P.4.7.3 Experimental Study on Influence of Inlet and Outlet Layout of External Heat Exchanger on Performance of Heat Pump System for Electric Cars
External heat exchanger of the heat pump air-conditioning system is a core component for electric cars. It functions not only as an evaporator but also as a condenser and has a great impact on the overall performance of the heat pump system. In this paper, a reversible flow chart of a heat pump air conditioning system is presented and an experimental bench is set up to study the influence of inlet and outlet layout of external heat exchanger on performance of the heat pump system. The results show: under heating conditions, heating performance of the system is optimal when the inlet is at the bottom; while under cooling conditions, the inlet set at the top is better for the heat pump performance. This verifies that the reversible flow chart of a heat pump air conditioning system is practical for improving the heat pump comprehensive performance in both cooling and heating mode.