APPARATUS AND METHODS FOR VEHICLE IDLE MANAGEMENT

• US 20140148975A1
• Filed: 04/24/2013
• Published: 05/29/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/24/2012
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Xantrex, LLC
• Original Assignee: ZeroRPM, Inc. (Mission Critical Electronics LLC)
• Inventors: Self, Lance D., Bennett, Tod M.
• Granted Patent: US 9,216,628 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 701/2
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00364 for caravans or trailers
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00428 electric
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/00778 the input being a stationary vehicle position, e.g. parking or stopping
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/323 characterised by comprising auxiliary or multiple systems, e.g. plurality of evaporators, or by involving auxiliary cooling devices
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 19/00 Machines, plants or systems, using evaporation of a refrigerant but without recovery of the vapour
• CPC Class Codes: F25B 2400/075 with parallel compressors
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/88 Optimized components or subsystems, e.g. lighting, actively controlled glasses
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 29/49002 Electrical device making

Abstract

An idle management system for a vehicle is disclosed herein. In various aspects, the idle management system includes an auxiliary power storage unit for the storage of electrical power. The idle management system includes an environmental package adapted to interconnect with a vehicle environmental package to regulate the climate within a vehicle compartment of a vehicle. The environmental package may be in electrical communication with the power storage unit to receive electrical power therefrom. A controller may be in communication with the power storage unit to derive electrical power therefrom, and the controller may be in communication with the environmental package to regulate the operation thereof. The idle management system may draw electrical power from the power storage unit to be operable with an engine in an engine OFF condition.

Claims

1. An idle management system for a vehicle, comprising:

an auxiliary power storage unit for the storage of electrical power;

an auxiliary environmental package adapted to interconnect with a vehicle environmental package to regulate the climate within a vehicle compartment of the vehicle, the auxiliary environmental package in electrical communication with the power storage unit to receive electrical power therefrom;

a controller in communication with the power storage unit to derive electrical power therefrom, the controller in communication with the auxiliary environmental package to regulate the operation thereof.

2. The system of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary environmental package comprises a compressor interconnectable with one or more lines of the vehicle environmental package to flow working fluid from the compressor through a vehicle evaporator to regulate a temperature within the vehicle compartment of the vehicle.

3. The system of claim 2, wherein the auxiliary environmental package includes a Tee connector for the interconnection of the auxiliary environmental package with the vehicle environmental package.

4. The system of claim 3, wherein the Tee connector comprises a check valve.

5. The system of claim 1, wherein the auxiliary environmental package comprises a heater interconnectable with one or more lines of the vehicle environmental package to flow coolant through the heater, the heater in electrical communication with the power storage unit to derive electrical power therefrom, the heater adapted to heat the coolant as the coolant passes through the heater.

6. The system of claim 5, wherein the auxiliary environmental package comprises a pump adapted to flow coolant through the heater, the pump powered by electrical power communicated from the power storage unit.

7. The system of claim 5, wherein the auxiliary environmental package comprises one or more check valves adapted to regulate the flow of coolant within the vehicle environmental package during use of the heater.

8. The system of claim 1, further comprising:

an interface in communication with the power storage unit and the controller, the interface adapted to connect the power storage unit to a vehicle electrical system to communicate electrical power from the power storage unit to the vehicle electrical system, the interface adapted to connect the controller to the vehicle electrical system for communication between the controller and the vehicle electrical system.

9. The system of claim 8, wherein the controller is adapted to alter the operation of the vehicle electrical system via communications with the vehicle electrical system through the interface.

10. A method of managing the operations of a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

setting an engine into an engine OFF condition thereby setting a vehicle compressor into an OFF condition; and

communicating working fluid from an auxiliary compressor into a vehicle evaporator thereby regulating a temperature within a vehicle compartment of the vehicle, the auxiliary compressor being in electrical communication with an auxiliary power storage unit to derive electrical power therefrom.

11. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

communicating coolant through an auxiliary heater to heat the coolant and providing heat to the vehicle compartment, the heater in electrical communication with the power storage unit to derive electrical power therefrom.

12. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

overdriving the auxiliary compressor thereby actuating check valves within a Tee connector by modulating pressure within the working fluid, the Tee connector forming at least a portion of the fluid communication between the auxiliary compressor and the vehicle evaporator.

13. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

communicating electrical power from the power storage unit to a vehicle electrical system thereby powering the vehicle electrical system.

14. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

starting the engine from the engine OFF condition into an engine ON condition upon depleting electrical power of the power storage unit.

15. The method of claim 14, further comprising the step of:

changing the engine from the engine ON condition into the engine OFF condition upon recharging the electrical power of the power storage unit.

16. The method of claim 10, further comprising the step of:

using SMS text messaging to remote operate a controller in communication with the power storage unit to derive electrical power therefrom, the controller in communication with an auxiliary environmental package to regulate the operation thereof, the auxiliary environmental package adapted to interconnect with a vehicle environmental package to regulate the climate within a vehicle compartment of the vehicle, the auxiliary environmental package in electrical communication with the power storage unit to receive electrical power therefrom.

17. A method of installing an idle management system into a vehicle, comprising the steps of:

inserting a first Tee connection into a first line of a vehicle environmental system, the first line communicating working fluid from a vehicle compressor to a vehicle condenser;

inserting a second Tee connection into a second line of the vehicle environmental system, the second line communicating working fluid from a vehicle evaporator to a vehicle compressor; and

establishing fluid communication with an auxiliary compressor via the first Tee and the second Tee to communicate working fluid from the auxiliary compressor to the vehicle condenser and to communicate working fluid from the vehicle evaporator to the auxiliary compressor, the auxiliary compressor drawing power from an auxiliary power storage unit thereby being operable when the engine is in an engine OFF condition.

18. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

interconnecting a heater with one or more lines of the vehicle environmental system thereby communicating coolant through the heater, the heater deriving electrical power from the power storage unit, the heater heating the coolant as the coolant passes through the heater.

19. The method of claim 17, further comprising the step of:

connecting an interface to a vehicle electrical system thereby communicating electrical power from the power storage unit to the vehicle electrical system via the interface.

20. The method of claim 19, further comprising the step of:

communicating control signals from a controller to the vehicle electrical system via the interface thereby regulating operations of the vehicle electrical system using the controller.

21. The method of claim 17, further comprising the steps of:

detecting signals from a vehicle electrical system via an interface; and

regulating operations of the auxiliary compressor using the signals.