AIR-CONDITIONING SYSTEM CONTROL APPARATUS

• US 20090293522A1
• Filed: 06/02/2009
• Published: 12/03/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 06/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Miyazaki, Kazuma
• Granted Patent: US 8,578,723 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 62/231
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/3205 Control means therefor
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3238 related to the operation of the compressor
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3242 of a refrigerant
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3254 of the refrigerant at an expansion unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3261 of the air at an evaporating unit
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3275 to control the volume of a compressor

Abstract

An air-conditioning system control apparatus for controlling an air-conditioning system of a vehicle equipped with a motive power engine, having: a device for determining whether there is a history of a load that has been applied to a compressor, operated by the output of the motive power engine, equal to or greater than a threshold, during operation of the air-conditioning system; a device for carrying out initial operation process of the air-conditioning system if the load history determination device determines that there is a history of a load equal to or greater than the threshold has been applied to the compressor; and a device for carrying out liquid accumulation resolution process when liquefaction of a refrigerant occurs in the compressor only if the load history determination device determines that there is no history of a load equal to or greater than the threshold has been applied to the compressor.

Claims

1. An air-conditioning system control apparatus for controlling an air-conditioning system of a vehicle equipped with a motive power engine, comprising:

a load history determination device for determining whether there is a history of a load that has been applied to a compressor, operated by utilizing the output of the motive power engine, equal to or greater than a preset load, during operation of the air-conditioning system;

an air-conditioning system initial operation device for carrying out initial operation process of the air-conditioning system if it is determined by the load history determination device that there is a history of a load equal to or greater than the preset load has been applied to the compressor; and

a liquid accumulation resolution process device for carrying out liquid accumulation resolution process when liquefaction of a refrigerant occurs in the compressor only if it is determined by the load history determination device that there is no history of a load equal to or greater than the preset value has been applied to the compressor.

2. The air-conditioning system control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the history is erased when a request to start the motive power engine is generated.

3. The air-conditioning system control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the history is erased when a request to start the vehicle system is generated.

4. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 1, further comprising:

an estimated load determination device for estimating a load applied to the compressor and determining whether the estimated load applied to the compressor is a load equal to or greater than the preset load;

a load history storage device for storing the estimated load history used by the load history determination device if the estimated load applied to the compressor is equal to or greater than the preset load; and

a load history erasure device for erasing the history stored in the load history storage device when a request to start the motive power engine is generated.

5. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the load applied to the compressor is estimated according to a refrigerant pressure detection signal, a refrigerant flow rate detection signal, a temperature of air with which the refrigerant has been cooled, and a swash plate control current value output to the compressor.

6. The air-conditioning control apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the preset load is set so that the period during which liquid accumulation resolution process is carried out by the liquid accumulation processing device during the period from when the motive power engine is started to the time when a load is initially applied to the compressor.

7. The air-conditioning system control apparatus according to claim 6, wherein the preset load is 2 Nm.

8. The air-conditioning system control apparatus according to claim 2, wherein the preset load is set so that the period during which liquid accumulation resolution process is carried out by the liquid accumulation processing device during the period from when the motive power engine is started to the time when a load is initially applied to the compressor.

9. The air-conditioning system control apparatus according to claim 8, wherein the preset load is 2 Nm.

10. The air-conditioning system control apparatus according to claim 3, wherein the preset load is set so that the period during which liquid accumulation resolution process is carried out by the liquid accumulation processing device during the period from when the motive power engine is started to the time when a load is initially applied to the compressor.

11. The air-conditioning system control apparatus according to claim 10, wherein the preset load is 2 Nm.

12. The air-conditioning system control apparatus according to claim 4, wherein the preset load is set so that the period during which liquid accumulation resolution process is carried out by the liquid accumulation processing device during the period from when the motive power engine is started to the time when a load is initially applied to the compressor.

13. The air-conditioning system control apparatus according to claim 12, wherein the preset load is 2 Nm.

14. An air-conditioning system control apparatus for controlling an air-conditioning system of a vehicle equipped with a motive power engine, comprising:

a pressure estimation device for estimating whether a pressure of a refrigerant in the air-conditioning system is equal to or greater than a preset pressure, during operation of the air-conditioning system;

an air-conditioning system initial operation device for carrying out initial operation processing of the air-conditioning system if it is determined by the pressure estimation device that there is a history of the pressure of the refrigerant pressure has reached or exceeded the prescribed pressure; and

a liquid accumulation resolution process device for carrying out liquid accumulation resolution process when liquefaction of the refrigerant occurs only if the pressure estimation device determines that there is no history of the pressure of the refrigerant pressure has not reached or exceeded the prescribed pressure.

15. An air-conditioning system control apparatus for controlling an air-conditioning system of a vehicle equipped with a motive power engine, comprising:

a compressor operated by utilizing the output of the motive power engine

a calculation device for calculating a load on the compressor;

a history device for storing the load calculated by the calculation device as a history;

a load history determination device for determining whether a load equal to or greater than a preset load is present in the stored history, during operation of the air-conditioning system;

an air-conditioning system initial operation device for carrying out initial operation process of the air-conditioning system if it is determined by the load history determination device that a load equal to or greater than the preset load is present in the history; and

a liquid accumulation resolution process device for carrying out liquid accumulation resolution process when liquefaction of a refrigerant occurs in the compressor only if it is determined by the load history determination device that a load equal to or greater than the preset load is not present in the history.