Modelling of an automotive multi-evaporator air-conditioning system

An automotive multi-evaporator air conditioning system, which is composed of two evaporators and a secondary fluid cooler, was modeled using the LMS Imagine.Lab Amesim® 1D software. The present study focuses on understanding the dynamic coupling of the several loop components such as the three evaporators having different cooling capacities. This kind of multi-evaporator air-conditioning system has a number of technological barriers that must be overcome. Understanding the behavior of their respective expansion devices and the choice of these latter is also essential to control properly the transient phase and ensure an optimal operation of the air-conditioning system. In order to study the behavior of the loop, step disturbances were simulated on an operating point at medium and high load. The impact of these disturbances on the stability of the supplied cooled air temperature is analyzed for two types of expansion valve. Initial results show that the thermostatic expansion valves can cause instabilities. Furthermore, the electronic expansion valves have to be regulated with an advanced control in order to use their full potential and to try to achieve desired results.