Control method of vehicle air-conditioning apparatus

• US 5,518,065 A
• Filed: 06/06/1994
• Issued: 05/21/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 07/10/1992
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation, Naldec Corporation
• Original Assignee: Mazda Motor Corporation, Naldec Corporation
• Inventors: Tsuchida, Takashi, Enno, Yasuhiro, Ukita, Eiji, Ishikawa, Toshikazu, Asou, Hiroshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Tanner, Harry B.
• Application Number:
  US08/254,106
• Time in Patent Office: 715 Days
• Field of Search: 165/43, 165/42, 165/12, 165/16, 236/49.3, 236/91 R, 236/91 C, 236/91 F, 236/91 E, 236/DIG. 9, 62/180, 62/186, 62/244
• US Class Current: 165/43
• 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

Abstract

An air conditioning control method of a vehicle includes the step of determining a target temperature of a passenger compartment of the vehicle, calculating a comfort index provided as a function of at least an outlet air temperature and outlet air volume flowing out of a heater-air-conditioner system in which air is treated to be introduce to a passenger compartment, setting a target comfort index, determining an optimized combination of the output air temperature and the output air volume which minimizes a deviation of the comfort index from the target comfort index, compensating the target temperature to reduce the deviation when the deviation is greater than a predetermined value. The optimized comfort level can be accomplished quickly through the control.

Claims

1. An air conditioning control method of a vehicle comprising:

determining a target temperature of a passenger compartment of the vehicle,

calculating a comfort index provided as a function of at least an outlet air temperature and outlet air volume flowing out of a heater-air-conditioner system in which air is treated to be introduce to a passenger compartment,

setting a target comfort index,

determining an optimized combination of the output air temperature and the output air volume which minimizes a deviation of the comfort index from the target comfort index,

compensating the target temperature to reduce the deviation when the deviation is greater than a predetermined value.

2. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the target comfort index is changeable as a function of a set interior temperature.

3. A method as recited in claim 1 where an airflow mode of the output air from the heater-air-conditioner system is changed where the deviation is not reduced below the predetermined value irrespective of the compensation of the target temperature.

4. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the comfort index is calculated as a function of air conditioning factor and an environmental factor.

5. A method as recited in claim 1 wherein the comfort index F is calculated by the following formula:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">F=K1*Va+K2*To+K3*Ta+K4*Tr+K5*Ts+K6

wherein

Va;

outlet air volume to a passenger compartment,

To;

outlet air temperature to the passenger compartment,

Ta;

ambient (outside) air temperature,

Tr;

interior temperature of a passenger compartment,

Ts;

solar radiation value,

K1 through K6;

weighting coefficients for the respective variables Va, To, Ta, Tr and Ts.

6. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein the airflow mode in an air cooling operation of the heater-air-conditioner system is different from that in an air heating operation of the system.

7. A method as recited in claim 6 wherein a comfort index F2 in the air cooling operation of the heater air-conditioner system is provided by the following formula:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">F2=K11*Va+K21*To+K31*Ta+K41*Tr+K51*Ts+K61

Wherein

K11-K61 are weight coefficients.

8. A method as recited in claim 6 wherein a comfort index F4 in the air heating operation of the heater air-conditioner system is provided by the following formula:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">F4=K12*Va+K22*To+K32*Ta+K42*Tr+K52*Ts+K62

wherein

K12-K62 are weight coefficients.

9. A method as recited in claim 6 wherein comfort indexes F2 and F4 in the air cooling operation and air heating operation of the heater air-conditioner system are provided respectively by the following formulas:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">F2=K11*Va+K21*To+K31*Ta+K41*Tr+K51*Ts+K61,

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">F4=K12*Va+K22*To+K32*Ta+K42*Tr+K52*Ts+K62

wherein K11-K61 and K12-K62 are weight coefficients, and wherein an overall comfort index F3 is provided as follows;

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">F3=α

*F2+(1-α

)F4,

Wherein

θ

;

weight coefficient.

10. A method as recited in claim 3 wherein the airflow mode is selectively established among a vent mode in which the air from the heater-air-conditioner system mainly flows out of an upper outlet of the system, a heat mode in which the air mainly flows out of a lower outlet and a B/L mode in which the air flows out of both the upper outlet and lower outlet with a predetermined ratio therebetween.

11. A method as recited in claim 9 wherein the airflow mode is selectively established among a vent mode in which the air from the heater-air-conditioner system mainly flows out of an upper outlet of the system, a heat mode in which the air mainly flows out of a lower outlet and a B/L mode in which the air flows out of both the upper outlet and lower outlet with a predetermined ratio therebetween.

12. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein the airflow mode is switched to the vent mode when either the deviation of the index F2 or F4 from the target comfort index is greater than a predetermined value.

13. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein the airflow mode is switched to the heat mode when either the deviation of the index F2 or F4 from the target comfort index is less than a predetermined value.

14. A method as recited in claim 10 where the vent mode is maintained, if the deviation of the index F2 from the target comfort index is not greater than a predetermined value and if the deviation of the index F4 from the target comfort index is not smaller than a predetermined value.

15. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein the airflow mode is switched from the vent mode to the B/L mode in accordance with an opening of a damper which controls an air flow rate between a heater and an air conditioner of the system in a case where the deviation of the comfort index F2 from the target comfort index is greater than a predetermined value.

16. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein the airflow mode is switched from the vent mode to the B/L mode in accordance with an opening of a damper which controls an air flow rate between a heater and an air conditioner of the system in a case where the deviation of the comfort index F4 from the target comfort index is greater than a predetermined value.

17. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein the airflow mode is switched from the heater mode to the B/L mode in accordance with an opening of a damper which controls an air flow rate between a heater and an air conditioner of the system in a case where the deviation of the comfort index F2 from the target comfort index is greater than a predetermined value.

18. A method as recited in claim 10 wherein the airflow mode is switched from the heater mode to the B/L mode in accordance with an opening of a damper which controls an air flow rate between a heater and an air conditioner of the system in a case where the deviation of the comfort index F4 from the target comfort index is greater than a predetermined value.

19. An air conditioning control apparatus of a vehicle comprising:

a target temperature determining device which determines a target temperature of a passenger compartment of the vehicle,

a comfort index setting device which calculates a comfort index provided as a function of at least an outlet air temperature and outlet air volume flowing out of a heater-air-conditioner system in which air is treated to be introduce to a passenger compartment,

a target comfort index setting device which sets a target value of the comfort index,

an output setting device which determines an optimized combination of the output air temperature and the output air volume which minimizes a deviation of the comfort index from the target comfort index,

a compensator which compensates the target temperature to reduce the deviation when the deviation is greater than a predetermined value.

20. An apparatus as recited in claim 19 wherein the target comfort index is changeable as a function of a set interior temperature.

21. An apparatus as recited in claim 19 where an airflow mode of the output air from the heater-air-conditioner system is changed where the deviation is not reduced below the predetermined value irrespective of the compensation of the target temperature.

22. An apparatus as recited in claim 19 wherein the comfort index is calculated as a function of an air conditioning factor and an environmental factor.

23. An apparatus as recited in claim 19 wherein the comfort index F is calculated by the following formula:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">F=K1*Va+K2*To+K3*Ta+K4*Tr+K5*Ts+K6

Wherein

Va;

outlet air volume to a passenger compartment,

To;

outlet air temperature to the passenger compartment,

Ta;

ambient (outside) air temperature,

Tr;

interior temperature of a passenger compartment,

Ts;

solar radiation value,

K1 through K6;

weighting coefficients for the respective variables Va, To, Ta, Tr and Ts.

24. An apparatus as recited in claim 23 wherein the airflow mode in an air cooling operation of the heater-air-conditioner system is different from that in an air heating operation of the system.

25. An apparatus as recited in claim 24 wherein a comfort index F2 in the air cooling operation of the heater air-conditioner system is provided by the following formula:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">F2=K11*Va+K21*To+K31*Ta+K41*Tr+K51*Ts+K61

Wherein

K11-K61 are weight coefficients.

26. An apparatus as recited in claim 24 wherein a comfort index F4 in the air heating operation of the heater air-conditioner system is provided by the following formula:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">F4=K12*Va+K22*To+K32*Ta+K42*Tr+K52*Ts+K62

Wherein

K12-K62 are weight coefficients.

27. An apparatus as recited in claim 24 wherein comfort indexes F2 and F4 in the air cooling operation and air heating operation of the heater air-conditioner system are provided respectively by the following formulas:

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">F2=K11*Va+K21*To+K31*Ta+K41*Tr+K51*Ts+K61,

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">F4=K12*Va+K22*To+K32*Ta+K42*Tr+K52*Ts+K62

wherein K11-K61 and K12-K62 are weight coefficients, and wherein an overall comfort index F3 is provided as follows;

space="preserve" listing-type="equation">F3=α

*F2+(1-α

)F4,

Wherein

θ

;

weight coefficient.

28. An apparatus as recited in claim 21 wherein the airflow mode is selectively established among a vent mode in which the air from the heater-air-conditioner system mainly flows out of an upper outlet of the system, a heat mode in which the air mainly flows out of a lower outlet and a B/L mode in which the air flows out of both the upper outlet and lower outlet with a predetermined ratio therebetween.

29. An apparatus as recited in claim 27 wherein the airflow mode is selectively established among a vent mode in which the air from the heater-air-conditioner system mainly flows out of an upper outlet of the system, a heat mode in which the air mainly flows out of a lower outlet and a B/L mode in which the air flows out of both the upper outlet and lower outlet with a predetermined ratio therebetween.

30. An apparatus as recited in claim 29 wherein the airflow mode is switched to the vent mode when either the deviation of the index F2 or F4 from the target comfort index is greater than a predetermined value.

31. An apparatus as recited in claim 29 wherein the airflow mode is switched to the heat mode when either the deviation of the index F2 or F4 from the target comfort index is less than a predetermined value.

32. An apparatus as recited in claim 29 where the vent mode is maintained, if the deviation of the index F2 from the target comfort index is not greater than a predetermined value and if the deviation of the index F4 from the target comfort index is not smaller than a predetermined value.

33. An apparatus as recited in claim 29 wherein the airflow mode is switched from the vent mode to the B/L mode in accordance with an opening of a damper which controls an air flow rate between a heater and an air conditioner of the system in a case where the deviation of the comfort index F2 from the target comfort index is greater than a predetermined value.

34. An apparatus as recited in claim 29 wherein the airflow mode is switched from the vent mode to the B/L mode in accordance with an opening of a damper which controls an air flow rate between a heater and an air conditioner of the system in a case where the deviation of the comfort index F4 from the target comfort index is greater than a predetermined value.

35. An apparatus as recited in claim 29 wherein the airflow mode is switched from the heater mode to the B/L mode in accordance with an opening of a damper which controls an air flow rate between a heater and an air conditioner of the system in a case where the deviation of the comfort index F2 from the target comfort index is greater than a predetermined value.

36. An apparatus as recited in claim 29 wherein the airflow mode is switched from the heater mode to the B/L mode in accordance with an opening of a damper which controls an air flow rate between a heater and an air conditioner of the system in a case where the deviation of the comfort index F4 from the target comfort index is greater than a predetermined value.