This community collection gathers results from the XERIC H2020 project (2015-2018). XERIC is a european trans-disciplinary project, which has developed an energy-friendly climate-control system to extend the range capability of electric vehicles in all weather conditions. This project has received funding from the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement N°653605.

XERIC: Innovative Climate-Control System to Extend Range of Electric Vehicles and Improve Comfort

The limited capacity of electric batteries combined with the substantial amount of energy needed to run auxiliary equipment dramatically affects the range capability of electric vehicles: the climate control system can absorb up to 40-60% of the energy available in summer conditions.

XERIC’S AIM

The aim of this trans-disciplinary project is to develop an energy-friendly climate-control system capable of reducing at least 50% of the energy used for passenger comfort throughout the year (i.e.,heating, cooling and dehumidifying).
XERIC’s climate control system will:

• reduce by more than 50% the energy used for passenger comfort;
• have a lifetime superior to 10 years;
• enable easy industrialisation and customisation for electric vehicles currently on the market;
• cost between 1200 and 3000 € per vehicle.

With current technologies, air is dehumidified thanks to climate control systems based on a Vapor Compression Cycle (VCC), which cools air below its dew point. Alternatively, desiccants can be used to dehumidify air without cooling it below its dew point. This is an efficient way which allows controlling temperature and humidity independently.

What’s new with XERIC?

XERIC develops a hybrid system, combining a liquid desiccant cycle (operating on humidity) with a traditional VCC (dealing with temperature). In such a system,
the VCC operates at higher refrigerant evaporation temperature and at lower condensation temperature. The result is energy saving.

This hybrid combination is possible thanks to an innovative and highly compact three-fluid-combined membrane contactor that works simultaneously with air, desiccant solution and refrigerant.