Test bench for automotive vehicle air conditioning unit and test method using said bench.

Description

1 / 10 Test bench for automotive vehicle air conditioning unit and test method using said bench. FIELD OF THE INVENTION

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of the automotive industry, focusing more specifically on the development of an innovative methodology for analyzing and testing the air conditioning system of an automotive vehicle, as well as on the development of equipment for applying the proposed methodology, allowing the reproduction under controlled conditions of the air conditioning system's climate cycle, in order to evaluate the effectiveness of the components in combating the proliferation of odor-causing microorganisms, under temperature and humidity conditions that favor their development. Additionally, said equipment allows the aforementioned analysis with the air conditioning system external to the vehicle in a practical and efficient manner. The configuration of the proposed equipment is designed to allow the interchangeability of the air conditioning system model and its accessories, facilitating, speeding up, and reducing the cost of the procedure. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] The heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) system is a group of elements that has become essential in modern vehicles, ensuring thermal comfort and air quality for its occupants. Its evolution has been significant over the decades, ranging from simple rudimentary heaters to current complex models that integrate artificial intelligence and high energy efficiency. From the emergence of the automobile until the mid-1920s, vehicle occupants were at the mercy of external weather conditions, with protection limited to curtains or removable windows. Also in the 1920s, the first heaters began to appear, redirecting hot air from the engine to the interior of the vehicle, and from 1930 onwards, small electric fans began to be used, as well as controlled air intakes, offering more efficient ventilation.The first vehicle air conditioning systems began to be adopted in 1939, as a high-luxury, high-cost option that took up a lot of space. Between 1940 and 1950, air conditioning became more compact and efficient, but remained quite inaccessible overall. This marked the beginning of the mass production of these systems. Petition 870240111403, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, page 12 / 25 Combined air conditioning and heating systems, controlled by thermostats, appeared in the 1980s, and between the 1990s and 2000s, with reduced production costs and advances in automatic climate control systems, heating and air conditioning systems progressed to reach the most popular car models. Current systems offer greater sustainability, comfort, and connectivity, with advanced compressors employing less harmful gases and separate climate control zones, offering tailored comfort to vehicle occupants.Basically, the components of a modern HVAC system comprise: an evaporator, responsible for cooling the air, where a cold refrigerant gas circulates in the evaporator, cooling the air that passes through its fins; a condenser, which dissipates the heat generated in the refrigerant gas compression cycle; a compressor, which pressurizes the refrigerant gas to allow heat exchange within the system; a cabin filter, which retains impurities such as dust, pollen, and other external pollutants; air ducts, which distribute air throughout the vehicle's interior through strategically positioned outlets; a heater, which uses engine coolant to raise the air temperature; and fans, which move both hot and cold air along the ducts, directing it towards the air outlets.

[0003] With the constant advancement of automotive equipment, it has become necessary to develop methodologies and equipment for evaluating the performance of automotive components, including the HVAC itself. Currently, there are tools and methodologies applicable to evaluating the efficiency of automotive climate control systems, most of which focus on performing this evaluation directly in the vehicle, mainly during maintenance, or even in the laboratories of the manufacturers themselves or their partners. However, a significant portion of the inconveniences generated by HVAC has been overlooked in its performance evaluations, because although HVAC is designed to provide thermal comfort and air quality, some factors can generate unpleasant odors released into the vehicle's cabin.Among the reasons for this situation, the following stand out: accumulation of moisture in the evaporator, because during the operation of the air conditioner, the cooled air in the evaporator loses some of its moisture in the form of condensation which, if not properly drained, can accumulate, creating an environment extremely conducive to the growth of fungi. Petition 870240111403, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, page 13 / 25 3 / 10 bacteria and mold; a saturated cabin filter, which, as it collects dirt, pollen, and other pollutants, becomes a source of bad odors if not replaced regularly; and, more rarely, contamination of the ventilation ducts with the presence of decomposing organic materials inside, and practice shows that such inconveniences have not been properly assessed.

[0004] Searching the state of the art patent literature, the following documents were found:

[0005] Document CN117760748A belongs to the technical field of automobile testing and refers particularly to a test system and a test method for a thermal management rack of a pure electric vehicle, wherein the test system comprises a thermal management system, thermal load simulation equipment and a mobile structure; the heat load simulation equipment is provided with at least two sets, the two sets of heat load simulation equipment are arranged respectively in a first coolant circuit and a second coolant circuit of the heat management system, and the mobile structure comprises a first structure, a mortise and tenon structural element and a second structure; the first structure and the second structure are rectangular frame structures and are connected by means of mortise and tenon structural elements in a combined manner;The four interlocking and spigot structural elements are arranged respectively at the upper and lower ends of the mounting surfaces of the first and second structures; the first structure has an angle adjustment mounting structure for the front end cooling module. The heat management test bench can simulate the operating condition of pure electric vehicle heat management to the maximum extent, solves the problems that existing heat management test benches are single-function and inaccurate in power consumption and system performance, and achieves precise calibration of control parameters.

[0006] Document CN116735246A discloses a calibration rack and a calibration method for the dynamic performance of an air conditioning system in an electric automotive vehicle, which relate to the technical field of air conditioning testing and Petition 870240111403, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, p. 14 / 25 4 / 10 comprise the following steps: the external simulation chamber is internally provided with an external temperature control system to simulate the external ambient temperature of the entire vehicle's air conditioning, and the external heat exchanger is positioned in the external simulation chamber; a passenger cabin simulation chamber; a passenger cabin temperature control system and a humidifier are arranged in the passenger cabin simulation chamber; the passenger cabin temperature control system comprises a defined thermal load curve; the air conditioning unit is positioned in the passenger cabin simulation chamber; the passenger cabin simulation chamber is positioned in the buffer simulation chamber, and a buffer temperature control system is arranged in the buffer simulation chamber; the main control system is connected and controls the air conditioning unit.The external temperature control system, the passenger cabin temperature control system, the buffer temperature control system, and the humidifier. According to the calibration rack and calibration method, the dynamic performance testing of the air conditioning is moved to the air conditioning system rack. The vehicle is an electric vehicle rechargeable by means of electrical power transferred from a separate electrical outlet in the vehicle. The vehicle includes a movable seat between a first position, to support one person, and a second position. The vehicle has a carrier positioned under the seat to create a cable storage compartment. The cable storage compartment is accessible when the seat is in the second position. It also features a charging port positioned outside the carrier and accessible with the seat in the first position. A charging cable is positioned inside the carrier.The charging cable has one end that can be plugged into the vehicle's charging port and another end that can be plugged into a power outlet. Both the first and second ends of the charging cable are removable from the carrier when the seat is in the second position, allowing the electric vehicle to be charged via the charging cable and the charging port.

[0007] Document CN112964750A refers to a simulation test bench for a cooling system, comprising a motor, a drive mechanism, Petition 870240111403, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, page 15 / 25 5 / 10 a heater assembly, a water-cooled motor, an engine water pump assembly, an automotive cooling system, and a plurality of sensors. The motor drives an engine flywheel disc via the drive mechanism to allow the flywheel disc to drive the engine water pump assembly to operate via an engine body drive device; the heater assembly is used to heat antifreeze fluid in the engine body; and all sensors are used to detect data required for a test. The test bench can carry all the accessories of the entire automotive cooling system and perform the simulation so that engine cooling system data can be acquired more easily and accurately. The test bench can be used to compare the cooling system at the primary and intermediate stages of product development.Acquiring data from the cooling system of a competitive automobile model, quantitatively analyzing the amount of heat exchange during a heating test and a high and low temperature test of the cooling system, and testing the performance, durability, and similar aspects of the cooling system components, a vehicle that defines a seating assembly that defines a compartment suitable for housing a box for vehicular use, comprising a bottom wall and a side wall extending from at least part of an edge of the bottom wall, on the opposite side thereof, the bottom wall and the side wall delimiting a space configured to house a vehicular cable, the box further comprising a projection extending from the bottom wall on the same side as the side wall, the space and the projection being dimensioned to allow the housing of the vehicle cable in the space around the projection.

[0008] Thus, considering the solutions in the state of the art, it is evident that none of them has been able to solve the technical problems associated with the lack of HVAC testing regarding the causes of unpleasant odors inside a vehicle, nor to allow such analysis to be carried out outside the vehicle, and also to offer the possibility of interchanging various HVAC units and some of their accessory components for testing. In particular, the solutions present in the state of the art are directly focused on the analysis and testing of motor vehicles. Petition 870240111403, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, page 16 / 25 6 / 10 electric, where the electrical energy consumption of the HVAC units is equivalent to a significant portion of that generated in the vehicle's power supply system.

[0009] In view of the points presented, the importance and urgency of a technical solution capable of overcoming the current gap in this technical field is clear. Taking these points into account, the present invention aims to offer a favorable solution to the problems previously presented. OBJECTIVES OF THE INVENTION

[0010] The present invention, in a first objective, provides a test bench for an HVAC air conditioning assembly of an automotive vehicle that allows the testing of the air conditioning unit external to the vehicle in a practical and efficient manner.

[0011] Another objective of the present invention is to provide an HVAC climate control unit test bench whose configuration is designed to allow the interchange of the climate control unit model and its accessories, facilitating, speeding up and reducing the cost of the procedure to be applied to a wide range of vehicle models.

[0012] Another objective of the invention is to provide a method for testing the HVAC of an automotive vehicle capable of evaluating the effectiveness of the components in combating the proliferation of odor-causing microorganisms, under temperature and humidity conditions that favor their development, an equipment for applying the HVAC test of an automotive vehicle that allows the aforementioned analysis with the air conditioning system external to the vehicle, in a practical and efficient manner. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0013] In this way, the present invention solves such problems of the prior art by means of a test bench obtained in a profiled metal structure comprising an adaptation frame for the fan of an HVAC, said frame extending in the form of a horizontal table supporting an air duct, inside which a standard contamination plate and a cabin filter are orthogonally arranged sequentially, after which, next to the enlarged end of said air duct, an evaporator is adapted.

[0014] The metal profile structure of the workbench thus provided is preferably made of stainless steel. Petition 870240111403, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, page 17 / 25 7 / 10

[0015] The HVAC assembly test method involves adapting the test bench, as described, inside a controlled environment climate chamber with physical parameters of 50% relative humidity and a temperature of 30°C. The fan is then activated to drive air into the air duct, so that the resulting airflow initially passes through the standard contamination plate, previously contaminated with fungi and bacteria, and subsequently through the cabin filter, reaching the air conditioning evaporator, from where it exits the air duct at a temperature of 4°C, returning to the climate chamber environment. For assembly evaluation, a felt was used on the standard contamination plate with a concentration of 200,000 CFU / 50cm² (Colony Forming Units per unit area) of microorganism colonies, and a sample was collected from the surface of each component using the swab technique.After a 160-hour cycle, a new sample collection was carried out with the expectation of no contamination of the rear part of the cabin filter and the evaporator, thus verifying the effectiveness of the cabin filter in inhibiting the proliferation of microorganisms in the parts that have the most contact with the vehicle's passenger compartment, eliminating the bad odor.

[0016] All the technical features of this patent application will be immediately recognized and appreciated by those skilled in the art. These features will be detailed further below. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES

[0017] The present invention will be described in more detail after the presentation of the figures, which contain a preferred configuration. The figures show:

[0018] Figure 1 illustrates a perspective view of the test bench proposed by this invention.

[0019] Figure 2 schematically illustrates a front plan view of the proposed test bench adapted for carrying out a test according to the method described in this invention.

[0020] The reference elements present in the figures are: bench 1; frame 2; fan 3; air duct 4; standard contamination plate 5; cabin filter 6; evaporator 7; CC climate chamber. Petition 870240111403, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, page 18 / 25 8 / 10 DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0021] Before the invention is described in detail, it should be understood that it is not limited to the specific component parts of the described apparatus, as such components may vary. It should also be understood that the terminology used herein is only for the purpose of describing particular embodiments and is not intended to be limiting. It should be noted that, as used in the descriptive report, claims and abstract presented, the singular forms a, an, and / or include singular and / or plural referents, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise. Furthermore, it should be understood that, in the case of parameter ranges delimited by numerical values ​​being provided, the ranges are considered to include these limiting values.

[0022] It should also be understood that the modalities disclosed herein should not be understood as individual modalities that are unrelated to each other. The characteristics discussed with one modality should also be disclosed in connection with other modalities shown herein. If, in one case, a specific characteristic is not disclosed with one modality but with another, the person skilled in the art would understand that this does not necessarily mean that the characteristic is not intended to be disclosed with the other modality. The person skilled in the art would understand that the essence of this request is to disclose the characteristic also for the other modality, but that only for the sake of clarity and to keep this descriptive report to a manageable volume, this has not been done.

[0023] The present invention comprises a test bench 1 made of profiled metal structure comprising a frame 2 for adapting the fan 3 of an HVAC unit, said frame 2 extending in the form of a horizontal table supporting an air duct 4, inside which are orthogonally arranged, sequentially, a standard contamination plate 5 and a cabin filter 6, after which, next to the enlarged end of said air duct 4, an evaporator 7 is adapted.

[0024] The metal profile structure of workbench 1 as provided is preferably made of stainless steel.

[0025] The HVAC test method comprises adapting test bench 1, as described, inside a controlled environment CC climate chamber, with Petition 870240111403, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, page 19 / 25 9 / 10 physical parameters of 50% relative humidity and 30°C temperature. Then, fan 3 is activated to drive air into air duct 4, so that the resulting airflow initially passes through the standard contamination plate 5, previously contaminated with fungi and bacteria, and subsequently through the cabin filter 6, reaching the air conditioning evaporator 7, from where it exits air duct 4 at a temperature of 4°C, returning to the CC climate chamber environment. For evaluation of the assembly, a felt was used on the standard contamination plate 5 with a concentration of 200,000 CFU / 50cm² (Colony Forming Units per unit area) of microorganism colonies, and a sample was collected from the surface of each component using the swab technique.After a 160-hour cycle, a new sample collection was carried out with the expectation of no contamination of the rear part of cabin filter 6 and evaporator 7, thus verifying the effectiveness of cabin filter 6 in inhibiting the proliferation of microorganisms in the parts that have the most contact with the vehicle's passenger compartment, eliminating the bad odor.

[0026] The arrows in Figure 2 indicate the airflow from its entry through the fan 3, through the air duct 4, to its exit through the evaporator 7.

[0027] The present invention differs from the prior art insofar as it allows the effectiveness of the components to be evaluated in combating the proliferation of odor-causing microorganisms, under temperature and humidity conditions that favor their development, and it also allows this evaluation to be carried out with the vehicle's air conditioning system externally, which advantageously also allows the interchangeability of the air conditioning system model and its accessories, facilitating, speeding up and reducing the cost of the procedure.

[0028] Based on the main embodiment disclosed and described in detail herein and the non-exhaustive examples of alternative embodiments described, various alterations, additions, and even additional forms of alternative embodiments may be made without departing from the scope or the totality of the subject matter disclosed in the present invention. Petition 870240111403, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, page 20 / 25 10 / 10

[0029] All the technical characteristics of the different embodiments disclosed in this patent application will be immediately recognized and appreciated by those skilled in the art.

[0030] It is expressly provided that all combinations of elements that perform the same function substantially in the same way to achieve the same results as the elements now claimed are within the scope of the present invention. Finally, it should be noted that the scope of protection of the present invention covers other possible variations, not being limited solely by the content of the claims alone, including possible equivalents.

[0031] It should be noted that the drawings presented are not necessarily to scale, being merely conceptual in nature. Nevertheless, it is expressly provided that all combinations of elements that perform the same function substantially in the same way to achieve the same results as the elements now claimed are within the scope of the present invention. Finally, it should be noted that the scope of protection of the present invention covers other possible variations, not being limited solely by the content of the claims alone, including possible equivalents. Petition 870240111403, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, page 21 / 25

Claims

1 / 1 CLAIMS 1. Test bench (1) characterized by comprising a profiled metal structure comprising a frame (2) for adapting a fan (3) of an HVAC assembly, said frame (2) extending in the form of a horizontal table supporting an air duct (4), inside which are orthogonally arranged, sequentially, a standard contamination plate (5) and a cabin filter (6), after which, next to the enlarged end of said air duct (4), an evaporator (7) is adapted.

2. Test bench (1) according to claim 1, characterized in that it is preferably made of stainless steel.

3. Test method, characterized by comprising the steps of: a) adapting the test bench (1), as described in claim 1, inside a controlled environment climate chamber (CC), with physical parameters of 50% relative humidity and a temperature of 30°C;(b) Subsequently, activate the fan (3) to drive air into the air duct (4), so that the resulting airflow initially passes through the standard contamination plate (5), previously contaminated with fungi and bacteria, and subsequently through the cabin filter (6), reaching the air conditioning evaporator (7), from where it exits the air duct (4) at a temperature of 4°C, returning to the climate chamber (CC) environment. Preliminary samples are collected from the surfaces of each component and, after a 160-hour cycle, a new sample is collected with the expectation of no contamination of the rear part of the cabin filter (6) and the evaporator (7), thus verifying the effectiveness of the cabin filter (6) in inhibiting the proliferation of microorganisms in the parts that have the most contact with the vehicle's passenger compartment, eliminating the bad odor.

4. Test method according to claim 3, characterized in that said standard contamination plate (5) incorporates felt with a concentration of 200,000 CFU / 50cm2 (Colony Forming Units per unit surface area) of microorganism colonies. Petition 870240111403, dated 12 / 30 / 2024, p. 22 / 25

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