Enhancement of electric vehicle air-conditioning system with dual condensers

Air-conditioning systems of electric vehicles (EV) not only cool the cabin space but also remove the heat generated by the battery during rapid charging or driving. These two cooling functions consume electric energy, affecting electric vehicle competitiveness in fuel efficiency and mileage. Therefore, improving the system performance and efficiency of EV air-conditioning systems is essential. Previous studies have mainly focused on improving the system performance and efficiency by optimizing the main design parameters of the air-cooled condenser or by comparing the performance and efficiency of water- or air-cooled condensers. This study proposed a novel architecture, and conducted experimental and numerical research on the effects of combined condensers that use both water and air to condense refrigerant on the performance and efficiency of the EV air-conditioning system. The simulation results of the developed numerical model were compared with the bench test results. The compressor power consumption and system efficiency under the maximum capacity conditions were selected for comparison. The results show that the air-conditioning system with the combined condenser reduced the compressor power consumption by 13.1% to 14% and improved the system efficiency by 14.6% to 15.7% compared with the air-conditioning system using a single air-cooled condenser.