Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

Other

Curtis Mark Jones

Manfred Koberstein

Alan Gutowski

John Eric Rollinger

Adam J Richards

William Stewart Johnston

Peter Mitchell Lyon

Steve T Skikun

David Hancock

Frank Fusco

M Scott Christensen

Alan Douglas Wallington

Zhengyu Liu

Stephen Michael White

Fred Koberstein

Mark G Smith

Jennifer A Herr-Rathke

Ranganathan Madhavan

Chris George Oehring

Jasbir Jaglan

Scott Thompson

Venkatesh Krishnan

Scott James Thompson

Scott Steadmon Thompson

James C Rollinson

Halim Wijaya

Eric Gerd Schaefer

John Azar

Mario Domonick Iaquinta

Tina Marie Maurer

Kenneth Gerald Brown

Steven Pryor Perry

Jared Lynn Fromme

Rosa Jones

Ahmed Cherif

Methods and systems are provided for heat sanitizing a vehicle. In one example, a method may include, responsive to receiving a request for cleaning an interior of a vehicle, adjusting a position of a sun shade based on at least one of an ambient temperature outside of the vehicle and a sun load of the vehicle, and operating a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system to heat the interior above an upper threshold temperature for a first threshold duration. In this way, the HVAC system may be advantageously used to expose the vehicle interior to temperatures that kill or inactive microbes.

Method and system for a vehicle sanitizing mode

A method of operating a vehicle climate system when an ambient temperature is below a threshold temperature is provided. In response to an ambient temperature being less than a threshold temperature, a controller is adapted to operate a blower motor at a voltage that depends on whether the vehicle is in charge sustain mode or charge deplete mode. In response to an ambient temperature being greater than a threshold temperature, the controller is adapted to operate the blower motor at a voltage that does not depend on whether in the charge sustain or charge deplete modes.

Blower motor operation

Methods and systems are provided for heat sanitizing a vehicle. In one example, a method may include, responsive to receiving a request for sanitization of a vehicle interior, activating an ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (UVGI) system and operating a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system to heat the vehicle interior above an upper threshold temperature for a threshold duration. In this way, the HVAC system may be advantageously used to expose the vehicle interior to temperatures that kill or inactive microbes while the UVGI system may supplement the heat sanitizing.

A vehicle climate system includes a blower and a controller. The controller is configured to, responsive to input of a particular user selected climate setting, operate the blower with an initial power having a predetermined value corresponding to the climate setting provided that cabin temperature is outside a predetermined range. The controller is also configured to operate the blower with an initial power having a value less than the predetermined value provided that the cabin temperature is within the predetermined range.

Temperature based blower strategy for acoustic comfort

Methods and systems are provided for heat sanitizing a vehicle. In one example, a method may include, while receiving power from an external power source and responsive to receiving a request for cleaning an interior of a vehicle, operating an electric heater of a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system to heat the interior above an upper threshold temperature for a first threshold duration using the power received from the external power source. In this way, the HVAC system may be advantageously used to expose the vehicle interior to temperatures that kill or inactive microbes while vehicle battery power and fuel are conserved by using power supplied from the external power source.

Methods and systems are provided for heat sanitizing a vehicle. In one example, a method may include, responsive to receiving a request for sanitization of a vehicle interior, operating a heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) system to heat the vehicle interior above an upper threshold temperature for a threshold duration. In this way, the HVAC system may be advantageously used to expose the vehicle interior to temperatures that kill or inactive microbes.

A vehicle thermal management system including an electric powertrain, a single thermal loop, and a controller is provided. The electric powertrain includes a high voltage battery. The single thermal loop is for managing thermal conditions of the high voltage battery and a vehicle cabin and may include a climate control system, a blower, and a front evaporator in fluid communication with the vehicle cabin. The controller is programmed to, responsive to detection of a climate control system off request, output a command to direct the blower to push air through a heater core to the vehicle cabin at a predetermined temperature such that a temperature within the vehicle cabin is maintained at a predetermined temperature and refrigerant continues to flow through the front evaporator. The system may include a vehicle cabin temperature sensor and an ambient temperature sensor, each in electrical communication with the controller.

Vehicle cabin and high voltage battery thermal management system

A method of operating a vehicle climate system when an ambient temperature is below a threshold temperature is provided. In response to an ambient temperature being less than a threshold temperature, a controller is adapted to operate a blower motor at a voltage that depends on whether the vehicle is in charge sustain mode or charge deplete mode. The controller operates the blower motor according to a first voltage responsive to a charge sustain mode, and operates the blower motor according to a second voltage different than the first voltage in response to a charge deplete mode.

An autonomous vehicle includes a passenger cabin, a sensor group and a passenger cabin climate control system including a control module. The sensor group includes a passenger cabin odor sensor, an occupancy sensor and a vehicle speed sensor. The control module has a control logic adapted to purge an odor from the passenger cabin in response to data received from the sensor group indicating the presence of an odor in the passenger cabin, an unoccupied passenger cabin and the autonomous vehicle is moving at a minimum predetermined speed for a minimum predetermined time.

Autonomous vehicle and method of purging an odor from a passenger cabin of such a vehicle

A vehicle includes an engine cooling system. The engine cooling system includes an engine. A radiator is fluidly coupled to the engine. A sensor is configured to provide a temperature reading of a coolant at the engine. The vehicle further includes a heat pump system. The heat pump system includes a condenser disposed proximate the radiator and fluidly coupled to the compressor. An evaporator is fluidly coupled to the condenser. A climate fan is fluidly coupled to an exterior surface of the evaporator. A climate control module is configured to control a speed of the climate fan. The climate control module establishes a maximum speed of the climate fan in response to a temperature reading from the sensor.

Method to reduce engine coolant temperature based on climate fan speed

A closed loop auxiliary heating circuit includes a coolant, a closed loop coolant line and a pump for circulating the coolant through the closed loop coolant line between a computing device and an auxiliary heater core whereby heat is transferred from the computing device to the auxiliary heater core to heat the cabin of an electric motor vehicle. An electric motor vehicle incorporating the closed loop auxiliary heating circuit is also disclosed.

Closed loop auxiliary heating circuit and an electric motor vehicle incorporating that circuit

A system and method of selecting air intake between 100% fresh air mode and 100% recirculated air mode for optimum heating/cooling performance, fuel economy and/or high voltage (HV) battery power consumption is disclosed. The system and method includes a partial recirculation control strategy in which the air inlet door is moved progressively to any position by taking into account cooling/heating loads and cabin fogging probability. As cooling/heating loads increase the air inlet door moves toward 100% recirculation mode. As fogging probability increases the air inlet door moves toward 100% fresh air mode. By selectively choosing a position between 100% recirculation and 100% fresh air, fuel economy and/or HV battery power consumption is optimized without compromising passenger comfort or causing fogging on interior glass surfaces. In cooling applications the compressor load is minimized and air conditioning performance is improved due to the reduced evaporator cooling load. The direct result of this improvement is increased fuel economy in the case of the internal combustion vehicle, reduced engine on time in the case of the hybrid electric vehicle (due to reduced HV battery power consumption), and reduced HV battery power consumption in the case of the hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) and the electric vehicle (EV). In heating applications, as the heating load is reduced the fuel economy of the internal combustion (IC) engine will be improved, the engine on time is reduced in the case of the HEV, and HV battery power consumption is reduced in the case of the EV.

Partial air inlet control strategy for air conditioning system

A supplemental heating subsystem is provided for a vehicle climate control system including an air flow control door. The supplemental heating subsystem includes a controller configured to control the supplemental heating subsystem, a supplemental heating element responsive to the controller and an actuator for positioning the door responsive to the controller. In operation, the position of the door is controlled to improve the operating efficiency of the supplemental heating element.

Growing community of inventors

Wixom, MI, United States of America

Curtis Mark Jones