Enhancing heat pump efficiency using extremum seeking control: A MATLAB SimScape-based study

This thesis investigates the use of Extremum Seeking Control (ESC) to enhance the efficiency of battery powered heat pump systems used in vehicles. Vehicle heat pumps, which commonly use vapor-compression cycles, play a crucial role in maintaining cabin comfort and passenger satisfaction, particularly in electric vehicles where energy efficiency directly impacts vehicle range. To optimize heat pump efficiency without requiring a detailed system model, classical ESC and Adaptive ESC (ESCAP) were implemented to control the condenser and evaporator fan speeds. A comprehensive heat pump model was developed using MATLAB SimScape to simulate realistic cabin heating scenarios in winter. Simulations were performed under both constant and time-varying ambient temperature conditions to evaluate control effectiveness and robustness. The results demonstrated up to a 45% improvement in the coefficient of performance (COP) when ESC methods were applied to control condenser fan speed. However, control of the evaporator fan speed did not achieve smooth convergence to an optimum point, suggesting potential limitations in the simulation model.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Mechanical Engineering

Grantor

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2025

Author dc:creator

• Jahedan, Reihaneh

Contributors dc:contributor

• Miljkovic, Nenad
• Allison, James

• Heat Pump
• Extremum Seeking Control

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2025 Reihaneh Jahedan

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/129773

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F129773