SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR REFRIGERANT MANAGEMENT IN AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE

Embodiments of the present invention provide a refrigerant management system () in a heat flux management system () for an electric vehicle () and a method of refrigerant management, the system comprising a vehicle air conditioning circuit comprising a heat pump circuit () with a heating function and a refrigeration cycle refrigerant circuit (), the air conditioning circuit comprising a heat pump condenser () in thermal communication with a heat source (), a refrigerant evaporator () in thermal communication with the heat source (), an evaporator () associated with an expansion valve (), and a refrigerant compressor (), wherein the components are fluidly connected to one another by a refrigerant line (), an accumulator () fluidly coupled in the refrigerant line downstream of the heat pump condenser (), the refrigerant evaporator () and evaporator () and upstream of the refrigerant compressor (), wherein the air conditioning circuit is switchable between a heating mode in which the heat pump circuit () is in fluid communication with the compressor () and the heat pump condenser () is isolated from fluid communication with the compressor () and a cooling mode wherein the refrigerant circuit () is in fluid communication with the compressor by actuation of at least one valve (); wherein the air conditioning circuit comprises a sensor () at the compressor inlet () operable to monitor refrigerant temperature and pressure; and wherein when the system is in the heating mode, a shut off valve in line between the heat pump condenser () and the accumulator () is operable to open to initiate a cold start mode in which a temporary fluid communication is provided between the heat pump condenser () and the accumulator in the heat pump circuit when: the sensor () detects one or both of: a superheated refrigerant at the compressor inlet () and a temperature gradient of more than 3 Kelvin between ambient (T) and the compressor inlet ().