Comprehensive performance evaluation on a transcritical CO2 ejector-expansion heat pump system

•A CO2 ejector-expansion heat pump for electric vehicles is experimentally investigated.•System performances and ejector characteristics are evaluated under typical cooling and heating conditions.•Performance improvement of the system with a fixed-dimension ejector is analyzed.•Comprehensive performance of ejector-expansion, basic-regenerative, and vapor-injection systems under whole climate is compared. In order to reduce irreversible loss and recover expansion work for improving automotive thermal system performance, this study experimentally evaluated the performances and characteristics of a CO2 ejector-expansion (EJE) heat pump system for electric vehicles under typical cooling and heating operating modes, examined the adaptability of the EJE system with a fixed-dimension ejector, and compared the EJE system with the basic-regenerative (REG) and vapor-injection (INJ) systems in the − 30 °C to 50 °C range. The results show that the increasing electronic expansion valve (EXV) opening leads to an increasing entrainment ratio and a decreasing lift ratio in both two modes. The maximum COP is 2.00 at 35 °C/27 °C (out-cabin/in-cabin air temperature) and 1.85 at 0 °C/20 °C. The COP improvement reaches a maximum of 21.6 % and 31.0 % at the ejector design temperature of 45 °C, compared to the REG and INJ systems, respectively. However, the heating performance of the ejector designed at a high temperature significantly decreases as the ambient temperature goes down. At − 30 °C/20 °C, the EJE system performs worse with a COP degradation of 6.1 % compared to the REG system.