Method and control system for controlling an automotive HVAC system to prevent fogging

• US 5,516,041 A
• Filed: 12/23/1994
• Issued: 05/14/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/30/1993
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC (Ford Motor Company)
• Original Assignee: Ford Motor Company
• Inventors: Matteson, Robert W., Davis, Leighton I. Jr., Dage, Gerhard A.
• Primary Examiner(s): Tanner, Harry B.
• Application Number:
  US08/363,085
• Time in Patent Office: 508 Days
• Field of Search: 236/49.3, 236/44 R, 236/44 A, 236/44 C, 236/91 R, 236/91 C, 454/75, 454/901, 454/256, 454/258, 62/176.1, 62/176.6, 62/180, 62/229, 62/244, 165/17, 165/21, 165/42, 165/43
• US Class Current: 236/49.3
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/0073 Control systems or circuits characterised by particular algorithms or computational models, e.g. fuzzy logic or dynamic models
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00785 by the detection of humidity or frost
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00814 Control systems or circuits characterised by their output, for controlling particular components of the heating, cooling or ventilating installation
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00864 Ventilators and damper doors
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00892 Devices specially adapted for avoiding uncomfortable feeling, e.g. sudden temperature changes B60H1/00885 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05B 13/0275 using fuzzy logic only
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/1917 using digital means

Abstract

Method and control system for controlling an automotive HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) system using fuzzy logic to prevent fogging. The control system responds to signals generated by various climate control sensors including a humidity sensor to produce a desired vehicle air temperature and air flow to detect and avoid incipient windshield/window fog conditions. Fuzzy logic calculations are performed based on fuzzy rules and membership functions to provide nonlinear compensation.

Claims

1. A method for automatically controlling a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system of a vehicle which discharges a flow of air to a passenger cabin of the vehicle to prevent fogging of a window pane of the cabin, the system including a variable speed blower, means for varying air temperature, ducting, actuators having various control positions for controlling the direction of air flow and the ratio of fresh air to recirculated air, a humidity sensor for sensing relative humidity within the cabin and temperature sensors for sensing temperature within the cabin and ambient temperature and an adjustable set point temperature, the method comprising the steps of:

determining a fog condition boundary based on temperature within the cabin and ambient temperature;

determining a difference between relative humidity and the fog condition boundary;

determining a fog probability based on the difference;

defining membership functions and fuzzy rules between the fog probability and the speed of the blower and between the fog probability and the control positions of a first set of the actuators; and

generating control signals to control the positions of the first set of actuators and the speed of the blower to cause the system to discharge air into the cabin having a desired temperature and flow based on the fog probability, the membership functions and the fuzzy rules to prevent fogging of the window pane.

2. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of defining membership functions and fuzzy rules between the relative humidity and the control positions of the actuators and wherein the step of generating is also based on the relative humidity.

3. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of defining membership functions and fuzzy rules between the relative humidity and the speed of the blower, and wherein the step of generating is also based on the relative humidity.

4. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of defining membership functions and fuzzy rules between the fog probability and an adjustable target temperature wherein air temperature is controlled.

5. The method as claimed in claim 1 further comprising the step of defining membership functions and fuzzy rules between the temperature within the cabin and the control positions of the actuators and wherein the step of generating is also based on the temperature within the cabin.

6. A control system for automatically controlling a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system of a vehicle which discharges a flow of air to a passenger cabin of the vehicle to prevent fogging of a window pane of the cabin, the HVAC system including a variable speed blower, means for varying air temperature, ducting, actuators having various control positions for controlling the direction of air flow and the ratio of fresh air to recirculated air, a humidity sensor for sensing relative humidity within the cabin and temperature sensors for sensing temperature within the cabin and ambient temperature and an adjustable set point temperature, the system comprising:

means for determining a fog condition boundary based on temperature within the cabin and ambient temperature;

means for determining a difference between relative humidity and the fog condition boundary;

means for determining a fog probability based on the difference;

means for defining membership functions and fuzzy rules between the fog probability and the speed of the blower and between the fog probability and the control positions of a first set of the actuators; and

means for generating control signals to control the positions of the first set of actuators and the speed of the blower to cause the HVAC system to discharge air into the cabin having a desired temperature and flow based on the fog probability, the membership functions and the fuzzy rules to prevent fogging of the window pane.

7. The system as claimed in claim 6 further comprising means for defining membership functions and fuzzy rules between the temperature within the cabin and the control positions of the actuators and wherein the means for generating generates the control signals also based on the temperature within the cabin.

8. The system as claimed in claim 6 further comprising means for defining membership functions and fuzzy rules between the relative humidity and the control positions of the actuators and wherein the means for generating generates the control signals also based on the relative humidity.

9. The system of claim 6 further comprising means for defining membership functions and fuzzy rules between the fog probability and an adjustable target temperature wherein air temperature is controlled.

10. The system of claim 6 further comprising means for defining membership functions and fuzzy rules between the relative humidity and the speed of the blower and wherein the means for generating generates the control signals also based on the relative humidity.