METHOD FOR CLIMATE CONTROL

Abstract

A method for climate control, in which an overall mass flow of air is guided through an auxiliary heater, which has multiple zones. The overall mass flow is divided after flowing through the auxiliary heater into multiple partial mass flows, and an nth partial mass flow respectively flows out of an nth zone. A value of at least one flow parameter of an nth partial mass flow is ascertained, and at least one manipulated variable of a respective nth zone is set in dependence on the value of the at least one flow parameter. Overheating of at least one zone of the auxiliary heater is avoided.

Claims

1-11. (canceled)

12. A method for climate control, in which an overall mass flow of air is guided through an auxiliary heater, which has multiple zones, wherein the overall mass flow is divided after flowing through the auxiliary heater into multiple partial mass flows, wherein an nth partial mass flow respectively flows out of an nth zone, wherein a value of at least one flow parameter of an nth partial mass flow is ascertained, wherein at least one manipulated variable of a respective nth zone is set in dependence on the value of the at least one flow parameter.

13. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the value of the at least one flow parameter of the nth partial mass flow is calculated and/or simulated and thus ascertained.

14. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein an absolute value of the at least one flow parameter is calculated from values of the at least one flow parameter of all partial mass flows by a model.

15. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein a value of at least one flow parameter of the overall mass flow, is detected by an overall detector, which is arranged before the auxiliary heater in a flow direction of the overall mass flow, and is thus ascertained, and/or in which the value of the at least one flow parameter of the nth partial mass flow is detected by an nth partial detector, which is arranged in a flow direction of the nth partial mass flow after the nth zone and is thus ascertained.

16. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein the nth partial mass flow is redirected by at least one nth flap, which is arranged after the nth zone of the auxiliary heater in the flow direction of the nth partial mass flow, wherein a position of the nth flap is set.

17. The method as claimed in claim 12, for the climate control of an interior of a vehicle.

18. The method as claimed in claim 12, wherein overheating of at least one zone of the auxiliary heater is avoided.

19. A climate control device, which has an auxiliary heater having multiple zones and a control unit, in which the auxiliary heater is designed to divide an overall mass flow of air, which is guided through the auxiliary heater, into multiple partial mass flows after flowing through the auxiliary heater, wherein an nth partial mass flow results respectively from an nth zone, wherein the control unit is designed to ascertain a value of at least one flow parameter of an nth partial mass flow and to set at least one manipulated variable of a respective nth zone in dependence on the value of the at least one flow parameter.

20. The climate control device as claimed in claim 19, which has a fan, which is designed to generate the overall mass flow of air and conduct it through the zones of the auxiliary heater.

21. The climate control device as claimed in claim 19, which has at least one flap, which is arranged after the auxiliary heater in the flow direction of the overall mass flow.

22. The climate control device as claimed in claim 19, which has a climate control unit, which is arranged after the auxiliary heater in the flow direction of the overall mass flow.

23. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein a value of at least one flow parameter of the overall mass flow, is detected by an overall detector, which is arranged before the auxiliary heater in a flow direction of the overall mass flow, and is thus ascertained, and/or in which the value of the at least one flow parameter of the nth partial mass flow is detected by an nth partial detector, which is arranged in a flow direction of the nth partial mass flow after the nth zone and is thus ascertained.

24. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein a value of at least one flow parameter of the overall mass flow, is detected by an overall detector, which is arranged before the auxiliary heater in a flow direction of the overall mass flow, and is thus ascertained, and/or in which the value of the at least one flow parameter of the nth partial mass flow is detected by an nth partial detector, which is arranged in a flow direction of the nth partial mass flow after the nth zone and is thus ascertained.

25. The method as claimed in claim 13, wherein the nth partial mass flow is redirected by at least one nth flap, which is arranged after the nth zone of the auxiliary heater in the flow direction of the nth partial mass flow, wherein a position of the nth flap is set.

26. The method as claimed in claim 14, wherein the nth partial mass flow is redirected by at least one nth flap, which is arranged after the nth zone of the auxiliary heater in the flow direction of the nth partial mass flow, wherein a position of the nth flap is set.

27. The method as claimed in claim 15, wherein the nth partial mass flow is redirected by at least one nth flap, which is arranged after the nth zone of the auxiliary heater in the flow direction of the nth partial mass flow, wherein a position of the nth flap is set.

28. The method as claimed in claim 13, for the climate control of an interior of a vehicle.

29. The method as claimed in claim 14, for the climate control of an interior of a vehicle.

30. The method as claimed in claim 15, for the climate control of an interior of a vehicle.

31. The method as claimed in claim 16, for the climate control of an interior of a vehicle.

Description

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURE

[0033] The invention is schematically illustrated on the basis of an embodiment in the drawing and is described schematically and in more detail with reference to the drawing.

[0034] FIG. 1 shows a schematic illustration of an embodiment of the climate control device according to the invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0035] The embodiment of the climate control device 2 schematically shown on the basis of FIG. 1 comprises a fan 4, an electrical auxiliary heater 6 having a first zone 8a and a second zone 8b, a first flap 10a, a second flap 10b, a climate control unit 12, a first vent 14a, and a second vent 14b.

[0036] This climate control device 2 is arranged in a housing, which is delimited here by a wall 30, in which the two vents 14a, 14b are located as openings of the climate control device 2 and/or the wall 30 in relation to an environment 32, which is climate controlled, i.e., heated and/or cooled, by the climate control device 2. In one possible embodiment, the climate control device 2 is provided for a vehicle, in particular for an interior of the vehicle, and is designed to control the climate of the interior as the environment 32.

[0037] During operation of the climate control device 2, an overall mass flow of air 16 is generated by the fan 4, which is directed onto the electrical auxiliary heater 6 and flows through it. It is provided here that the overall mass flow 16 is divided by the auxiliary heater 6 here into two partial mass flows 18a, 18b, in another embodiment possibly also into more than two partial mass flows. The first partial mass flow 18a result here from a first component of the overall mass flow 16, which has flowed through the first zone 8a. The second partial mass flow 18b results from a second component of the overall mass flow 16, which has flowed through the second zone 8b.

[0038] In addition, the climate control device 2 comprises a detector designed as an overall detector 34, which is arranged here between the fan 4 and the auxiliary heater 6 and is designed to acquire a value of at least one flow parameter of the overall mass flow 16, for example its temperature, and thus detect it.

[0039] In addition, the climate control device 2 comprises as further detectors a first partial detector 36a and a second partial detector 36b, wherein the first partial detector 36a is arranged here after the first zone 8a and before the climate control unit 12 in the flow direction of the overall mass flow 16 or the first partial mass flow 18a. A second partial detector 36b is arranged in the flow direction of the overall mass flow 16 or the second partial mass flow 18b after the second zone 8b of the auxiliary heater 6 and before the climate control device 12. A respective detector 36a, 36b is designed here to acquire and thus detect a value of at least one flow parameter of a respective partial mass flow 18a, 18b, which flows out of a respective zone 8a, 8b of the auxiliary heater 6. Furthermore, the device 2 has a control unit 38, which is designed to supervise an operation of the climate control device 2 and thus to control and/or regulate it in dependence on at least one detected mass flow, i.e., in dependence on the value of the at least one flow parameter of the at least one mass flow, i.e., of the partial mass flows 18a, 18b and possibly of the overall mass flow 16.

[0040] To supervise the climate control device, a manipulated variable is set, for example a heating power or temperature, of at least one zone 8a, 8b of the auxiliary heater and/or a manipulated variable of at least one flap 10a, 10b, for example a position of a respective flap 10a, 10b within a respective partial mass flow 18a, 18b. A respective flap 10a, 10b is designed here or is to be designated as a temperature flap and/or air flap.

[0041] The first partial mass flow 18a is guided in the flow direction to the climate control unit 12 in dependence on the position of the first flap 10a, which is connected downstream of the first zone 8a in the flow direction of the overall mass flow 16. Accordingly, the second partial mass flow 18b is guided in dependence on the position of the second flap 10b, which is arranged in the flow direction of the overall mass flow 16 after the second zone 8b, in the flow direction to the climate control unit 12. A possible movement of a respective flap 10a, 10b between two positions is indicated here by arrows 22a, 22b. Furthermore, the first partial mass flow 18a flows through the climate control unit 12 and is guided as the partial mass flow 20a controlled in climate by the climate control device 12 through the first vent 14a into the interior of the vehicle. The second partial mass flow 18b of air also flows through the climate control device 12 and is then guided as the partial mass flow 20b controlled in climate by the climate control unit 12 through the second vent 14b into the interior of the vehicle.

[0042] It is provided in one embodiment here that the second zone 8b has a higher temperature than the first zone 8a, wherein the first zone 8a can also be referred to as a bypass zone. Accordingly, the second partial mass flow 18b has a higher temperature than the first partial mass flow 18a. In the scope of one embodiment of the method according to the invention, the second partial mass flow 18b is guided through the second zone 8b, which can also be referred to as a heating zone.

[0043] In the second zone 8b, an overtemperature or excessively high temperature can occur if the component of the overall mass flow 16 which flows through the second zone 8b and from which the second partial mass flow 18b results is excessively small.

[0044] Due to the difference of the temperatures of the two partial mass flows 18a, 18b, the climate control unit 12 through which the partial mass flows 18a, 18b flow has an inhomogeneous temperature distribution, so that the resulting partial mass flows 20a, 20b also have different temperatures.

[0045] In the embodiment of the climate control device 2, it is provided that a model is stored in the control unit 38, using which an amount of the partial mass flows 18a, 18b, i.e., an amount of the at least one flow parameter of the partial mass flows 18a, 18b is calculated from values of the at least one flow parameter of the partial mass flows 18a, 18b, alone or in combination, wherein a respective value of the at least one flow parameter of a respective partial mass flow 18a, 18b is taken into consideration. If it results here that the temperature of the second partial mass flow 18b is excessively high, the heating power of the second zone 8b of the auxiliary heater 6 is reduced.

LIST OF REFERENCE SIGNS

[0046] 2 climate control device [0047] 4 fan [0048] 6 auxiliary heater [0049] 8a, 8b zone [0050] 10a, 10b flap [0051] 12 climate control unit [0052] 14a, 14b vent [0053] 16 overall mass flow [0054] 18a, 18b partial mass flow [0055] 20a, 20b partial mass flow [0056] 22a, 22b arrow [0057] 30 wall [0058] 32 environment [0059] 34 overall detector [0060] 36a, 36b partial detector [0061] 38 control unit