second exchanger ( 28 ); and
a three-way regulating valve ( 42 ) controlled so as to adjust the heat exchanged by said second exchanger ( 28 ) by splitting the flow rate of said heat transfer fluid between said second exchanger ( 28 ) and said bypass pipe ( 41 );
wherein said further exchanger ( 39 ) is arranged in series with, and downstream of, said second exchanger ( 28 ) and said bypass pipe ( 41 ) and upstream of said first exchanger ( 38 ).
2 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said air conditioning system ( 15 ) comprises at least one control unit ( 16 ) configured to simultaneously adjust said refrigerating assembly ( 30 ) and said waste heat dissipation and recovery system ( 35 ), in order to achieve a temperature setpoint and also a relative humidity setpoint, in said passenger compartment ( 11 ).
3 . The vehicle according to claim 2 , wherein said control unit ( 16 ) is configured to adjust:
the refrigerating assembly ( 30 ) in such a manner that the third exchanger or evaporator ( 27 ) removes a greater heat quantity than it would theoretically be necessary to achieve the temperature setpoint only, if the second exchanger ( 28 ) did not release any heat quantity; and
the waste heat dissipation and recovery system ( 35 ) in such a manner that the second exchanger ( 28 ) releases a heat quantity to the cooled air so that the temperature setpoint and the relative humidity setpoint are simultaneously achieved.
4 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said air conditioning system ( 15 ) comprises at least one control unit configured to increase a speed of said moving means ( 40 ) upon the increase in a forward speed of the vehicle.
5 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said air conditioning system ( 15 ) comprises at least one control unit configured to adjust the heat removed through said further exchanger ( 39 ), by varying a speed of said moving means ( 40 ) and/or by bypassing said further exchanger ( 39 ).
6 . The vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein the control unit is configured to adjust the heat removed through said further exchanger ( 39 ) to achieve a given temperature setpoint in the passenger compartment.
7 . The vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein said control unit is configured to reduce the speed of said moving means ( 40 ) after said regulating valve ( 42 ) has been set so as to make all the heat transfer fluid flow through said second exchanger ( 28 ).
8 . The vehicle according to claim 7 , wherein said control unit is configured to bypass said further exchanger ( 39 ) after the speed of said moving means ( 40 ) has been annulled.
9 . The vehicle according to claim 5 , wherein said control unit is configured to reduce the speed of said moving means ( 40 ) and/or bypass said further exchanger ( 39 ) only if the temperature of the heat transfer fluid at said first exchanger ( 38 ) does not exceed a threshold value.
10 . The vehicle according to claim 1 , wherein said electrical and/or electronic component ( 8 ) is defined by at least one power electronic converter ( 10 ).
11 . The vehicle according claim 1 , wherein said refrigerating assembly ( 30 ) further comprises:
a second circuit ( 31 ), in which a refrigerant fluid flows, in use;
a fourth heat exchanger or condenser ( 33 ) for transferring heat to the outside;
a compressor ( 32 ); and
a lamination valve ( 34 ).