Vehicle waste air recapture system
AssigneeFca US LLC
InventorPaul H. Ams
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A vehicle HVAC system including a blower positioned proximate a heat exchanger and configured to blow conditioned air into a passenger cabin. A waste air duct having a first open end positioned proximate another heat exchanger is configured to receive waste air that has passed through the heat exchanger. A waste air fan is positioned at a second open end of the waste air duct, and the waste air fan is configured to be rotated by the waste air passing through the waste air duct. An output shaft connected to the waste air fan is configured to be rotated by the waste air fan. The output shaft is connected to and configured to rotate the blower such that the blower may blow the conditioned air to the passenger cabin without being powered by a vehicle battery.
Claims14
A vehicle comprising:
- a body defining a forward compartment and a passenger cabin;
- a battery;
- an HVAC system provided in the forward compartment and configured to provide conditioned air to the passenger cabin, the HVAC system including:
- a compressor that is powered by the battery;
- a first heat exchanger in communication with the compressor;
- a second heat exchanger in communication with each of the first heat exchanger and the compressor;
- a blower positioned proximate the second heat exchanger and configured to blow the conditioned air to the passenger cabin;
- a waste air duct positioned having a first open end positioned proximate the first heat exchanger that is configured to receive waste air that has passed through the first heat exchanger and an opposite second open end;
- a waste air fan positioned at the second open end, the waste air fan being configured to be rotated by the waste air passing through the waste air duct;
- and
- an output shaft connected to the waste air fan that is configured to be rotated by the waste air fan,
- wherein the output shaft is connected to and configured to rotate the blower such that the blower may blow the conditioned air to the passenger cabin without being powered by the battery.
A vehicle comprising:
- a body defining a forward compartment and a passenger cabin;
- a controller;
- a sensor in communication with the controller that is configured to generate a signal indicative of a velocity of the vehicle;
- a battery;
- an HVAC system provided in the forward compartment and configured to provide conditioned air to the passenger cabin, the HVAC system including:
- a compressor that is powered by the battery;
- a first heat exchanger in communication with the compressor;
- a second heat exchanger in communication with each of the first heat exchanger and the compressor;
- a blower positioned proximate the second heat exchanger and configured to blow the conditioned air to the passenger cabin;
- a waste air duct positioned having a first open end positioned proximate the first heat exchanger that is configured to receive waste air that has passed through the first heat exchanger and an opposite second open end;
- a waste air fan positioned at the second open end, the waste air fan being configured to be rotated by the waste air passing through the waste air duct;
- and
- an output shaft connected to the waste air fan that is configured to be rotated by the waste air fan,
- wherein the output shaft is connected to and configured to selectively rotate the blower based on a signal generated by the controller when the sensor generates a signal indicative of the velocity of the vehicle being about a predetermined threshold such that the blower may blow the conditioned air to the passenger cabin without being powered by the battery.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.