METHOD AND SYSTEM FOR CONDITIONING THE AIR IN A PASSENGER COMPARTMENT OF AN ELECTRIC VEHICLE, AND ELECTRIC VEHICLE IMPLEMENTING SUCH A METHOD OR SYSTEM

Abstract

A method for conditioning the air of the passenger compartment of an electric vehicle, which includes: a preliminary step conditioning the air in at least one portion of the passenger compartment by an air-conditioning device supplied with power by a power source external to the vehicle, when the vehicle is linked to the external power source; and a main step conditioning the air in the at least one portion of the passenger compartment, by an air-conditioning device supplied with power by a vehicle fossil power source during use of the vehicle; the preliminary step conditioning the air giving priority to the conditioning of the air, in a driver area of the vehicle. A system implementing such a method and an electric vehicle, in particular, an electric bus, implementing such a method or system is also provided.

Claims

1. A method of conditioning the air in the passenger compartment of an electric vehicle in which all of the energy for the movement thereof is supplied by an on-board electrical energy source chargeable from an external source, said method comprising: a step, called preliminary step, carrying out a conditioning of the air in at least one part of said passenger compartment by at least one air conditioning device supplied by an electrical source external to said vehicle, when said vehicle is connected to said external electrical source, and a step, called main step, carrying out a conditioning of the air in said at least one part of said passenger compartment by at least one air conditioning device supplied by an electrical energy source supplied by a fossil fuel tank on board said vehicle, during use of said vehicle; and the preliminary step carries out air conditioning as a priority, in a driver's area of said vehicle.

2. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a step of initiating the preliminary step, in particular at a distance from the vehicle.

3. A method according to claim 1, characterized in that the main step is in addition carried out from at least one battery of the vehicle, in addition to the on-board fossil fuel-based electricity source.

4. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the preliminary step is carried out without starting the electric motor or motors of said electric vehicle.

5. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the preliminary step is initiated automatically depending on at least one of the following parameters: a predetermined time; a predetermined period before said vehicle is collected, for example following an inactive/garaged phase of the vehicle; an external temperature; an internal temperature in at least one part of the passenger compartment, an external humidity level; and an internal humidity level in at least one part of the passenger compartment.

6. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the main step is initiated automatically when: the preliminary step is stopped, the vehicle begins to move, the vehicle is disconnected from the external electrical source, and/or the temperature, respectively the humidity level, inside the at least one part of the passenger compartment which was conditioned during the preliminary step reaches a predetermined value; immediately or optionally after a predetermined period following at least one of these events.

7. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the preliminary step is stopped automatically when: the main step is initiated; the vehicle begins to move; the vehicle is disconnected from the external electrical source; and/or the temperature, respectively the humidity level, inside the at least one part of the passenger compartment which was conditioned during the preliminary step reaches a predetermined value; immediately or optionally after a predetermined period following at least one of these events.

8. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the initiation of the main step, respectively the stopping of the preliminary step, is conditional on manual confirmation by an operator or a driver of the vehicle.

9. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the preliminary step and the main step are carried out by heat energy transfer to one and the same refrigerant.

10. The method according to claim 1, characterized in that the air conditioning carried out is a cooling or refreshing of air.

11. A system for conditioning air in the passenger compartment of an electric vehicle in which all of the energy for the movement thereof is supplied by an on-board electrical energy source which can be recharged from an external source, said system comprising: at least one electrical air conditioning unit; at least one electrical energy source supplied by a fossil fuel tank; and said system configured in order to implement all the steps of the method according to claim 1.

12. The system according to claim 11, characterized in that the conditioning of the air in the passenger compartment is carried out via a refrigerant, said system comprising: a circuit for circulating said fluid in the passenger compartment of the vehicle; and at least one evaporator, connected to said circuit.

13. An electric vehicle comprising one of: the system for conditioning the air according to claim 11; and means for implementing all the steps of the method according to a method of conditioning the air in the passenger compartment of an electric vehicle in which all of the energy for the movement thereof is supplied by an on-board electrical energy source chargeable from an external source, said method comprising: a step, called preliminary step, carrying out a conditioning of the air in at least one part of said passenger compartment by at least one air conditioning device supplied by an electrical source external to said vehicle, when said vehicle is connected to said external electrical source, and a step, called main step, carrying out a conditioning of the air in said at least one part of said passenger compartment by at least one air conditioning device supplied by an electrical energy source supplied by a fossil fuel tank on board said vehicle, during use of said vehicle; the preliminary step carries out air conditioning as a priority in a driver's area of said vehicle.

14. The electric vehicle according to claim 13, characterized in that it relates to an electric public transport land vehicle.

15. The electric vehicle according to claim 13, characterized in that it relates to a bus, a coach or a tired tram.

Description

DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES AND EMBODIMENTS

[0078] Other advantages and characteristics will become apparent from examining the detailed description of embodiments which are in no way limitative, and the attached drawings, in which:

[0079] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a non-limitative example of an electric vehicle according to the invention;

[0080] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a non-limitative example of a method according to the invention;

[0081] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of a non-limitative example of an air conditioning system according to the invention; and

[0082] FIG. 4 is a partial diagrammatic representation of the vehicle in FIG. 1 with the system in FIG. 3.

[0083] It is well understood that the embodiments that will be described hereinafter are in no way limitative. In particular, variants of the invention can be envisaged that comprise only a selection of the characteristics described below in isolation from the other features described, if this selection of features is sufficient to provide a technical advantage or to differentiate the invention with respect to the state of the prior art. This selection comprises at least one, preferably functional, characteristic without structural details, or with only a part of the structural details if this part alone is sufficient to confer a technical advantage or to differentiate the invention with respect to the state of the prior art.

[0084] In the figures, elements common to several figures retain the same reference.

[0085] FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic representation of a non-limitative example of an electric vehicle according to the invention.

[0086] The electric vehicle 100 shown in FIG. 1 is an electric bus comprising a passenger compartment delimited by a front wall 102, two longitudinal side walls 104 and 106, a rear wall 108, an upper wall 110 and a lower wall 112.

[0087] The electric bus comprises one or more electrical motors (not shown), electrical energy storage modules 114, called rear electrical energy storage modules, placed on the side of the rear wall 108. The bus 100 comprises in addition electrical energy storage modules 116, called upper electrical energy storage modules, placed in a housing arranged in the upper wall 110 of the bus 100.

[0088] The electric bus 100 is driven exclusively by the electrical energy supplied by the electrical energy storage modules 114 and 116, which can be batteries or supercapacitors.

[0089] The electrical energy storage modules 114 and 116 are recharged from an external electrical source, for example via a recharging cable or a pantograph, optionally comprising a pilot wire.

[0090] FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic representation of a non-limitative example of a method according to the invention, in the particular case of a cooling of air.

[0091] The method 200, shown in FIG. 2 comprises a step 202 of initiating a preliminary step of cooling, also called pre-cooling, of the passenger compartment, or of at least one part of the passenger compartment such as the driver's position, for example of the bus 100 in FIG. 1. The pre-cooling step is carried out by an air conditioning unit, supplied by an electricity source external to the vehicle to which said vehicle is connected, such as for example the power grid, directly or via one or more batteries.

[0092] The initiation step 202 comprises starting of the air conditioning unit.

[0093] The initiation step is carried out automatically, for example by a timer integrated in the vehicle and controlling the supply of the air conditioning unit.

[0094] Alternatively, the initiation of the pre-cooling step can be carried out by a remote server or by a charging terminal. The connection between the server and/or the charging terminal can be carried out in a wired manner, for example using the pilot wire of a charging cable connecting said vehicle to said charging terminal.

[0095] Alternatively, the connection between the server and/or the charging terminal can be carried out wirelessly, for example through a wireless communication network, such as the communication network used for mobile telephony.

[0096] According to an example embodiment, the pre-cooling step is initiated 15 minutes before the time the vehicle is collected for use, after an inactive step of the vehicle.

[0097] Initiation of the pre-cooling of the vehicle can be conditional on detecting the connection of said vehicle to an external electrical source. Such a detecting of the connection can be carried out via a pilot wire of the charging cable, or of the charging terminal of the electric vehicle.

[0098] A step 204 carries out pre-cooling of at least one part, or the entirety, of the passenger compartment of the vehicle by the air conditioning unit, through one or more terminals, or evaporators, distributed in the vehicle. The pre-cooling step is carried out until a predetermined temperature is reached, for example 25 C., and while the electric vehicle remains connected to the external electrical source. In fact, the air conditioning unit is supplied by the external electrical source.

[0099] Pre-cooling is carried out via a refrigerant, such as a refrigerant gas. The frigories stored by the fluid are then introduced into at least one part of the passenger compartment, such as the driver's position, using one or more evaporators.

[0100] A step 206 detecting the disconnection of the vehicle from the external electrical source. Such a detection can be carried out automatically using a pilot wire of the charging cable, or the charging terminal of the electric vehicle.

[0101] After detecting the disconnection, a step 208 carries out stopping the pre-cooling carried out using the energy supplied by the external source.

[0102] After stopping the pre-cooling, a step 210 carries out initiation of a main step of cooling, also called cooling, either of the part of the passenger compartment which was pre-cooled during the step 204, or of the entirety of the passenger compartment, with a fossil fuel source as an energy source on board the vehicle, such as for example a generator set operating on biofuel. This cooling step is carried out while the temperature of the passenger compartment is greater than a desired temperature, for example 21 C. The step 210 of initiating the cooling step can be conditional on the carrying out of at least one additional condition such as movement of the vehicle, or a manual confirmation by the driver, or the absence of a connection of the vehicle to an external electrical source, etc.

[0103] A step 212 thus carries out cooling either of the part of the passenger compartment which was pre-cooled during the step 204, or of the entirety of the passenger compartment, with the energy supplied by the generator set, in order to reach a pre-set desired temperature and as long as the additional condition(s) given above are respected.

[0104] Cooling is carried out via the same air conditioning unit and the same refrigerant as those used for the pre-cooling,

[0105] When the desired temperature is reached, or when one of the additional conditions is not respected, or even at the request of the driver, a step 214 stops the cooling step.

[0106] The steps 210-214 are then repeated as often as necessary in order to maintain a desired temperature in the passenger compartment of the electric vehicle.

[0107] FIG. 3 is a diagrammatic representation of a non-limitative example of a system according to the invention.

[0108] The system 300 shown in FIG. 3 comprises an electrical generator 302 for generating electricity from a fossil fuel, such as for example from gasoil, petrol or biofuel.

[0109] The system 300 comprises in addition an air conditioning unit 304, comprising a condenser and a compressor, and connected to a cooling circuit 306 in which a refrigerant circulates. The system comprises in addition one or more evaporators 308, connected to the cooling circuit 306, distributed in the passenger compartment of the vehicle in order to transfer the calories from the air located in the passenger compartment of the vehicle to the refrigerant.

[0110] The system 300 comprises in addition fresh air intake means 314 in the passenger compartment, a means 316 of extracting vitiated air from the passenger compartment, as well as a thermometer 318, or equivalent, to measure and communicate the temperature.

[0111] The system comprises in addition a central module (not shown), such as an electronic board, a processor or equivalent, in order to initiate and stop the air conditioning unit 304 and the evaporators 308, in particular individually.

[0112] During the preliminary cooling step, i.e. during the pre-cooling step, the air conditioning unit 304 and the evaporators 308 are supplied by a source external to the vehicle, such as for example a charging terminal, indicated by the line 310.

[0113] During the main step, the air conditioning unit 304 and the evaporators 308 are supplied by the electrical generator 302.

[0114] FIG. 4 is a partial diagrammatic representation of the bus in FIG. 1 with the system in FIG. 3, according to a side view and a top view.

[0115] The refrigerating circuit 306 as shown in FIG. 4 runs around the main part of the vehicle 100 in the lengthwise direction, for example substantially in a central part of the roof of the vehicle 100, such that it is substantially arranged at equal distance from the side walls of the vehicle 100.

[0116] The electrical generator 302 is arranged in the rear part of the bus, for example in a rear module of the bus, and the air conditioning unit 304 is placed in the rear part of the vehicle, for example on the roof of the bus.

[0117] An evaporator 308 is placed in the driver's position at the front of the bus. The other thermal evaporators 308 are arranged in the ceiling of the passenger compartment, and more particularly in the thickness of the ceiling of the passenger compartment, throughout the vehicle, in proximity to the side walls of the bus.

[0118] Of course, the invention is not limited to the examples which have just been described.