WO2019035791A2

WO2019035791A2 - Economical air conditioning system on the motor vehicles

Info

Publication number: WO2019035791A2
Application number: PCT/TR2018/000009
Authority: WO
Inventors: Murat DEMİRAL
Original assignee: Demiral Murat
Priority date: 2017-02-24
Filing date: 2018-02-05
Publication date: 2019-02-21
Also published as: WO2019035791A3

Abstract

The invention is related with the design of the economic air conditioning system for the manual transmission cars, cargo transporters (tır, truck), passenger transporters (bus, minibus) in the automotive industry and for the air conditioners providing cooling by means of the compressors driven by the mechanical energy of the engine or by the electric motor; the system is turned on with the selection the economic operation mode by the user and with signals coming from the gear sensor (10) and the inclination sensor (11), the PLC (9) activates the air conditioner when the engine consumes low levels of fuel (slight downhill or flat road drives) or when it does not have consumption (downhill drive in gear) and deactivates it in the contrary cases (when the gear is in neutral position or during the uphill drives).

Description

Economical air conditioning system on the motor vehicles Technical Field:

This invention is an economical air conditioning system that is switched on when the vehicle consumes low fuel (slight downhill, or straight drive with the engaged gear ) and almost no fuel is consumed (steep downhill drive when the gear is engaged), but in the opposite case (when the vehicle is declutched), it turns off the air conditioning systems which provides the cooling by the compressor driven by the mechanical energy obtained from the vehicle engine or by an electric motor in the manual-speed car, a cargo truck (tir, truck), passenger transporter (bus minibus) in the automotive industry.

Previous Technology

The air conditioners used in vehicles can be manual and digital (automatic) types. In the manual air conditioners, the fan speed and temperature are manually adjusted, the ambient temperature must be constantly adjusted by the driver and the air conditioner always runs. By rotating the fan speed button, the speed of the air conditioning fan is adjusted. Turning of the temperature button sets the desired temperature, the blue is for the cold and the red is for hot temperatures. The temperature can be selected in degrees on the digital-automatic air conditioners. The vehicle is equipped with a temperature sensor (in the front console), a sunlight (solar) sensor (in the front section of the console facing the windshield), an ambient air temperature sensor (in the front bumper), a heater water temperature sensor, an evaporator temperature sensor and the air condition control unit arranges the operation of the air conditioner by taking the signals coming from these sensors into account. For example, when the inner temperature of the vehicle is 30 degrees and the temperature value is set to 17 degrees while the air conditioner fan is switched to the auto mode, the air condition control unit activates the adjustable (variable volume) air conditioner compressor at the full capacity and adjusts the appropriate fan blow rate to decrease the vehicle's internal temperature to this temperature value. As the temperature decreases, the speed of the compressor and fan also decreases.

Various types of air conditioner compressors are in utilization. Among them, for the Swash Plate Variable Air Conditioning Compressor; the rotational movement of the input shaft is converted into an axial (back and forth) movement, i.e. into a piston stroke, by means of the swash plate. The compressor has between 3 and 10 pistons, each piston has the suction and the discharge valves, and the valves are opened and closed according to the suction pressure time. The Magnetic Coupled Compressor; the coupling of the compressor is located 1-2 mm ahead of the compressor pulley. The compressor coupling conveys or disconnects the rotation which comes from the crankshaft pulley by means of a belt, to the compressor input shaft. Normally, the compressor pulley revolves as long as the engine is running but does not transfer the rotation to the compressor. When the driver presses the A C air conditioning button, a "tic-tac" sound is heard, and the compressor coupling is locked with the compressor input shaft. Thus, the rotational motion of the compressor pulley is transmitted to the compressor input shaft via the magnetic coupling and the compressor starts to operate. The most important factor is the air conditioner that could cause the idling speed to drop and the engine to stop with the increase of the load on the engine when the engine is idle. The air conditioner compressor could be connected directly to the motor by means of pulleys or run by an electric motor fed from the alternator and the battery. In both cases, there are fans that are rotated by electric motors to blow the cooling air into the vehicle, these fans are fed from the alternator and when the alternator is not sufficient also from the battery and consequently it directly affects fuel consumption.

Today, the vehicle manufactures are trying to reduce vehicle fuel consumption in a variety of ways (complete combustion in the engine pistons, the structure of the tires, the aerodynamic structure, etc.). However, since the required efficiency cannot be obtained exactly, the vehicle companies recommend to the users some suggestions to provide fuel savings. These suggestions are not to use the air conditioners at high speeds, not to drive the vehicle at the exercise speeds, to use the air conditioning as little as possible, to perform the maintenance in a timely manner, to use original parts, etc.

In some existing vehicles, the cost increases since the compressor starts at the full capacity (on-off) when the air conditioner is activated while the vehicle is turned on or while it is going up the hill or speeding up, where the fuel consumption is multiplied, and increase is exponentially {due to increased fuel consumption at the high speeds).

In addition, in the manual-shift vehicles the energy (inertial force) generated while advancing on straight, slightly downhill and uneven downhill roads is wasted with the effect of heat on the brakes during deceleration, or when the gear is in idle (in manual-shift vehicles) the fuel consumption is also wasted.

The saving of the energy (inertial force) lost at the brakes and on the fuel wasted in the idle shall contribute both to the country's economy and to the car owners from the economical and the environmental point of the view. The fuel saving rate provided by this system will vary depending on if the driver is driving the vehicle in accordance with the instructions and the drive is on the uneven roads. If the user (driver) drives the vehicle at a certain speed while driving downhill, and if he keeps the vehicle in the gear and steps on the gas slightly or if he does not step on the gas pedal at all while driving, the system efficiency shall increase largely.

As a result, there has been a need for an economical air conditioning system that automatically saves fuel by controlling vehicle parameters (gear status, road inclination).

Purpose of the invention

Because of the indispensable usage of the air conditioning systems in the motor vehicles in the hot climate and the fact that its effect to the fuel consumption is also excessive relative to air conditioning levels, the fuel consumption shall be seriously reduced by the usage of this invention and it shall provide great benefits from the economical point of view.

By the integration of this invention into the existing vehicle software in the new system vehicles, the economical air conditioning system could be operated according to the automatically received data (gear status, road inclination).

The purpose of the invention is to reduce the fuel consumption and to make mileage with the existing fuel. The object of the present invention is to design an economical air conditioning system for all types of air conditioners (manual / automatic) in the vehicles.

The aim of the invention is to convert the energy that is wasted on downhill drive into a useful purpose.

Another aim of the invention is to utilize the kinetic energy generated during the downhill drives.

Another object of the invention is to design an air conditioning system which is activated when the engine load is not excessive (downhill drive in gear or drive on the flat road) and to reduce fuel consumption.

Another object of the invention is to design an air-conditioning system which is deactivated (during the uphill drive) when the load of the engine is excessive in order not to force the engine and to save the fuel.

Another purpose of this invention is to avoid the engine exhaustion by disabling the air conditioner when the engine is loaded.

Another aim of the invention is to provide utilization of an economical air conditioning system with the electronic control circuit and sensors (which can also benefit from the available sensors on the vehicle if applicable) in all the old and new model vehicles with the manual / automatic transmissions (buses, cars, trucks, trucks etc.).

Another object of the invention is to reduce the fuel consumption to protect nature and to reduce the environmental pollution.

The structural features and the entire advantages of this invention shall be more clearly understood by the following diagrams and the detailed explanation which are prepared by referring to these diagrams. For this reason, the evaluations should be done by taking these forms and detailed explanations into consideration.

Explanation of the diagrams

Control circuit (FIGURE -1 )

Gear sensor (FIGURE -2)

Slope sensor (FIGURE -3)

General view (FIGURE -4)

Explanation of the references in the figures

A. Control circuit (FIGURE -1 )

1 : manual start button

2: automatic start button

3: economic start button

4: air condition control unit (existing control system of the air conditioner in the vehicle)

5: relay 6: relay common contact

7: relay normally closed contact (NC)

8: relay normally open contact (NO)

9: Programable logic control (PLC)

B. Gear sensor (FIGURE -2)

10: gear sensor (sensor on gear12v, neutralOv)

C. Slope sensor (FIGURE -3)

1 1 : slope sensor (while climbing the slope Ov, flat road or downhill driving 12v)

Explanation of the invention

The air conditioning system in the cars, cargo transporters, passenger transporters (bus minibus) with the manual transmission, shall be operated from the user control panel with manual start button (1 ), automatic start button (2) and economical start button (3). The 12v supply voltage (depending on the voltage used in each vehicle air conditioner) is relayed via the closed contact (7) and thru the common contact (6), waits at the at the entrance of the manual start button (1 ) and the automatic start button (2). When the manual start button (1 ) or the automatic start button (2) is selected by the user, the 12v voltage passes thru selected start button (1-2) and it is applied to the air conditioner control unit of the existing vehicle (the voltage can be adjusted according to the required level) as a command , and the air conditioner starts operating in the selected mode (manual (1 ) / automatic (2)) regardless of gear status (10) and the slope condition (1 1 ) and the air conditioner continues to operate as long as the selection remains unchanged. In addition to manual mode when economical mode is selected, the 12v voltage waiting at the economical start button (3) energizes the relay coil (5) when the contact of the economical start button (3) is closed and the 12v command reaches to Programable logic control (9). With the energization of the relay coin (5), the relay contacts (5) change, cuts the voltage of the air conditioner control unit (4) over the Normally closed contact (7) and the common relay contact (6) and the manual (1 ) / automatic (2) start button. The normally open contact (8) of the relay closes and it is connected to the relay common terminal (6). At the same time, when the PLC 9 energizes the output, connected to the normally open contact (8) of the relay, no matter what condition it is in (regardless of the gear status, slope inclination), and the PLC output voltage reaches to the common contact of the manual (1 )/automatic (2) buttons via the closed contacts (6-8) of the relay (5). Whatever the selected condition is in the control panel, the selected mode (manual/ automatic) command is given to the climate control unit. According to the software in the PLC (9), the air conditioner activated for 10 min (optional adjustable) at the first start checks the status of the gear sensor (10) and tilt sensor (11 ) after 10 min. The PLC (9) continues to operate the air conditioner if the data is coming the gear sensor (10) for the last 3 seconds (in order not to stop the air conditioner in the gear changes) that the vehicle is in gear and from the tilt sensor (11 ) that the vehicle is moving downhill or straight. However, the PLC (9) time counter shall continue to operate the air conditioner for more than 30 seconds (optionally adjustable) in case any command does not come from the gear sensor (10) and the inclination sensor ( 1 ) for 3 seconds and in case the status has not changed (gear in neutral state (more than 3 seconds) or vehicle is climbing a slope), the PLC (9) cuts the output voltage and deactivates the air conditioner. The PLC 9 waits for 30 seconds again (in the stand by since too many start/stops damages the air conditioner) while the vehicle is on move in accordance with the data received from the inclination sensor (11 ) if it is cruising on the downhill direction on the flat road and from the gear sensor 10 (during the 3 seconds) that it is in gear and if the situation persists at the end of the duration, it will restart the air conditioner. The system continues to operate automatically in this way.

Industrialization method of the invention

The invention can also be implemented by adding the inclination sensor (11) to be installed to the existing vehicles or the sensors (gear sensor (10)) and control system (4) software that already exists in the vehicles if desired. The economical operation/pause periods of the air conditioner could be designed according to the most suitable configuration according to the usage conditions and the place of use.

By the utilization of the inclination sensor (11) alone, the invention could reduce or prevent the operation of the air conditioner compressor (variable volume ) on the uphill drives where the Automatic transmission cars vehicle engine is loaded.

Within the economic air conditioner system which is the scope of the invention, the inclination sensor (11 ), which does not produce voltage during the uphill drive (Ov) and produces 12v output on the straight roads and during the downhill drive. If desired, a similar system could be designed by using the more sensitive inclination sensor (1 1) and different command inputs (speed, inertia, brake, etc.).

In addition, by using the appropriate hardware, different control systems such as the microprocessor circuit, control circuit, relays, time relay contactors, etc. could be designed in place of the PLC (9),

With the addition of the invention to the existing vehicle software or by utilization of the PLC (9) software with the sensitive inclination sensor (10), the efficiency could be increased by operating the air conditioner compressor in the maximum mode during the in gear downhill drive, in the normal mode on the straight roads and in the minimum mode in the uphill drive, or vice versa with the data coming from the sensitive inclination sensor ( 1 ) automatically.

By means of the road computer is used in some new generation vehicles the user could see the instant fuel consumption. The instant fuel consumption can be used as the command input for the PLC (9) in the similar logic with the invention, since the instantaneous fuel consumption also changes depending on whether the vehicle is in gear and on an inclined drive. The Instant fuel consumption is measured by the ECU (engine control unit) of the vehicle and sent to the road computer. The economic air conditioning system can be activated automatically as to operates inversely proportional to the fuel consumption in accordance with the amount of instant fuel consumption (the air conditioner capacity will decrease as the fuel consumption increases)

Claims

1^st Claim is the invention as the economic air conditioning system in vehicles such as manual- speed car, cargo transporters (tir, truck), passenger transporters (bus minibus) and has got the below features;

. It consists of an air conditioner control unit (4) that controls the system by commanding the entire hardware (sensors, relays, fuses etc.) in the air conditioner of the vehicle, a manual start button (1 ) which allows the air conditioner to operate in manual mode, an automatic start button (2) and the economical start button (3), which allows it to operate in the economical mode, the relay (5) which has the contacts providing the connection between the climate control unit (4) and the PLC (9) when the economical mode is selected.

It includes a gear sensor (10) for detecting the vehicle's shift when operating in the economic mode and an inclination sensor (1 1 ) for detecting the inclination of the vehicle, and a programmable logic control (PLC) (9) that decides by the software and runs the air conditioner depending on the positions of the economical start button (3) to the shift sensor (10) and the inclination sensor (11 ).

2^nd Claim is the appropriate economic air conditioning system in the Article 1 and its features are characterized by having the economical air conditioning system, which is activated on the straight (when road tilt angle is zero) and downhill roads (having -9 and 0 degrees of inclination) and turned off on the uphill roads (0 to +9 degrees of inclination).

3 Claim is the appropriate economic air conditioning system in the1 ^st claim and its features are characterized by having a PLC (9) that analyzes the signals coming from the gear sensor (10) and the inclination sensor (11 ) by means of its software and sends the command to the climate control unit to operate the air conditioner in economical mode.

4^th Claim is the appropriate economic air conditioning system in the 3^rd claim and its features is characterized by having the design capability of for the utilization of the control circuit, microprocessor circuit, control circuit elements (relays, contactors, time relays) of the existing vehicles to perform the complete task of the PLC (9) device.

The 5^th Claim is the economic air conditioning system suitable for one of the 1 ^st or the 3^rd Claims and its features are characterized by the utilization of the (2-axis + -90 degrees) precision type inclination sensor (1 1 ) which measures the inclination more precisely in place of the inclination sensor (1 1 ) which is one of the command inputs of the PLC (9) and which gives the flat, uphill, downhill road data only and also by means of the use of the variable volume air conditioner compressors, the provision of the operation of the air conditioner in the minimum capacity (10%) on the uphill roads (the roads with +9 degrees inclination in general), in the maximum capacity (90%) on the downhill roads (the roads with -9 degrees of inclination) and in the 50% capacity on the flat roads, additionally in 30% capacity on the semi-uphill roads and in 70% capacity on the semi-downhill roads. Briefly it is the operation of the air conditioner in the lower capacities as the uphill inclination increases and in the higher capacities when the slope inclination decreases and in the increasing capacities towards the maximum as the downhill inclination increases

The 6^th claim is the economic air conditioning system given by the 3^rd claim and the features are characterized by the capability to change the operational capacity of the variable volume air conditioner compressor by changing the standby period (the duration of waiting at the initial startup of the air conditioner, at the gear changes and at the durations of the uphill and downhill drives) which is defined to avoid the frequent activation and deactivation and to protect the air condition system, with the command given by the PLC (9) with the consideration of the vehicle type, area of the utilization, ambient conditions, interval of the speed changes and the short uphill and downhill drive conditions; and also by considering the degree of the road inclination coming from the inclination sensor (11 ).

The 7^th claim is the economic air conditioning system which is suitable for one of the 1 ^st claim or the 5^rd claim and its features are characterized by the utilization of the air conditioner on the downhill and flat roads and deactivation of it on the uphill drives by means of the inclination sensor (1 1 ) and the PLC (9) only, since the gear sensor is not used in the automatic cars.