Research on the Control Method of Electric Vehicle Air-Conditioning System Based on Human Thermal Comfort

For electric vehicles (EVs), the automotive air-conditioning system is the most energy-consuming auxiliary system and the key to the thermal comfort of the passenger compartment. How to reduce the energy consumption of EVs’ air-conditioning system and improve passenger comfort is one of the focuses of EVs’ air-conditioning system research. This article proposes a method to integrate the passenger cabin thermal comfort into the control of electric vehicle air-conditioning system. A coupled thermal model of the passenger compartment, air-conditioning system and battery thermal management system of EVs is established for the control of the air-conditioning system, and the effects of the air supply parameters of the air-conditioning system and the zonal air supply control strategy of the air-conditioning system on the thermal comfort of the passenger compartment are analyzed. Based on this coupled thermal model, an air-conditioning control strategy is established with the thermal comfort of the passenger compartment as the control objective, and the thermal comfort is synergized with the battery thermal management. The results show that the control method of electric vehicle air-conditioning system based on human thermal comfort is simple and effective, and the thermal comfort of the passenger compartment is significantly improved, while the energy-saving target of the air-conditioning system is realized.