DE102010022441A1 - Motor vehicle inner space air-treatment unit has fresh air-circulating air-separator, whose fresh air input is in fluidic-connection with outside air - Google Patents

Abstract

The motor vehicle inner space air-treatment unit has a fresh air-circulating air-separator (3), whose fresh air input (13) is in fluidic-connection with an outside air (7). A blower (2) is provided, whose input (14) is in fluidic-connection with an outlet (15) of the fresh air-circulating air-separator. A blower output (16) is in fluidic-connection with an air outlet (4) for the motor vehicle inner space (17).

Description

The invention relates to a motor vehicle interior air treatment device with a blower, a dehumidifier and a recirculation circuit, in which the air of the motor vehicle interior moisture is removed.

From the DE 197 18 047 A a device for lowering the humidity in a motor vehicle interior is known in which taken by means of a fan the motor vehicle interior air and after passage through a sorbent the interior is supplied again. To regenerate the sorbent, the blower is switched to fresh air intake and the fresh air sucked in is heated by means of an electrical heating element. At the same time, the flow direction of the air through the sorbent is reversed and, after flowing through the sorbent, warm and moist air is directed outwards. Such a dehumidifier can be used separately from a tempering device of the motor vehicle interior, but requires a lot of effort and energy.

The EP 1 439 084 A describes an air conditioning system for a motor vehicle, in which an adsorber is arranged in front of the Defrostausströmern a windshield. In a warm-up phase of this absorber can bind moisture and thereby reduce fogging of the windshield. As soon as the heating power of the motor vehicle is sufficiently large, the adsorber can be regenerated again by this or by an additional electric heater. Such an adsorber has only a relatively short period of use and in particular can not prevent fogging of the windows when the engine of the motor vehicle is warm, for example during recirculating air operation.

In the US 6,205,805 B is described a heating air conditioning, in which a rotating adsorber is integrated. The rotation of the disk-shaped adsorber allows continuous regeneration and dehumidification, whereby a desired conditioning of the humidity of the interior air in the motor vehicle is possible. However, such adsorber is relatively expensive and requires a lot of space, which is not available, especially in smaller vehicles. In addition, for such an adsorber, the heating-air conditioning unit must be completely redesigned, ie that existing heating air conditioning units are not retrofitted with this adsorber and the design documents existing heating air conditioning units can not be used for a redesign with this adsorber.

Object of the present invention is to design a motor vehicle interior dehumidification such that it is also effective during the recirculation mode of the motor vehicle and is added without great engineering and technical effort in existing heating and air conditioning units.

This object is achieved with a motor vehicle interior treatment device having the features of patent claim 1. The subclaims show particularly advantageous embodiments of the invention.

For a comfortable vehicle air conditioning rapid warming of the air in the vehicle interior is required especially at low outdoor temperature. Suitable for such a rapid heating operation is the operation of the heater in the so-called recirculation mode, in which the air taken from the vehicle interior, heated in the heating / air conditioning unit and returned to the interior. However, since the cold indoor air is saturated in a short time with water vapor due to the registered by the occupants moisture, it comes with such operation on the cold glass plates easily condensation by condensation of humidity. As soon as this happens, it is necessary to switch back to fresh air mode, in which fresh air for the ventilation of the interior is continuously drawn in and heated. The preheated air in the interior is discharged unused to the outside. Therefore, the fresh air operation, despite greater energy consumption, a lower heat-up performance and is particularly energy-consuming in electrically powered vehicles.

In a purely electrically driven vehicle, the energy required to heat the indoor air is significantly more significant than in a vehicle with an internal combustion engine, since hardly any waste heat from the drive can be used and the amount of energy carried is relatively small. Accordingly, the energy requirement for heating has a major effect on the range of these vehicles. The invention is therefore particularly suitable for purely electrically driven vehicles or for so-called hybrid vehicles that are purely electrically operable at least over short distances.

According to the invention, a dehumidifier is used for the dehumidification of the motor vehicle interior air, the air-flow bed or sieve of a regenerable sorptive drying agent, eg. As a zeolite or silica gel contains. Such desiccants can easily be regenerated with heated air or by heating and passing air through, i.e. H. the moisture is expelled. This dehumidifier is inventively integrated into the ventilation system, wherein the dehumidifier flow coupled into the intake of the circulating air, d. H. is still arranged in front of the fresh air circulating air Umschaltklappe (switch).

The other side of the fresh air circulating-air flap is connected to the intake side flow-connected to the outside air, wherein preferably still a suction filter is interposed. The outlet of the fresh air recirculation diverter is connected to the inlet of a blower designed to carry or circulate the indoor air. Accordingly, the outlet of the fan opens at least one vent, in particular a plurality of vents, with conventional flaps (switches) are provided for directing the air in the footwell, on the windshield, on the side windows and / or directly into the interior of the motor vehicle.

Preferably, a drying agent is used, which gives off heat when absorbing moisture. This heat release of the sorptive reaction acts as a support for a heating element used for heating the interior, which can be designed as a liquid-air heat exchanger or as an electrical heating element. The heat output can be used in a particular embodiment, for increased heat generation by the water dehumidifier water is supplied by means of a Wasserzudosiervorrichtung, whereby the simultaneously heated via the dehumidifier air is heated and then returned to the interior.

Preferably, the heating element is arranged in the flow direction after the fresh air flap and in particular after the fan. In particular embodiments, alternatively or additionally, the heating element may be arranged in front of the dehumidifier, whereby the air supplied to the dehumidifier is heated and the moisture is expelled from the dehumidifier. In the latter arrangement, it is advantageous if the moist air is led directly to the outside, but also a blow-out through the interior is possible.

Preferably, however, the dehumidifier is switched between Umluftansaugung and the heating element for indoor heating, that the heat-expelling expulsion of water via the heated air from the heating element, which either partially discharged via the fresh air circulating air flap in a circle or directly into the interior becomes.

Advantageously, the flow through the dehumidifier in the regeneration in the opposite direction to the dehumidifier, whereby the dehumidifier is effective even after an incomplete regeneration. For this purpose, air is advantageously withdrawn directly behind the heating element, which is provided for the interior heating, and fed this particularly warm air to the dehumidifier for regeneration.

In addition, an expansion heat exchanger, in particular an evaporator heat exchanger may be provided for cooling the air in the motor vehicle interior treatment device, which is also flowed through by the air conveyed by the fan. The expansion heat exchanger is advantageously connected upstream of the heating element, whereby a particularly effective dehumidification of the indoor air is achieved via this expansion heat exchanger.

In order not to constantly flow through the dehumidifier in the recirculation mode, it is advantageous if this is selectively bypassable by means of a bypass. This allows the use of the dehumidifier only in the event of impending or successful disc fitting, whereby the flow resistance is reduced in the recirculation mode.

In a further particular embodiment, the dehumidifier is arranged so that it is easily removable. Such a dehumidifier can then be regenerated outside the motor vehicle, for example in an oven, by heating to about 100 ° C.

Particularly advantageous according to the invention, a control is provided, with which a conditioning of the air in the motor vehicle interior. This conditioning takes place in particular with regard to the temperature and optionally or additionally also with regard to the air humidity. As a result, maximum comfort is achieved.

In the case of a purely electrically operable vehicle, the dehumidifier is preferably dimensioned so that several cold starts can be traversed with their respective drying-heating phases. This makes it possible to regenerate the dehumidifier only when the vehicle is at a charging station, whereby the regeneration here does not affect range-reducing, since the required electrical energy of the charging station and not the vehicle battery is removed.

If the cabin air treatment device has a liquid-air heat exchanger and the cooling of electrical components, eg. B. the drive motor or the power electronics, a coolant sufficiently high temperature is available, the regeneration of the dehumidifier can also be performed during the driving phase in fresh air mode, in particular, a parallel connection of the dehumidifier takes place. The air is divided and fed to a dehumidifier, from which the humidified regeneration air then flows into the interior. In this case, the blow-out is preferably to be laid so that it is not fed directly to the occupants because the regeneration air is warm and laden with high humidity. However, the greater part of the air is not passed through the dehumidifier, but conventionally via the vents in the interior in this regeneration. With such a parallel circuit regeneration without interrupting the interior conditioning is possible.

As an alternative to a blow-out of the regeneration air into a suitable region of the interior, the regeneration air can also be combined again with the remaining air from the air-conditioning unit and blown out with a corresponding mixing temperature. If enough waste heat is available, the regeneration air can also be routed directly to the outside.

The use of the dehumidifier according to the invention can be easily combined with existing cabin air treatment devices. It is merely an additional outlet to the drying bed behind the heater core and to provide a switching or shut-off.

If means are provided for cooling the interior air, in particular by means of an expansion heat exchanger, alternatively a small circuit can be run using the cooling air heat exchanger for regeneration, wherein the latter extracts the water from the regeneration air by cooling and deposits it. Such regeneration is in turn favorable at a charging station, since this type of regeneration is relatively energy-consuming.

The dehumidifier according to the invention thus serves, as described, as a chemical heat storage, which reduces the energy required for heating when driving a vehicle and shifts times cheaper energy available by being regenerated when the vehicle is at a charging station.

The invention will be described in more detail below with reference to figures.

Show it

1 dehumidifying and heating with recirculation or partial recirculation mode;

2 a regeneration with fresh air;

3 a regeneration in the circulation and dehumidification by cooling;

4 a recirculation mode with bypass to the dehumidifier; and

5 a water supply for air heating.

A conventional, air conditioning unit 50 is advantageously constructed as a compact unit, which is used as such in a motor vehicle (not shown). The air conditioner has a fan as a central component 2 on, via a fresh air recirculation flap either via the fresh air inlet 13 fresh air from outside or via the air intake 6 Air from the interior 17 of the motor vehicle sucks. On the exit 16 of the blower 2 Immediately follows a coolant heat exchanger, in the present case as an evaporator heat exchanger 9 is trained. Between the blower entrance 14 and the exit 15 the fresh air recirculation flap 3 or between the outside air 7 and the outside air entrance 13 If desired, it is also possible to interpose a filter and / or absorber, for example based on activated charcoal. The aforementioned components are usually arranged in a housing, not shown in the figures, in which corresponding air paths or channels are formed.

On the evaporator heat exchanger 9 follows in the housing an air flow-side branch 20 , where the air flow depends on the position of a temperature flap 21 via a heating heat exchanger 8th , via a heating heat exchanger 8th flow bypass channel or to defined proportions on both paths. In particular, when using an electrically operated heating element, the operation can be carried out without the branching. The use of such a temperature flap 21 may prove to be advantageous over a controlled heating element under circumstances with regard to a faster control. The temperature flap 21 can at the branch of the air flow, and thus air flow side in front of the radiator 8th or on the airflow side, as in 1 shown after the radiator 8th be arranged. In the air stream after the heat exchangers and the temperature flap close a distribution box, air ducts and the outlets 4 for the interior, if necessary, even further (not shown) have adjusting elements for the desired dosage.

According to the invention, a dehumidifier 5 provided, which is designed as a drying bed for the air flowing through. The exit 19 of the dehumidifier 5 is fluidly connected to the air intake 6 the fresh air recirculation flap, and the entrance 18 of the dehumidifier 5 leads to the interior 17 of the motor vehicle. As a result, humid air from the interior is at a recirculation circuit 17 in the dehumidifier 5 dried and over the blower 2 , possibly conditioned, back to the interior 17 fed. The fresh air recirculation flap 3 can also assume intermediate positions, so that some outside air is sucked in and partly circulated inside air.

The thus dried air can be circulated without the use of the refrigerant circuit and thus in particular without operation of a compressor, which on the one hand fast interior heating and on the other hand energy-saving operation of the motor vehicle is possible.

The dehumidifier may be formed as a separate, if desired, removable box as well as a lined with Sorbtionsmittel channel guide, the latter takes up very little space. In particular, the sorbent can be integrated into the channels of the ventilation system by coating the air channels inside with the sorptive material or by using the sorptive material itself as wall material of the air channels. By dispensing with a separate housing for the sorption, this results in a space advantage. Advantageously, a material which - if necessary with stabilizing additives - both has sufficient mechanical and sorptive properties and is correspondingly malleable. Furthermore, it is conceivable to form a longitudinally flowed capillary body from the soptive material, which is integrated into the channel system.

For those in the 2 illustrated regeneration of the dehumidifier 5 is preferably within the air conditioner 50 after the heating heat exchanger 8th a turnoff 23 provided, from which continues an exit to the temperature flap 21 and another exit to a regeneration flap 10 leads. The exit of the flap 10 is with the exit 19 of the dehumidifier 5 connected, so that this is in fresh air position befindlicher fresh air recirculation flap 3 and open regeneration flap 10 from above the heater core 8th heated air is flushed backwards. The so laden with moisture heated air is either through the Umluftansaugung 22 or the interior vents 4 (dashed line 22 → 4 ) or in the exterior space A (dashed arrow) outside the vehicle blown out.

The in the 3 illustrated regeneration of the dehumidifier 5 differs from the regeneration just described by the fact that the regeneration flap 10 branched warm air the entrance 18 of the dehumidifier 5 supplied and from there via the circulating air damper located in Umluftstellung 3 over the fan 2 the evaporative heat exchanger 9 is supplied. Here, the refrigerant circuit and thus the compressor for compressing the refrigerant in operation, so that the warm moisture-laden air is cooled, whereby moisture is removed by condensation. The condensation water is released via a condensation drain 24 dissipated and collected if desired. The vents 4 are closed during this regeneration. Regeneration with dehumidification via the evaporating heat exchanger 9 is advantageous for a stationary stay at a charging or supply station, because this requires a considerable amount of energy. At the same time in this case the battery of the motor vehicle can be charged.

In the 4 is another tempering device 401 represented, which can be combined with all other embodiments. Here is a dehumidifier 5 bridging bypass 11 provided by an air dehumidification flap 25 is switchable. This allows the dehumidifier 5 In recirculation mode, optionally switched on or bypassed.

Also in the 5 illustrated embodiment of a temperature control 501 can be combined with all other embodiments. In this tempering device 501 is additionally a water injection 12 provided either in front of the entrance 18 of the dehumidifier 5 or done directly in these. The water becomes a water tank 26 taken. The injected water is from the sorbent of the dehumidifier 5 taken up under heating, causing the same over the dehumidifier 5 Guided indoor air is heated. This is a faster heating of the interior 17 possible.

All embodiments are advantageously controlled by a (not shown) control, which serves in the simplest case, only the feedforward control of the individual switching elements. For reasons of comfort and for greater operational reliability, however, sensors (not shown) for temperature and / or humidity are still advantageously provided, via which the temperature and / or the humidity is measured, with the aid of these values enabling, in particular, monitoring of the dehumidifying and regeneration operation becomes. In an embodiment of the invention, not shown, therefore, a humidity sensor is placed in front of and behind the absorber bed. About the measured humidity, the described switching operations between the various operating modes are controlled by a corresponding control unit, preferably directly involved in the rest of the climate control. By means of an additional humidity and temperature sensor system of the outside air and the cabin air, demand-driven control of the various operating modes can be achieved by depositing characteristic curves for the fogging tendency of the panes.

LIST OF REFERENCE NUMBERS

1; 301; 401; 501

tempering

2

fan

3

Fresh air recirculating air flap / Soft

4

Motor vehicle interior air stone

5

Dehumidifiers

6

recirculated air input

7

outside air

8th

Heating heat exchanger / element

9

Evaporation heat exchanger

10

Regeneration door / switching

11

bypass

12

water injection

13

Fresh air inlet

14

fan input

15

Fresh air recirculating air flap output

16

fan output

17

Motor vehicle interior

18

Luftentfeuchtereingang

19

Luftentfeuchterausgang

20

branch

21

temperature flap

22

circulating air intake

23

diversion

24

condensate drain

25

Dehumidification switchover flap

26

water tank

50

conventional air conditioner

A

outer space

QUOTES INCLUDE IN THE DESCRIPTION

This list of the documents listed by the applicant has been generated automatically and is included solely for the better information of the reader. The list is not part of the German patent or utility model application. The DPMA assumes no liability for any errors or omissions.

Cited patent literature

• DE 19718047 A [0002]
• EP 1439084A [0003]
• US 6205805 B [0004]

Claims (10)

Automotive vehicle interior air treatment device with - a fresh air circulating air switch ( 3 ), whose fresh air intake ( 13 ) fluidly connected to the outside air ( 7 ), - a blower ( 2 ) whose input ( 14 ) fluidly connected to the output ( 15 ) of the fresh air circulating air switch ( 3 ) and whose output ( 16 ) fluidly connected to at least one vent ( 4 ) to the motor vehicle interior ( 17 ), and - a dehumidifier ( 5 ) whose input ( 18 ) fluidly connected to the motor vehicle interior ( 17 ) and whose output ( 19 ) fluidly connected to the air intake ( 6 ) is the fresh air circulating air switch. Device according to claim 1, characterized by a heat exchanger ( 9 ) for cooling the air conditioning air, which is connected to the blower ( 2 ) is fluidly connected. Device according to claim 1 or 2, characterized by a heating element ( 8th ), with the blower ( 2 ) and / or mild dehumidifier ( 5 ) is fluidly connected. Device according to claim 3, characterized by a switching element ( 10 ) fluidly connected between an output of the heating element ( 8th ) and the dehumidifier ( 5 ) is arranged to influence the flow connection between them. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the dehumidifier ( 5 ) contains a moisture-absorbing and / or heat-emitting sorbent in moisture absorption, in particular a zeolite or a silica gel. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by an adjustable bypass bridging the dehumidifier ( 11 ). Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a water metering device ( 12 ), by means of the water to the dehumidifier ( 5 ) can be fed. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that the dehumidifier ( 5 ) is removable from the air treatment device for regeneration. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized by a control for conditioning the air in the motor vehicle interior in terms of temperature and / or humidity. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that it is installed in an electrically operable motor vehicle.

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