Air conditioning system and conditioning method

Abstract

The invention relates to an air conditioning system for an interior space of a vehicle (2), having at least one cooling unit (4) as at least one component, wherein the at least one cooling unit (4) has a thermally conductive composite yarn (8) and a carrier material having a phase change material, wherein the carrier material is knitted into the composite yarn (8), wherein the phase change material is designed to absorb heat from the interior space when above its melting point.

Description

TECHNICAL FIELD

[0001] The invention relates to an air conditioning system and a method for conditioning a vehicle interior. BACKGROUND

[0002] The currently known air conditioning systems for vehicles require a relatively large amount of energy for their operation in order to cool, in particular, the interior of the vehicle.

[0003] Document CN 201749413 U describes a passive cooler for a computer.

[0004] From document US 2010 / 0244495 A1 the use of phase change materials for vehicle windows is known.

[0005] Document WO 2002 / 83440 A2 describes the thermal control of a vehicle interior with phase change materials. SUMMARY

[0006] The object in this context is to condition a vehicle in an energy-saving manner.

[0007] This object is achieved by an air conditioning system and a conditioning method having the features described below. Embodiments of the air conditioning system and the method result from the description and illustration below.

[0008] The air conditioning system according to the invention is designed for a vehicle interior and has at least one cooling unit as at least one component. The at least one cooling unit has a thermally conductive composite yarn and a carrier material, which has and / or contains a phase change material, typically a thermal phase change material, that is to say, the at least one cooling unit has a carrier material with a phase change material, wherein the carrier material is woven into the composite yarn. The phase change material is designed to absorb heat from the vehicle, for example a motor vehicle, interior when above a certain melting point or above its melting point and in turn above the corresponding melting temperature and to cool the interior when the phase change material melts or liquefies above its melting point. The air conditioning system can be designed or referred to as a passive air conditioning system.

[0009] In one design, the system has a rod made of the carrier material woven into the composite yarn, wherein the rod has the carrier material and the phase change material, respectively, wherein the phase change material can be incorporated and / or accommodated in the carrier material.

[0010] The phase change material has at least one organic- or bio-based fat as at least one lipid substance and / or at least one organic or bio-based fatty acid. In one design, the phase change material has a mixture composed of at least one fat and / or at least one fatty acid and thus has a mixture of a plurality of lipid substances, wherein each lipid substance has its own melting point or its own melting temperature. The mixture of a plurality of fats and / or fatty acids can here have a common melting temperature or a plurality of different melting temperatures depending on the contained fats or fatty acids. But the phase change material can also have only one lipid substance.

[0011] The rods with the carrier material can be designed cylindrical and arranged next to each other parallel to each other. The rods can also be designed as single tubes or multiple tubes and thus be hollow, wherein the at least one lipid substance is arranged or received in the respective cavity of such a tubular rod surrounded by the respective tubular carrier material.

[0012] In one design, the air conditioning system has as at least one further component at least one air humidifier and a water reservoir for storing water, which are connected to each other by at least one water line for transporting water. The at least one air humidifier is made of paper clay and is designed for transporting the water of the at least one water reservoir via the at least one water line by capillary action, the transported water being evaporated and in turn humidifying the interior space.

[0013] The water reservoir or the respective water container can be designed as a component of the air conditioning system and can be used only or exclusively for this air conditioning system and / or this method. But a water reservoir which is arranged in the vehicle as such can also be used for this purpose. It can be designed for containing water or waste water from a fuel cell as an energy source of the vehicle. Such a water reservoir can also be used for a wiper system of the vehicle. In this case, in addition to the water reservoir, the wiper system has at least one additional water reservoir or at least one additional container for containing a cleaning agent and / or an anti-icing agent mixed with water for cleaning at least one glass of the vehicle. Water from an active air conditioning system of the vehicle, for example condensation water, can also be used in the water reservoir and transported to the at least one air humidifier. Pure water can thus be provided for the at least one air humidifier, which can be sucked out of the water reservoir by capillary action via the at least one water line.

[0014] At least one component of the air conditioning system, i.e. at least one cooling unit and / or at least one air humidifier, is arranged on at least one interior wall of the vehicle interior and is covered with a textile cover material, which is air-permeable and, for humidifying the interior, is also typically water-permeable. The cover material can also be designed as a component of the air conditioning system. The at least one interior wall can here be designed as a headliner, as a side wall, for example a door of the vehicle, or as a pillar. Here, the at least one component of the air conditioning system and the cover material covering the component towards the interior can form an interior panel or a wall panel of the vehicle. Alternatively or additionally, at least one component of the air conditioning system is arranged in a seat of the vehicle, for example in a backrest or armrest, in a seat surface or in a headrest, and is covered with a cover material of the seat.

[0015] In one design, at least one lipid substance, in particular a fatty acid, having a melting point in a temperature range or cooling temperature window of between 20°C and 35°C is used for the solid-to-liquid phase transition. If the at least one cooling unit is arranged in and / or on the roof, at least one lipid substance, in particular a fatty acid, having a melting point greater than 35°C can be used, wherein the melting temperature can be set, for example, up to 75°C. This takes into account the fact that temperatures of up to, for example, 75°C can occur in or on the roof, typically as a result of direct sunlight.

[0016] At least one possible fatty acid is capric acid, which is present in animal and vegetable fats, undecylenic acid, elaidic acid, which is present in ruminant fats, lauric acid, which is present in milk fat and vegetable fats, myristic acid, which is present in milk fat, fish oil, animal and vegetable fats, palmitic acid, which is present in animal and vegetable fats, caprylic acid, which is present in milk fat and coconut oil, nonanoic acid, which is present in essential oils, for example geranium, in cheese fat and fusel oil, oleic acid in natural fats, or eicosanoic acid in rapeseed oil. In addition, at least one further fatty acid having a melting temperature, for example, between 20°C and 75°C can also be used.

[0017] In one design, a mixture of different fatty acids, i.e. a plurality of the above-mentioned fatty acids, can also be used for the phase change material, which have different melting temperatures and thus phase change in different temperature ranges. It is thus possible to set the cooling effect at the respective melting temperature of the respective fatty acid of the mixture. Here, the mixture of fatty acids can have a cooling effect at the first melting temperature of the first fatty acid, for example 25°C, at the second melting temperature of the second fatty acid, for example 43°C, and at the nth melting temperature of the nth fatty acid, for example x°C, depending on the number of further fatty acids.

[0018] The carrier material, for example rod-shaped, is adsorptive and / or porous. The carrier material is designed here to receive or store the at least one and also a plurality of fatty acids. The carrier material is, for example, a non-polar organic material. If the carrier material is rod-shaped in the design, the respective rods are only provided in the design to carry the composite yarn (for example when used as a wall panel). When at least one cooling unit is integrated in a wall, for example in a vehicle headliner, or in a wall panel of a vehicle, the composite yarn can be introduced / processed directly into the material of the wall panel. By the wall panel formed from this material, at least one fatty acid can be permanently introduced into the wall panel, for example into a vehicle headliner, while the capillary effect can be utilized. Natural yarns or synthetic materials can be used as the material of the wall panel. Here, the composite yarn can correspond to such a material and vice versa.

[0019] A water distribution system for an air humidifier or a space humidifier can also be introduced into the material for the wall panel. The water distribution system comprises at least one water reservoir and at least one water line. The at least one water line is designed here, for example, as a thin capillary or as a capillary tube, which is designed to distribute water on the wall panel, for example a vehicle headliner, by capillary pressure.

[0020] The carrier material is designed for this purpose and therefore has the function of receiving at least one fatty acid. This can be achieved by a physical interaction between the at least one fatty acid and the carrier material. Two variants are provided for this purpose.

[0021] According to a first variant, the at least one fatty acid is introduced into a polymer material as carrier material by swelling the polymer material. The fatty acid is a non-polar organic substance, which has the ability to swell the specified polymer material, while the fatty acid is embedded in the polymer material between the existing polymer chains of the polymer material. Here, the polymer material or the respective polymer can exist as a fiber composite material instead of as a non-porous plate.

[0022] According to a second variant, the at least one fatty acid is introduced into the carrier material by capillary forces. It is provided here that the carrier material has pores. These pores can be provided by a fiber composite material as carrier material, by a foam or by a porous material. For this purpose, any material with pores and with a media resistance when combined with the at least one fatty acid is suitable, for example metals, glasses, ceramics, polymers, elastomers and / or biological materials, for example cellulose fibers.

[0023] To prevent the at least one fatty acid from separating from the carrier material, the size of its pores is adjusted. According to the following formula or Young-Laplace equation, the Laplace pressure p is inversely proportional to the size r (e.g. radius or diameter) of the pores:

[0024] Δ p = 4 * γ * 1 / r

[0025] Here, γ is the surface tension of the respective fatty acid. This means that the Laplace pressure p increases from a sufficiently small pore size r. The Laplace pressure ensures that the fatty acid is sucked into the pores. If the Laplace pressure is sufficiently high, the fatty acid remains in the carrier material under normal environmental conditions and can only be removed from the carrier material by additional measures. Thus, when the pore size is sufficiently small, the fatty acid does not drip out.

[0026] The polymer can be used as a composite yarn, into the polymer matrix of which metal powder or metal fibers are introduced, thereby enabling the composite yarn to conduct heat. Alternatively or additionally, it is conceivable to weave metal threads into the composite yarn.

[0027] The invention relates to a method for air conditioning a vehicle interior space using an air conditioning system, for example an embodiment of the aforementioned air conditioning system, wherein the air conditioning system has at least one cooling unit as at least one component. The at least one cooling unit has a thermally conductive composite yarn and a rod, for example a tube, which comprises a carrier material with a phase change material, wherein the rod is woven into the composite yarn. At a temperature of the phase change material that exceeds the melting point or its melting temperature, the phase change material automatically absorbs heat from the interior space.

[0028] In one design, the method is performed using an air conditioning system having at least one air humidifier and a water reservoir as at least one further component, wherein the at least one air humidifier is formed from paper clay. The at least one air humidifier is used to evaporate water from the water reservoir to humidify the interior space.

[0029] By means of the passive air conditioning system presented, the interior space of a vehicle can be passively air conditioned and thus cooled. By means of the passive air conditioning system or by means of the passive air conditioning method, a passive refrigeration function is provided which does not require active electrical operation, wherein the proposed air conditioning system is energy self-sufficient. Thus, in comparison with conventional air conditioning systems, the vehicle does not have to be actively operated for the operation of the air conditioning system. Thus, the drive unit of the vehicle also does not have to be actively operated. Thus, for the operation of the passive air conditioning system presented, it is not necessary to operate the combustion engine as drive unit and / or to switch on the ignition system of the vehicle which is usually necessary for setting the cooling function by means of the air conditioning system in the case of an electric vehicle (BEV, Battery Electric Vehicle) or a hybrid vehicle, for example a plug-in hybrid vehicle (PHEV). It is also not necessary to provide electrical energy from the electrical energy store (for example a battery) of the vehicle for the operation of the passive air conditioning system. Thus, the passive air conditioning system does not require a battery capacity.

[0030] The air conditioning system accordingly comprises at least one passive cooling unit which is integrated into the interior space, usually into an interior wall of the vehicle, and / or is arranged on an interior wall. The at least one cooling unit is designed to perform or assume a certain cooling function at any point in time, even after the vehicle has been parked. Thus, the vehicle or its interior space can be pre-cooled in a climate- friendly manner for the passengers or customers.

[0031] In addition to the at least one passive cooling unit, at least one air humidifier is also designed to be passive, since it can also work without electrical power. In one embodiment, the at least one woven cooling unit can be designed as a covering module on at least one interior wall. The at least one cooling unit consists of a very heat-conducting composite yarn, in which rods of a carrier material and a phase change material (PCM) are woven. The phase change material, usually a biobased fatty acid, melts, for example, at a melting point or melting temperature of approximately 25°C and absorbs heat from the interior space during liquefaction.

[0032] On the other hand, the at least one air humidifier is made of paper clay and uses capillary action to absorb water from a water reservoir. It is provided here that the water reservoir is arranged below the at least one air humidifier with respect to the vertical axis of the vehicle, wherein the water from the water reservoir is transported upwards against the force of gravity due to the capillary action of the at least one air humidifier. Here, the water evaporates on its way upwards to the at least one air humidifier and simultaneously humidifies the interior space of the vehicle.

[0033] For example, the at least one cooling unit can be designed as a headliner and thus as an interior panel of the vehicle. Furthermore, the at least one cooling unit can also be arranged in a lateral interior wall or in a seat of the vehicle. The at least one cooling unit can replace a conventionally provided interior panel or wall panel of the interior space of the vehicle. Here, the at least one cooling unit is covered with a breathable and water-permeable leather or textile material or textile.

[0034] At least one component of the air conditioning system is designed as an interior panel of a door and / or a pillar, for example an A-pillar, a B-pillar and / or a C-pillar, of the vehicle. At least one component of the air conditioning system can also be arranged in a cockpit crossbar of the vehicle.

[0035] The proposed climate-adapted and passive air conditioning system for performing a predetermined cooling function can replace an existing active air conditioning system in a vehicle. If the passive air conditioning system is also arranged in the vehicle, the active air conditioning system can also be designed to be smaller in size if necessary. When the interior space is air-conditioned using the passive air conditioning system, fuel, battery capacity and other energy sources for driving the vehicle can be saved. The vehicle can thus be designed in a sustainable manner and contribute to environmental protection goals. Furthermore, the comfort of the passengers or the driver of the vehicle is increased, since the interior space can always be pre-cooled by the passive air conditioning system. From an ecological point of view, the cooling effect or cooling function of the passive air conditioning system does not conflict with the air flow generated when the vehicle is driven with the windows open.

[0036] The cooling unit covered with a cover material can be designed as or referred to as a cooling cover. If the at least one cooling unit is arranged on and / or in a headliner below the roof of the vehicle, the cold or cool air from the at least one cooling unit can enter the interior space from the roof downwards and flow past the passengers due to its low density. The coolness experienced by the passengers is thus increased. The proposed passive air conditioning system is suitable, for example, for at least partially electrically driven vehicles, i.e. electric vehicles or hybrid vehicles, since the operation of the passive air conditioning system has no negative effect on the range of the vehicle, since no electrical energy from the battery is required for this, while the interior space is cooled, the load on the electric vehicle is not increased.

[0037] The at least one air humidifier of the passive air conditioning system consists of paper clay, which is also referred to as or can be designed as Paper Clay. Paper clay is usually a mixture of mineral clay and a fiber pulp made of paper and / or rags. It is provided for the production of the at least one air humidifier that water is dissolved in the mixture of clay and fiber pulp. The initially still moist mixture can thus be shaped or molded as required. It is further provided that the paper clay is dried and the water still contained therein is removed.

[0038] In order to provide a corresponding air humidifier, as in the case of fatty acids, a polar liquid, for example water, is used. The polar liquid can swell a polar material, but also a polymer with a polar component. For this purpose it is also suitable to use a metal, but in the selection of the metal it must be taken into account that it can oxidize in combination with water and thus rust, which is why alloys, for example stainless steel, can be used for this purpose. Noble metals are usually too expensive, however, in the possible design variants it is conceivable to use an air humidifier with stainless steel. Materials that are inert to water, for example biological fibers, plastic fibers or polymer foams, can be effectively used for air humidifiers, wherein the water is stored in the material of the air humidifier by capillary action.

[0039] It is provided here that the rods of the corresponding cooling unit, which comprise a carrier material and a phase change material, are woven into the fibers of the thermally conductive composite yarn. Here, the cooling unit can have a plurality of composite yarn strips or bands, wherein each two directly adjacent rods are alternately or alternately surrounded by a composite yarn strip or band, wherein the respective composite yarn strip is shaped according to a trigonometric function, for example according to a cosine function or a sine function, when alternately surrounding a plurality of such rods. Here, the strip alternately forms peaks and valleys according to a periodic function. Two directly arranged next to each other composite yarn strips are usually staggered with respect to their periodicity to each other, wherein a first strip surrounds the respective rods on a first side and a second strip surrounds the respective rods on a second side of the rods, which is opposite the first side. Here, a respective peak of the first strip is arranged next to a valley of the immediately arranged second strip, or a respective valley of the first strip is arranged next to a peak of the immediately arranged second strip.

[0040] The passive air conditioning system, in particular at least one cooling unit thereof, is designed to absorb heat or heat from the vehicle interior space, thereby reducing the interior space temperature. Here it is possible to use the passive air conditioning on hot days, for example in summer. The corresponding cooling unit at least partially covers the inner wall of the vehicle. Here, the phase change material arranged in, for example, a rod or tube, is designed to absorb heat. Here, the phase change material is able to change its color, wherein it becomes lighter, for example transparent, when it is warmer.

[0041] Furthermore, the carrier material, which is initially for example white, and in turn the rod, which is initially for example white, can also change color, for example to blue, when the phase change material liquefies and absorbs heat from the interior space. If the temperature of the interior space and the temperature of the phase change material drop below the melting point or the melting temperature, it again becomes solid. In this case, the carrier material or the rod can again become white. The phase change material absorbs heat when in contact with the air, thereby forming a barrier to heat from the surroundings of the vehicle, wherein the heat can be prevented from penetrating into the interior space by means of the respective cooling unit. It is thus possible to maintain a temperature difference between the warm environment of the vehicle and the interior space, while the interior space is cooler than the environment, since it is thermally decoupled from the environment by means of the at least one cooling unit. The cooling unit can be automatically activated depending on the temperature difference between the surroundings and the interior space.

[0042] It goes without saying that the features mentioned above and those explained below can be used not only in the combinations indicated, but also in other combinations or on their own, without departing from the framework of the present application. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

[0043] The application is illustrated schematically on the basis of the embodiments in the drawings and described schematically and in detail with reference to the drawings.

[0044] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of an embodiment of an air conditioning system according to the application is shown, which is used to carry out an embodiment of the method according to the application. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0045] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of a motor vehicle 2 designed as a vehicle is shown, which has an embodiment of an air conditioning system according to the application. Here, the passive air conditioning system has a cooling unit 4 as a first component, which is arranged on an inner wall of the vehicle 2, wherein the inner wall defines an interior space of the vehicle 2. The cooling unit 4 has a plurality of rods 6 arranged parallel to one another, wherein each rod 6 has a phase change material made of at least one fatty acid and a carrier material, wherein the phase change material is accommodated in the carrier material. The rods 6 are woven into fibers of a composite yarn 8, wherein the fibers of the composite yarn 8 are oriented perpendicular to the rods 6 made of the carrier material and the phase change material here.

[0046] It is provided here that the at least one fatty acid of the rods 6 has a melting temperature or melting point of for example 25°C. It is provided in an embodiment of the method according to the application that the at least one fatty acid of the cooling unit 4 absorbs heat from the interior space and in turn cools the interior space, if the temperature of the interior space and / or the surroundings of the vehicle 2 is above the melting point. At the same time, the cooling unit 4 also functions as a thermal barrier with respect to the surroundings of the vehicle 2 at or on the inner wall. The cooling unit 4 is also covered with a cover material, which separates the cooling unit 4 from the interior space.

[0047] Furthermore, this embodiment of the air conditioning system has as a second component an air humidifier 10, which is connected to the water reservoir 12 or water container by means of a water line 14. The air humidifier 10 is composed of paper clay and is designed for the transport of water from the water reservoir 12 on the basis of capillary action, wherein the interior space is humidified with water by the air humidifier 10. In one design variant, the water reservoir 12 can also be used simultaneously for other purposes in the vehicle 2. Thus, the water reservoir 12 can be used for wiper water from a wiper system, for collecting condensate water of a further active air conditioning system or for collecting water from a fuel cell of the vehicle 2.

[0048] List of reference signs:

[0049] 2 vehicle

[0050] 4 cooling unit

[0051] 6 rod

[0052] 8 composite yarn

[0053] 10 air humidifier

[0054] 12 water reservoir

[0055] 14 water line

Claims

1. A passive air conditioning system for the interior space of a vehicle (2), the air conditioning system having at least one cooling unit (4) as at least one component, wherein, The at least one cooling unit (4) has a thermally conductive composite yarn (8) and a carrier material having a phase change material, wherein the carrier material is woven into the composite yarn (8), wherein the phase change material is designed to absorb heat from the internal space at a temperature above its melting point, the air conditioning system has a tubular rod made of carrier material woven into the composite yarn, wherein the rod has carrier material and phase change material respectively, wherein the phase change material is contained in the cavity of the tubular rod and surrounded by a corresponding tubular carrier material, the rod being woven into the composite yarn.

2. The air conditioning system according to claim 1, wherein, The phase change material contains at least one bio-based fatty acid.

3. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, The air conditioning system has at least one air humidifier (10) and a water reservoir (12) as at least one additional component, wherein the at least one air humidifier (10) is made of paper clay and is designed to evaporate water from the water reservoir (12) and humidify the interior space.

4. The air conditioning system according to claim 3, wherein, The at least one air humidifier (10) is designed to deliver water from the water reservoir (12) via capillary action.

5. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, At least one component is arranged on at least one inner wall of the interior space of the vehicle (2) and covered with a coating material.

6. The air conditioning system according to claim 5, wherein the at least one cooling unit (4) is arranged on at least one inner wall of the interior space of the vehicle (2) and covered with a coating material.

7. The air conditioning system according to claim 1 or 2, wherein, At least one component is arranged in the seat of the vehicle (2) and covered with a covering material.

8. The air conditioning system according to claim 7, wherein the at least one cooling unit (4) is arranged in the seat of the vehicle (2) and covered with a covering material.

9. A method for adjusting the interior space of a vehicle (2) using a passive air conditioning system, wherein the air conditioning system has at least one cooling unit (4) as at least one component, wherein, The at least one cooling unit (4) has a thermally conductive composite yarn (8) and a carrier material having a phase change material, wherein the carrier material is woven into the composite yarn (8), the air conditioning system has a tubular rod made of the carrier material woven into the composite yarn, wherein the rod has the carrier material and the phase change material respectively, wherein the phase change material is contained in the cavity of the tubular rod and surrounded by the corresponding tubular carrier material, the rod is woven into the composite yarn, wherein the phase change material absorbs heat from the internal space at a temperature above the melting point of the phase change material.

10. The adjustment method according to claim 9, wherein the adjustment method is performed using an air conditioning system having at least one air humidifier (10) and a water storage tank (12) as at least one additional component, wherein, The at least one air humidifier (10) is formed of paper clay, wherein water from the water reservoir (12) is evaporated by the at least one air humidifier (10) to humidify the interior space.

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