Development of an integrated expansion evaporator and condenser unit for an advanced thermo-adsorptive battery system

The advanced thermo-adsorptive battery climate control system (ATB) is a highly innovative cooling and heating technology being developed by a cross-disciplinary academic and industrial team. The primary goal of this technology is to be employed in electric vehicles (EVs). In comparison with the conventional vapor-compression cooling system and the inefficient resistive heating method employed by the EVs’ industry, the ATB system is expected to offer EVs an additional 30% driving range by providing high cooling (2.5kWh) and heating (3.5kWh) storage in a lighter (<35kg) and more compact (<30L) system. The integrated expansion evaporator/condenser unit (IEECU) is one of the most crucial components comprising the ATB system. It combines the functions of an evaporator and a condenser and is designed to enhance the heat exchange between coolant and refrigerant. This thesis summarizes the work starting from the design, fabrication to characterizing process, with a particular focus on evaporation characterization. Development of ATB system and test setup including other components is covered in the rest of thesis.