Compressor control system for vehicle air conditioner

• US 7,201,010 B2
• Filed: 02/25/2004
• Issued: 04/10/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 02/28/2003
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Original Assignee: DENSO Corporation
• Inventors: Oomura, Mitsuyo, Takeo, Yuji, Homan, Toshinobu
• Primary Examiner(s): Tyler; Cheryl
• Assistant Examiner(s): BANKHEAD, GENE LOUIS
• Application Number:
  US10/786,933
• Publication Number:
  US 20040168449A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,140 Days
• Field of Search: 622/284
• US Class Current: 62/228.4
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/004 for vehicles having a combustion engine and electric drive means, e.g. hybrid electric vehicles
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/3222 characterised by the compressor driving arrangements, e.g. clutches, transmissions or multiple drives B60H1/3208, B60H1/3226 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3272 to control the revolving speed of a compressor
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3292 Compressor drive is electric only

Abstract

In a compressor control system for a vehicle air conditioner, a hybrid ECU of the vehicle controls a rotation speed of a compressor electric motor. In this case, an output circuit, which outputs a driving signal for driving the compressor electric motor, only needs to be newly provided in the hybrid ECU when a hybrid vehicle or an electric vehicle is manufactured based on an engine vehicle. Therefore, a high cost is not caused even when the output circuit is provided in the hybrid ECU which should be newly designed and manufactured. In addition, because the output circuit does not need to be provided in an air-conditioning ECU which is an existing component of the engine vehicle, the air-conditioning ECU in the engine vehicle can be directly applied to that in the hybrid vehicle without a substantial hardware change. Therefore, design cost can be reduced.

Claims

1. A compressor control system for an air conditioner of a vehicle, the vehicle includes:

a driving electric motor for driving the vehicle;

a main battery for supplying electric power of a high voltage to the driving electric motor; and

a driving electronic control unit which has at least one of a function for controlling operation of an electric actuator driven when being applied with the high voltage of the main battery, a function for controlling a drive-power switching of the vehicle between the driving electric motor and an engine of the vehicle and a function for controlling a charge and a discharge of the main battery, the compressor control system comprising;

a compressor which is provided in a refrigerant cycle of the air conditioner for performing air-conditioning in a vehicle compartment;

a compressor electric motor for driving the compressor, wherein the compressor electric motor has a rotation speed that is controlled by the driving electronic control unit;

an air-conditioning electronic control unit to which an air-conditioning signal relevant to the air-conditioning is inputted, and

a compressor inverter which converts the high voltage from a direct current source to AC voltage with an adjusted frequency or voltage value, and applies the adjusted AC voltage to the compressor electric motor;

wherein

the air-conditioning electronic control unit controls operation of the air conditioner based on the air-conditioning signal;

the air-conditioning electronic control unit is provided to communicate with the driving electronic control unit;

the driving electronic control unit controls the rotation speed of the compressor electric motor through the compressor inverter;

the air-conditioning electronic control unit calculates a target rotation speed of the compressor electric motor based on the air-conditioning signal, and outputs the calculated target rotation speed to the driving electronic control unit; and

the driving electronic control unit is provided with an output circuit that is capable of converting the target rotation speed input from the air-conditioning electronic control unit to a driving signal for processing the compressor inverter, and output the driving signal converted via the output circuit to the compressor inverter.

2. The compressor control system according to claim 1, wherein the air-conditioning electronic control unit communicates with the driving electronic control unit through a local area network of the vehicle.

3. The compressor control system according to claim 1, wherein

the air-conditioning electronic control unit has at least one of a function for calculating a target temperature of conditioned air blown into the passenger compartment, a function for determining a blowing amount of the conditioned air, a function for determining an air-outlet mode of the conditioned air and a function for determining an air-suction mode.

4. The compressor control system according to claim 1, wherein:

the air-conditioning electronic control unit calculates a target rotation speed of the compressor electric motor based on the air-conditioning signal and outputs a signal representing the target rotation speed to the driving electronic control unit; and

the driving electronic control unit controls the rotation speed of the compressor electric motor based on the signal representing the target rotation speed.

5. A compressor control system for an air conditioner of a vehicle, the vehicle includes:

a driving electric motor for driving the vehicle;

a main battery for supplying electric power of a high voltage to the driving electric motor; and

a driving electronic control unit which has at least one of a function for controlling operation of an electric actuator driven when being applied with the high voltage of the main battery, a function for controlling a drive-power switching of the vehicle between the driving electric motor and an engine of the vehicle and a function for controlling a charge and a discharge of the main battery, the compressor control system comprising;

a compressor which is provided in a refrigerant cycle of the air conditioner for performing air-conditioning in a vehicle compartment; and

a compressor electric motor for driving the compressor, wherein the compressor electric motor has a rotation speed that is controlled by the driving electronic control unit;

wherein the driving electronic control unit includes

means for determining whether a vehicle condition is in a restriction condition where the rotation speed of the compressor needs to be restricted.

6. The compressor control system according to claim 5, wherein the restriction condition is at least one of an overloading state of a vehicle running load and an over-discharging state of the main battery.

11. The compressor control system according to claim 5, further comprising

an air-conditioning electronic control unit to which an air-conditioning signal relevant to the air-conditioning is inputted;

and

the air-conditioning electronic control unit controls operation of the air conditioner based on the air-conditioning signal;

the air-conditioning electronic control unit is provided to communicate with the driving electronic control unit.

12. The compressor control system according to claim 11, wherein the air-conditioning electronic control unit communicates with the driving electronic control unit through a local area network of the vehicle.

13. The compressor control system according to claim 11, wherein

the air-conditioning electronic control unit has at least one of a function for calculating a target temperature of conditioned air blown into the passenger compartment, a function for determining a blowing amount of the conditioned air, a function for determining an air-outlet mode of the conditioned air and a function for determining an air-suction mode.

14. The compressor control system according to claim 11, wherein:

the air-conditioning electronic control unit calculates a target rotation speed of the compressor electric motor based on the air-conditioning signal and outputs a signal representing the target rotation speed to the driving electronic control unit; and

the driving electronic control unit controls the rotation speed of the compressor electric motor based on the signal representing the target rotation speed.

15. The compressor control system according to claim 5, further comprising

a compressor inverter which is connected to a direct-current power source, and generates alternating-current voltage from an output of the direct-current power source to apply the alternating-current voltage to the compressor electric motor,

wherein the driving electronic control unit controls the rotation speed of the compressor electric motor through the compressor inverter.

7. A compressor control system for an air conditioner of a vehicle, the vehicle includes:

a driving electric motor for driving the vehicle;

a main battery for supplying electric power of a high voltage to the driving electric motor; and

a driving electronic control unit which has at least one of a function for controlling operation of an electric actuator driven when being applied with the high voltage of the main battery, a function for controlling a drive-power switching of the vehicle between the driving electric motor and an engine of the vehicle and a function for controlling a charge and a discharge of the main battery, the compressor control system comprising;

a compressor which is provided in a refrigerant cycle of the air conditioner for performing air-conditioning in a vehicle compartment;

a compressor electric motor for driving the compressor, wherein the compressor electric motor has a rotation speed that is controlled by the driving electronic control unit;

a compressor inverter which is connected to a direct-current power source, and generates alternating-current voltage from an output of the direct-current power source to apply the alternating-current voltage to the compressor electric motor;

wherein

the driving electronic control unit controls the rotation speed of the compressor electric motor through the compressor inverter;

the compressor inverter outputs a feedback signal to the driving electronic control unit; and

the driving electronic control unit controls the rotation speed of the compressor electric motor based on the feedback signal.

8. A vehicle comprising:

a driving electric motor for driving the vehicle;

a main battery for supplying electric power of a high voltage to the driving electric motor;

a driving electronic control unit which has at least one of a function for controlling operation of an electric actuator driven when being applied with the high voltage of the main battery, a function for controlling a drive-power switching of the vehicle between the driving electric motor and an engine of the vehicle and a function for controlling a charge and a discharge of the main battery; and

an air conditioner for performing air-conditioning in a vehicle compartment, wherein;

the air conditioner includes a refrigerant cycle including a compressor for compressing refrigerant, and a compressor electric motor for driving the compressor;

the driving electronic control unit controls a rotation speed of the compressor electric; and

the driving electronic control unit includes means for determining whether a vehicle condition is in a restriction condition where the rotation speed of the compressor needs to be restricted.

9. The vehicle according to claim 8, further comprising

an air-conditioning electronic control unit to which an air-conditioning signal relevant to the air-conditioning is inputted, wherein:

the air-conditioning electronic control unit controls operation of the air conditioner based on the air-conditioning signal; and

the air-conditioning electronic control unit is provided to communicate with the driving electronic control unit.

10. The vehicle according to claim 9, wherein:

the air-conditioning electronic control unit calculates a target rotation speed of the compressor electric motor based on the air-conditioning signal and outputs a signal representing the target rotation speed to the driving electronic control unit; and

the driving electronic control unit controls the rotation speed of the compressor electric motor based on the signal representing the target rotation speed.