GB2510905A

GB2510905A - Ventilation device for a motor vehicle

Info

Publication number: GB2510905A
Application number: GB201302856A
Authority: GB
Inventors: Divesh Bhatia; Manas Mandal; Christian Duelk
Original assignee: Daimler AG
Current assignee: Mercedes Benz Group AG
Priority date: 2013-02-18
Filing date: 2013-02-18
Publication date: 2014-08-20
Also published as: GB201302856D0

Abstract

A ventilation device 10, for a motor vehicle, has an oxygen enrichment device 16 comprising a storage element 18 which, in a first operating state, stores oxygen from air outside the vehicle and, in a second operating state, releases the stored oxygen into the vehicle interior 12. The enrichment device 16, which may comprise an absorption or adsorption catalytic converter 18, eg a cerium oxide based converter, may be placed in an air duct 20 having upstream and downstream valve elements 24, 26, respectively. In the first operating state, fig.1, valve 24 is open and valve 26 is closed to allow outside air to reach the enrichment device 16 which stores oxygen. In the second operating state, fig.2, valve 24 is closed and valve 26 is opened to allow stored oxygen to be released to the vehicle interior. The ventilation device, eg air-conditioning system, can be operated in recirculation mode in both operating states. The catalytic converter 18 may be heated in the second operating state. Switching between operating states may depend on sensed oxygen concentration in the interior 12.

Description

Ventilation device for a motor vehicle The invention relates to a ventilation device for a motor vehicle according to the preamble of patent claim 1.

It is known from motor vehicles to be fitted with air-conditioning systems. Such an air-conditioning system serves for cooling the interior of the motor vehicle. To that end the air in the interior is cooled by means of the air-conditioning system.

To achieve the energy-efficient cooling of the interior, the air-conditioning system is operated in recirculation mode, whereby air is sucked in from the interior, cooled by means of the air-conditioning system and led back into the interior. Recirculation mode, therefore, essentially prevents air from outside the motor vehicle penetrating into the interior. This enables the energy-efficient cooling of the interior, as the air from outside is warmer than the air already cooled and sucked in from the interior, so that the air from outside would have to be cooled to a greater extent than the air sucked in from the interior. However, recirculation mode can also lead to the oxygen concentration of the air in the interior falling. This can in turn induce a feeling of discomfort in the vehicle's occupants, so that driving comfort is impaired.

such a recirculation mode is known from US 6800 022-B2, for instance. Here an inlet valve is closed so that an air duct through which air from outside can flow into the interior is blocked to fluids. The inlet valve is closed if an air-quality sensor detects pollution of the air outside the motor vehicle. If the air quality sensor detects unpolluted air, the inlet valve is subsequently opened again at a determinable rate of movement so that air from outside the motor vehicle can again be led into the interior via the air duct. * *.

* * . *e * A ventilation device for a motor vehicle is known from US 760 1 202-B2. The ventilation system comprises an enrichment device for eniiching with oxygen an air flow led into the interior of the motor vehicle. This enables an excessive drop in the oxygen concentration in the interior to be counteracted in recirculation mode. However, this enrichment is expensive and requires a complex design of the ventilation device.

It is therefore the object of this invention to further develop a ventilation device of the aforementioned kind such that the air flow can be enriched with the oxygen in a simple manner and with a simple design of the ventilation device.

This object is achieved by a ventilation device for a motor vehicle having the features of patent claim 1. Advantageous embodiments with expedient and non-trivial develo3ments of the invention are indicated in the other patent claims.

In order to create a ventilation device for a motor vehicle of the kind indicated in the preamble of patent claim 1 that has a simple design and enables a simple enrichment of the air flow with the oxygen, it is provided according to the invention that the enrichment device comprises at least one storage element for storing the oxygen for enriching the air flow. In a first operating state of the enrichment device the storage element can be enriched with the oxygen from the air outside the motor vehicle. In a second operating state of the enrichment device the air flow can be enriched with the oxygen stored in the storage element. The enrichment of the air flow with the oxygen preferably takes place when the ventilation device is in recirculation mode, so that energy-efficient air-conditioning is enabled. At the same time, an impairment of the driving comfort for the vehicle's occupants and a feeling of discomfort can be avoided because the air in the interior is enriched with the oxygen.

The ventilation device enables a particularly simple enrichment of the air flow with the oxygen and has a simple design, as the storage element has a dual function. On the one hand, the storage element serves to extract the oxygen from the outside air and to store the oxygen. On the other hand, the storage element serves to enrich the air flow with the oxygen. Thus separate elements for extracting the oxygen from the outside air and for enriching the air flow with the oxygen are not required. Furthermore, the carrying of a tank containing oxygen for enriching the air flow can be dispensed with. The ventilation device thus also has a low weight and a low spatial requirement. * a. * * S S** S

*:*. Further advantages, features and details of the invention derive from the following description of preferred embodiments and from the drawing. The features and combinations of features set out in the description and the features and combinations of features set out in the description of figures and/or displayed alone in the figures below can be used not only in the respectively indicated combination but also in other combinations or alone without leaving the scope of the invention.

The drawings show in: Fig. 1 a schematic sectional view 0 a ventilation device for a motor vehicle comprising an enrichment device for enriching with oxygen an air flow led into the interior of the motor vehicle, whereby the enrichment device comprises at least one storage element which can be enriched with the oxygen and by means of which the air flow can be enriched with the stored oxygen, shown in a first operating state of the enrichment device; and Fig. 2 a further schematic sectional view of the ventilation device, shown in a second operating state of the enrichment device.

Fig. 1 shows in a schematic sectional view a ventilation device for a motor Vehicle referred to in its entirety as 10. A very schematically illustrated interior 12 of the motor vehicle in which occupants of the vehicle may stay can be seen in Figs. 1 and 2. The ventilation device 10 serves to lead into the interior 12 an air flow enriched with oxygen and denoted in Fig. 2 by a directional arrow 14.

This can for instance enable an.air-conditioning system of the motor vehicle to be operated in what is known as recirculation mode without there occurring an excessive drop in the oxygen concentration of the air in the interior 12. In this recirculation mode air from the interior 12 is sucked in by means of the air-conditioning system, for instance by ** *. means of at least one fan of this system. The air sucked in is cooled by means of the air- * conditioning system and for instance dehumidified and led back into the interior 12 by means of the at least one fan. S.

The supply of the interior 12 with the air flow enriched with oxygen also prevents the occurring a feeling of discomfort and an impairment of the driving comfort as a result of : * recirculation mode. The air flow that is enriched with oxygen preferably comprises at least the air that in recirculation mode is sucked in from the interior 12 and led back into the interior 12.

To enrich the air flow with the oxygen, the ventilation device 10 comprises an enrichment device 16 comprising a storage element in the form of a catalytic converter 18. The catalytic converter iBis for instance formed as a cerium oxide-based catalytic converter.

However, the catalytic converter 18 can also be formed of another material. The catalytic converter 18 has the capability to store oxygen.

As can be seen from Figs. 1 and 2, the catalytic converter iSis arranged in an air duct 20 that is restricted by an air-conducting element 22 of the ventilation device 10. To the air duct 20 are assigned two valve elements 24, 26 of the enrichment device 16. In the direction of flow of air from the outside 28 of the motor vehicle through the air duct 20 towards the interior 12 the valve element 24 is arranged upstream of the catalytic converter 18, whilst the valve element 26 is arranged downstream of the catalytic converter. The valve elements 24, 26 in this case are a respective flap which can be adjusted between an open position unblocking the air duct 20 to fluids and a closed position blocking the air duct 20 to fluids.

As can be seen from Fig. 1, in a first operating state of the enrichment device 16 the valve element 24 is in its open position whilst in the first operating state the valve element 26 is in its closed position. This allows air from the outside 26 to flow into the air duct 20 and flow to the catalytic converter 18 as indicated by a directional arrow 30. However, the air flowing into the air duct 20 and flowing through and/or around the catalytic converter 18 cannot flow into the interior 12. In this first operating state the catalytic converter 18 is enriched with oxygen from the air from the outside 28. This enrichment is effected for example by absorption and/or adsorption. In other words, in the first operating state the catalytic converter 18 absorbs and/or adsorbs oxygen from the air that flows into the air duct 20 from the outside 28. *. .. * . * a

* a. a As the valve element 26 is closed and consequently no air from the outside 28 can flow into the interior 12, even in the first operating state the air-conditioning system can be operated in recirculation mode, whereby a cooling of the air in the interior 12 is not impaired by the flowing in of air from the outside 28.

If, for example, the oxygen concentration in the air in the interior 12 falls below a specifiable threshold as a result of recirculation mode, the enrichment device 16 is switched from the first operating state into a second operating state identifiable from Fig. 2. In the second operating state the valve element 24 is closed, whereby the valve element 26 is opened. In the second operating state the air flow indicated by the directional arrow 14, which is led to the catalytic converter 18 and for instance flows around and/or through this, is enriched with the oxygen stored in the catalytic converter 18. In other words, the catalytic converter 18 delivers the oxygen previously stored from the air from the outside 28 to the air flow, which then transports the oxygen into the interior 12.

The air flow indicated by the directional arrow 14 comprises air from the interior 12 which is sucked in from the interior 12 by means of the fan and led to the catalytic converter 12 via the air duct 20. As this air has a lower oxygen concentration, a desarption of the oxygen stored in the catalytic converter takes place and the oxygen passes into the air flow and is transported into the interior 12.

As can be seen from Fig. 2, even in the second operating state the air-conditioning of the interior 12 is not impaired by air from the outside 28 because the valve element 24 is closed and consequently no air from the outside 28 that is warmer than the air from the interior 12 can flow into the interior 12 via the air duct 20.

In order to support and accelerate the storage in the catalytic converter 18 of the oxygen from the air from the outside 28 in the first operating state, it may be provided that a very high pressure is set across the catalytic converter 18. Advantageously at least one heating element for heating the catalytic converter 18 is provided. This heating of the catalytic converter 18 preferably takes place in the second operating state in order to support and accelerate the desorption of the oxygen stored in the catalytic converter 18.

It may for instance be possible to change between the first and the second operating state after specifiable intervals of time. The intervals of time after which a change of operating state takes place can also be variable and for instance take place within the scope of a control. For instance, a switch between the operating states takes place as a function of the oxygen concentration of the air in the interior 12. * 0 * * * ** * . . ** * * * * * * * **

Claims

Patent claims Ventilation device (10) for a motor vehicle, having an enrichment device (16) for enriching with oxygen an air flow led into the interior (12) of the motor vehicle, characterised in that the enrichment device (16) comprises at least one storage element (18) which in a first operating state can be enriched with the oxygen from the air from the outside (28) of the motor vehicle and by means of which the air flow can be enriched with the stared oxygen in a second operating state.
2. Ventilation device (10) according to claim 1, characterised in that the storage element (18)is formed as a catalytic converter (18), in particular as a cerium oxide-based catalytic converter.
3. Ventilation device (10) according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterised in that at least one air duct (20) is provided for conducting air from the outside (28) to the storage element (18), whereby at least one valve element (24) is provided by means of which the conducting of the air from the outside (26) to the storage element (18) is enabled in the first operating state and is prevented in the second operating state.
4. Ventilation device (10) according to one of the previous claims, characterised in that at least one heating element for heating the storage element (18) is provided.