Motor vehicle with an air treatment system for air to be breathed in the vehicle's passenger compartment

Abstract

The invention relates to a motor vehicle with a passenger compartment (1), an engine compartment (3), a firewall (5), and an air treatment system for the air entering the passenger compartment. The system comprises an air circulation duct (7), a blower (13), and a first filter (15) arranged within the air circulation duct; and an air recirculation duct (17) including an interior air inlet (19). The vehicle is notable in that the blower is located within the air circulation duct on the engine compartment side. The air treatment system further comprises a housing (21) for receiving a second filter (23), sized to have a cross-section larger than that of the air recirculation duct and positioned upstream of the air recirculation duct at the firewall. Figure to be published with the abstract: Fig. 1

Description

Description Title of the invention: Motor vehicle with an air treatment system for air to be breathed in the vehicle's passenger compartment

[0001] — The invention relates to the field of air quality inside a vehicle automobile. In particular, the invention relates to a motor vehicle with a air treatment system for the air to be breathed in the passenger compartment of said vehicle.

[0002] — Air quality treatment is a very important issue for manufacturers automobiles, particularly due to the context of relatively high air pollution in large cities or due to the emergence of epidemic diseases transmissible by air route. Thus, for example, in the case of carpooling or taxi transport, it It is important that the air in the passenger compartment is constantly treated in order to minimize the potential risks of coming into contact with bacteria and / or viruses suspension in the air.

[0003] — Nowadays, motor vehicles are equipped with a treatment system the air that must be breathed in the passenger compartment in such a way as to prevent as much as possible contaminants from entering the passenger compartment. The targeted contaminants are dust, fine particles (i.e., particles with a diameter less than or equal to 2.5 jm) and certain polluting gases, such as compounds Volatile organic compounds (VOCs). A vehicle's air treatment system is in generally equipped with a filter located at the air intake of a circulation duct air, which thus allows for the installation of large filters and protects the An air blower that regulates the flow of air coming from the atmosphere. A second filter is also placed within the air treatment system itself. This also allows for the filtering of both air coming from the atmosphere and air originating from the passenger compartment and put back into circulation (i.e., recycled). Such a system air treatment for air to be breathed in an enclosed space is described in the document EP 1 503 845.

[0004] — The drawback of this configuration is that the second filter is indispensable to filter the recirculated air. However, placed within the system of The air treatment itself, the second filter may not protect the air blower. and generates pressure losses, that is to say, to limit the reduction in airflow due to The filter's resistance to airflow. The rapid clogging of the second filter. particularly due to the filtering of both air coming from the atmosphere and The air coming from the passenger compartment also makes frequent changes of the second filter.

[0005] — These problems negatively affect the effectiveness of air treatment within the passenger compartment of a motor vehicle. The invention aims to address at least one of the problems or drawbacks encountered in the prior art. In particular, the invention aims to provide a motor vehicle in which the air treatment system improves the overall air quality inside the vehicle and, more specifically, improves the efficiency of air treatment at the level of air recirculation in an air treatment system intended for breathing in the vehicle's passenger compartment.To this end, and according to a first aspect, the invention relates to a motor vehicle comprising a passenger compartment and an engine compartment, said passenger compartment being separated from said engine compartment by a bulkhead, said vehicle further comprising an air treatment system for the air to be breathed in said passenger compartment, said air treatment system being provided with an air circulation duct with at least one outside air inlet configured to admit air from outside the vehicle and at least one air outlet opening into the passenger compartment of the vehicle, such that the air admitted into the air circulation duct can enter the passenger compartment; an air blower arranged in the air circulation duct; a first filter placed in the air circulation duct between the outside air inlet(s) of said air circulation duct and the air blower;of an air recirculation duct comprising an interior air inlet configured to admit air from the vehicle's passenger compartment and being in fluidic connection with said air circulation duct at the level of the blower motor, such that the air admitted into the air recirculation duct can be recycled into the passenger compartment; the blower motor being configured to regulate the circulation of air from outside the vehicle and from the passenger compartment; the vehicle is notable in that the blower motor is located within said air circulation duct on the engine compartment side; in that the air treatment system further comprises a housing intended to receive a second filter, and in that the housing is dimensioned to show a cross-section greater than the cross-section of the air recirculation duct and is placed upstream of the air recirculation duct at the level of the firewall. As will be understood from the definition just given, the invention proposes a motor vehicle with an air treatment system for the air breathed in the vehicle's passenger compartment, comprising an air circulation duct with a first filter and an air recirculation duct whose inlet is fitted with a housing that can accommodate a second filter. The housing allows the second filter to be located outside the recirculation duct, thus providing a larger filtration surface area. This larger surface area compensates for the pressure losses associated with the use of high-efficiency or very high-efficiency filters. efficiency. It is then possible to switch from filtering the interior air to filtering the exterior air while maintaining the same airflow, which makes the operation inaudible to the vehicle user (no banging of the air distribution flaps due to differences in airflow generated by differences in pressure loss). The invention is therefore remarkable in that it improves the filtration level of the interior air of a vehicle while preserving the acoustic comfort of the vehicle's occupants. The invention thus proposes motor vehicles equipped with an air treatment system that can use a filter with a higher filtration efficiency than the filters usually arranged inside the air recirculation duct, thereby improving the treatment of the recirculated air and significantly increasing the air quality within the passenger compartment, without generating unwanted noise. By being placed upstream of the air recirculation duct, the second filter is also placed upstream of the blower, which therefore protects it from contaminants present in the air coming from the passenger compartment. The configuration of the air treatment system for the air to be breathed in the vehicle's passenger compartment also offers the advantage of requiring only one air blower, which serves both as a regulator of the air brought from the atmosphere into the air circulation duct and as a regulator of the air coming from the passenger compartment and intended for readmission into the air circulation duct, thus simplifying the configuration. Advantageously, the vehicle includes a second filter arranged in the crankcase. Ideally, the housing includes a sealing system. For example, the sealing system is a gasket. According to a first embodiment, the vehicle includes a thermal or hybrid engine and the housing is located on the passenger compartment side. Preferably, the housing is fixed to the firewall on the passenger compartment side. According to a second alternative embodiment to the first embodiment, the vehicle comprises an electric motor and the housing is located in the engine compartment. Preferably, the housing is fixed to the bulkhead on the engine compartment side. Regardless of the embodiment selected, the second filter is, for example, a mechanical filter or, in another example, a combined filter comprising a gas filter and a mechanical filter in two superimposed layers. For example, the gas filter is an activated carbon filter, or a metal-organic mesh filter. Regardless of the embodiment selected, the first filter and the second filter advantageously each comprise a porous matrix, and the porous matrix of the first filter exhibits pores having a diameter greater than the diameter of the pores of the porous matrix of the second filter. Preferably, the pores of the porous matrix of the first filter have a diameter greater than or equal to 2.5 µm and the pores of the porous matrix of the second filter have a diameter less than 2.5 µm and greater than or equal to 0.3 µm; or the pores of the porous matrix of the second filter have a diameter less than 2.5 µm and greater than or equal to 1.0 µm. It is preferable for the second filter to be sized to have a larger volume than the first filter. For example, the second filter could be thicker than the first filter and / or have a larger cross-sectional area than the first filter. Alternatively, the first and second filters could be sized to exhibit a similar pressure drop at a given airflow rate. Advantageously, the second filter is a pleated filter. For example, the second filter is a high-efficiency filter according to the European standard EN1822-1 or a very high-efficiency filter according to the European standard EN1822-1. The European standard EN1822-1 dates from January 2010. According to another aspect, the invention relates to a method for depolluting a motor vehicle passenger compartment comprising an air treatment system for the air to be breathed in said passenger compartment, said method comprising the step of starting said air treatment system, said method is remarkable in that the vehicle is defined in accordance with the first aspect, in that the air blower of said air treatment system of said vehicle further comprises a movable air inlet flap between a closed position of the air circulation duct and a closed position of the air recirculation duct, and in that said method further comprises a step of adjusting said air blower so that the movable air inlet flap is in any position other than the closed position of the air recirculation duct. Preferably, the said step of adjusting said air blower is carried out so that the movable air inlet flap is in the closed position of the air circulation duct. The invention will be well understood and other aspects and advantages will become clear upon reading the following description given with reference to the accompanying figures, in which: [Fig.1] Fig.1 schematically illustrates the arrangement of an air treatment system in a vehicle according to the invention. [Fig.2] Fig.2 shows a view of the interior of a motor vehicle according to the invention at the level of its apron. In the description that follows, the term "understand" is synonymous with "include" and This definition is not exhaustive, as it permits the presence of other steps in the process or other elements in the motor vehicle part to which it relates. It is understood that the term "include" includes the terms "consist of." The terms "external" and "internal" will refer, respectively, to what is oriented towards the outside of the vehicle and towards the inside of the vehicle. Similarly, the terms "lower", "higher", "top" and "bottom" shall be understood according to their usual definition, in which the terms "lower" and "bottom" indicate a greater proximity to the ground in the vertical direction than respectively the terms "higher" and "top". Reference will be made to both [Fig.1] and [Fig.2] in order to describe the motor vehicle according to the invention. A motor vehicle comprises a passenger compartment 1 and an engine compartment 3, both separated by a bulkhead 5. An air treatment system for the air to be breathed in the passenger compartment 1 is present. This system is equipped with an air recirculation duct 7 with at least one outside air inlet 9 configured to admit air from outside the vehicle and at least one air outlet 11 opening into the passenger compartment 1 of the vehicle, such that the air admitted into the air recirculation duct 7 can enter the passenger compartment 1. For example, the air outlet 11 is located at the level of the vehicle's dashboard. The air recirculation duct 7 includes a blower 13 and has a first filter 15 located between the outside air inlet(s) 9 and the blower 13. To recycle the air in the passenger compartment 1, the air treatment system also includes an air recirculation duct 17 with an interior air inlet 19 configured to admit air from the vehicle's passenger compartment 1. The air recirculation duct 17 is fluidically connected to the air circulation duct 7 at the blower motor 13, so that the air admitted into the air recirculation duct 17 can be recycled into the passenger compartment 1. The blower motor 13 is configured to regulate the airflow from outside the vehicle and from the passenger compartment 1. Thus, the blower motor 13 may include a movable air inlet flap 25 between a closed position of the air circulation duct 7 and a closed position of the air recirculation duct 17.The closed position of the air circulation duct 7 corresponds to an open position of the air recirculation duct 17, and the closed position of the air recirculation duct 17 corresponds to an open position of the air circulation duct 7. The vehicle according to the invention is remarkable in that the air blower 13 is located within said air circulation duct 7 on the engine compartment 3 side; in that the air treatment system further comprises a housing 21 intended for receive a second filter 23, and in that the casing 21 is dimensioned to show a cross-section greater than the cross-section of the air recirculation duct 17 and is placed upstream of the air recirculation duct 17 at the level of the deck 5. The presence of the housing 21 allows for the placement of a filter with greater capacity and filtration efficiency than if the filter were located within the air recirculation duct 17, thereby improving air treatment within the vehicle's passenger compartment 1. Indeed, the dimensions of the housing 21 allow for the installation of a larger volume filter. Consequently, the second filter 23 located within the housing will become less clogged than if it were placed within the air recirculation duct 17 for the same usage time. It is also possible to insert a filter with greater filtration efficiency by compensating for the pressure drop caused by a larger filtration surface area. In a first embodiment, the vehicle has a combustion or hybrid engine, and the housing 21 is located on the passenger compartment side 1.Preferably, the housing 21 is fixed to the bulkhead 5 on the passenger compartment side 1. According to a second alternative embodiment to the first embodiment, the vehicle includes an electric motor and the housing 21 is located on the passenger compartment side 1 or is placed in the engine compartment 3. Preferably, the housing 21 is fixed to the bulkhead 5 on the engine compartment side 3. Indeed, the electric motor is less bulky than a combustion engine or hybrid engine, and placing the housing 21 in the engine compartment 3 saves space within the passenger compartment. As previously mentioned, the presence of the housing 21 allows for the placement of a filter with greater capacity and filtration efficiency than if the filter were located within the air recirculation duct 17, thereby improving air treatment within the vehicle's passenger compartment 1. The second filter 23 is thus advantageously sized to have a larger volume than the first filter 15. Preferably, the second filter 23 has a greater thickness than the first filter 15 and / or an air passage cross-section with a larger surface area than the air passage cross-section of the first filter 15. Ideally, the housing 21 can include a sealing system. For example, the sealing system is a gasket. This makes it possible, for instance, to limit or even eliminate the noise of the air treatment system intended for the passenger compartment 1 when the passenger compartment 1 air recirculation mode is activated. The acoustic comfort of the vehicle occupants is thus improved. Since the housing 21 is located upstream of the air recirculation duct 17, and the second filter 23 may not be arranged in the housing 21, the new configuration of a motor vehicle according to the invention allows motor vehicle manufacturers to offer for sale vehicles equipped or not with this second filter 23. In both cases, but necessarily in the case where the vehicle does not have the second filter 23, the air recirculation duct 17 can have an additional filter arranged conventionally within said air recirculation duct 17, which makes it possible to further improve filtration when the vehicle is equipped with the second filter 23. Advantageously, the first filter 15 and / or the second filter 23 is a pleated filter, that is to say a filter where the useful filtration surface is increased. Even more advantageously, the second filter can be a pleated filter with a greater thickness than the first filter, which is also a pleated filter. Indeed, the thicker the second filter, the greater the effective filtration surface area provided by the filter pleats, which consequently reduces pressure losses at equivalent airflow rates. Since the second filter 23 is arranged in the housing 21 upstream of the recirculation duct 17, the air blower 13 is also protected from contaminants present in the air coming from the passenger compartment. This reduces the need for cleaning the vehicle's air treatment system and optimizes its overall operation. The configuration proposed by the invention is therefore effective in improving air treatment within the vehicle's passenger compartment 1. The first filter 15 and the second filter 23 can also be sized to exhibit a similar pressure drop at a given air flow rate. In an example of an implementation with the same pressure drop, the first filter 15 is 30 mm thick, 200 mm wide, and 250 mm long, while the second filter 23 is 60 mm thick, 250 mm wide, and 300 mm long. For example, the second filter 23 could be a mechanical filter. In another example, the second filter 23 could be a combination filter comprising a gas filter and a mechanical filter in two superimposed layers. Thus, the gas filter could be an activated carbon filter or a metal-organic mesh filter. Activated carbon filters are, for example, useful in treating odors from volatile organic compounds. For example, the first filter 15 and the second filter 23 each comprise a porous matrix, and the porous matrix of the first filter 15 shows pores having a diameter greater than the diameter of the pores of the porous matrix of the second filter 23. For example, the pores of the porous matrix of the first filter 15 have a diameter greater than or equal to 3.0 µm and the pores of the porous matrix of the second filter 23 have a diameter less than 3.0 µm and greater than or equal to 0.3 µm, or the pores of the porous matrix of the second filter 23 have a diameter less than 3.0 µm and greater than or equal to 1.0 µm. Preferably, the pores of the porous matrix of the first filter 15 have a diameter greater than or equal to 2.5 µm and the pores of the porous matrix of the second filter 23 have a diameter less than 2.5 µm and greater than or equal to 0.3 µm, or the pores of the porous matrix of the second filter 23 have a diameter less than 2.5 µm and greater than or equal to 1.0 µm. More preferably, the pores of the porous matrix of the first filter 15 have a diameter greater than or equal to 2.0 µm and the pores of the porous matrix of the second filter 23 have a diameter less than 2.0 µm and greater than or equal to 0.3 µm, or the pores of the porous matrix of the second filter 23 have a diameter less than 2.0 µm and greater than or equal to 1.0 µm. For example, the second filter 23 is a high efficiency filter according to the European standard EN1822-1 (January 2010) or a very high efficiency filter according to the European standard EN1822-1 (January 2010). Thus, when the air treatment system for the passenger compartment 1 is activated and the blower 13 is adjusted so that the movable air inlet flap 25 is in any position other than the closed position of the air recirculation duct 17, air from the passenger compartment 1 is admitted into the air recirculation duct 17 through the second filter 23 arranged in the housing 21 and is thus treated by the second filter 23 for recirculation. This removes various contaminants from the passenger compartment, and the presence of a filter upstream of the air recirculation duct 17, which is more effective than a filter located within the air recirculation duct itself, enhances the efficiency of the air treatment from the passenger compartment.

Claims

Demands

1. A motor vehicle comprising a passenger compartment (1) and a compartment (3) engine, said passenger compartment (1) being separate from said compartment (3) motor by an apron (5), said vehicle further comprising a system of air treatment for the air to be breathed in said passenger compartment (1), said air treatment system being equipped with a circulation duct (7) air with at least one (9) outside air inlet configured for admitting air from outside the vehicle and at least an air outlet (11) opening into the passenger compartment (1) of the vehicle, such so that the air admitted into the air circulation duct (7) can enter the passenger compartment (1); of an air blower (13) arranged in the air circulation duct (7); of a first filter (15) placed in the air circulation duct (7) between the outside air inlet(s) (9) of said air circulation duct (7) and air blower (13); and of an air recirculation duct (17) comprising an inlet (19) indoor air system configured to admit air from the passenger compartment (1) of the vehicle and being in fluidic connection with said air circulation duct (7) at the level of the air blower (13), such that so that the air admitted into the air recirculation duct (17) can be recycled into the passenger compartment (1); the air blower (13) being configured to regulate the flow of air coming from outside the vehicle and from the passenger compartment (1); the vehicle is characterized in that the air blower (13) is located within said circ- air culation (7) on the side of the engine compartment (3); in that the The air treatment system further includes a housing (21) intended for to receive a second filter (23), and in that the housing (21) is dimensioned to show a section greater than the section of the recirculating conduit air culation (17) and is placed upstream of the recirculation duct (17) of air at the level of the apron (5).

2. A vehicle according to claim 1, characterized in that it comprises a second filter (23) arranged in the housing (21); preferably, the second filter (23) is a mechanical filter or a combination filter comprising a a gas filter and a mechanical filter in two superimposed layers.

3. Vehicle according to claim 2, characterized in that the first filter (15) and the second filter (23) each comprise a porous matrix, and in that the porous matrix of the first filter (15) shows pores having a diameter greater than the diameter of the pores of the porous matrix of the second filter (23); preferably, the pores of the porous matrix of the first filter (15) have a diameter greater than or equal to 2.5 µm and the pores of the porous matrix of the second filter (23) have a diameter less than 2.5 µm and greater than or equal to 0.3 µm.

4. Vehicle according to claim 2 or 3, characterized in that the second filter (23) is sized to show a volume greater than volume shown by the first filter (15); preferably, the second filter (23) has a greater thickness than the first filter (15) and / or the second filter (23) shows an air passage section exhibiting a surface area greater than the surface area of ​​the air passage section shown by the first filter (15).

5. Vehicle according to any one of claims 2 to 4, characterized in that the The first (15) and second (23) filters are sized to show a pressure drop similar to a given air flow rate.

6. Vehicle according to any one of claims 2 to 5, characterized in that the second filter (23) is a pleated filter.

7. Vehicle according to any one of claims 2 to 6, characterized in that the second filter (23) is a high-efficiency filter according to the EU standard European standard EN1822-1 or a very high efficiency filter according to the standard European EN1822-1.

8. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the crankcase (21) includes a sealing system.

9. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the vehicle is characterized in that it includes a thermal or hybrid type engine and in that the casing (21) is located on the passenger compartment side (1); of Preferably, the housing (21) is fixed to the bulkhead (5) on the passenger compartment side (1).

10. Vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 8, the vehicle is characterized in that it includes an electric motor and in that the the crankcase (21) is placed in the engine compartment (3); preferably, the the housing (21) is fixed to the apron (5) on the engine compartment (3) side.