JP7259325B2 - vehicle air conditioner - Google Patents

Description

The present invention relates to a vehicle air conditioner.

Conventionally, as described in Patent Document 1, the gas concentration of the inside air and the gas concentration of the outside air are compared, and the inside air mode in which the air blown into the vehicle interior is the inside air or the air blown into the vehicle interior is selected. A vehicle air conditioner is known that switches between an inside/outside air mode and an outside air mode.

JP-A-9-240251

In Patent Document 1, when the gas concentration of the inside air is lower than the gas concentration of the outside air, that is, when the inside air is cleaner than the outside air, the inside/outside air mode is switched to the inside air mode. When the inside/outside air mode changes to the inside air mode, it is difficult to ventilate the inside and outside of the vehicle interior, and the relative humidity in the vehicle interior tends to increase, so the windows in the vehicle interior tend to fog up. In order to suppress fogging of the windows in the vehicle interior, the compressor may be operated to dehumidify the air in the vehicle interior.

However, when the inside/outside air mode is switched to the inside air mode to clean the inside air, fogging of the windows of the vehicle is suppressed depending on whether the inside/outside air mode is the inside air mode or the outside air mode before switching to the inside air mode. The operating requirements of the compressor for

For example, when the inside/outside air mode is switched from the outside air mode to the inside air mode, the relative humidity in the vehicle interior increases, so fogging of the windows in the vehicle interior tends to occur. At this time, it is highly necessary to operate the compressor in order to suppress fogging of the windows in the passenger compartment. However, when the inside/outside air mode was the inside air mode before switching to the inside air mode, that is, when the inside air mode is maintained, the relative humidity inside the cabin is maintained, so the windows inside the cabin fog up. Hateful. At this time, there is little need to operate the compressor in order to suppress fogging of the windows in the passenger compartment.

In this way, the need to operate the compressor varies depending on the change in the inside/outside air mode. Therefore, simply switching the inside air mode to the inside air mode when the inside air is cleaner than the outside air does not determine the need to operate the compressor. You can get the machine working. If the compressor is operated unnecessarily, the vehicle's engine, motor, or the like, which is the driving source of the compressor, will be driven, which reduces the fuel consumption of the vehicle. In addition, when the compressor is operated unnecessarily, the air inside the passenger compartment is dehumidified and the air inside the passenger compartment becomes dry.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of the present invention to provide a vehicle air conditioner that suppresses deterioration of vehicle fuel consumption and vehicle interior comfort.

In order to achieve the above object, the invention according to claim 1 provides a blower (31) for blowing air toward the interior of a vehicle (10) and a toxic substance contained in the air blown toward the interior of the vehicle. A filter (32) that purifies or removes, an evaporator (45) that dehumidifies the air blown from the blower by exchanging heat between the air blown from the blower and the refrigerant, and a refrigerant that compresses the evaporator. A compressor (41) for circulating the refrigerant via, an inside air introduction port (511) for introducing inside air, which is the air inside the cabin of the vehicle, to the blower, and an outside air, for introducing outside air, which is the air outside the cabin of the vehicle, into the blower. An internal/external air case (51) having an introduction port (512), and an internal air mode (Mode_IN) in which the internal air introduction port and the external air introduction port are opened and closed and the air blown into the cabin of the vehicle is made internal air, or the internal air mode of the vehicle. A mode switching unit (52) for switching to an outside air mode (Mode_OUT) in which the air blown into the room is outside air, an inside air concentration estimation unit (78) for estimating the inside air concentration (ρi), which is the concentration of harmful substances in the inside air, An outside air concentration estimator (79, 82) for estimating an outside air concentration (ρo), which is the concentration of harmful substances in the outside air; An inside/outside air mode determination unit (S108) that determines the mode (Mode) to be the inside air mode or the outside air mode, and a compressor control unit (S109) that controls whether the compressor is operating or stopped based on changes in the inside/outside air mode. ), wherein the compressor control unit maintains a state of operating or stopping the compressor when the inside/outside air mode is maintained at the inside air mode.

With the above configuration, the compressor is controlled based on the change in the inside/outside air mode, so that the compressor can be appropriately operated to suppress fogging of the windows in the vehicle compartment. As a result, the compressor does not operate unnecessarily, thereby suppressing a decrease in fuel consumption of the vehicle. In addition, unnecessary operation of the compressor eliminates drying of the air in the vehicle interior, thereby suppressing deterioration of comfort in the vehicle interior.

It should be noted that the reference numerals in parentheses attached to each component etc. indicate an example of the correspondence relationship between the component etc. and specific components etc. described in the embodiments described later.

1 is a schematic diagram of a vehicle in which the vehicle air conditioner of the present embodiment is used; FIG. 1 is an overall configuration diagram of a vehicle air conditioner of the present embodiment; FIG. 4 is a flowchart for explaining the processing of the vehicle air conditioner of the present embodiment; 4 is a sub-flowchart for explaining determination of an inside/outside air mode in the vehicle air conditioner of the present embodiment; 4 is a sub-flowchart for explaining compressor control in the vehicle air conditioner of the present embodiment; 4 is a time chart for explaining the processing of the vehicle air conditioner of the present embodiment; Schematic of the vehicle in which the vehicle air conditioner of other embodiment is used. The whole block diagram of the vehicle air conditioner of other embodiment. The whole block diagram of the vehicle air conditioner of other embodiment.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings. In addition, in each of the following embodiments, the same or equivalent portions are denoted by the same reference numerals, and description thereof will be omitted.

As shown in FIG. 1, the vehicle air conditioner of the present embodiment is used to adjust the temperature, humidity, and cleanliness in the interior of a vehicle 10 having a front window 11 and the like. Hereinafter, for the sake of convenience, the air inside the vehicle is referred to as inside air, and the air outside the vehicle is referred to as outside air. For the sake of convenience, the temperature, humidity, and cleanliness of the vehicle interior are referred to as the vehicle interior environment.

As shown in FIG. 2 , the vehicle air conditioner 1 includes an air conditioning unit 20 , an inside/outside air switching unit 50 , an air conditioning operation unit 60 , an environment acquisition unit 70 and an air conditioner ECU 80 .

The air conditioning unit 20 blows air into the vehicle interior for adjusting the vehicle interior environment. Specifically, the air conditioning unit 20 has an air conditioning case 21 , a face switching door 22 , a foot switching door 23 , a defroster switching door 24 and an outlet motor 25 . The air conditioning unit 20 also has a blower 31 , a blower motor 311 , a filter 32 , a refrigerating cycle 40 , a heater core 33 , an air mix door 34 and an air mix motor 341 .

The air-conditioning case 21 accommodates a blower 31, an evaporator 45 constituting a refrigeration cycle 40 described later, a heater core 33, an air mix door 34, and the like, and supplies air for adjusting the vehicle interior environment. forms a passage. Further, the air conditioning case 21 includes a face outlet 211, a foot outlet 212, and a defroster outlet 213 on the downstream side of the air passage so that the air is blown out toward the passenger compartment.

The face outlet 211 opens toward the backrest or headrest of a seat (not shown) inside the vehicle. The foot outlet 212 opens toward the seat portion of the seat in the passenger compartment or the lower side of this seat portion. The defroster outlet 213 opens toward the inner surface of the front window 11 .

The face switching door 22, foot switching door 23, and defroster switching door 24 are driven by a common outlet motor 25 via a link mechanism (not shown) to open and close the face outlet 211, foot outlet 212, and defroster outlet 213. do. Note that the face switching door 22 opens and closes the face outlet 211 . The foot switching door 23 opens and closes the foot outlet 212 . The defroster switching door 24 opens and closes the defroster outlet 213 .

Here, there are five outlet modes, which are opening/closing states of the face outlet 211, the foot outlet 212, and the defroster outlet 213 by the face switching door 22, the foot switching door 23, and the defroster switching door 24. FIG. The five modes are face mode, bilevel mode, foot mode, foot defroster mode and defroster mode.

The face mode is a state in which the face outlet 211 is open and the foot outlet 212 and the defroster outlet 213 are closed. The bi-level mode is a state in which face outlet 211 and foot outlet 212 are open and defroster outlet 213 is closed. The foot mode is a state in which the foot outlet 212 is open and the face outlet 211 and the defroster outlet 213 are closed. The foot defroster mode is a state in which the foot outlet 212 and the defroster outlet 213 are open and the face outlet 211 is closed. In the defroster mode, the defroster outlet 213 is open and the face outlet 211 and the foot outlet 212 are closed.

The blower 31 is arranged on the side opposite to the face outlet 211 , the foot outlet 212 and the defroster outlet 213 , that is, on the upstream side of the air flow path of the air conditioning case 21 . The blower 31 is driven by a blower motor 311 to blow air into the passenger compartment.

The filter 32 is arranged closer to the face outlet 211 , the foot outlet 212 and the defroster outlet 213 than the blower 31 , that is, to the downstream side of the air passage of the air conditioning case 21 relative to the blower 31 . Filter 32 purifies or removes substances harmful to the human body contained in the air blown from blower 31 . Here, the harmful substance is PM2.5, for example. PM2.5 is a harmful substance that affects the human respiratory system or circulatory system. Note that PM is an abbreviation for Particulate Matter.

The refrigerating cycle 40 has a compressor 41 , a condenser 42 , a liquid receiver 43 , an expansion valve 44 , an evaporator 45 and refrigerant pipes 46 . Compressor 41, condenser 42, liquid receiver 43, expansion valve 44, evaporator 45 and refrigerant pipe 46 constitute a refrigerant circuit in which refrigerant circulates.

The compressor 41 is operated by torque transmitted from an engine (not shown) via an electromagnetic clutch or torque transmitted from a motor based on a signal from an air conditioner ECU 80, which will be described later. The compressor 41 sucks the refrigerant from the refrigerant pipe 46 on the evaporator 45 side. Also, the compressor 41 compresses the sucked refrigerant and discharges a high-pressure vapor-phase refrigerant toward the condenser 42 .

The condenser 42 exchanges heat between the high-pressure gaseous refrigerant and the outside air. The high-pressure vapor-phase refrigerant flowing through the condenser 42 releases heat to the outside air and condenses. The refrigerant condensed by the condenser 42 flows to the liquid receiver 43 .

The liquid receiver 43 separates the gas-liquid refrigerant flowing from the condenser 42 and stores liquid-phase refrigerant. The liquid-phase refrigerant stored in the liquid receiver 43 flows to the expansion valve 44 .

The expansion valve 44 reduces the pressure of the liquid-phase refrigerant flowing from the liquid receiver 43 . The decompressed refrigerant becomes a mist-like gas-liquid two-phase state. The refrigerant that has been brought into a gas-liquid two-phase state by the expansion valve 44 flows to the evaporator 45 .

The evaporator 45 exchanges heat between the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flowing from the expansion valve 44 and the blown air that has passed through the filter 32 from the blower 31 . The gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flowing from the expansion valve 44 absorbs heat from the blown air that has passed through the filter 32 from the blower 31 and evaporates to become a gas-phase refrigerant. The vaporized gas-phase refrigerant is sucked into the compressor 41 through the refrigerant pipe 46 . On the other hand, the blown air that has passed through the filter 32 from the blower 31 absorbs heat by the gas-liquid two-phase refrigerant flowing through the evaporator 45, and is cooled and dehumidified.

The heater core 33 exchanges heat between the air that has passed through the filter 32 and the evaporator 45 from the blower 31 and hot water that flows through a tube (not shown). The blown air that has passed through the filter 32 and the evaporator 45 from the blower 31 is heated by hot water flowing through the tube of the heater core 33 .

The air mix door 34 is arranged downstream of the evaporator 45 in the air passage of the air conditioning case 21 and upstream of the heater core 33 in the air passage of the air conditioning case 21 . The air mix door 34 is driven by an air mix motor 341 to adjust the air volume ratio between the air flowing through the heater core 33 and the air bypassing the heater core 33 . The air mix door 34 adjusts the air volume ratio to adjust the temperature of the air blown from the blower 31 toward the passenger compartment. Blowing air adjusted by the air mix door 34 passes through the face air outlet 211, the foot air outlet 212, or the defroster air outlet 213, and is selected in one of face mode, bilevel mode, foot mode, foot defroster mode, and defroster mode. Air is blown into the passenger compartment in the air outlet mode.

As described above, in the air conditioning unit 20, the filter 32 removes harmful substances contained in the air blown from the blower 31 into the vehicle interior. The blown air from which harmful substances have been removed by the filter 32 is cooled and dehumidified by the evaporator 45 . The air cooled and dehumidified by the evaporator 45 is temperature-controlled by the heater core 33 and the air mix door 34 . The blown air adjusted by these adjusts the vehicle interior environment.

The inside/outside air switching unit 50 introduces inside air or outside air and switches the air blown into the vehicle interior between inside air and outside air. Specifically, the inside/outside air switching unit 50 has an inside/outside air case 51 , an inside/outside air switching door 52 corresponding to the mode switching unit, and an inside/outside air motor 521 .

The inside/outside air case 51 is arranged on the upstream side of the air passage of the air conditioning case 21 and includes an inside air introduction port 511 and an outside air introduction port 512 for introducing air into the blower 31 . The inside air introduction port 511 introduces inside air into the blower 31 . The outside air introduction port 512 introduces outside air into the blower 31 .

The inside/outside air switching door 52 is driven by an inside/outside air motor 521 to open and close the inside air introduction port 511 and the outside air introduction port 512, and switch the inside/outside air mode Mode, which is the open/close state of the inside air introduction port 511 and the outside air introduction port 512. . In this embodiment, the inside/outside air mode Mode has two modes, an inside air mode Mode_IN and an outside air mode Mode_OUT.

The inside air mode Mode_IN is a state in which the inside air introduction port 511 is open and the outside air introduction port 512 is closed. In the inside air mode Mode_IN, inside air is introduced into the blower 31 from the inside air introduction port 511, and the air blown toward the vehicle interior becomes inside air.

The outside air mode Mode_OUT is a state in which the inside air introduction port 511 is closed and the outside air introduction port 512 is open. In the outside air mode Mode_OUT, the outside air is introduced into the blower 31 from the outside air introduction port 512, and the air blown toward the vehicle interior becomes the outside air.

The air conditioning operation unit 60 is operated by an occupant of the vehicle 10 to output a signal indicating each operation setting to the air conditioner ECU 80 . Here, the air conditioning operation unit 60 has a temperature setting switch 61 , an auto switch 62 , an outlet mode switch 63 , a blower switch 64 , an inside/outside air mode switch 65 and an air conditioner switch 66 .

The temperature setting switch 61 outputs to the air conditioner ECU 80 a signal indicating the set temperature Tset of the vehicle interior set by the occupant of the vehicle 10 . The auto switch 62 outputs to the air conditioner ECU 80 either a signal indicating that the air conditioning ECU 80 is automatically turned on, or a signal indicating that the air conditioning ECU 80 is not automatically controlled. The outlet mode switch 63 outputs a signal indicating the outlet mode set by the occupant of the vehicle 10 to the air conditioner ECU 80 . The blower switch 64 outputs to the air conditioner ECU 80 a signal indicating the set air volume Qset of the blower 31 set by the occupant of the vehicle 10 . The inside/outside air mode switch 65 outputs a signal indicating the inside/outside air mode Mode set by the occupant of the vehicle 10 to the air conditioner ECU 80 . The air conditioner switch 66 outputs to the air conditioner ECU 80 either a signal indicating A/C ON for operating the compressor 41 or a signal indicating A/C OFF for stopping the compressor 41 .

The environment acquisition unit 70 acquires the environmental state of the vehicle 10 and outputs it to the air conditioner ECU 80 . Here, the environmental conditions of the vehicle 10 are the inside air temperature Tr, the outside air temperature Tam, the evaporator temperature Te, the hot water temperature Tw, the inside air humidity Hi, the inside air concentration ρi, and the outside air concentration ρo. Note that the evaporator temperature Te is the temperature of the air on the downstream side of the evaporator 45 . The hot water temperature Tw is the temperature of hot water flowing through the tube of the heater core 33 . The inside air humidity Hi is the relative humidity of the inside air. The inside air concentration ρi is the concentration of harmful substances in the inside air. The outside air concentration ρo is the concentration of harmful substances in the outside air.

The environment acquiring unit 70 has an inside air temperature sensor 71 , an outside air temperature sensor 72 , an evaporator temperature sensor 73 , a water temperature sensor 74 and an inside air humidity sensor 75 in order to acquire each environmental state of the vehicle 10 . The environment acquisition unit 70 also has an inside air concentration sensor 78 corresponding to the inside air concentration estimating unit and an outside air concentration sensor 79 corresponding to the outside air concentration estimating unit.

The inside air temperature sensor 71 outputs a detection signal corresponding to the inside air temperature Tr to the air conditioner ECU 80 . The outside air temperature sensor 72 outputs a detection signal corresponding to the outside air temperature Tam to the air conditioner ECU 80 . The evaporator temperature sensor 73 is arranged downstream of the evaporator 45 and outputs a detection signal corresponding to the evaporator temperature Te to the air conditioner ECU 80 . The water temperature sensor 74 outputs a detection signal corresponding to the hot water temperature Tw to the air conditioner ECU 80 . The inside air humidity sensor 75 outputs a detection signal corresponding to the inside air humidity Hi to the air conditioner ECU 80 .

The inside air concentration sensor 78 outputs a detection signal corresponding to the inside air concentration ρi as the particle concentration of PM2.5 contained in the inside air to the air conditioner ECU 80 .

The outside air concentration sensor 79 outputs a detection signal corresponding to the outside air concentration ρo to the air conditioner ECU 80 as the particle concentration of PM2.5 contained in the outside air.

The air conditioner ECU 80 is mainly composed of a microcomputer or the like, and includes readable transitional substantive recording media such as a CPU, ROM, and RAM, I/O, bus lines connecting these components, and the like. The air conditioner ECU 80 adjusts the air mix motor 341, the outlet motor 25, the blower motor 311, the inside/outside air motor 521, and the compressor 41 based on the settings from the air conditioning operation unit 60 and the environmental conditions of the vehicle 10 from the environment acquisition unit 70. Controls the state of running or stopping. By performing these controls by the air conditioner ECU 80, the air flowing in the vehicle interior is adjusted, and the vehicle interior environment of the vehicle 10 is adjusted.

Next, the processing of the air conditioner ECU 80 will be described with reference to the flowchart of FIG.

In step S101, the air conditioner ECU 80 initializes a timer that measures the elapsed time after starting the processing of the next step S102.

In step S102, the air conditioner ECU 80 starts the timer to count time. Since the air conditioner ECU 80 recognizes the state of the air conditioning operation unit 60 , the current settings of the air conditioning operation unit 60 are input to the air conditioner ECU 80 . Specifically, the set temperature Tset, auto on/off, the air outlet mode set by the occupant of the vehicle 10, the set air volume Qset, the inside/outside air mode Mode set by the occupant of the vehicle 10, and the A/C on/off are input to the air conditioner ECU 80. .

Next, in step S<b>103 , in order for the air conditioner ECU 80 to recognize the environmental state of the vehicle 10 , the current environmental state of the vehicle 10 acquired by the environment acquisition unit 70 is input to the air conditioner ECU 80 . Specifically, the inside air temperature Tr, the outside air temperature Tam, the evaporator temperature Te, the hot water temperature Tw, the inside air humidity Hi, the inside air concentration ρi, and the outside air concentration ρo are input to the air conditioner ECU 80 . After that, the process moves to step S104.

In step S104, the air conditioner ECU 80 calculates a target blowout temperature TAO for maintaining the temperature in the passenger compartment at the set temperature Tset based on the set temperature Tset, the inside air temperature Tr and the outside air temperature Tam. For example, the air conditioner ECU 80 calculates the target blowout temperature TAO using the following relational expression (1). In relational expression (1), Kset, Kr and Kam are constants indicating control gains. Also, C is a constant for correction.

TAO=Kset×Tset−Kr×Tr−Kam×Tam+C (1)

Subsequently, in step S105, the air conditioner ECU 80 calculates the target opening degree SW of the air mix door 34 based on the target blowout temperature TAO, the evaporator temperature Te, and the hot water temperature Tw. For example, the air conditioner ECU 80 calculates the target opening degree SW of the air mix door 34 according to the following relational expression (2). After that, the process moves to step S106.

SW=(TAO−Te)/(Tw−Te) (2)

In step S106, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines the outlet mode based on the auto on/off, the outlet mode set by the occupant of the vehicle 10, and the target outlet temperature TAO.

Specifically, when the auto switch 62 is set to auto off, the air conditioner ECU 80 selects a face mode, a bi-level mode, a foot mode, a foot defroster mode, and a defroster mode based on the outlet mode set by the occupant of the vehicle 10. Decide on one of the modes.

When the auto switch 62 is set to auto-on, the air conditioner ECU 80 automatically controls the air outlet mode. Specifically, at this time, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines one of the face mode, the bi-level mode, and the foot mode based on the target blowout temperature TAO. For example, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines the air outlet mode so that the foot mode, the bi-level mode, and the face mode shift in order as the target air temperature TAO decreases from the high temperature range to the low temperature range.

Subsequently, in step S107, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines the blower voltage Ve to be applied to the blower motor 311 based on the auto on/off, set air volume Qset, target blowout temperature TAO and inside air concentration ρi.

Specifically, when the auto switch 62 is set to auto-off, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines the blower voltage Ve at which the blower air volume Qb becomes the set air volume Qset.

Further, when the auto switch 62 is set to auto on, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines the blower voltage Ve based on the target blowout temperature TAO and the inside air concentration ρi to determine the blower air volume Qb. For example, the air conditioner ECU 80 increases the blower voltage Ve to increase the blower air volume Qb when the target blowout temperature TAO is in the high temperature range or the low temperature range. The air conditioner ECU 80 reduces the blower voltage Ve to reduce the blower air volume Qb when the target blowout temperature TAO is in the intermediate temperature range between the high temperature range and the low temperature range. Further, when the inside air concentration ρi is equal to or higher than a preset concentration threshold ρi_th, the air conditioner ECU 80 increases the blower voltage Ve beyond the value of the blower voltage Ve determined based on the target blowing temperature TAO, and the blower air volume Qb increase the Here, the concentration threshold ρi_th is a limit value allowed for the health of the occupants of the vehicle 10 .

Subsequently, in step S108, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines the inside air mode Mode_IN or the outside air mode Mode_OUT based on the inside air concentration ρi and the outside air concentration ρo. After that, the process moves to step S109.

In step S109, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines whether to operate or stop the compressor 41 based on the change in the inside/outside air mode determined in step S108. After that, the process moves to step S110. The details of the determination of the inside/outside air mode Mode in step S108 and the determination of whether to operate or stop the compressor 41 in step S109 will be described later.

In step S110, the air conditioner ECU 80 outputs signals representing the control details determined in steps S105-109 to the air mix motor 341, the outlet motor 25, the blower motor 311, the inside/outside air motor 521 and the compressor 41. As a result, opening/closing by the air mix door 34, the face switching door 22, the foot switching door 23, the defroster switching door 24, and the inside/outside air switching door 52, the air volume of the blower 31, and the operating/stopping state of the compressor 41 are controlled. Then, the air volume ratio between the air flowing through the heater core 33 and the air bypassing the heater core 33, the outlet mode, the inside/outside air mode, the blower air volume Qb, and the compressor 41 are controlled. As a result, the air flowing in the vehicle interior is adjusted, and the vehicle interior environment of the vehicle 10 is adjusted. After that, the process moves to step S111.

In step S111, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines whether or not the time measured by the timer for measuring the elapsed time from the start of the process of step S102 has reached the control cycle τ. When the time measured by the timer has not reached the control period τ, step S111 is repeated until the time measured by the timer reaches the control period τ. When the time measured by the timer reaches the control period τ, the process returns to step S101. Thus, in the air conditioner ECU 80, steps S101-111 are repeated every control period τ.

Next, details of inside/outside air mode determination in step S108 will be described with reference to the sub-flowchart of FIG.

In step S108, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines the inside/outside air mode Mode based on the inside air concentration ρi and the outside air concentration ρo. Here, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines the current inside/outside air mode Mode (N) as the inside/outside air mode Mode in the N-th control cycle τ. N is a natural number equal to or greater than 1, and indicates the number of times the air conditioner ECU 80 executes steps S101 to S111. Note that the inside/outside air mode Mode (0) at the initial time when the ignition switch of the vehicle 10 is turned on is preset to either the inside air mode Mode_IN or the outside air mode Mode_OUT.

In step S201, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines whether the inside air is contaminated. Specifically, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines whether the inside air concentration ρi is equal to or greater than the concentration threshold ρi_th. Note that the concentration threshold ρi_th is a limit value allowed for the health of the occupants of the vehicle 10 .

When the inside air concentration ρi is equal to or higher than the concentration threshold ρi_th, that is, when the inside air is relatively polluted and likely to affect the health of the occupants of the vehicle 10, the process proceeds to step S202. When the inside air concentration ρi is less than the concentration threshold ρi_th, that is, when the possibility of the harmful substances affecting the health of the occupants of the vehicle 10 is low, the process proceeds to step S206.

In step S202, the air conditioner ECU 80 turns on a cleaning flag for cleaning the inside air. After that, the process moves to step S203.

In step S203, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines which of the inside air mode Mode_IN and the outside air mode Mode_OUT is more likely to clean the inside air in order to clean the inside air. Specifically, the air conditioner ECU 80 compares the inside air concentration ρi and the outside air concentration ρo.

When the inside air concentration ρi is lower than the outside air concentration ρo, that is, when the inside air is cleaner than the outside air, it is easier to clean the inside air by blowing the inside air into the vehicle interior. Therefore, when the inside air concentration ρi is equal to or less than the outside air concentration ρo, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines that the inside air mode Mode_IN tends to clean the inside air. After that, the process moves to step S204.

When the inside air concentration ρi is higher than the outside air concentration ρo, that is, when the outside air is cleaner than the inside air, it is easier to clean the inside air by blowing outside air into the vehicle interior. Therefore, when the inside air concentration ρi is higher than the outside air concentration ρo, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines that the outside air mode Mode_OUT tends to clean the inside air. After that, the process moves to step S205.

In step S204, the air conditioner ECU 80 sets the current inside/outside air mode Mode(N) to the inside air mode Mode_IN because the inside air mode Mode_IN tends to clean the inside air.

In step S205, the air conditioner ECU 80 sets the current inside/outside air mode Mode(N) to the outside air mode Mode_OUT because the outside air mode Mode_OUT tends to clean the inside air.

In step S206 via step S201, the air conditioner ECU 80 turns off the cleaning flag for cleaning the inside air. After that, the process moves to step S207.

In step S207, the air conditioner ECU 80 performs normal control different from the processing in steps S202-205. Specifically, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines the current inside/outside air mode Mode (N) based on the auto on/off, the inside/outside air mode Mode set by the occupant of the vehicle 10, and the target blowout temperature TAO.

For example, when the auto switch 62 is set to auto-off, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines the current inside/outside air mode Mode (N) based on the inside/outside air mode Mode set by the occupant of the vehicle 10 .

When the auto switch 62 is set to auto on, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines the current inside/outside air mode Mode (N) based on the target blowout temperature TAO.

In this way, the current inside/outside air mode Mode (N) is determined by the air conditioner ECU 80 in any of step S204, step S205, and step S207. After the current inside/outside air mode Mode (N) is determined, the process proceeds to step S109.

Next, with reference to the sub-flowchart of FIG. 5, the determination of whether to operate or stop the compressor 41 in the N-th control period τ in step S109 will be described.

In step S109, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines whether to operate or stop the compressor 41 based on the change in the inside/outside air mode determined in step S108. Specifically, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines whether to operate or stop the compressor 41 based on the previous inside/outside air mode Mode (N-1) and the current inside/outside air mode Mode (N). The previous inside/outside air mode Mode (N−1) is the inside/outside air mode Mode determined in any one of steps S204, S205, and S207 in the N−1th control cycle τ.

In step S301, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines whether or not a cleaning flag for cleaning the inside air is on. When the cleaning flag is on, that is, when the internal air is to be cleaned, the process proceeds to step S302. When the cleaning flag is off, that is, when the normal control of the air conditioner ECU 80 determines the current inside/outside air mode Mode (N), the process proceeds to step S308.

In step S302, the air conditioner ECU 80, in order to determine whether the compressor 41 is to be operated or stopped, determines the previous inside/outside air mode Mode (N-1) stored in the previous control period τ and the current control period It is determined whether the current inside/outside air mode Mode(N) determined by τ is the inside air mode Mode_IN or the outside air mode Mode_OUT. Specifically, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines whether the previous inside/outside air mode Mode(N−1) is the outside air mode Mode_OUT and the current inside/outside air mode Mode(N) is the inside air mode Mode_IN.

When the previous inside/outside air mode Mode(N−1) is the outside air mode Mode_OUT and the current inside/outside air mode Mode(N) is the inside air mode Mode_IN, the process proceeds to step S303. That is, when the inside/outside air mode Mode is switched from the outside air mode Mode_OUT to the inside air mode Mode_IN, the process proceeds to step S303.

When the previous inside/outside air mode Mode(N−1) is the inside air mode Mode_IN and the current inside/outside air mode Mode(N) is the inside air mode Mode_IN, the process proceeds to step S306. That is, when the inside/outside air mode Mode is maintained at the inside air mode Mode_IN, the process proceeds to step S306.

When the previous inside/outside air mode Mode(N−1) is the outside air mode Mode_OUT and the current inside/outside air mode Mode(N) is the outside air mode Mode_OUT, the process proceeds to step S306. That is, when the inside/outside air mode Mode is maintained at the outside air mode Mode_OUT, the process proceeds to step S306.

When the previous inside/outside air mode Mode(N−1) is the inside air mode Mode_IN and the current inside/outside air mode Mode(N) is the outside air mode Mode_OUT, the process proceeds to step S306. That is, when the inside/outside air mode Mode is switched from the inside air mode Mode_IN to the outside air mode Mode_OUT, the process proceeds to step S306.

In step S303, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines whether or not the evaporator 45 can dehumidify the air blown from the blower 31 in order to suppress fogging of the windows in the vehicle compartment. For example, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines whether or not the evaporator 45 can dehumidify the air blown from the blower 31 by comparing the evaporator temperature Te and the evaporator temperature threshold Te_th. Note that the evaporator temperature threshold Te_th is the frost formation temperature of the evaporator 45, which is 0° C., for example.

When the evaporator temperature Te is equal to or higher than the evaporator temperature threshold Te_th, the evaporator 45 is not frosted. Therefore, the air blown from the blower 31 easily passes through the evaporator 45, and the air flowing into the vehicle interior is easily dehumidified. Therefore, when the evaporator temperature Te is equal to or higher than the evaporator temperature threshold Te_th, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines that the evaporator 45 can dehumidify the air blown from the blower 31 . After that, the process moves to step S304.

When the evaporator temperature Te is less than the evaporator temperature threshold Te_th, the evaporator 45 is likely to be frosted. Therefore, it becomes difficult for the air blown from the blower 31 to pass through the evaporator 45, and the air flowing into the vehicle interior becomes difficult to be dehumidified. Therefore, when the evaporator temperature Te is less than the evaporator temperature threshold Te_th, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines that the evaporator 45 cannot dehumidify the air blown from the blower 31 . After that, the process moves to step S307.

In step S304, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines whether or not there is a high possibility that the windows in the vehicle compartment will be fogged up. Specifically, the air conditioner ECU 80 compares the internal air humidity Hi and the humidity threshold value Hi_th. Here, the humidity threshold Hi_th is set based on the number of occupants of the vehicle 10, the outside air temperature Tam, and the like.

When the inside air humidity Hi is equal to or higher than the humidity threshold value Hi_th, the relative humidity in the vehicle interior is relatively high, so fogging of the windows in the vehicle interior tends to occur. Therefore, when the inside air humidity Hi is equal to or higher than the humidity threshold Hi_th, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines that there is a high possibility that the windows in the vehicle compartment will be fogged up. After that, the process moves to step S305.

When the inside air humidity Hi is less than the humidity threshold value Hi_th, the relative humidity in the vehicle interior is relatively low, so fogging of the windows in the vehicle interior is unlikely to occur. Therefore, when the inside air humidity Hi is less than the humidity threshold Hi_th, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines that the windows in the vehicle compartment are unlikely to fog up. After that, the process moves to step S306.

In step S305, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines to operate the compressor 41 in order to suppress the fogging of the windows in the vehicle because there is a high possibility that the windows in the vehicle will fog up. That is, the air conditioner ECU 80 sets the current compressor state Comp(N) to 1, which indicates whether the compressor 41 is currently in operation or stopped.

In step S306 after passing through either step S302 or step S304, the air conditioner ECU 80 maintains the previous state of the compressor 41, that is, whether the current compressor 41 is in operation or stopped. The machine state Comp(N) is changed to the previous compressor state Comp(N−1). Here, the previous compressor state Comp(N-1) represents the state of either operation or stop of the compressor 41 in the N-1th control cycle τ. Note that the compressor state Comp(0) at the initial time when the ignition switch of the vehicle 10 is turned on is preset to either operating or stopped.

In step S307 via step S303, since the evaporator 45 cannot dehumidify the air blown from the blower 31, the air conditioner ECU 80 stops the compressor 41 in order to suppress frost formation on the evaporator 45. make a decision. That is, the air conditioner ECU 80 sets the compressor state Comp(N) to 0 this time.

In step S308 via step S301, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines the current compressor state Comp(N) by normal control different from steps S302 to S305. Specifically, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines the current compressor state Comp(N) based on the auto on/off, A/C on/off, target blowout temperature TAO, outside air temperature Tam, and evaporator temperature Te.

For example, when the auto switch 62 is set to auto off, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines whether to operate or stop the compressor 41 based on A/C on/off set by the occupant of the vehicle 10 .

Further, when the auto switch 62 is set to auto on, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines whether the compressor 41 should be operated or stopped based on the target blowout temperature TAO, the outside air temperature Tam, and the evaporator temperature Te. Specifically, first, the air conditioner ECU 80 calculates a target evaporator outlet temperature TEO of the evaporator 45 based on the target outlet temperature TAO and the outside air temperature Tam. Then, the air conditioner ECU 80 compares the evaporator temperature Te and the target evaporator outlet temperature TEO to determine whether the compressor 41 should be operated or stopped. For example, when the evaporator temperature Te is equal to or lower than the target evaporator outlet temperature TEO, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines to stop the compressor 41 . When the evaporator temperature Te is higher than the target evaporator outlet temperature TEO, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines to operate the compressor 41 .

Thus, in one of steps S305 to S308, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines whether the compressor 41 is to be operated or stopped at this time. It should be noted that the determination of whether to operate or stop the compressor 41 at the first time, that is, the determination of Comp(1) is performed by normal control similar to step S308.

Here, the processing of the vehicle air conditioner 1 of this embodiment in one example will be described with reference to the time chart of FIG. 6 . PM2.5, which is a harmful substance, is contained in cigarette smoke, automobile exhaust, and the like. Therefore, assuming a scene in which a plurality of smokers are riding in the vehicle 10 at times t0 to t7 in the time chart, and another vehicle runs in front of the vehicle 10, the vehicle air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment processing will be described. In the time chart, in order to distinguish between the outside air concentration ρo and the inside air concentration ρi, the outside air concentration ρo is shown by a dashed line, and the inside air concentration ρi is shown by a solid line. Also, in the time chart, a purification flag for purifying the internal air is described as Flag. Furthermore, the operation of the compressor 41 is indicated by ON, and the stop of the compressor 41 is indicated by OFF.

At time t0, the outside air concentration ρo is relatively high because PM 2.5 is included in the exhaust of another vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle 10 . Also, the inside air is clean and the inside air concentration ρi is less than the concentration threshold ρi_th. Since the inside air concentration ρi is less than the concentration threshold ρi_th, the cleaning flag is turned off. Since the cleaning flag is turned off, the inside/outside air mode Mode is determined by normal control in step S207. Further, the operating or stopped state of the compressor 41 at time t0 is determined by normal control in step S308. Here, the auto switch 62 is set to auto off, the inside/outside air mode switch 65 is set to the inside air mode Mode_IN, and the air conditioner switch 66 is set to A/C off. Therefore, the inside/outside air mode Mode at time t0 is the inside air mode Mode_IN. Further, the compressor 41 at time t0 is stopped. In this example, the outside air temperature Tam is relatively high, and the evaporator temperature Te is equal to or higher than the evaporator temperature threshold Te_th. The vehicle 10 has a plurality of occupants, and the inside air humidity Hi is equal to or higher than the humidity threshold Hi_th.

At time t1 after time t0, one of the occupants of vehicle 10 smokes and PM 2.5 is generated in the passenger compartment. As a result, the shyness concentration ρi increases and becomes equal to or higher than the concentration threshold ρi_th. Since the shyness concentration ρi becomes equal to or higher than the concentration threshold ρi_th, a purification flag for purifying the shyness is turned on in step S202. At this time, the outside air concentration ρo is relatively high due to the exhaust of another vehicle traveling in front of the vehicle 10, and the inside air concentration ρi is below the outside air concentration ρo. Therefore, at time t1, since the inside air mode Mode_IN tends to clean the inside air, the inside air mode Mode_IN is determined as the inside air mode Mode_IN in step S204. That is, since the inside/outside air mode Mode at the control period τ one time before time t1 is the inside air mode Mode_IN, it is determined to maintain the inside/outside air mode Mode_IN at time t1.

Further, since the cleaning flag is turned on and it is determined to maintain the inside/outside air mode Mode at the inside air mode Mode_IN, in step S302, the previous inside/outside air mode Mode (N−1) is the inside air mode Mode_IN, and This time, the inside/outside air mode Mode(N) is determined to be the inside air mode Mode_IN. Therefore, the operating or stopped state of the compressor 41 at time t1 is determined so as to remain in the state of the compressor 41 at the control period τ one time before time t1. Here, since the compressor 41 is stopped in the control cycle τ one time before the time t1, it is determined in step S306 to keep the state of the compressor 41 stopped at the time t1.

During the period from time t1 to time t2, one of the occupants of vehicle 10 continues to smoke, and PM 2.5 is generated in the vehicle interior. On the other hand, since clean inside air from which PM2.5 has been removed by the filter 32 is blown into the vehicle interior, the inside air concentration ρi becomes substantially constant. Also, since the internal air concentration ρi is equal to or greater than the concentration threshold ρi_th, the cleaning flag is kept turned on in step S202 of each control cycle τ. Also, since the inside air concentration ρi is equal to or less than the outside air concentration ρo, the inside/outside air mode Mode continues to be determined as the inside air mode Mode_IN in step S204 of each control cycle τ. Since the inside/outside air mode Mode continues to be determined to the inside air mode Mode_IN, the determination to maintain the state of the compressor 41 continues to be made. Here, since the compressor 41 is stopped in the control cycle τ at time t1, the state of the compressor 41 remains stopped in step S306 of each control cycle τ during the period from time t1 to time t2. Decisions keep being made.

At time t2 after time t1, one occupant who was smoking stops smoking, and PM 2.5 is no longer generated in the passenger compartment. At this time, since clean inside air from which PM2.5 has been removed by the filter 32 is blown into the vehicle interior, the inside air is cleaned and the inside air concentration ρi begins to decrease.

During the period from time t2 to time t3, clean inside air from which PM2.5 has been removed by the filter 32 continues to be blown into the vehicle interior, the inside air is cleaned, and the inside air concentration ρi decreases. During the period from time t2 to time t3, the inside air concentration ρi is equal to or greater than the concentration threshold ρi_th, so the cleaning flag continues to be turned on in step S202 of each control cycle τ. Further, since the inside air concentration ρi is equal to or less than the outside air concentration ρo, the inside/outside air mode Mode continues to be determined to the inside air mode Mode_IN in step S205 of each control cycle τ. Since the inside/outside air mode Mode is still determined to be the inside air mode Mode_IN, the determination to maintain the state of the compressor 41 continues. Here, since the compressor 41 is stopped at the control period τ at the time t2, the state of the compressor 41 remains stopped at step S306 of each control period τ during the period from the time t2 to the time t3. Decisions keep being made.

The shyness concentration ρi decreases, and at time t3, the shyness concentration ρi becomes less than the concentration threshold ρi_th. When the inside air concentration ρi becomes less than the concentration threshold ρi_th, the cleaning flag is turned off in step S206. Since the cleaning flag is turned off, the inside/outside air mode Mode is determined by normal control in step S207. Here, the auto switch 62 is set to auto-off, and the inside/outside air mode switch 65 is set to the inside air mode Mode_IN, so in step S207, the inside/outside air mode Mode is determined to be the inside air mode Mode_IN. That is, since the inside/outside air mode Mode at the control period τ one time before time t3 is the inside air mode Mode_IN, it is determined to maintain the inside/outside air mode Mode_IN at time t3.

Also, since the cleaning flag is turned off, whether the compressor 41 is in operation or stopped at time t3 is determined by normal control in step S308. Here, the auto switch 62 is set to auto off and the air conditioner switch 66 is set to A/C off, so in step S308, it is decided to stop the compressor 41 at time t3. That is, since the compressor 41 is stopped in the control period τ one time before the time t3, it is determined to keep the compressor 41 stopped at the time t3.

During the period from time t3 to time t4, clean inside air from which PM2.5 has been removed by the filter 32 continues to be blown into the vehicle interior, the inside air is cleaned, and the inside air concentration ρi decreases. During the period from time t3 to time t4, the internal air concentration ρi is less than the concentration threshold ρi_th, so the cleaning flag continues to be turned off in step S206 of each control cycle τ. Since the cleaning flag continues to be turned off, the inside/outside air mode Mode continues to be determined by normal control in step S207. Here, since the auto switch 62 is set to auto-off and the inside/outside air mode switch 65 is set to the inside air mode Mode_IN, the inside/outside air mode Mode continues to be set to the inside air mode Mode_IN in step S207 of each control period τ. . Also, since the cleaning flag continues to be turned off, whether the compressor 41 is in operation or stopped continues to be determined by normal control in step S308. Here, the setting of the auto switch 62 is auto off, and the setting of the air conditioner switch 66 is A/C off. Decisions to stop 41 continue to be made.

Then, at time t4, two occupants of the vehicle 10 smoke and a large amount of PM2.5 is generated inside the vehicle. As a result, the shyness concentration ρi increases and becomes equal to or higher than the concentration threshold ρi_th. Since the shyness concentration ρi becomes equal to or higher than the concentration threshold ρi_th, a purification flag for purifying the shyness is turned on in step S202. Also, at this time, a large amount of PM2.5 is generated in the vehicle interior, so the inside air concentration ρi is higher than the outside air concentration ρo. Therefore, at time t4, the inside air mode Mode_OUT is determined to be the outside air mode Mode_OUT in step S205 because the outside air mode Mode_OUT tends to clean the inside air. That is, a decision is made to switch the inside/outside air mode Mode from the inside air mode Mode_IN to the outside air mode Mode_OUT.

Further, since the cleaning flag is turned on and it is determined to switch the inside/outside air mode Mode from the inside air mode Mode_IN to the outside air mode Mode_OUT, in step S302, the previous inside/outside air mode Mode (N−1) is the inside air mode Mode_IN. And, it is determined that the current inside/outside air mode Mode(N) is the outside air mode Mode_OUT. Therefore, the operating or stopped state of the compressor 41 at time t4 is determined so as to remain in the state of the compressor 41 at the control period τ one time before time t4. Here, since the compressor 41 is stopped in the control cycle τ one time before the time t4, it is determined in step S306 that the state of the compressor 41 at the time t4 remains stopped.

During the period from time t4 to time t5, two occupants of vehicle 10 continue to smoke, and PM 2.5 is generated in the vehicle interior. On the other hand, since clean inside air from which PM2.5 has been removed by the filter 32 is blown into the vehicle interior, the inside air concentration ρi becomes substantially constant. Also, since the internal air concentration ρi is equal to or greater than the concentration threshold ρi_th, the cleaning flag is kept turned on in step S202 of each control period τ. Since the internal air concentration ρi is equal to or less than the external air concentration ρo, the internal/external air mode Mode continues to be determined to the external air mode Mode_OUT in step S205 of each control period τ. Since the internal/external air mode Mode continues to be determined to the external air mode Mode_OUT, the state of the compressor 41 is maintained. Here, since the compressor 41 is stopped in the control cycle τ at time t4, the state of the compressor 41 remains stopped in step S306 of each control cycle τ during the period from time t4 to time t5. Decisions keep being made.

At time t5 after time t4, the two occupants who were smoking stop smoking, and PM 2.5 no longer occurs in the passenger compartment. At this time, since clean outside air from which PM2.5 has been removed by the filter 32 is blown into the vehicle interior, the inside air is cleaned and the inside air concentration ρi begins to decrease.

During the period from time t5 to time t6, clean inside air from which PM2.5 has been removed by the filter 32 continues to be blown into the vehicle interior, the inside air is cleaned, and the inside air concentration ρi decreases. During the period from time t5 to time t6, the inside air concentration ρi is equal to or greater than the concentration threshold ρi_th, so the cleaning flag continues to be turned on in step S202 of each control cycle τ. Also, since the inside air concentration ρi is higher than the outside air concentration ρo, the inside/outside air mode Mode continues to be determined as the outside air mode Mode_OUT in step S205 of each control period τ. Since the internal/external air mode Mode continues to be determined to the external air mode Mode_OUT, the state of the compressor 41 is maintained. Here, since the compressor 41 is stopped in the control cycle τ at time t5, the state of the compressor 41 remains stopped in step S306 of each control cycle τ during the period from time t5 to time t6. Decisions keep being made.

The inside air concentration ρi decreases, and at time t6, the inside air concentration ρi becomes equal to or lower than the outside air concentration ρo. When the inside air concentration ρi is equal to or less than the outside air concentration ρo, the inside air mode Mode_IN cleans the inside air more easily than the outside air mode Mode_OUT, so in step S204, the inside air mode Mode_IN is determined as the inside air mode Mode_IN. That is, a decision is made to switch the inside/outside air mode Mode from the outside air mode Mode_OUT to the inside air mode Mode_IN.

Since it is decided to switch the internal/external air mode Mode from the external air mode Mode_OUT to the internal air mode Mode_IN, in step S302, the previous internal/external air mode Mode (N-1) is the external air mode Mode_OUT, and the current internal/external air mode Mode (N ) is determined to be the shy mode Mode_IN. Therefore, in step S303, it is determined whether the evaporator 45 can dehumidify the air blown from the blower 31 or not. In this case, the evaporator temperature Te is equal to or higher than the evaporator temperature threshold Te_th, so it is determined that the evaporator 45 can dehumidify the air blown from the blower 31 . After that, in step S304, it is determined whether or not there is a high possibility that the windows in the vehicle compartment will be fogged up. In this example, since the inside air humidity Hi is equal to or higher than the humidity threshold Hi_th, it is determined that there is a high possibility that the windows in the vehicle compartment will be fogged up. Therefore, at time t6, it is determined to operate the compressor 41 in step S305.

During the period from time t6 to time t7, clean inside air from which PM2.5 has been removed by the filter 32 continues to be blown into the vehicle interior, the inside air is cleaned, and the inside air concentration ρi decreases. During the period from time t6 to time t7, the inside air concentration ρi is equal to or greater than the concentration threshold ρi_th, so the cleaning flag continues to be turned on in step S202 of each control cycle τ. Also, since the inside air concentration ρi is equal to or less than the outside air concentration ρo, the inside/outside air mode Mode continues to be determined as the inside air mode Mode_IN in step S204 of each control cycle τ. Since the inside/outside air mode Mode continues to be determined to the inside air mode Mode_IN, the state of the compressor 41 is maintained. Here, since the compressor 41 is in operation at the control period τ at time t6, the state of the compressor 41 remains in operation at step S306 of each control period τ during the period from time t6 to time t7. Decisions keep being made.

The shyness concentration ρi decreases, and at time t7, the shyness concentration ρi becomes less than the concentration threshold ρi_th. When the inside air concentration ρi becomes less than the concentration threshold ρi_th, the cleaning flag is turned off in step S206. Since the cleaning flag is turned off, the inside/outside air mode Mode is determined by normal control in step S207. Here, since the auto switch 62 is set to auto-off and the inside/outside air mode switch 65 is set to the inside air mode Mode_IN, the inside/outside air mode Mode is determined to be the inside air mode Mode_IN in step S207. That is, since the inside/outside air mode Mode at the control period τ one time before time t7 is the inside air mode Mode_IN, a decision is made to maintain the inside/outside air mode Mode at time t7 at the inside air mode Mode_IN.

Also, since the cleaning flag is turned off, whether the compressor 41 is in operation or stopped at time t7 is determined by normal control in step S308. Here, since the setting of the auto switch 62 is auto off and the setting of the air conditioner switch 66 is A/C off, it is determined in step S308 to stop the compressor 41 at time t7. That is, a decision is made to stop the compressor 41 that was in operation one time before time t7. After that, the passenger stops the vehicle 10 to stop the processing of the vehicle air conditioner 1 .

As described above, the processing of the vehicle air conditioner 1 is performed. Then, it will be described how the vehicle air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment suppresses deterioration of the fuel consumption of the vehicle 10 and the comfort of the vehicle interior.

In this embodiment, whether the compressor 41 is operated or stopped is determined based on the previous inside/outside air mode Mode (N-1) and the current inside/outside air mode Mode (N). As a result, changes in the inside/outside air mode Mode can be captured, so that the operation of the compressor 41 for suppressing fogging of the windows in the passenger compartment can be performed appropriately. Therefore, at time t1 in the time chart when the inside air concentration ρi becomes the concentration threshold value ρi_th or more and the outside air concentration ρo or less, even if the cleaning flag is turned on and the inside/outside air mode Mode_IN is determined, the compressor 41 is Don't work unnecessarily. As a result, a decrease in fuel consumption of the vehicle 10 is suppressed. In addition, unnecessary operation of the compressor 41 does not dry the air in the vehicle interior, thereby suppressing deterioration of comfort in the vehicle interior.

As in the present embodiment, when the previous inside/outside air mode Mode (N−1) is the inside air mode Mode_IN and the current inside/outside air mode Mode(N) is the inside air mode Mode_IN, whether the current operation of the compressor 41 is The state of whether or not the compressor 41 is stopped remains in the previous state of the compressor 41 . That is, when the inside air mode Mode_IN is maintained, the state of the compressor 41 being either operating or stopped is maintained.

As described above, even if the cleaning flag is turned on at time t1 in the time chart and the internal/external air mode Mode_IN is determined to be the internal air mode Mode_IN, the compressor 41 does not operate unnecessarily. At time t1, the compressor 41 does not operate, so the inside air concentration ρi is equal to or higher than the concentration threshold ρi_th, and the inside/outside air mode Mode is set to inside air during the period from time t1 to time t3 in the time chart in which the cleaning flag is turned on. It is maintained in mode Mode_IN. When the inside air mode Mode_IN is maintained, changes in the relative humidity in the vehicle interior are relatively moderate, so there is little need to operate the compressor 41 to suppress fogging in the vehicle interior. Therefore, the compressor 41 remains stopped during the period from time t1 to time t3 in the time chart. Since the compressor 41 is kept in the operating or stopped state without the compressor 41 operating unnecessarily, the reduction in fuel consumption of the vehicle 10 is suppressed. In addition, since the compressor 41 is maintained in the operating or stopped state, the operation of the compressor 41 does not unnecessarily dry the air in the passenger compartment, thereby suppressing the decrease in comfort in the passenger compartment. be.

In addition, the vehicle air conditioner 1 of the present embodiment also has the effects described in [1] to [ 3 ] below.

[1] When the internal/external air mode Mode is switched from the external air mode Mode_OUT to the internal air mode Mode_IN, the relative humidity in the vehicle interior rises rapidly, and the windows in the vehicle interior tend to fog up. At this time, the inside/outside air mode Mode may be set to the outside air mode Mode_OUT in which the windows in the vehicle compartment are less likely to fog up, giving priority to suppressing fogging of the windows in the vehicle compartment. However, when the outside air concentration ρo is higher than the inside air concentration ρi, that is, when the outside air is more polluted than the inside air, when the inside/outside air mode Mode is the outside air mode Mode_OUT, the polluted outside air is introduced into the vehicle compartment. As a result, the efficiency of cleaning the inside air is reduced.

In this embodiment, the inside/outside air mode Mode is switched from the outside air mode Mode_OUT to the inside air mode Mode_IN at time t6 in the time chart. When the inside/outside air mode Mode is switched from the outside air mode Mode_OUT to the inside air mode Mode_IN, the compressor 41 operates, that is, the current compressor state Comp(N) becomes 1. At this time, the air blown from the blower 31 is dehumidified by the evaporator 45 . Since the dehumidified blown air flows into the vehicle interior, fogging of the windows in the vehicle interior is suppressed. Accordingly, the inside/outside air mode Mode is not changed to the outside air mode Mode_OUT in order to suppress fogging of the windows in the vehicle compartment. Therefore, since polluted outside air is not introduced into the vehicle interior, a decrease in the efficiency of cleaning the inside air is suppressed.

[2] In Patent Document 1, when the outside air is cleaner than the inside air, the inside/outside air mode Mode is switched to the outside air mode Mode_OUT. However, when the inside air concentration ρi is a concentration that does not affect the health of the occupants of the vehicle 10, that is, when the inside air concentration ρi is less than the concentration threshold ρi_th, the inside air mode Mode is changed to the outside air mode in order to clean the inside air. There is no need to switch to Mode_OUT. Also, when the inside/outside air mode Mode_IN is switched to the outside air mode Mode_OUT, the air in the vehicle cabin is replaced from the inside air to the outside air. There is

Therefore, in the present embodiment, the time when the inside air concentration ρi is equal to or higher than the concentration threshold ρi_th is selected, and the current inside/outside air mode Mode (N) is determined based on the inside air concentration ρi and the outside air concentration ρo. As a result, when the inside air concentration ρi is a concentration that affects the health of the occupants of the vehicle 10, the inside/outside air mode Mode is changed. Further, when the inside air concentration ρi is less than the concentration threshold value ρi_th, the current inside/outside air mode Mode (N) is set to auto on/off regardless of the inside air concentration ρi and the outside air concentration ρo, and the inside/outside air mode Mode and target set by the occupant of the vehicle 10 are set. It is determined based on the blowing temperature TAO. As a result, when the inside air concentration ρi does not affect the health of the occupants of the vehicle 10, the inside/outside air mode Mode does not change unnecessarily, so changes in the air inside the vehicle are suppressed, and the comfort in the vehicle decreases. is suppressed.

[3] In addition, even if the outside air mode Mode_OUT is switched to the inside air mode Mode_IN, if the possibility of fogging up the windows in the passenger compartment is low, the compressor 41 is operated to suppress the fogging of the windows in the passenger compartment. Low need. Although the need to operate the compressor 41 is low, only the fuel consumption of the vehicle 10 is reduced even if the compressor 41 is operated.

Therefore, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines whether or not there is a high possibility that the windows in the vehicle compartment will be fogged up, as in the process of step S304. Specifically, when the inside air humidity Hi is equal to or higher than the humidity threshold value Hi_th, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines that the humidity in the vehicle interior is relatively high, and that the windows in the vehicle interior are highly likely to fog up. When the inside air humidity Hi is less than the humidity threshold value Hi_th, the air conditioner ECU 80 determines that the humidity in the vehicle interior is relatively low and that the windows in the vehicle interior are unlikely to fog up.

Then, when it is determined that the possibility of fogging up the windows in the vehicle compartment is low, the compressor 41 is maintained either in operation or in a stopped state. As a result, the stopped compressor 41 does not operate when there is a low possibility that the windows in the vehicle compartment will be fogged up, thereby suppressing a decrease in fuel efficiency of the vehicle 10 .

(Other embodiments)
The present invention is not limited to the above embodiments, and the above embodiments can be modified as appropriate. Further, in each of the above-described embodiments, it goes without saying that the elements constituting the embodiment are not necessarily essential, unless it is explicitly stated that they are essential, or they are clearly considered essential in principle. stomach.

The determiner, controller, determiner and techniques described in this disclosure are provided by configuring a processor and memory programmed to perform one or more functions embodied by a computer program. It may also be implemented by a dedicated computer. Alternatively, the determiner, controller, determiner and techniques described in this disclosure may be implemented by a dedicated computer provided by configuring a processor with one or more dedicated hardware logic circuits. Alternatively, the decision unit, control unit, decision unit and techniques described in this disclosure are configured by a processor and memory and one or more hardware logic circuits programmed to perform one or more functions. may be implemented by one or more special purpose computers configured in combination with a specific processor. The computer program may also be stored as computer-executable instructions on a computer-readable non-transitional tangible recording medium.

(1) In one embodiment, the harmful substance is PM2.5. In contrast, the harmful substances are not limited to PM2.5, but may be hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, ammonia or carbon dioxide. Both are substances that affect the health of the occupants of the vehicle 10 . In this case, the filter 32 purifies hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, ammonia or carbon dioxide contained in the blown air from the blower 31 . The inside air concentration sensor 78 corresponding to the inside air concentration estimator is a sensor that outputs a detection signal corresponding to the inside air concentration ρi as the gas concentration of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, ammonia or carbon dioxide in the inside air. An outside air concentration sensor 79 corresponding to the outside air concentration estimator is a sensor that outputs a detection signal corresponding to the outside air concentration ρo as gas concentrations of hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide, nitrogen oxides, ammonia, or carbon dioxide in the outside air. be.

(2) The outside air concentration estimating unit of the vehicle air conditioner 1 may estimate the outside air concentration ρo based on the detection value of a sensor mounted on another vehicle 12 different from the vehicle 10 . Alternatively, the outside air concentration estimating unit of the vehicle air conditioner 1 may estimate the outside air concentration ρo based on weather information or a detection value of a sensor mounted on the road instead of the vehicle. Hereinafter, as shown in FIGS. 7 and 8, the estimation of the outside air concentration ρo by the outside air concentration estimating unit based on the detected values of the sensors mounted on the vehicle 12 different from the vehicle 10 will be described.

As shown in FIG. 7, another vehicle 12 includes a GPS receiver, an outside air concentration sensor, and a communication device (not shown). A GPS receiver in another vehicle 12 acquires the position of another vehicle 12 periodically. The outside air concentration sensor of the other vehicle 12 periodically acquires the outside air concentration ρo around the other vehicle 12 . The communication device of the other vehicle 12 transmits the position of the other vehicle 12 and the outside air concentration ρo detected by the other vehicle 12 to the server 13 .

The server 13 identifies the identification number of the vehicle 10 within a predetermined distance from the position of the other vehicle 12 based on the vehicle position database. The server 13 transmits the outside air concentration ρo detected by another vehicle 12 to the vehicle 10 having the specified identification number.

Further, as shown in FIG. 8 , the vehicle air conditioner 1 further includes a communication unit 81 for receiving the outside air concentration ρo detected by the other vehicle 12 from the server 13 . The communication unit 81 outputs the outside air concentration ρo from the server 13 to the outside air concentration acquiring unit 82 corresponding to the outside air concentration estimating unit. In this case, there is no need to provide the vehicle air conditioner 1 with a sensor for detecting the outside air concentration ρo.

(3) In this embodiment, the filter 32 is arranged downstream of the blower 31 in the air passage of the air conditioning case 21 and upstream of the evaporator 45 in the air passage of the air conditioning case 21 . On the other hand, as shown in FIG. 9 , the filter 32 may be arranged on the side opposite to the inside air introduction port 511 and the outside air introduction port 512 , that is, on the downstream side of the inside/outside air case 51 . Even if the filter 32 is arranged on the downstream side of the inside/outside air case 51, the amount of inside air or outside air sucked by the blower 31 increases as the blower air volume Qb increases. Therefore, even if the filter 32 is arranged on the downstream side of the inside/outside air case 51, the filter 32 flows toward the passenger compartment in the same way as when the filter 32 is arranged between the blower 31 and the evaporator 45. Purify or remove harmful substances contained in the air.

(4) In the present embodiment, it is determined whether the compressor 41 is operated or stopped based on the previous inside/outside air mode Mode (N-1) and the current inside/outside air mode Mode (N). On the other hand, based on the previous inside/outside air mode Mode (Nk) determined in the Nkth control cycle τ and the current inside/outside air mode Mode (N) determined in the Nth control cycle τ, It may be determined whether the compressor 41 is on or off.

Here, k is a natural number equal to or greater than 2 and less than N, and represents the number of times that the N-th control cycle τ goes back to the past. The natural number k is set, for example, based on the control cycle τ and the period during which the inside/outside air mode Mode_IN or the outside air mode Mode_OUT is maintained until the control cycle τ one time before the current time. Specifically, the natural number k is set by dividing the period during which the internal/external air mode Mode_IN or the external air mode Mode_OUT is maintained by the control cycle τ.

Hereinafter, in order to explain this natural number k, the time chart of FIG. 6 will be referred to, and the determination process of whether the compressor 41 is to be operated or stopped at time t6 will be explained. Let the current time be time t6, and let the control cycle τ at time t6 be the N-th control cycle τ. At the first control cycle τ after time t6, the cleaning flag is turned on in step S202. Since the inside air concentration ρi is higher than the outside air concentration ρo, the outside air mode Mode_OUT is determined as the inside/outside air mode Mode in step S205. The period during which the outside air mode Mode_OUT determined in the first control period τ after time t6 is maintained is the period from time t4 to time t6. Therefore, in this case, the natural number k is set by dividing the period from time t4 to time t6 by the control period τ.

Here, as described above, at time t6, the cleaning flag is turned on, and the inside air concentration ρi becomes equal to or less than the outside air concentration ρo. When the inside air concentration ρi is equal to or less than the outside air concentration ρo, the current inside/outside air mode Mode (N) at time t6 is determined as the inside air mode Mode_IN in step S204. Then, in order to determine whether the compressor 41 is to be operated or stopped, in step S302, the previous inside/outside air mode Mode (Nk) determined in the Nkth control period τ and the Nth time at time t6 It is determined whether the current inside/outside air mode (N) determined in the control cycle τ of is the inside air mode Mode_IN or the outside air mode Mode_OUT.

The Nk-th control cycle τ is the control cycle τ of time t4 because the natural number k is the number obtained by dividing the period from time t4 to time t6 by the control cycle τ. Therefore, the previous inside/outside air mode Mode (Nk) determined at the Nk-th control period τ becomes the inside/outside air mode Mode determined at time t4. Here, since the inside/outside air mode Mode determined at time t4 is the outside air mode Mode_OUT, the previous inside/outside air mode Mode (Nk) determined in the Nk-th control cycle τ is the outside air mode Mode_OUT. . Therefore, in step S302 of the control cycle τ at time t6, it is determined that the previous inside/outside air mode Mode(N−k) is the outside air mode Mode_OUT and the current inside/outside air mode Mode(N) is the inside air mode Mode_IN. . Therefore, at time t6, it is determined to operate the compressor 41 at step S305 via steps S303 and S304.

Thus, the natural number k may be set by dividing the period during which the internal/external air mode Mode_IN or the external air mode Mode_OUT is maintained by the control cycle τ. Therefore, the natural number k is set based on the control period τ and the period during which the inside/outside air mode Mode_IN or the outside air mode Mode_OUT is maintained until the control period τ one time before the current time. good.

(summary)
According to a first aspect, a vehicle air conditioner is an inside/outside air mode that determines an inside/outside air mode, which is an open/closed state of an inside air introduction port and an outside air introduction port, to either the inside air mode or the outside air mode, based on the inside air concentration and the outside air concentration. A determination unit and a compressor control unit (S109) that controls whether the compressor is operating or stopped based on changes in the inside/outside air mode. Since the compressor is controlled based on the change in the inside/outside air mode, the compressor can be appropriately operated to suppress fogging of the windows in the passenger compartment. As a result, the compressor does not operate unnecessarily, thereby suppressing a decrease in fuel consumption of the vehicle. In addition, unnecessary operation of the compressor eliminates drying of the air in the vehicle interior, thereby suppressing deterioration of comfort in the vehicle interior.

Moreover, according to the second aspect, the compressor control unit maintains the state of the compressor being operated or stopped when the inside/outside air mode is maintained in the inside air mode. When the inside air mode is maintained, there is less need to run the compressor to control fogging in the passenger compartment because changes in relative humidity in the passenger compartment are relatively moderate. In the second aspect, the compressor is maintained in the operating or stopped state without unnecessary operation of the compressor, thereby suppressing a decrease in fuel consumption of the vehicle. In addition, since the compressor is maintained in the operating or stopped state, the air in the passenger compartment is not unnecessarily dried due to the operation of the compressor, and the decrease in comfort in the passenger compartment is suppressed.

Moreover, according to the third aspect, the compressor control unit operates the compressor based on the inside/outside air mode changing from the outside air mode to the inside air mode. When the inside/outside air mode is switched from the outside air mode to the inside air mode, the relative humidity in the vehicle interior rises rapidly, and the windows in the vehicle interior tend to fog up. At this time, the inside/outside air mode may be set to the outside air mode in which the windows in the vehicle compartment are less likely to fog up, giving priority to suppressing fogging of the windows in the vehicle compartment. In the third aspect, since the compressor operates when the inside/outside air mode changes from the outside air mode to the inside air mode, the inside/outside air mode is not changed to the outside air mode in order to suppress fogging of the windows in the passenger compartment. Therefore, since polluted outside air is not introduced into the vehicle interior, a decrease in the efficiency of cleaning the inside air is suppressed.

Further, according to the fourth aspect, the inside/outside air mode determining unit determines the inside/outside air mode when the inside air concentration is equal to or higher than the concentration threshold. As a result, if the inside air concentration does not affect the health of the vehicle occupants, the inside/outside air mode will not change unnecessarily. Suppressed.

Further, according to the fifth aspect, the compressor control unit maintains the compressor in either an operating or a stopped state when the humidity of the inside air is less than the humidity threshold. As a result, the stopped compressor does not operate when there is a low possibility that the windows in the vehicle compartment will be fogged, thereby suppressing a decrease in fuel consumption of the vehicle.

10 vehicle 31 blower 32 filter 41 compressor 45 evaporator 51 inside/outside air case 511 inside air introduction port 512 outside air introduction port 78 inside air concentration estimation unit 79, 82 outside air concentration estimation unit

Claims (4)

a blower (31) that blows air toward the interior of the vehicle (10);
a filter (32) for purifying or removing harmful substances contained in the air blown toward the interior of the vehicle;
an evaporator (45) that dehumidifies the air blown from the blower by exchanging heat between the air blown from the blower and a refrigerant;
a compressor (41) that compresses the refrigerant and circulates the refrigerant through the evaporator;
Inside/outside air having an inside air introduction port (511) for introducing inside air, which is the air inside the cabin of the vehicle, to the blower, and an outside air introduction port (512) for introducing outside air, which is the air outside the cabin of the vehicle, to the blower. a case (51);
An inside air mode (Mode_IN) in which the inside air introduction port and the outside air introduction port are opened and closed, and the air blown into the cabin of the vehicle is set as the inside air, or the air blown into the cabin of the vehicle is set as the outside air. a mode switching unit (52) for switching to the outside air mode (Mode_OUT);
a shyness concentration estimator (78) for estimating a shyness concentration (ρi) that is the concentration of harmful substances in the shyness;
an outside air concentration estimator (79, 82) for estimating an outside air concentration (ρo) that is the concentration of harmful substances in the outside air;
An inside/outside air mode determination unit (S108) for determining an inside/outside air mode, which is an open/closed state of the inside air introduction port and the outside air introduction port, to the inside air mode or the outside air mode based on the inside air concentration and the outside air concentration. and,
a compressor control unit (S109) that controls the operating or stopped state of the compressor based on the change in the inside/outside air mode;
with
The compressor control unit maintains a state of operating or stopping the compressor when the inside/outside air mode is maintained at the inside air mode. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the compressor control unit operates the compressor when the inside/outside air mode changes from the outside air mode to the inside air mode. 3. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the inside/outside air mode determining unit determines the inside/outside air mode when the inside air concentration is equal to or higher than a concentration threshold (ρi_th). 4. The compressor control unit according to any one of claims 1 to 3 , wherein when the humidity (Hi) of the inside air is less than a humidity threshold (Hi_th), the compressor is maintained in either an operating state or a stopped state. The vehicle air conditioner according to .

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