Air conditioning system

• US 20070277544A1
• Filed: 06/05/2007
• Published: 12/06/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 06/06/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Wakisaka, Takeshi, Honda, Katsuhiko
• Granted Patent: US 8,256,238 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/228.300
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/321 for preventing the freezing of a heat exchanger
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3251 of the refrigerant at a condensing unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3261 of the air at an evaporating unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3263 of the refrigerant at an evaporating unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3273 related to the operation of the vehicle, e.g. the compressor driving torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3275 to control the volume of a compressor
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2500/19 Calculation of parameters
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2500/26 characterised by the startup of the refrigeration cycle
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2600/0272 the suction pressure
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/2104 of an indoor room or compartment
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/2106 of fresh outdoor air
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/2117 of an evaporator
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2700/21173 at the outlet
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 47/006 for preventing frost
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 49/022 Compressor control arrangements

Abstract

An air conditioning system for a vehicle has a refrigerant cycle device which has an evaporator and a compressor and in which refrigerant is discharged from the compressor to be evaporated in the evaporator so that air passing the evaporator is cooled to be blown into a passenger compartment of the vehicle. The control unit drives the compressor at a control value which is determined based on at least one of a pressure of the refrigerant in the refrigerant cycle device and an outside-air temperature outside the passenger compartment, when the control unit actuates the compressor.

Claims

1. An air conditioning system for a vehicle, comprising:

a refrigerant cycle device which has an evaporator and a compressor and in which refrigerant is discharged from the compressor to be evaporated in the evaporator so that air passing the evaporator is cooled to be blown into a passenger compartment of the vehicle; and

a control unit which calculates a control value for determining a driving output of the compressor to control an operation of the compressor, wherein

the control unit drives the compressor at the control value which is determined based on a pressure of the refrigerant in the refrigerant cycle device, when the control unit actuates the compressor.

2. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit determines the control value based on the pressure of the refrigerant in the refrigerant cycle device and an outside-air temperature outside the passenger compartment.

3. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein:

the control unit memorizes therein a plurality of control properties respectively corresponding to predetermined values of the outside-air temperature, for the sake of determining the control value based on the pressure of the refrigerant in the refrigerant cycle device; and

the control unit selects the one control property for the calculation from the plurality of control properties in response to the outside-air temperature when the compressor is actuated, to determine the control value.

4. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit determines the control value based on the pressure of the refrigerant in the refrigerant cycle device and an air temperature of a downstream side with respect to the evaporator.

5. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, further comprising

a storage unit which beforehand memorizes therein a refrigerant flow amount flowing through the refrigerant cycle device of a stable state where an air temperature of a downstream side with respect to the evaporator is substantially stable at a predetermined value, wherein

the control unit determines the control value based on the refrigerant pressure and the memorized refrigerant flow amount of the stable state.

6. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, further comprising

a storage unit which beforehand memorizes therein a suction pressure corresponding to a refrigerant flow amount flowing through the refrigerant cycle device of a stable state where an air temperature of a downstream side with respect to the evaporator is substantially stable at a predetermined value, wherein:

the compressor is a suction-pressure control type compressor where the refrigerant flow amount is related to the suction pressure; and

the control unit determines the control value based on the refrigerant pressure and the memorized suction pressure of the stable state.

13. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein

the compressor provided with the control value which is adjustable by the control unit is constructed of a variable capacity type compressor having a variable capacity.

16. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein

the control unit performs a control for determining the control value in the case where an outside-air temperature outside the passenger compartment is smaller than or equal to a predetermined value.

17. The air conditioning system according to claim 5, wherein

the storage unit is constructed of the control unit.

18. The air conditioning system according to claim 6, wherein

the storage unit is constructed of the control unit.

7. An air conditioning system for a vehicle, comprising:

a refrigerant cycle device which has an evaporator and a compressor and in which refrigerant is discharged from the compressor to be evaporated in the evaporator so that air passing the evaporator is cooled to be blown into a passenger compartment of the vehicle; and

a control unit which calculates a control value for determining a driving output of the compressor to control an operation of the compressor, wherein

the control unit drives the compressor by the control value which is determined based on an outside-air temperature outside the passenger compartment, when the control unit actuates the compressor.

8. The air conditioning system according to claim 7, wherein

the control unit determines the control value in response to a current mode which is one of an inside air mode where air inside the passenger compartment is taken in and an outside mode where air outside the passenger compartment is taken in.

9. The air conditioning system according to claim 7, wherein

the control unit performs a control for determining the control value in the case where the outside-air temperature is smaller than or equal to a predetermined value.

14. The air conditioning system according to claim 7, wherein

the compressor provided with the control value which is adjustable by the control unit is constructed of a variable capacity type compressor having a variable capacity.

10. An air conditioning system for a vehicle, comprising:

a refrigerant cycle device which has an evaporator and a compressor and in which refrigerant is discharged from the compressor to be evaporated in the evaporator so that air passing the evaporator is cooled to be blown into a passenger compartment of the vehicle; and

a control unit which calculates a control value for determining a driving output of the compressor to control an operation of the compressor, wherein

the control unit drives the compressor by the control value which is determined based on at least one of a pressure of refrigerant in the refrigerant cycle device and an outside-air temperature outside the passenger compartment, when a control value setting condition for setting the driving output of the compressor is detected after a startup of the compressor.

11. The air conditioning system according to claim 10, wherein

the control value setting condition is that a predetermined period of time has elapsed since the control unit starts the control for determining the control value to actuate the compressor.

12. The air conditioning system according to claim 10, wherein

the control value setting condition is that a temperature of the evaporator is smaller than or equal to a predetermined value after the control unit starts the control for determining the control value to actuate the compressor.

15. The air conditioning system according to claim 10, wherein

the compressor provided with the control value which is adjustable by the control unit is constructed of a variable capacity type compressor having a variable capacity.