Back to results
US 4,858,676 AGranted
Airconditioning system for a vehicle
AssigneeFord Motor Company
InventorsLawrence J. Bolfik, Calvin G. Smith
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
An airconditioning system for a vehicle includes an air supply blower, an air chilling device, an air heating device, speed and power sensing systems for determining the speed and power levels at which the blower is operating, a speed governor for controlling the speed at which the blower is operating, a temperature governor, operatively associated with the air chilling and air heating devices, for controlling the temperature of conditioned air supplied by the blower to the interior of the vehicle, and a controller responsive to blower speed and power consumption for operating the temperature governing device.
Claims17
An airconditioning system for a vehicle, comprising:
- an air supply blower;
- an air chilling device;
- an air heating device;
- speed sensing means for determining the speed at which said blower is operating and for generating a speed signal corresponding to said blower speed;
- power sensing means for determining the power being consumed by said blower and for generating a signal corresponding to said power consumption;
- temperature governing means, operatively associated with said air chilling device and said air heating device, for controlling the heat flux imparted by said air chilling device and said air heating device to air supplied by said blower to the interior of said vehicle;
- and
- control means, responsive to said speed signal and to said power signal, for operating said temperature governing means, comprising:
- means for detecting nonprogrammed changes in blower speed and blower power consumption;
- and
- means for compensating for said nonprogrammed changes in blower speed and power consumption by changing the operating point of said temperature governing means.
8 more elements
An airconditioning system for a vehicle, comprising:
- an air supply blower, driven by an electric motor, for bringing outside air into the interior of said vehicle;
- an evaporator core having refrigerant flowing therethrough;
- a heater core having engine coolant flowing therethrough;
- speed sensing means for determining the speed at which said blower is operating and for generating a speed signal corresponding to said blower speed;
- speed governing means for controlling the speed at which said blower is operating;
- power sensing means for determining the power being consumed by said motor and for generating a signal corresponding to said Power consumption;
- temperature governing means, operatively associated with said evaporator core and said heater core, for controlling the temperature of air supplied by said blower to the interior of said vehicle by controlling the heat flux imparted by said evaporator core and said heater core to said air supply;
- and
- control means, responsive to said speed and power signals, for operating said temperature governing means and said speed governing means so as to maintain the temperature of conditioned air discharged into the cabin of said vehicle at a selected value, comprising:
- means for detecting nonprogrammed changes in blower speed and power consumption;
- and
- means for compensating for said nonprogrammed speed and power changes by changing the operating points of at least one of said temperature governing means and said speed governing means.
9 more elements
A method for controlling the output temperature of a vehicular airconditioning system having a blower, an air heating device, an air chilling device and a temperature governing means operatively associated with said air chilling and air heating devices, comprising the steps of:
- sensing nonprogrammed changes in the speed and power consumption of said blower;
- iteratively determining adjusted operating points for the speed of said blower and said temperature governing means so as to compensate for any nonprogrammed speed and power consumption changes;
- and
- directing said blower and said temperature governing means to assume said adjusted operating points.
1 more element
An airconditioning system for a vehicle, comprising:
- an air supply blower, driven by an electric motor, for bringing outside air into the interior of said vehicle;
- an evaporator core;
- a heater core positioned downstream from said evaporator core;
- speed sensing means for determining the speed at which said blower is operating and for generating a speed signal corresponding to said blower speed;
- speed governing means for controlling the speed at which said blower is operating;
- power sensing means for determining the power being consumed by said motor and for generating a signal corresponding to said power consumption;
- temperature governing means, operatively associated with said evaporator core and said heater core, for controlling the temperature of air supplied by said blower to the interior of said vehicle with said temperature governing means comprising a blend door having the capability of directing at least part of the output of said blower over said heater core;
- and
- control means, responsive to said speed and power consumption signals, for operating said temperature governing means and said speed governing means so as to maintain the temperature of conditioned air discharged into the cabin of said vehicle at a selected value, comprising:
- means for detecting nonprogrammed changes in blower speed and power consumption caused by changes in the mass flow rate of air passing through said airconditioning system;
- and
- means for compensating for said nonprogrammed speed and power consumption changes by determining new operating points for said temperature governing means and said speed governing means according to a hierarchical strategy, such that a calculated function of said power and speed signals will be regulated at a preselected value so as to maintain the mass flow rate and the temperature of air supplied by said blower to the cabin of said vehicle at selected values, but if such is not possible, maintaining the temperature of air discharged by said airconditioning system at said selected value.
9 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.