Method and system for regulating the mixed-air of a heating/air-conditioning system of a motor vehicle

• US 5,971,287 A
• Filed: 08/08/1997
• Issued: 10/26/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 08/09/1996
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mannesmann VDO AG (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Max Kammerer GmbH
• Inventors: Gattnar, Gregor, Kettner, Detlef
• Primary Examiner(s): WAYNER, WILLIAM E
• Application Number:
  US08/907,567
• Time in Patent Office: 809 Days
• Field of Search: 454/75, 454/14, 454/99, 165/230, 236/44 A, 236/91 C
• US Class Current: 236/44.00A
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00742 by detection of the vehicle occupants' presence; by detection of conditions relating to the body of occupants, e.g. using radiant heat detectors
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00785 by the detection of humidity or frost
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00849 for selectively commanding the induction of outside or inside air B60H1/00842 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 23/138 for gases G05D23/1393 takes precedence

Abstract

A method and a system for regulating the mixed air in a heating/air-conditioning unit (1) of a motor vehicle in which fresh air and/or recirculated air are fed to a heating/air-conditioning unit (1) which controls the feeding of fresh air and/or recirculated air in the passenger compartment of the vehicle. In a method for optimizing the consumption of energy for such heating/air-conditioning systems, the feed of fresh air and/or recirculated air is so adjusted that the temperature of the dew point of the air within the vehicle is less than the temperature on the inside of a window of the vehicle.

Claims

1. Method for regulating mixed air of a heating/air conditioning unit of a motor vehicle, wherein fresh air and/or recirculated air is fed to the heating/air-conditioning unit, the heating/air-conditioning unit controlling the feeding of fresh air and/or recirculated air into the inside of the vehicle, the vehicle having a windshield, the method comprising steps of:

feeding air via the heating/air-conditioning unit, the air including fresh air and/or recirculated air;

adjusting the feeding of fresh air and/or recirculated air to set the temperature of a dew point of air within the vehicle lower than a temperature on an inside of the windshield of the vehicle; and

establishing a minimum amount of fresh air to be adjusted as a function of an amount of moisture to be removed from the inside of the window of the vehicle.

2. A method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of measuring the relative humidity of the air and the temperature of the air within the vehicle for determining the dew point of the air within the vehicle.

3. A method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of determining the temperature of the windshield by measurement of the temperature on the inside of the windshield of the vehicle.

4. A method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of deriving the windshield temperature from the temperature of the fresh air, said deriving including a calculating of temperature from a set of correction values.

5. A method according to claim 1, wherein in said adjusting step, there is a feeding of fresh air to adjust the temperature of the dew point of the inside air by a ratio of fresh air to recirculated air, so that the dew point temperature of the inside air is less than the temperature on the inside of the windshield of the vehicle.

6. A method according to claim 1, wherein, in said feeding step, there is a selection of a moisture-based minimum fraction of fresh air flow to the total flow of air, including fresh air plus recirculated air, as a function of the number of persons present in the vehicle.

7. A method according to claim 6, further comprising steps of:

comparing the minimum stream of fresh air to meet the moisture requirement with a minimum stream of fresh air to meet an oxygen requirement; and

setting the stream of fresh air to meet the larger of the two requirements.

8. A method according to claim 1, further comprising a step of introducing continuously a minimum stream of fresh air to the inside of the windshield to assure a dependable supply of oxygen for persons present in the vehicle.

9. A method according to claim 8, further comprising a step of selecting the minimum stream of fresh air based on the need for oxygen as a function of the number of the persons present in the vehicle.

10. A method according to claim 1, further comprising steps of:

determining a specific enthalpy of the fresh air and an enthalpy of the recirculated air and/or a mixed air;

comparing the enthalpies; and

performing said adjustment step for adjusting the feed of fresh air and/or recirculated air to provide the mixed air with a specific enthalpy which is most favorable from an energy standpoint.

11. A method according to claim 10, wherein said heating/air-conditioning unit includes a heat exchanger, and after said comparing step there is a performing of said feeding step for the feeding of the fresh air and/or the recirculated air, and a performing of said adjusting step to provide that a smallest difference in specific enthalpy is set on the heat exchanger.

12. A method according to claim 11, wherein the enthalpy determining step takes place by measuring the temperature and the relative humidity.

13. A method according to claim 10, wherein the enthalpy determining step takes place by measuring the temperature and the relative humidity.

14. A method according to claim 10, wherein, in said enthalpy determining step, the specific enthalpy is determined by means of the wet bulb temperature.