Environmental protection initiatives are speeding up the replacement of the present IC engine-based transportation system with an electric motor-driven system. In electric vehicles (EV), energy stored in batteries is used for the traction of the vehicle and the operation of the auxiliaries. The range of the electric vehicle was identified to be one of the major challenges faced by the EV segment. The optimization of the consumption of stored energy is the best solution for range improvement in an EV. Auxiliaries in the vehicle include basic accessories such as a lighting system and equipment for improved comfort such as air conditioners. Air conditioning equipment is the major power-consuming auxiliary in an EV apart from the traction motor. This review article discusses the significance and influence of different components of the air conditioning system, and methods followed by researchers to optimize the performance and reduce the energy consumption of the air conditioning system to extend the range of vehicles. The effects of thermal load and volume of space to be conditioned were also considered in this study. This review concludes by stating the different possibilities for the reduction in power consumption and emphasizes zonal air conditioning of occupant space as a solution for reducing energy consumption or increasing the range of EVs. Compared to full-space air conditioning, zonal AC can reduce power consumption by up to 51%.
In automobiles, the demand for HVAC has been rising for decades and the key variables that affect the thermal comfort in a car were identified as air velocity, temperature, radiant temperature, and relative humidity. Thermal comfort estimation in a vehicle depends on the transient behavior of the cabin space and boundaries. The predicted mean vote (PMV) and predicted percentage of dissatisfied (PPD) are the available methods to describe and optimize thermal comfort in cabin space. In this paper, the cabin thermal comfort of a minivan was analyzed for reduction of energy consumption with the help of experimental and numerical simulation. Using CFD simulation and validation with experimental data, the flow dynamics inside a vehicle cabin is evaluated based on air velocity, temperature, and comfort indices. With some error for the extreme planes, a strong agreement was reached between the experimental values and the CFD model. With the reduction in the air velocity from 2.3 m/s to 1.3 m/s, the average power required to run the blower can be reduced by 43%, providing an advantage of reducing the capacity of the compressor. The higher PPD values were observed on the walls of the cabin and at the outlet of the AC vents.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.