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US 12,654,513 B2Granted
Air recirculation control system employing a mass balance for liquid management
AssigneeMahle International GmbH
InventorsEdward Wolfe, George Melero, Bailey Reid
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A method of controlling air recirculation via a continuous-feedback loop control system that adjusts cabin air recirculation in vehicles based on a number of different sensor inputs. The system uses a mass balance on the interior passenger compartment of the vehicle to sense and adjust the amount of dissolved water vapor in the cabin for liquid management.
Claims12
A heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system for a vehicle in motion, comprising:
- a first air input configured to receive air from a passenger compartment of a vehicle where the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system is disposed,
- a second air input configured to receive air from outside of the vehicle, a fan with a suction that is configured to receive air from the first air input and the second air input, and
- a valve positioned upstream of the suction for the fan, the valve operable to allow either (i) air only from the first air input, (ii) air only from the second air input, or (iii) air from both the first air input and the second air input, wherein a position of the valve can be modified to alter relative percentages of air from the first and second inputs that reaches the suction of the fan,
- an air cooler that air from a discharge of the fan can flow therepast,
- an air heater that air from the discharge of the fan can flow therepast, and a plurality of air outlet flowpaths that direct air from the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system to various specific locations within the vehicle;
- and
- a controller configured to control humidity in a vehicle cabin, the controller comprising:
- at least one sensor that monitors for a parameter within a vehicle passenger compartment, or a parameter of an environment surrounding the vehicle passenger compartment,
- and
- , wherein the controller causes operation of at least one actuator based upon an output of the at least one sensor,
- wherein the controller continuously performs a mass balance to determine the amount of accumulated water vapor in the passenger compartment of a vehicle based on the first air input, the second air input, and the sensor output, wherein the controller performs a mass balance based on the first air input, the second air input, and the sensor output within the vehicle cabin in accordance with the following equation:
- d
-
- ω
- cabin
- dt
-
- V
- air
- ,
- cabin
-
- ρ
- air
- =
- ω
- air
- ,
- in
-
- m
- .
- air
- ,
- in
- +
- m
- .
- w
- ,
- gen
- -
- ω
- cabin
-
- m
- .
- air
- ,
- out
- ,
- wherein
- d
-
- ω
- cabin
- dt
-
- V
- air
- ,
- cabin
-
- ρ
- air
- is a rate of change of the amount of accumulated water vapor in the vehicle cabin;
- {dot over (m)}air,in is a mass flow rate of air flowing into the vehicle cabin;
- ωair,in is a specific humidity of the air flowing into the vehicle cabin;
- ωair,in{dot over (m)}air,in is a variable amount of water vapor entering the vehicle cabin from the exterior of the vehicle,
- {dot over (m)}w,gen is a mass flow rate of water vapor into the vehicle cabin generated by the occupants of the vehicle;
- ωcabin is a specific humidity of air within the vehicle cabin;
- {dot over (m)}air,out is the mass flow rate of air exiting the vehicle cabin;
- wherein the position of the valve is modified by the controller to alter relative percentages of air from the first and second inputs that reaches the suction of the fan reducing or increasing relative percentages of air from the first and second inputs that reaches the suction of the fan
- such that the following relationship is maintained in the vehicle cabin:
- Tdew pt,air window<Twindow glass;
- wherein Tdew pt,air window is a dew point temperature in the vehicle cabin,
- Twindow glass is a window glass temperature in the vehicle cabin, and
- wherein
- d
-
- ω
- cabin
- dt
-
- V
- air
- ,
- cabin
-
- ρ
- air
- is minimized through continuous optimization of the mass balance based on at least the value of ωair,in{dot over (m)}air,in as it varies while the vehicle is in motion.
89 more elements
A method for controlling vehicle cabin humidity for a vehicle in motion, the method comprising:
- sensing at least one bulk property condition within a vehicle cabin,
- sensing the current blower speed of the blower in a heating system,
- performing a mass balance based on the sensed bulk property condition within the vehicle cabin,
- in response to the mass balance, actuating at least one solenoid in a heating system to divert more air into the vehicle cabin, and
- in response to the mass balance, actuating at least one solenoid in the heating system to increase or decrease blower speed within the heating system of the vehicle cabin,
- wherein performing a mass balance based on the sensed bulk property condition within the vehicle cabin performs the mass balance in accordance with the following equation:
- d
-
- ω
- cabin
- dt
-
- V
- air
- ,
- cabin
-
- ρ
- air
- =
- ω
- air
- ,
- in
-
- m
- .
- air
- ,
- in
- +
- m
- .
- w
- ,
- gen
- -
- ω
- cabin
-
- m
- .
- air
- ,
- out
- wherein
- d
-
- ω
- cabin
- dt
-
- V
- air
- ,
- cabin
-
- ρ
- air
- is a rate of change of the amount of accumulated water vapor in the vehicle cabin;
- {dot over (m)}air,in is a mass flow rate of air flowing into the vehicle cabin;
- ωair,in is a specific humidity of the air flowing into the vehicle cabin;
- {dot over (m)}w,gen is a mass flow rate of water vapor into the vehicle cabin generated by the occupants of the vehicle;
- ωcabin is a specific humidity of air within the vehicle cabin;
- {dot over (m)}air,out is a mass flow rate of air exiting the vehicle cabin;
- actuating at least one solenoid in a heating system to divert more or less air into the vehicle cabin in response to the sensed bulk property condition and the mass balance such that the following relationship is maintained in the vehicle cabin:
- Tdew pt,air window<Twindow glass;
- wherein Tdew pt,air window is a dew point temperature in the vehicle cabin;
- and
- Twindow glass is a window glass temperature in the vehicle cabin, and
- wherein
- d
-
- ω
- cabin
- dt
- =
- V
- air
- ,
- cabin
-
- ρ
- air
- is minimized through continuous optimization of the mass balance based on at least the value of ωair,in{dot over (m)}air,in as it varies while the vehicle is in motion.
82 more elements
A system for controlling cabin humidity for a vehicle in motion, the system comprising:
- a first air input configured to receive air from a passenger compartment of a vehicle where a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system is disposed, a second air input configured to receive air from outside of the vehicle, a fan with a suction that is configured to receive air from the first air input and the second air input, and a valve positioned upstream of the suction for the fan, the valve operable to allow either (i) air only from the first air input, (ii) air only from the second air input, or (iii) air from both the first air input and the second air input, wherein a position of the valve can be modified to alter relative percentages of air from the first and second inputs that reaches the suction of the fan, an air cooler that air from a discharge of the fan can flow therepast, an air heater that air from the discharge of the fan can flow therepast, and a plurality of air outlet flowpaths that direct air from the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system to various specific locations within the vehicle;
- and a controller, wherein the controller performs the following:
- sensing at least one bulk property condition within a vehicle cabin,
- performing a mass balance based on the sensed bulk property condition within the vehicle cabin,
- in response to the mass balance, actuating the valve positioned upstream of the suction for the fan within the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system to adjust an amount of air that is allowed to flow into the vehicle cabin, and
- in response to the mass balance, actuating increasing blower speed within the heating system of the vehicle cabin,
- wherein performing a mass balance based on the sensed bulk property condition within the vehicle cabin performs the mass balance in accordance with the following equation:
- d
-
- ω
- cabin
- dt
-
- V
- air
- ,
- cabin
-
- ρ
- air
- =
- ω
- air
- ,
- in
-
- m
- .
- air
- ,
- in
- +
- m
- .
- w
- ,
- gen
- -
- ω
- cabin
-
- m
- .
- air
- ,
- out
- wherein
- d
-
- ω
- cabin
- dt
-
- V
- air
- ,
- cabin
-
- ρ
- air
- is a rate of change of the amount of accumulated water vapor in the vehicle cabin;
- {dot over (m)}air,in is a mass flow rate of air flowing into the vehicle cabin;
- ωair,in is a specific humidity of the air flowing into the vehicle cabin;
- {dot over (m)}w,gen is a mass flow rate of water vapor into the vehicle cabin generated by the occupants of the vehicle;
- ωcabin is a specific humidity of air within the vehicle cabin;
- {dot over (m)}air,out is a mass flow rate of air exiting the vehicle cabin;
- actuating at least one solenoid in a heating system to divert more or less air into the vehicle cabin in response to the sensed bulk property condition and the mass balance such that the following relationship is maintained in the vehicle cabin:
- Tdew pt, air window<Twindow glass;
- wherein Tdew pt, air window is a dew point temperature in the vehicle cabin;
- and
- Twindow glass is a window glass temperature in the vehicle cabin, and
- wherein
- d
-
- ω
- cabin
- dt
-
- V
- air
- ,
- cabin
-
- ρ
- air
- is minimized through continuous optimization of the mass balance based on at least the value of ωair,in{dot over (m)}air,in as it varies while the vehicle is in motion.
83 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.