Performance analysis of a heat pump system with integrated desiccant for electric vehicles

Decreasing the heat demand in EV cabins can effectively reduce the electricity consumption of batteries and maintain the cruising range of electric vehicles (EVs) in winter. In this study, we proposed a heat pump system with integrated desiccant, in which desiccant dehumidifies the cabin interior, reducing the amount of incoming fresh air needed and the cabin heat demand. Calculation results show that compared to conventional EV heat pumps, the cabin heat load and compressor electric power of the proposed system are decreased by 42 and 38% at an ambient air temperature of −20 °C.