Air current interruption detection responsive to consumed PTC heater power

• US 6,897,416 B2
• Filed: 03/14/2003
• Issued: 05/24/2005
• Est. Priority Date: 03/28/2002
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Catem GmbH & Co., KG
• Original Assignee: Catem GmbH & Co., KG
• Inventors: Bohlender, Franz, Zeyen, Michael
• Primary Examiner(s): Jeffery, John A.
• Application Number:
  US10/389,252
• Publication Number:
  US 20030183619A1
• Time in Patent Office: 802 Days
• Field of Search: 219/494, 219/492, 219/202, 219/505, 392360-369, 392379-385
• US Class Current: 219/494
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00978 Control systems or circuits characterised by failure of detection or safety means; Diagnostic methods
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/2218 controlling the operation of electric heaters
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 3/0405 using electric energy supply, e.g. the heating medium being a resistive element; Heating by direct contact, i.e. with resistive elements, electrodes and fins being bonded together without additional element in-between F24H3/06, F24H3/08, F24H3/10 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 3/0429 For vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: F24H 9/1872 PTC

Abstract

A heating system with PTC heating elements heats a medium that flows. In order to avoid unnecessary heating up of the PTC elements when the streaming fails, the required heat output that is to be generated by the PTC elements is compared to the electrical power actually consumed and, if a specified threshold value is under-run, the required heat output that was set is reduced accordingly.

Claims

1. An electrical heater for the heating of air, comprising:

a fan for generating an air current, at least one PTC element for heating the air current and a control device for setting the effective air throughput from the fan and for setting the generated heat output from one of the PTC elements, wherein the control device is configured such as to exclude the setting of the air throughput and the heat output below specified lower boundaries (P_min, V_min), and wherein the electrical heater contains,

a measurement device configured to determine the power consumed by the PTC element,

a comparison device configured to compare the power measured by the measurement device with a specified power threshold value (Plim), which is smaller than the lower boundary of the adjustable heat output (Pmin), and

a detection device configured to recognize an interruption of the air current from the fan when the comparison device determines that the measured power consumed by the PTC element drops below the specified power threshold value (Plim).

2. An electrical heater according to claim 1, wherein the specified power threshold (P_lim) value lies within a range of between 20% and 80% of the lower boundary of the heat output that is to be generated by the PTC element, preferably between 40% and 60%.

5. An electrical heater according to claim 1, wherein the control device regulates the heat output to be generated to zero when the detection device determines that an interruption of the air current is present.

6. An electrical heater according to claim 1, wherein the detection device controls an indicator for an acoustical and/or optical indication of the interruption when the existence of an interruption of the air current is detected.

7. An electrical heater according to claim 1, wherein the setting of the heat output to be generated by the PTC elements results from pulse width modulation control of the PTC element.

8. A motor vehicle interior heater with an electrical heater according to the claim 1.

3. An electrical heater for the heating of air, comprising:

a fan for generating an air current, at least one PTC element for heating the air current and a control device for setting the effective air throughput from the fan and for setting the generated heat output from one of the PTC elements, wherein the control device is configured such as to exclude the setting of the air throughput and the heat output below specified lower boundaries (P_min, V_min), and wherein the electrical heater additionally includes,

a measurement device configured to determine the power consumed by the PTC element,

a comparison device configured to compare the power measured by the measurement device with a specified power threshold value, which corresponds to a specified fraction of the adjustable heat output, and

a detection device configured to recognize an interruption of the air current from the fan when the comparison device determines that the measured power consumed by the PTC element drops below the specified power threshold value.

4. An electrical heater according to claim 3, wherein the specified power threshold value lies in a range which is between 10% and 50% of the set heat output.

9. A control unit for an electrical heater with a fan for generating an air current and with at least one PTC element for heating the air current, whereby a specific value of the effective air throughput from the fan and a specific value of the heat output to be generated by the PTC element is selectable using the control unit, wherein the control unit is configured such that on selection of a particular air throughput and a particular heat output actual specified lower boundary values (P_min, V_min) cannot be under-run and such that the control unit compares the power consumed by the PTC element with a specified power threshold value (P_lim), which is smaller than the lower boundary of the adjustable heat output (P_min), and such that it detects an interruption in the air current from the fan by determining that the measured power consumed by the PTC element falls below the specified power threshold value (P_lim).

10. A control unit for an electrical heater with a fan for generating an air current and with at least one PTC element for heating the said air current, whereby a value of the air throughput to be caused by the fan and a specific value of the heat output to be generated by the PTC element is selectable by the control unit, wherein the control unit is configured such that on selection of a particular air throughput and a particular heat output actual specified lower boundary values (Pmin, Vmin) cannot be under-run and such that the control unit compares the power consumed by the PTC element with a specified power threshold value (P30%), which corresponds to a specified fraction of the adjustable heat output, and that it shall detect an interruption in the air current from the fan when the measured power consumed by the PTC element under-runs the power threshold value (P_30%).

11. An electrical heater comprising:

a fan configured to generate an air current;

at least one PTC element configured to heat the air current;

a control device configured to set an effective air throughput from the fan and to set a generated heat output from the PTC element, wherein the control device is configured such as to exclude the setting of the air throughput and the heat output below specified lower boundaries (P_min, V_min);

a measurement device configured to determine the power consumed by the PTC element;

a comparison device configured to compare the power measured by the measurement device with a specified power threshold value (P_lim), which is smaller than the lower boundary (P_min) of the set heat output; and

a detection device configured to recognize an interruption of the air current from the fan when the comparison device determines that the measured power consumed by the PTC element drops below the power threshold value (Plim).

12. An electrical heater according to claim 11, wherein the given threshold value lies within a range of between 20% and 80% of a lower boundary of the set heat output.

15. An electrical heater according to claim 11, wherein, when the detection device determines that an interruption of the air current is present, the control device sets the heat output to zero.

16. An electrical heater according to claim 11, wherein, when the existence of an interruption of the air current is detected, the detection device controls an indicator for at least one of an acoustical and an optical indication of the interruption.

17. An electrical heater according to claim 11, wherein the setting of the heat output to be generated by the PTC element results from pulse width modulation control of the PTC element.

13. An electrical heater comprising:

a fan configured to generate an air current;

at least one PTC element configured to heat the air current;

a control device configured to set the effective air throughput from the fan and to set the generated heat output from the PTC element, wherein the control device is configured such as to exclude the setting of the air throughput and the heat output below specified lower boundaries (P_min, V_min);

a measurement device configured to determine the power consumed by the PTC element;

a comparison device configured to compare the power measured by the measurement device with a specified power threshold value, which corresponds to a specified fraction of the set heat output; and

a detection device configured to recognize an interruption of the air current from the fan when the comparison device determines that the measured power consumed by the PTC element drops below the power threshold value.

14. An electrical heater according to claim 13, wherein the specified power threshold value lies in a range which is between 10% and 50% of the set heat output.

18. A control unit for an electrical heater with a fan for generating an air current and with at least one PTC element for heating the air current, whereby a specific value of the effective air throughput from the fan and a specific value of the heat output to be generated by the PTC element is selectable using the control unit, wherein the control unit is configured such that on selection of a particular air throughput and a particular heat output actual specified lower boundary values (P_min, V_min) cannot be under-run and such that the control unit compares the power consumed by the PTC element with a specified power threshold value (P_lim), which is smaller than the lower boundary (P_min) of the set heat output, and wherein the control unit detects an interruption in the air current from the fan by determining that the measured power consumed by the PTC element falls below the specified power threshold value (P_lim).

19. A control unit for an electrical heater with a fan for generating an air current and with at least one PTC element for heating the air current, whereby a value of the air throughput to be caused by the fan and a specific value of the heat output to be generated by the PTC element is selectable by the control unit, wherein the control unit is configured such that on selection of a particular air throughput and a particular heat output actual specified lower boundary values (P_min, V_min) cannot be under-run and such that the control unit compares the power consumed by the PTC element with a specified power threshold value, which corresponds to a specified fraction of the set heat output, and wherein the control unit is configured to detect an interruption in the air current from the fan when the measured power consumed by the PTC element under-runs the specified power threshold value.