Control strategy for a zonal heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system of a vehicle

• US 8,839,632 B2
• Filed: 03/09/2012
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/09/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Visteon Global Technologies Incorporated (Visteon Corporation)
• Inventors: Goenka, Lakhi Nandlal, Maranville, Clay
• Primary Examiner(s): Jones, Melvin
• Application Number:
  US13/416,458
• Publication Number:
  US 20130232996A1
• Time in Patent Office: 928 Days
• Field of Search: 62/33, 62/36.1, 622/387, 622/44, 165/59, 165/202
• US Class Current: 62/3.61
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00285 for vehicle seats vehicle seats with heating or ventilation means independent from the HVAC system of the vehicle B60N2/56
• 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 2001/3266 related to the operation of the vehicle
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 2001/3273 related to the operation of the vehicle, e.g. the compressor driving torque
• CPC Class Codes: B60N 2/56 Heating or ventilating devices

Abstract

A climate control system of a vehicle and a method of controlling the climate control system to minimize vehicle energy consumption and maximize occupant comfort. The climate control system includes a main HVAC system for conditioning a fluid discharged into a passenger compartment of the vehicle, an auxiliary HVAC system for conditioning a localized fluid of at least one HVAC zones of the passenger compartment, a seat system, and an HVAC controller. The HVAC controller controls the main HVAC system, the auxiliary HVAC system, and the seat system based upon at least one parameter and condition which pertains to at least one of electrical energy consumption of the vehicle and occupant comfort.

Claims

1. A climate control system for a vehicle, comprising:

a main heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system for conditioning a first fluid discharged into a passenger compartment of the vehicle, the passenger compartment having at least one heating, ventilating, and air conditioning zone;

an auxiliary heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system for conditioning a localized fluid of the at least one heating, ventilating, and air conditioning zone of the passenger compartment;

a controller for controlling the main heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system and the auxiliary heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system based upon at least one of at least one parameter and at least one condition which pertains to at least one of electrical energy consumption of the vehicle and occupant comfort; and

at least one sensor for detecting and measuring at least one of the at least one parameter and the at least one condition which pertains to the at least one of electrical energy consumption of the vehicle and the occupant comfort.

2. The system according to claim 1, wherein the main heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system includes a conditioning module having a cooling element and a heating element disposed therein for varying a temperature of the first fluid.

3. The system according to claim 1, wherein the auxiliary heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system includes at least one thermoelectric module having a thermoelectric device and a heat exchanger disposed therein for varying a temperature of the localized fluid of the at least one heating, ventilating, and air conditioning zone.

4. The system according to claim 1, further comprising a seat system for conditioning a localized fluid of a seat disposed in the passenger compartment.

5. The system according to claim 4, wherein the seat system includes a thermoelectric device and a heat exchanger disposed therein for varying a temperature of the localized fluid of the seat.

6. The system according to claim 4, wherein the controller controls the seat system based upon at least one of the at least one parameter and the at least one condition which pertains to the at least one of electrical energy consumption of the vehicle and the occupant comfort.

7. A method of operating a vehicle climate control system, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a main heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system for conditioning a first fluid discharged into a passenger compartment of the vehicle, the passenger compartment having at least one heating, ventilating, and air conditioning zone;

providing an auxiliary heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system for conditioning a localized fluid of the at least one heating, ventilating, and air conditioning zone of the passenger compartment;

providing a controller for controlling the main heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system and the auxiliary heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system;

measuring at least one of at least one parameter and at least one condition which pertains to at least one of electrical energy consumption of the vehicle and occupant comfort;

determining an actual level of occupant comfort based upon at least one of the at least one measured parameter and the at least one measured condition; and

controlling the main heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system and the auxiliary heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system based upon the actual level of occupant comfort while minimizing electrical energy consumption.

8. The method according to claim 7, wherein the main heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system includes a conditioning module having a cooling element and a heating element disposed therein for varying a temperature of the first fluid.

9. The method according to claim 7, wherein the auxiliary heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system includes at least one thermoelectric module having a thermoelectric device and a heat exchanger disposed therein for varying a temperature of the localized fluid of the at least one heating, ventilating, and air conditioning zone.

10. The method according to claim 7, further comprising the step of providing a seat system for conditioning a localized fluid of a seat disposed in the passenger compartment.

11. The method according to claim 10, wherein the seat system includes a thermoelectric device and a heat exchanger disposed therein for varying a temperature of the localized fluid of the seat.

12. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of controlling the seat system based upon at least one of the at least one measured parameter and the at least one measured condition which pertains to the at least one of electrical energy consumption of the vehicle and the occupant comfort.

13. The method according to claim 10, further comprising the step of determining an amount of work required by at least one of the main heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system, the auxiliary heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system, and the seat system to reach a desired level of occupant comfort from the actual level of occupant comfort.

14. The method according to claim 13, further comprising the step of determining a flow rate and a fluid discharge temperature for at least one of the main heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system, the auxiliary heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system, and the seat system based upon the amount of work required while minimizing the electrical energy consumption of the vehicle.

15. A method of operating a vehicle climate control system, the method comprising the steps of:

providing a main heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system for conditioning a first fluid discharged into a passenger compartment of the vehicle, the passenger compartment having at least one heating, ventilating, and air conditioning zone;

providing an auxiliary heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system for conditioning a localized fluid of the at least one heating, ventilating, and air conditioning zone of the passenger compartment;

providing at least one seat system for conditioning a localized fluid of at least one seat disposed in the passenger compartment;

providing a controller for controlling at least one of the main heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system, the auxiliary heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system, and the seat system;

measuring at least one of at least one parameter and at least one condition which pertains to at least one of electrical energy consumption of the vehicle and occupant comfort;

determining an actual level of occupant comfort based upon at least one of the at least one measured parameter and the at least one measured condition;

determining an amount of work required by at least one of the main heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system, the auxiliary heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system, and the seat system to reach a desired level of occupant comfort from the actual level of occupant comfort;

calculating a flow rate and a fluid discharge temperature for at least one of the main heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system, the auxiliary heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system, and the seat system based upon the amount of work required while minimizing the electrical energy consumption of the vehicle; and

controlling the main heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system and the auxiliary heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system based upon the calculated flow rate and the calculated fluid discharge temperature for at least one of the main heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system, the auxiliary heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system, and the seat system.

16. The method according to claim 15, wherein the main heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system includes a conditioning module having a cooling element and a heating element disposed therein for varying a temperature of the first fluid.

17. The method according to claim 15, wherein the auxiliary heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system includes at least one thermoelectric module having a thermoelectric device and a heat exchanger disposed therein for varying a temperature of the localized fluid of the at least one heating, ventilating, and air conditioning zone.

18. The method according to claim 15, wherein the seat system includes a thermoelectric device and a heat exchanger disposed therein for varying a temperature of the localized fluid of the seat.

19. The method according to claim 15, further comprising the step of determining the desired level of occupant comfort based upon at least one of the at least one measured parameter and the at least one measured condition.