Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Ford Motor Company Limited

Visteon Global Technolgoies, Inc.

Christopher Mark Greiner

Wayne Frank Buescher

Halim Wijaya

Gerhard Allan Dage

Clay Wesley Maranville

Kai Wang

Paul Bryan Hoke

Ravi Gopal

Sunil Katragadda

Thomas Paul Gielda

Daniel C Huang

Lakhi Nandlal Goenka

Manfred Koberstein

Michael Steven Wallis

Gary A Dage

Poyu Tsou

Donald A Willoughby

Mark Q Haddlesey

Michael E Hesse

John C Schneider

This disclosure details integrated thermal management systems for thermally managing electrified vehicle components. Exemplary integrated thermal management systems may include a thermal module assembly that may be integrated into a front end structure of a flexible modular platform of the electrified vehicle. The integrated thermal management systems may be controlled in a plurality of distinct thermal control modes for thermal managing various subcomponents and for addressing various vehicle auxiliary loads (e.g., passenger cabin heating loads, passenger cabin cooling loads, etc.).

Integrated thermal management systems and associated thermal control methods for electrified vehicles

A system for automatically controlling a defog/defrost function of a vehicle climate control system includes a controller configured to calculate an ambient dew point temperature value from a plurality of inputs received from a sensor array. The controller is further configured to set a condensation indicator if a calculated difference between a window exterior surface temperature value input received from the sensor array and the calculated ambient dew point temperature value is less than or equal to a predetermined threshold value. The controller actuates the vehicle climate control system defog/defrost function and/or a window wiper system in response to the set condensation indicator.

Vehicle automatic defrost system and control method for external window surface

Systems and methods for operating a heater for a passenger cabin of a vehicle. In one example, fan speed of an evaporator cooling fan is adjusted to improve heating efficiency. In particular, fan speed is incrementally increased and maintained at the higher speed if output power of a compressor is reduced by more than an amount of power used to incrementally increase the fan speed.

Method for adjusting fan and compressor power for a vehicle cabin heating system

An HVAC system provides airflow in a vehicle having a plurality of seating locations in a passenger cabin for respective passengers of the vehicle. The system includes a plurality of outlet vents and a plurality of suction returns disposed at various air return locations adjacent to the seating locations within the vehicle. An air handling unit is in fluid communication between the suction returns and the outlet vents. A plurality of flow control elements are provided, each one in series with at least one respective suction return for selectably modifying a respective flow of the respective suction return in response to a respective flow command. An occupancy determining apparatus identifies one or more seating locations for receiving enhanced airflow. A controller generates the respective flow commands in response to the identified seating locations.

Automotive HVAC system with suction surfaces to control local airflow

A method, comprising during a vehicle engine cold start, opening a first valve coupled between a first container containing an adsorbent and a second container containing an adsorbate, circulating a first fluid through a first conduit coupled to a first heat exchanger located within the first container and a second heat exchanger located outside the first container, and circulating a second fluid through a second conduit coupled to the second heat exchanger. In this way, heat may be generated at the adsorber during a cold start and subsequently transferred to the cooling jacket of the vehicle engine and/or other vehicle compartments, thereby decreasing the warm-up time for the engine.

System for thermal management of a vehicle and method for vehicle cold start

A climate control system and a method of control. The climate control system may have first and second adsorbers and a door that controls airflow through the first and second adsorbers. The first adsorber adsorbs moisture from the airflow and the second adsorber desorbs moisture when the door is in a first position.

Climate control system having multiple adsorbers and a method of control

A system and method for environmental management of a vehicle automatically operates a vehicle climate control system to defog a vehicle windshield, while still operating at or near environmental comfort guidelines determined by a vehicle occupant. The method may be executed by an HVAC control system that is configured with a preprogrammed algorithm to operate an HVAC to achieve the desired results. A number of sensors can provide inputs to the control system, which can also receive inputs from a number of manual overrides operable by an occupant of the vehicle. The preprogrammed algorithm is configured to act on the various inputs to operate the HVAC to strike an appropriate balance between occupant comfort and windshield defogging.

System for environmental management of a vehicle

A climate control system and method for optimizing energy consumption in a hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) is provided. By varying evaporator temperatures based on occupant settings and environmental conditions, electric compressor speed can be optimized to provide the necessary cooling capacities resulting in energy savings. Determining the impact that increasing or decreasing engine cooling fan speed has on the overall energy consumption of the climate control system without affecting target discharge air temperature provides for energy saving opportunities. Optimizing energy consumption according to the provided strategy provides for improved fuel economy without sacrificing passenger comfort.

Climate control system and method for optimizing energy consumption of a vehicle

A climate control system having a control head including a display providing at least one comfort level indicator and a fuel economy indicator is provided. The comfort level indicator displays a plurality of comfort level settings corresponding to relative thermal comfort in all weather conditions. Each comfort level setting corresponds to a range of temperatures so that once a comfort range is obtained, the climate control system will be reluctant to consume additional energy, thereby maintaining or improving the current fuel economy state. The fuel economy indicator provides for direct communication of the impact of comfort level settings on fuel economy.

Climate control head with fuel economy indicator

A climate control system includes a control head having a warmer/cooler temperature control for providing relative thermal comfort. A thermal comfort rating (TCR) corresponding to a range of passenger cabin temperatures is determined based upon a comfort level selection by an occupant using the control head. A control strategy employs look-up tables corresponding to the TCR to determine the speed of an electric compressor and the position of a temperature control blend door. The strategy provides for a relatively fast ramp down to a minimum compressor speed to improve fuel economy while maintaining a relative level of thermal comfort.

A method for environmental management of a vehicle includes the steps of determining certain environmental conditions for the vehicle, and determining when it is desirable to defog the window based on the determined environmental conditions. A status of manual overrides is determined, and at least some automatically controllable functions of an HVAC system are implemented to effect defogging of a vehicle window when it is determined that none of the manual overrides has been selected.

System and method for environmental management of a vehicle

A vehicle compressor is controlled based on an environment parameter and a vehicle status parameter. In at least one embodiment, a temperature control system for a vehicle including an engine is provided. The system includes a compressor having a target operating speed. The system also includes an environment sensor arrangement configured to sense an environment parameter and a vehicle status sensor arrangement configured to sense a vehicle status parameter. The system further includes a control module that determines a maximum operating speed of the compressor as a function of both the environment parameter and the vehicle status parameter. The control module limits an operating speed of the compressor to the maximum operating speed if the target operating speed is greater than the maximum operating speed.

Vehicle compressor control system and method

A rain-hat is mounted over the fresh air intake opening of an automotive vehicle to restrict the passage of free water into the fresh air intake opening. The rain-hat is formed with a sloped front wall have the top edge leading into the direction of air flow from the air intake cowling toward the fresh air inlet opening. The front wall can be formed in a linear configuration or in a curvilinear configuration to reduce the separation bubble commonly associated with the passage of air over the raised leading edge of the rain-hat. The smooth flow of fresh air into the intake opening reduces the power requirements of the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system for which the vehicle which draws the air into the intake opening. The reduction of the separated flow region also results in a reduction in vehicle noise during the operation of the vehicle.

Growing community of inventors

Birmingham, MI, United States of America

Christopher Mark Greiner