JP4036252B2 - Air conditioner for automobile - Google Patents

Description

[0001]
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
The present invention relates to an air conditioner for an automobile, and more particularly to an air conditioner for an automobile that does not impair a passenger's feeling of comfort due to conditioned air even when an automobile engine load increases due to traveling uphill.
[0002]
[Prior art]
An air conditioner mounted on an automobile is provided with a cooling cycle for performing cooling or dehumidification. This cooling cycle consists of a compressor, condenser, liquid tank, expansion valve, and evaporator connected by refrigerant piping. The refrigerant from the evaporator is compressed by the compressor into high-temperature and high-pressure gas, and heat is exchanged with the outside air by the condenser. After cooling and liquefying and separating the gas and liquid in the liquid tank, only the liquid refrigerant is sent to the expansion valve, where the high-pressure liquid refrigerant is made into a low-temperature and low-pressure mist refrigerant. When this low-temperature and low-pressure mist refrigerant is sent to the evaporator, heat is exchanged with the intake air that passes through the cooler unit (evaporator), so that the intake air is cooled and the vehicle interior is cooled or dehumidified. Air will be supplied.
[0003]
[Problems to be solved by the invention]
The driving force of the compressor in such a cooling cycle is supplied from the automobile engine by connecting the crankshaft of the automobile engine and the drive shaft of the compressor with a pulley and a belt via a clutch or the like.
[0004]
Therefore, if the vehicle engine is under heavy load (for example, with the air conditioner switch turned on), for example, if the vehicle is climbing up with the air conditioner switch turned on, the running performance of the car will be reduced, or the cooling capacity will be reduced. There was a problem such as lowering.
[0005]
For this reason, when a high load is applied to the automobile engine, the air mix door of the air conditioner is corrected and controlled to a low temperature side so that the temperature of the blown air becomes low, and the amount of blown air is increased. Although a change is also made, there is a risk that the comfort of the occupant may be impaired by such a correction of the sudden blowout air temperature, the blowout air amount, and the blowout port mode. In addition, there is a problem in that if the amount of correction described above is reduced so as not to impair the passenger's comfort, the correction effect will be reduced, resulting in feeling hot.
[0006]
The present invention has been made in view of such problems of the prior art, and an object of the present invention is to provide an automobile air conditioner that does not impair passenger comfort even when the automobile engine load increases.
[0007]
[Means for Solving the Problems]
To achieve the above objective, The present invention The vehicle air conditioner includes a cooling cycle that uses an automobile engine as a power source, and adjusts the temperature of the intake air and then distributes the air into the room. Detecting means; map information storage means for storing map information of a point at which a high load acts on the automobile engine; and a quantity of heat entering the room of the host vehicle at the high load point stored in the map information storage means. First heat amount calculating means for calculating, a load fluctuation amount of the automobile engine when the host vehicle travels at the high load point, and calculating a cooling heat amount of the cooling cycle corresponding to the load fluctuation amount. When the cooling heat quantity of the cooling cycle obtained by the second heat quantity calculation means and the second heat quantity calculation means is equal to or less than a predetermined heat quantity, the first heat quantity calculation means Air conditioner control means for starting to control the air conditioning conditions in the room before reaching the high load point so as to compensate for the heat quantity obtained by subtracting the cooling heat quantity obtained by the second heat quantity calculating means from the intrusion heat quantity obtained. And.
[0008]
The present invention Then, first, the first heat quantity calculation means determines how much heat enters the vehicle interior at the high load point stored in the map information storage means. Further, when the host vehicle travels at the high load point, it is determined how much the load of the automobile engine fluctuates, and the amount of cooling heat provided from the cooling cycle due to this fluctuation is determined by the second heat amount calculating means. Ask.
[0009]
If the amount of cooling heat obtained by the second heat amount calculating means is sufficiently large, there is no problem because the indoor environment can be maintained even if a load is applied to the engine, but if the amount of cooling heat is equal to or less than a predetermined amount of heat, If the vehicle is traveling as it is at the high load point, the indoor air conditioning environment cannot be maintained comfortably. That is, the temperature rises higher than the set temperature, and the passenger feels hot. However, in order to compensate for this decrease in cooling capacity, if the cooling condition is increased while driving at a high load point, the engine load will increase more and the desired engine torque will not be produced, or sudden changes in air conditioning conditions may cause the passenger to It also results in discomfort.
[0010]
Therefore, in the present invention, the cooling cycle is minimized from the amount of cooling heat required at the high load point, that is, the amount of intrusion heat entering the room while traveling at the high load point, without applying an extra load to the automobile engine. It is said that the air conditioning environment in the room can be properly maintained if it can be gradually supplied before reaching the high load point, and the total amount of heat can be supplied before it reaches the high load point. Control indoor air conditioning conditions from a viewpoint.
[0011]
That is, before reaching the high load point by the air conditioner control means so as to supplement the heat quantity obtained by subtracting the cooling heat quantity obtained by the second heat quantity calculation means from the intrusion heat quantity obtained by the first heat quantity calculation means, Start controlling indoor air conditioning conditions.
[0012]
As a result, even if the automobile engine reaches a high load point, the room is cooled in advance and gradually, and even if the cooling capacity of the cooling cycle is reduced due to an increase in engine load, the indoor air conditioning environment remains unchanged. It can be maintained comfortably. Moreover, in this case, it is not necessary to increase the load acting on the automobile engine from the cooling cycle, such as increasing the refrigerant discharge amount of the compressor. Therefore, the engine torque can be maintained as it is and the running feeling is not reduced. .
[0013]
The present invention However, the map information storage means is not particularly limited and includes manual input. Air conditioner for automobile The map information storage means is based on information from a destination route setting unit that outputs a traveling route from a current position to a traveling destination when a traveling destination of the host vehicle is input, and information from the destination route setting unit. And a high load point detection unit that detects whether or not a high load point exists in the travel route of the host vehicle.
[0014]
This invention Then, when the travel destination of the host vehicle is input to the destination route setting unit, the travel route from the current position to the travel destination is output at the destination setting unit, and based on this output information, the high load point detection unit Thus, it is detected whether or not there is a point where a high load acts on the automobile engine in the traveling route of the host vehicle. Here, if a high load point exists in the travel route of the own vehicle, the above-mentioned invention As described above, after the intrusion heat amount and the cooling heat amount are calculated by the first and second heat amount calculation means, the air conditioner control means starts the control of the air conditioning condition before reaching the high load point.
[0015]
Therefore, since the air conditioner correction control is automatically executed only by inputting the traveling destination of the host vehicle, a passenger such as a driver does not need to perform a manual operation each time, and is convenient and safe.
[0016]
Of the present invention The air conditioner for automobiles is characterized in that the air conditioner control means reduces the load acting on the automobile engine from the cooling cycle when the own vehicle reaches a high load point detected by the map information storage means. .
[0017]
If the load acting from the cooling cycle is reduced when the automobile engine has a high load, the total load on the engine is reduced and the running feeling is improved. Here, as means for reducing the load acting on the automobile engine from the cooling cycle, for example, the compressor clutch is disengaged, or in the case of a variable displacement swash plate type compressor, the swash plate is made upright to shorten the compression stroke. Can be mentioned.
[0018]
Although not particularly limited in the above invention, Air conditioner for automobile Are vehicle speed detection means for detecting the vehicle speed of the own vehicle, traffic information acquisition means for acquiring traffic information, the own vehicle position detected by the own vehicle position detection means, and map information stored in the map information storage means An arrival time calculating means for calculating a time required for the host vehicle to reach the high load point based on the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detecting means and the traffic information acquired by the traffic information acquiring means; And the air conditioner control means starts controlling the air conditioning conditions in the room when the required time obtained by the arrival time calculating means falls within a predetermined value.
[0019]
Also, The present invention In the automobile air conditioner, the arrival time calculation means calculates a required time for the host vehicle to pass through the high load point in addition to a required time until the host vehicle reaches the high load point. The amount of heat calculating means calculates the amount of heat entering the vehicle interior in consideration of the time required to pass through the high load point, and the second amount of heat calculating means passes through the high load point. The load fluctuation amount of the automobile engine and the cooling heat amount of the cooling cycle are calculated in consideration of the required time.
[0020]
The present invention Then, since the required time from the current location to the high load point is obtained, any one of the intrusion heat amount obtained by the first heat amount calculating means, the cooling heat amount obtained by the second heat amount calculating means, and the corrected heat amount corrected by the air conditioner control means is selected. Can also be determined taking into account the time factor. As a result, for example, even if the amount of intrusion heat increases because the high load point is congested, correction control considering this can be executed.
[0021]
The present invention Then, although the time required to reach the high load point is obtained, the present invention may obtain the distance to the high load point instead of or in addition to this, and perform correction control using this distance factor. That is, Of the present invention The vehicle air conditioner calculates a distance between the host vehicle and the high load point from the host vehicle position information detected by the host vehicle position detection unit and the map information stored in the map information storage unit. The air conditioner control means starts to control the air conditioning condition to the room when the distance obtained by the distance calculation means falls within a predetermined value.
[0022]
Although not particularly limited in the above invention, Of the present invention The automotive air conditioner further includes an air conditioning state storage unit that stores an air conditioning state before the start of control of the air conditioning condition by the air conditioner control unit, and the air conditioner control unit, when the host vehicle passes the high load point, The air conditioning state stored in the air conditioning state storage means is read out and returned to the original state.
[0023]
When the vehicle passes through the high load point, the correction control that has been executed until then becomes unnecessary, so it is desirable to restore the indoor air conditioning state to the original state. For this reason, The present invention Then, the air conditioning state before the start of the correction control of the air conditioning condition is stored in the air conditioning state storage means, and when the own vehicle passes the high load point, information on the previous air conditioning state is read from the air conditioning state storage means, Return to the state. By doing so, the indoor air-conditioning environment immediately returns to a comfortable state, and manual operation is unnecessary, which is convenient and safe.
[0024]
Although not particularly limited in the above invention, Of the present invention In the automotive air conditioner, the high load point includes at least an uphill road. On the uphill road, a high load acts on the automobile engine, and the cooling capacity of the cooling cycle is reduced. Therefore, the above invention is preferably applied.
[0025]
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
Hereinafter, embodiments of the present invention will be described with reference to the drawings.
First, an embodiment of an automobile air conditioner main body according to the present invention will be described. FIG. 1 is a block diagram (claim correspondence diagram) showing the air conditioner for an automobile of the present invention, and FIG. 2 is an air for an automobile of the present invention. FIG. 3 is a block diagram showing an air conditioner unit body according to the present invention, and FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing a part of the air conditioner unit shown in FIG.
[0026]
As shown in FIG. 3, an automotive air conditioner 200 according to this embodiment is a so-called front / rear / right / left independent temperature control air conditioner, and mainly controls the temperature by dividing a vehicle interior into four regions. The intake unit 210, the cooler unit 220, and the heater unit 230 are configured.
[0027]
In the following description, the front / rear / left / right independent temperature control air conditioner is taken as an example, but the automotive air conditioner of the present invention is not limited to such a front / rear left / right independent temperature control air conditioner, but is a left / right independent temperature control air conditioner. Even a non-independent air conditioner can be applied.
[0028]
The intake unit 210 is provided with an intake door 213 that opens and closes the outside air intake port 211 and the inside air intake port 212 at any opening degree, and a fan 215 that is rotated by a motor 214. While the mixing ratio of the inside and outside air introduced into the room is determined, the amount of air introduced into the vehicle interior is determined according to the rotational speed of the fan 215. The intake door 213 is driven and controlled by an intake door actuator 216, and the motor 214 is driven and controlled by a fan control amplifier 217.
[0029]
The cooler unit 220 is provided with an evaporator 221 (evaporator) for cooling the air introduced by the intake unit 210. The evaporator 221 includes a compressor, a condenser (condenser), an expansion valve, and a liquid tank. A cooling cycle (all of which are not shown in the figure) configured by the above is connected, and the refrigerant compressed by the compressor is supplied. The compressor that can be used in this embodiment includes a compressor with a clutch that turns on and off the driving force from an automobile engine via a clutch, and a swash plate that is clutchless, such as a variable displacement swash plate compressor. There is a type of compressor that can reduce the load on the automobile engine by changing the angle.
[0030]
The heater unit 230 is provided with a heater core 231 through which engine cooling water circulates, and bypass paths 232 and 232 that bypass the heater core 231 are formed on both sides thereof. The air flowing down the cooler unit 220 is heated by passing through the heater core 231.
[0031]
In the heater unit 230 of the present embodiment, two air mix doors, a front air mix door 233f and a rear air mix door 233r, are rotatably provided on the upstream side of the heater core 231. The front air mix door 233f is an air mix door for controlling the temperature of the conditioned air blown to the front seat, while the rear air mix door 233r controls the temperature of the conditioned air blown to the rear seat. It is an air mix door. That is, regarding the front airmic door 233f, the ratio of the amount of air passing through the heater core 231 (half) and the amount of air passing through the bypass 232 is determined in accordance with the opening thereof, thereby the front seat described later. The temperature of the air flowing down to the side air distribution passage 235f is adjusted. Similarly for the rear air mix door 233r, the temperature of the air flowing down to the rear seat side air distribution passage 235r is adjusted according to the opening degree of the rear air mix door 233r.
[0032]
These two air mix doors 233f and 233r are driven and controlled by a front air mix door actuator 234f and a rear air mix door actuator 234r, respectively.
[0033]
The downstream side of the heater core 231 is partitioned by a partition wall 236 into an air distribution passage 235f toward the front seat and an air distribution passage 235r toward the rear seat, and the air distribution passage 235f toward the front seat is The front seat differential outlet 237, the front seat differential door 237D for opening and closing the front seat vent outlet 238, the front seat vent outlet 238D for opening and closing the front seat vent door 238D, the front seat foot outlet 239, and the front seat foot door 239D for opening and closing the front seat vent outlet 238 Is provided. Since the combination of the opening and closing positions of these three front seat doors 237D, 238D, and 239D is determined in the front seat side outlet mode, the front mode actuator 240 collectively controls the driving through the link mechanism.
[0034]
On the other hand, the air distribution passage 235r formed on the downstream side of the heater core 231 toward the rear seat side distributes air flowing through the front seat side air distribution passage 235f and the rear seat side air distribution passage 235r. A rear mode door 245 for adjusting the air distribution ratio of conditioned air blown out from the front / rear air distribution ratio adjusting door 241D for adjusting the ratio, the rear seat vent outlet 243, and the rear seat foot outlet 244, respectively. And are provided.
[0035]
The front / rear air distribution ratio adjusting door 241D is driven and controlled by the front / rear air distribution ratio adjusting door actuator 242, and can rotate between a position where the rear seat side air distribution passage 235r is fully opened and a position where it is fully closed. When the front / rear air distribution ratio adjusting door 241D is rotated to a position where a part of the rear seat air distribution passage 235r is blocked, the partition between the front seat air distribution passage 235f and the rear seat air distribution passage 235r is provided. Since a part of the communication path 241 established in the wall 236 is opened, a part of the conditioned air that has passed through the rear seat side of the heater core 231 flows down to the front seat side air distribution path 235f, and is thereby blown out to the front seat side. The amount of air distribution increases relative to the rear seat side.
[0036]
Since the front / rear air distribution ratio adjusting door 241D is provided to make the temperature difference between the front seat side and the rear seat side more sensitive, it is preferable for the independent temperature control type air conditioner of the present invention. Although it is a form, it is not necessarily essential.
[0037]
The rear mode door 245 is driven and controlled by the rear mode door actuator 246, and the ratio of the conditioned air flowing down to the rear seat vent outlet 243 and the rear seat foot outlet 244 in accordance with the opening degree of the rear mode door 245. Is adjusted.
[0038]
A front duct 247f and a rear duct 247r shown in FIG. 4 are connected to the front seat air distribution passage 235f and the rear seat air distribution passage 235r, respectively. More specifically, a front duct 247f is connected to each of the front seat vent outlet 238 and the front seat foot outlet 239 of the front seat side air distribution passage 235f, and the rear seat side air distribution passage 235r A rear duct 247r is connected to each of the rear seat vent outlet 243 and the rear seat foot outlet 244. FIG. 4 illustrates one of each.
[0039]
The front duct 247f connected to the front seat vent outlet 238 is routed in the instrument panel and extends in the left-right direction of the vehicle, and in the center mainly blows conditioned air toward the upper body of the occupant. Vent grills 252 are provided, and left and right ends are provided with side grilles (blower outlets to the side window glass in the present invention) 253 for mainly blowing conditioned air toward the side window glass.
[0040]
In addition, a front left / right airflow ratio adjusting door 248 is provided in the front duct 247f connected to the front seat vent outlet 238 for adjusting the left / right (driver's seat and front passenger's seat) airflow ratio. The front left / right air distribution ratio adjusting door actuator 249 controls the drive. When the front left / right air distribution ratio adjusting door 248 is rotated from the neutral position, for example, to the right seat side, the amount of air flowing down to the left seat side increases and the amount of air flowing down to the right seat side is that much. Decrease. Thereby, the air-conditioning capacity of the left and right seats on the front seat side changes.
[0041]
Similarly to the front duct 247f, a rear left / right air distribution ratio adjusting door 250 for adjusting the air distribution ratio of the left and right rear seats is provided in the rear duct 247r, and is driven by a rear left / right air distribution ratio adjusting door actuator 251. Be controlled. When the rear left / right air distribution ratio adjusting door 250 is rotated from the neutral position to the right seat side, for example, the amount of air flowing down to the left seat side increases and the amount of air flowing down to the right seat side is that much. Decrease. Thereby, the air-conditioning capability of the left and right seats on the rear seat side changes.
[0042]
Intake door actuator 216, fan control amplifier 217, front air mix door actuator 234f, rear air mix door actuator 234r, front mode actuator 240, front / rear air distribution ratio adjusting door actuator 242, rear mode door actuator 246, front left / right air distribution Command signals for the ratio adjusting door actuator 249 and the rear left / right air distribution ratio adjusting door actuator 251 are respectively sent from the air conditioner control unit 21 shown in FIG. 2 (corresponding to the air conditioner control means 7 shown in FIG. 1).
[0043]
In addition to the front / rear / right / left independent temperature control air conditioner main body 20, the automotive air conditioner 10 of the present embodiment includes a navigation system 30.
[0044]
FIG. 2 is a block diagram showing the overall configuration of the automotive air conditioner 10 according to the present embodiment. Incidentally, in this figure, the air conditioner body 20 described above detects the amount of solar radiation that is provided on the top surface of the instrument panel, etc. in addition to the units and various actuators shown in FIGS. A solar radiation sensor 22 that outputs a corresponding signal, an internal temperature sensor 23 that is provided on the front surface of an instrument panel in the passenger compartment, detects the temperature in the passenger compartment, and outputs a corresponding signal, and a hood in the engine room An outside air temperature sensor 24 that is provided in a part not affected by the driving wind such as the lower side of the lock stay and that detects the outside air temperature and outputs a signal corresponding thereto, and an air conditioner controller provided in front of the instrument panel The signals from the various operation sections 25 are microcomputers (air conditioner control) composed of CPU, ROM, RAM and the like. Are connected as input to the unit) 21.
[0045]
In the ROM of the air conditioner control unit 21, the optimum indoor environment while taking into account the environmental information captured from the solar radiation sensor 22, the internal air temperature sensor 23, and the external air temperature sensor 24 with respect to the indoor temperature set by the operation unit 25. The control logic for realizing the above is stored, and the above-described various actuators are driven and controlled based on the calculation results of the control logic.
[0046]
The navigation system 30 according to the present embodiment includes a GPS antenna 32 for receiving a radio wave transmitted from a GPS (Global Positioning System) artificial satellite, and the current location of the vehicle based on the received signal from the GPS antenna 32, and the progress of the vehicle. A GPS receiver 33 for calculating the direction, a gyrocompass 34 for detecting a change in the traveling direction of the host vehicle, a vehicle speed sensor 35 for detecting the traveling speed of the host vehicle, and various passengers An operation unit 36 for inputting the command, a player 37 for reading the map information from a CD-ROM storing road information (map information) for displaying a road map, and a road map and the current location are displayed. A display device 38 including a liquid crystal display and the like, a GPS receiver 33, a gyro compass 34, a vehicle speed sensor 3 Then, the information from the operation unit 36 and the CD-ROM player 37 is taken in, and the current location, the traveling direction, the target travel destination, etc. of the own vehicle are mainly displayed on the display device 38, and the driving guidance of the own vehicle is given to the driver. A navigation control unit (corresponding to the destination route setting unit 2A in FIG. 1) 31 is provided.
[0047]
The GPS receiver 32 is used for so-called GPS navigation, and measures the current location and traveling direction of the host vehicle based on radio waves from a GPS artificial satellite. On the other hand, the gyrocompass 34 and the vehicle speed sensor 35 are used for so-called autonomous navigation, and detect the relative movement amount of the vehicle and update the current location and the traveling direction sequentially while updating the current location and the traveling direction. This is supplemented when the measurement result by the GPS receiver 33 is not normal, such as when the vehicle cannot receive radio waves from the artificial satellite.
[0048]
The navigation control unit 31 of the navigation system 30 and the above-described air conditioner control unit 21 are connected so as to be able to communicate with each other, and in response to a request from the air conditioner control unit 21, mainly the current location (longitude, latitude, and altitude) of the host vehicle. Is sent from the navigation control unit 31.
[0049]
In the present embodiment, a traffic information receiver 40 (corresponding to the traffic information acquisition means 3B in FIG. 1) for acquiring the traffic information from a communication network providing traffic information such as VICS is mounted. Traffic information near the target point is received and sent to the navigation control unit 31.
[0050]
Furthermore, in the automotive air conditioner 10 of the present embodiment, the air conditioner control unit 21 (or the navigation control unit 21) may include an automobile in the travel route between the current position of the host vehicle and the travel destination. A point where a high load acts on the engine, for example, whether there is an uphill road is detected (this corresponds to the high load point detector 2B of the present invention). This control logic determines whether or not an uphill road exists in the travel route based on the travel route information and map information of the host vehicle set by the navigation control unit 21.
[0051]
On the other hand, the air conditioner control unit 21 (or the navigation control unit 21) may calculate the first amount of heat Qin that enters the interior of the vehicle on the uphill road that exists on the travel route described above. 4A (refer to FIG. 1) of the calorific value calculation means and how much load the engine receives when the vehicle travels on the uphill road, thereby reducing the cooling cycle capacity (actually the refrigerant discharge amount of the compressor) The second heat quantity calculating means 4B (see FIG. 2) is provided for calculating how much the cooling heat quantity Qcp is. The hardware configuration includes a ROM that stores an arithmetic program, a RAM that temporarily stores input data, and a CPU that executes actual arithmetic processing.
[0052]
Then, in the air conditioner control unit 21, when the cooling heat quantity Qcp of the cooling cycle obtained by the second heat quantity calculation means 4B becomes equal to or less than a predetermined value, the second heat quantity Qin obtained by the first heat quantity calculation means 4A is calculated from the second heat quantity Qin. In order to compensate for the heat quantity ΔQ obtained by subtracting the cooling heat quantity Qcp obtained by the heat quantity calculating means 4B, control of the air conditioning conditions in the room is started immediately before reaching the uphill road.
[0053]
In these first and second heat quantity calculation means 4A and 4B, an arrival time calculation means 5 (see FIG. 1) is used to add a time factor when calculating the heat quantity Qin entering the room and the cooling heat quantity Qcp of the cooling cycle. Is provided in the air conditioner control unit 21. In this arrival time calculating means 5, the vehicle position obtained by the navigation control unit 31, the map information stored in the CD player 37, and the vehicle speed sensor 35 (corresponding to the vehicle speed detecting means 3A in FIG. 1) are detected. Based on the vehicle speed and the traffic information acquired by the traffic information receiver 40, the time required for the host vehicle to reach the uphill road is calculated. At the same time, the time required to pass the uphill road is calculated. Based on this required time for passage, the first calorific value calculation means 4A calculates the amount of heat Qin entering the room, and the second calorific value calculation means 4B calculates the load fluctuation amount of the automobile engine and the cooling heat amount Qcp of the cooling cycle. Is calculated.
[0054]
Further, in the present embodiment, the air conditioner control unit 21 is provided with a memory (corresponding to the air condition state storage means 6 in FIG. 1) for returning to the normal state after executing the correction control of the air conditioner on the uphill road. . This memory stores the state before the start of correction control of air conditioning conditions such as the various actuators 26 and the compressor 9 (see FIG. 1).
[0055]
Next, this operation will be described in detail.
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a main routine in the air conditioner control unit 21 of FIG. 2, and FIGS. 6 and 7 are flowcharts showing a subroutine of step 20 of FIG.
[0056]
First, in step 10 shown in FIG. 5, detection signals are taken into the air conditioner control unit 21 from the solar radiation sensor 22, the inside air temperature sensor 23, the outside air temperature sensor 24, and the operation unit 25 at predetermined time intervals.
[0057]
Separately from this, the travel destination of the host vehicle is input to the navigation system 30 and a travel route is set. Specifically, when a travel destination is input from the operation unit 36 of the navigation system 30, based on the current position obtained from the GPS receiver 33 and the gyrocompass 34 and the map information stored in the CD-ROM player 37, A travel route from the current position to the travel destination is calculated by the navigation control unit 31 and displayed on the display device 38 together with the map image.
[0058]
Next, air conditioning correction at a high load point (hereinafter referred to as an uphill road) is executed at step 20, which is first performed at step 201 shown in FIG. The latitude and altitude are taken into the air conditioner control unit 21 from the navigation control unit 31. Subsequently, at step 202, the current host vehicle position is compared with the travel route, and at step 203, it is determined whether there is an uphill road in the travel route. This determination can identify whether the road is an uphill road from map data stored in a CD-ROM, for example.
[0059]
If such an uphill road is present in the travel route, in step 204, the inclination angle of the uphill road is first read out from the map data on the CD-ROM and obtained. Using the information receiver 40, the traffic information of the travel route is captured. In step 206, the vehicle speed of the host vehicle is acquired from the vehicle speed sensor 35.
[0060]
From the inclination angle of the uphill road, the traffic jam information, and the vehicle speed obtained in steps 204 to 206, in step 207, the load fluctuation pattern of the automobile engine when the host vehicle travels on the uphill road is predicted. At the same time, the amount of heat Qin entering the room when traveling on the uphill road is calculated.
[0061]
In step 208, based on the engine load fluctuation pattern obtained in step 207, the compressor discharge amount fluctuation in the cooling cycle is calculated. In step 209, the cooling heat amount Qcp of the cooling cycle is obtained from the discharge amount fluctuation of the compressor.
[0062]
In step 210, it is determined whether or not the cooling heat quantity Qcp obtained in step 209 is smaller than a preset control switching value (threshold value). Is not obtained, the process proceeds to step 211 shown in FIG. If the cooling heat quantity Qcp obtained in step 209 is equal to or greater than the control switching value, the process returns assuming that sufficient cooling capacity can be exhibited.
[0063]
In step 211, it is determined whether or not the vehicle has approached a predetermined distance before the uphill road. The predetermined distance before this uphill road is calculated as follows. FIG. 8 is a graph showing the relationship between time and temperature when the discharge amount of the compressor is lowered on the uphill road. In the figure, Qin indicates the amount of heat entering the room when traveling on the uphill road. When the correction control is started from the point of Time 0 before this and continues to the end point of the uphill road, the amount of cooling heat supplied to the room is indicated by the hatched portion of the correction control (1) in FIG. When these heat amounts are equal, the indoor heat amount as a whole does not increase even if the discharge amount of the compressor is reduced on the uphill road, so that the indoor environment is maintained. From this point of view, the point Time0 where correction control is started is calculated and obtained.
[0064]
When the distance to the uphill road is larger (far) than the predetermined value, the process returns. However, when the distance is within the predetermined value, the process proceeds to step 212, and first, the current air distribution and air volume are stored in the air conditioning state storage means 6 (see FIG. 1) To remember.
[0065]
In steps 213 and 214, the fan control amplifier 217 is controlled to increase the amount of conditioned air blown into the room. In step 215, it is determined whether the air intake port of the intake unit 210 is the inside air mode or the outside air mode. If it is the outside air mode, the intake door 213 is controlled so that the inside air mode is set in step 216. Further, in step 217, it is determined whether the outlet mode is the vent mode or any other mode. If it is a mode other than the vent mode, the front mode actuator 240 and the rear mode actuator 246 are controlled in step 218 to enter the vent mode. Set.
[0066]
As a result, a large amount of cool air is supplied to the upper body of the occupant in the inside air circulation mode, and the amount of cooling heat indicated by the correction control (1) shown in FIG. 8 is supplied indoors.
[0067]
When the uphill road is reached, the clutch is turned off to reduce the load acting on the engine from the compressor, or in the case of a variable displacement swash plate compressor, the inclination angle of the swash plate is changed in the upright direction. Also good.
[0068]
After that, when passing through the uphill road, the process proceeds to step 218 based on the determination in step 217. In this step 218, the previous air distribution and air volume stored in the air-conditioning state storage means 6 are read out and returned to the original air-conditioning state. In this way, when the correction control on the uphill road is completed, the original air-conditioning state is immediately restored, so that the uncomfortable feeling of the indoor environment is reduced.
[0069]
Although the correction on the uphill road is performed by the above control logic, the process returns to FIG. 5 and shifts to the control logic of a general auto air conditioner.
[0070]
That is, in steps 30 and 40, the conditioned air having the optimum temperature for each seat is determined based on the sensor values of the solar radiation sensor 22, the internal air temperature sensor 23, the external air temperature sensor 24, and the operation unit 25 input in step 10. To calculate the opening degree of the front air mix door 233f and the rear air mix door 233r, and send a command signal to each of the front air mix door actuator 234f and the rear air mix door actuator 234r.
[0071]
In the next step 50, ON / OFF of the magnet clutch of the compressor connected to the evaporator 221 of the cooler unit 220 is controlled according to whether cooling or dehumidification is necessary. This compressor control may be forcibly controlling the inclination angle of the swash plate instead of turning the magnet clutch on and off when a variable displacement compressor is mounted.
[0072]
In step 60, the front seat blowing mode determined by the combination of the opening degree of the front seat differential door 237D, the front seat vent door 238D and the front seat foot door 239D and the rear blowing mode determined by the opening degree of the rear mode door 245 are controlled. Therefore, a command signal is sent to each of the front mode actuator 240 and the rear mode door actuator 246.
[0073]
In step 70, fine adjustment of the air distribution ratio of the left and right seats in each of the front seat and the rear seat for which the blowing mode is determined is executed. That is, in order to drive the front left / right air distribution ratio adjusting door 248 and the rear left / right air distribution ratio adjusting door 250 shown in FIG. 4 to appropriate positions, the front left / right air distribution ratio adjusting door actuator 249 and the rear left / right air distribution ratio adjusting door 250 are driven. A command signal is sent to each of the actuators 251.
[0074]
Finally, in step 80, a command signal is sent to the fan control amplifier 217 to control the rotational speed of the fan 215 in order to control the total air volume blown into the passenger compartment. In step 90, a command signal is sent to the intake door actuator 216 to perform other control, for example, to switch the intake door 213.
[0075]
The embodiment described above is described for facilitating the understanding of the present invention, and is not described for limiting the present invention. Therefore, each element disclosed in the above embodiment is intended to include all design changes and equivalents belonging to the technical scope of the present invention.
[0076]
【The invention's effect】
As described above, according to the present invention, even when the automobile engine reaches a high load point, the room is cooled in advance and gradually, and the cooling capacity of the cooling cycle decreases due to an increase in engine load. However, the indoor air-conditioning environment can be maintained comfortably. Moreover, in this case, it is not necessary to increase the load acting on the automobile engine from the cooling cycle, such as increasing the refrigerant discharge amount of the compressor. Therefore, the engine torque can be maintained as it is and the running feeling is not reduced. .
[Brief description of the drawings]
FIG. 1 is a block diagram (claim correspondence diagram) showing an air conditioner for an automobile of the present invention.
FIG. 2 is a configuration diagram showing an embodiment of an automotive air conditioner of the present invention.
FIG. 3 is a configuration diagram showing an air conditioner unit body according to the present invention.
4 is a configuration diagram showing a part of the air conditioner unit shown in FIG. 3;
FIG. 5 is a flowchart showing a main routine in the air conditioner control unit of FIG. 2;
FIG. 6 is a flowchart showing a subroutine of Step 20 in FIG. 5;
FIG. 7 is a flowchart showing a subroutine of step 20 in FIG. 5;
FIG. 8 is a graph for explaining correction control of the present invention.
[Explanation of symbols]
10 ... Air conditioner for automobile
1 ... Own vehicle position detection means
2 ... Map information storage means
2A: Destination route setting section
2B ... High load point detector
3A ... Vehicle speed detection means
3B ... Traffic information acquisition means
4A ... 1st calorie | calculation means
4B ... 2nd calorie | calculation means
5 ... Arrival time calculation means
6 ... Air-conditioning state storage means
7 ... Air conditioner control means
8. Various actuators
9 ... Compressor

Claims (8)

In a vehicle air conditioner that includes a cooling cycle that uses an automobile engine as a power source, adjusts the temperature of the intake air, and then distributes the air into the room, the vehicle position detection means for detecting the traveling position of the vehicle,
Map information storage means for storing map information of at least a point where a high load acts on the automobile engine;
Vehicle speed detection means for detecting the vehicle speed of the host vehicle;
Traffic information acquisition means for acquiring traffic information;
Based on the own vehicle position detected by the own vehicle position detection means, the map information stored in the map information storage means, the vehicle speed detected by the vehicle speed detection means, and the traffic information acquired by the traffic information acquisition means. An arrival time calculating means for calculating a required time until the host vehicle reaches the high load point ;
First calorific value calculating means for calculating the amount of heat entering the vehicle interior at the high load point stored in the map information storing means;
A second heat amount calculating means for calculating a load fluctuation amount of the automobile engine when the host vehicle travels at the high load point, and calculating a cooling heat amount of the cooling cycle corresponding to the load fluctuation amount;
When the cooling heat quantity of the cooling cycle obtained by the second heat quantity calculation means is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the cooling obtained by the second heat quantity calculation means from the intrusion heat quantity obtained by the first heat quantity calculation means. Air conditioner control that starts controlling the air conditioning conditions in the room when the required time to reach the high load point is within a predetermined value so as to compensate for the amount of heat reduced by the amount of heat before reaching the high load point And an air conditioner for an automobile. The arrival time calculating means calculates a required time for the host vehicle to pass through the high load point in addition to a required time until the host vehicle reaches the high load point, and the first calorific value calculating means The amount of heat entering the interior of the host vehicle is calculated in consideration of the time required to pass through the load point, and the second heat amount calculation means takes into account the time required to pass through the high load point. The vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the load fluctuation amount of the engine and the cooling heat amount of the cooling cycle are calculated. Air conditioning control to the room is started from a point where the required time to reach the high load point is within a predetermined value, and is supplied to the room when this is continued to the end point of the high load point. The automotive air conditioner according to claim 1, wherein the predetermined value is calculated so that a cooling heat amount becomes equal to a heat amount entering the room when the host vehicle travels through the high load point. In a vehicle air conditioner that includes a cooling cycle that uses an automobile engine as a power source, adjusts the temperature of the intake air, and then distributes the air into the room, the vehicle position detection means for detecting the traveling position of the vehicle,
Map information storage means for storing map information of at least a point where a high load acts on the automobile engine;
Distance calculating means for calculating the distance between the own vehicle and the high load point from the own vehicle position information detected by the own vehicle position detecting means and the map information stored in the map information storing means;
First calorific value calculating means for calculating the amount of heat entering the vehicle interior at the high load point stored in the map information storing means;
A second heat amount calculating means for calculating a load fluctuation amount of the automobile engine when the host vehicle travels at the high load point, and calculating a cooling heat amount of the cooling cycle corresponding to the load fluctuation amount;
When the cooling heat quantity of the cooling cycle obtained by the second heat quantity calculation means is equal to or less than a predetermined value, the cooling obtained by the second heat quantity calculation means from the intrusion heat quantity obtained by the first heat quantity calculation means. Air conditioner control means for starting control of the air conditioning condition in the room when the distance between the host vehicle and the high load point falls within a predetermined value so as to compensate for the amount of heat reduced by the amount of heat before reaching the high load point; An automotive air conditioner comprising: The map information storage means outputs a travel route from the current position to the travel destination when the travel destination of the host vehicle is input, and based on information from the destination route setting unit. The vehicle air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 4 , further comprising a high load point detection unit that detects whether or not the high load point exists in a travel route of the vehicle. The air conditioner control means reduces the load acting on the automobile engine from the cooling cycle until the vehicle reaches the high load point detected by the map information storage means until it passes through the high load point. The automobile air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 5 .   Air conditioning state storage means for storing the air conditioning state before the start of correction control of the air conditioning conditions by the air conditioner control means is further included, and the air conditioner control means stores the air conditioning state storage means when the host vehicle passes the high load point. The air conditioner for automobiles according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the stored air conditioning state is read and returned to the original state. The automobile air conditioner according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the high load point includes at least an uphill road.

Images