Car air-conditioning system

• US 20040025525A1
• Filed: 06/16/2003
• Published: 02/12/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Sanyo Electric Air Conditioning Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Original Assignee: Sanyo Electric Air Conditioning Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Sanyo Electric Company Limited (Panasonic Holdings Corporation), Fuji Heavy Industries Limited (Subaru Corp.)
• Inventors: Takagi, Susumu, Kubo, Mamoru, Otagaki, Kazuhisa, Sasaki, Shigeharu, Watanabe, Kenzo
• Granted Patent: US 6,886,356 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/230
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00385 for vehicles having an electrical drive, e.g. hybrid or fuel cell
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/3208 Vehicle drive related control of the compressor drive means, e.g. for fuel saving purposes
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/3222 characterised by the compressor driving arrangements, e.g. clutches, transmissions or multiple drives B60H1/3208, B60H1/3226 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3266 related to the operation of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3273 related to the operation of the vehicle, e.g. the compressor driving torque

Abstract

There is provided an automotive air conditioning system, which is free from troubles in traveling itself caused by power consumption in air conditioning means in an automobile having storage means, power generation means for charging the storage means, and air conditioning means having an electric compressor driven by feeding from the storage means. Control means calculates a permissible power consumption increment in the air conditioning means by adding a permissible power generation increment to a permissible discharging current increment on tha basis of the permissible power generation increment allowable in the power generation means and the permissible discharging current increment allowable in the storage means to increase power consumption of the air conditioning means within the range of the permissible power consumption increment and to increase power generation of the power generation means within the range of the permissible power generation increment according to an increment of power consumption of the air conditioning means.

Claims

1. An automotive air conditioning system for use in an automobile having storage means, power generation means for charging the storage means, and air conditioning means having an electric compressor driven by feeding from said storage means, comprising:

control means for controlling power generation of said power generation means and an operation of said air conditioning means,

wherein said control means calculates a permissible power consumption increment in said air conditioning means by adding a permissible power generation increment to a permissible discharging current increment on tha basis of the permissible power generation increment allowable in said power generation means and the permissible discharging current increment allowable in said storage means to increase power consumption of said air conditioning means within the range of the permissible power consumption increment and to increase power generation of said power generation means within the range of the permissible power generation increment according to an increment of power consumption of the air conditioning means concerned.

3. The system according to claim 1 or 2, further comprising driving means for driving said power generation means,

wherein said control means compares the margin power generation that said power generation means can output further with the margin horsepower that said driving means can output further and considers a lower value to be the permissible power generation increment.

4. The system according to claim 3,

wherein said control means calculates a margin-power utilization ratio fluctuating within a range of 0 to 1 in proportion to a value obtained by subtracting the margin horsepower from a value of the permissible power generation increment plus the permissible discharging current increment, and

wherein said control means calculates the permissible power consumption increment by multiplying the permissible power generation increment plus the permissible discharging current increment by the margin-power utilization ratio.

13. The system according to claim 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12, wherein said automobile is an electric vehicle running with a traveling motor fed by said storage means.

2. An automotive air conditioning system for use in an automobile having storage means, power generation means for charging the storage means, and air conditioning means having an electric compressor driven by feeding from said storage means, comprising:

control means for controlling power generation of said power generation means and an operation of said air conditioning means,

wherein said control means calculates a permissible power consumption increment in said air conditioning means by adding a permissible power generation increment to a permissible discharging current increment on tha basis of the permissible power generation increment allowable in said power generation means and the permissible discharging current increment allowable in said storage means to increase power consumption of said air conditioning means within the range of the permissible power consumption increment and to increase power generation of said power generation means by an excess of an increment of power consumption of said air conditioning means concerned over the permissible discharging current increment.

5. An automotive air conditioning system for use in an automobile having storage means, power generation means for charging the storage means, and air conditioning means having an electric compressor driven by feeding from the storage means, comprising:

control means for controlling power generation of said power generation means and an operation of said air conditioning means,

wherein said control means calculates a permissible power generation increment allowable in said power generation means to increase power consumption of said air conditioning means within the range of the permissible power generation increment and to increase power generation of said power generation means according to an increment of power consumption of the air conditioning means concerned.

6. The system according to claim 5, further comprising driving means for driving said power generation means,

wherein said control means compares margin power generation that said power generation means can output further with margin horsepower that said driving means can output further and considers a lower value to be the permissible power generation increment.

7. An automotive air conditioning system for use in an automobile having storage means, power generation means for charging the storage means, and air conditioning means having an electric compressor driven by feeding from the storage means, comprising:

current detecting means for detecting a discharging current value from said storage means and control means for controlling power generation of said power generation means,

wherein, if the discharging current value exceeds a given permissible value, said control means increases the power generation of said power generation means from a given initial value on the basis of the discharging current value from the storage means detected by the current detecting means.

8. The system according to claim 7, wherein said control means controls power generation of said power generation means so that the discharging current value decreases to a given return value lower than the permissible value and returns the power generation of said power generation means to the initial value if the power generation concerned decreases to a level lower than the initial value.

9. The system according to claim 7 or 8, wherein said control means controls an operation of said air conditioning means and executes a control of stopping an increase of power consumption of said air conditioning means or of decreasing the power consumption concerned if the power generation of said power generation means reaches an upper limit.

10. An automotive air conditioning system for use in an automobile having storage means, power generation means for charging the storage means, and air conditioning means having an electric compressor driven by feeding from said storage means, comprising:

current detecting means for detecting a charging current value to said storage means and control means for controlling power generation of said power generation means,

wherein, if the charging current value concerned is lower than a given lower limit, said control means increases the power generation of said power generation means from a given initial value on the basis of the charging current value to said storage means detected by said current detecting means.

11. The system according to claim 10, wherein said control means controls power generation of said power generation means so that the charging current value increases to a given return value higher than the lower limit and returns the power generation of said power generation means to the initial value if the power generation concerned decreases to a level lower than the initial value.

12. The system according to claim 10 or 11, wherein said control means controls an operation of said air conditioning means and executes a control of stopping an increase of power consumption of said air conditioning means or of decreasing the power consumption concerned if the power generation of said power generation means reaches an upper limit.