Vehicle air-conditioning system and method of operation
AssigneeFord Global Technologies, LLC
InventorsBernd Dienhart, Sandra Krolewski, Dietmar Fischer, Klaus Schuermanns
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A vehicle air-conditioning system and a method for operating that vehicle air-conditioning system in dependence on the difference between the temperature of the engine coolant at the inlet into the heating heat exchanger and the temperature of the air at the outlet out of the heating heat exchanger are provided. The measured or estimated temperatures of the coolant at the inlet into the heating heat exchanger and of the air at the outlet out of the heating heat exchanger are checked to determine whether their values indicate fault states of components of the air-conditioning system.
Claims15
A method of operating a vehicle air-conditioning system, comprising:
- determining a first temperature of an engine coolant at an inlet to a heating heat exchanger;
- determining a second temperature of air at an outlet of said heating heat exchanger;
- comparing said first temperature and said second temperature to determine whether said first temperature and said second temperature indicate a fault state of a component of said vehicle air-conditioning system;
- and
- checking said first temperature and said second temperature to determine whether said first temperature and said second temperature indicate presence of gas bubbles in the heating heat exchanger.
A vehicle air-conditioning system, comprising:
- a first sensor for monitoring a first temperature of an engine coolant at an inlet into a heating heat exchanger;
- a second sensor for monitoring a second temperature of air at an outlet out of said heating heat exchanger or an air outlet region of said heating heat exchanger;
- and
- a controller adapted to compare said first temperature and said second temperature to determine whether a fault state of a component of said vehicle air-conditioning system is indicated, the fault state comprising (a) gas bubbles are present in the heating heat exchanger or (b) an incorrect concentration of antifrost agent is in engine coolant.
A method of operating a vehicle air-conditioning system, comprising:
- determining a first temperature of an engine coolant at an inlet to a heating heat exchanger;
- determining a second temperature of air at an outlet of said heating heat exchanger;
- comparing said first temperature and said second temperature to determine whether said first temperature and said second temperature indicate a fault state of a component of said vehicle air-conditioning system;
- and
- checking said first temperature and said second temperature to determine whether said first temperature and said second temperature indicate incorrect concentration of antifrost agent in the engine coolant.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.