Method for monitoring the airflow direction flap of a motor vehicle

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for monitoring the direction control flap of a vehicle's air treatment system, initiated upon the transmission of a command to open or close said flap (e1), and comprising a step (200) for determining, after a predetermined delay following the transmission of said command (e2) and for at least one type (i) of polluting particles (PP), the ratio (Ri) between the concentrations measured respectively by two sensors located in ducts of said system, an alert being generated (400): - when the initiation of this method follows the transmission of a command to close said flap and the ratio, or at least one of said ratios, is greater than or equal to a threshold (Si), or - when the initiation of this method follows the transmission of a command to open said flap and the ratio, or at least one of said ratios, is less than or equal to said threshold. Figure to be published with the abstract: Fig. 2

Description

Title of the invention: Method for monitoring the air flow orientation flap of a motor vehicle Technical field

[0001] The present invention relates generally to the field of air treatment systems within the passenger compartment of motor vehicles.

[0002] The invention aims in particular to control the correct operation of the air flow orientation flap making it possible to alternately supply such an air treatment system with outside air or with recycled or recirculated air coming from the passenger compartment. Prior art

[0003] In a known manner, a motor vehicle comprises an air treatment system within the passenger compartment of this vehicle in order to ensure passenger comfort.

[0004] Generally referred to by the acronym HVAC (for Heating, Ventilation and Air-Conditioning in English), such an air treatment system typically comprises: - an external air intake duct whose inlet is fluidically connected to the exterior of the vehicle; - a passenger compartment air recirculation duct whose inlet is fluidically connected to the interior of the vehicle passenger compartment; and - a diffusion duct whose outlet is fluidically connected to the interior of the vehicle's passenger compartment.

[0005] The HVAC air treatment system also comprises a motor-fan unit arranged in said diffusion duct, as well as at least one air filter mounted in the outside air intake duct or in the diffusion duct.

[0006] Such an HVAC air treatment system further comprises an air flow orientation flap arranged at the interface between the outlet of the outside air intake duct, the outlet of the recirculation duct and the inlet of the diffusion duct.

[0007] This orientation flap is movable between an open position in which said exterior air intake and diffusion ducts are fluidically connected so that the pulsed air entering the passenger compartment comes only from outside the vehicle, and a closed position in which said recirculation and diffusion ducts are fluidically connected so that the pulsed air entering the passenger compartment is only recycled air.

[0008] The actuation of this air flow orientation flap can generally be controlled either manually by the driver or the front passenger via mechanical or tactile control members, or automatically via the su- HVAC air handling system inspection.

[0009] When a command to open or close the orientation flap is issued, this is transmitted, via the vehicle's multiplexed communication network, to the actuator controlling the movement of this flap so that it executes this command.

[0010] Unfortunately, it may happen that this actuator fails so that this orientation flap cannot switch correctly from its closed position to its open position or vice versa. Statement of the invention

[0011] The present invention therefore aims to detect a failure in the operation of the orientation flap of the HVAC air treatment system of the vehicle.

[0012] To this end, it proposes a method for monitoring the air flow orientation flap of the air treatment system of a motor vehicle of the type comprising an outside air intake duct, a passenger compartment air recirculation duct, a diffusion duct opening into the passenger compartment and in which a motor-fan unit is arranged, an air filter mounted in said intake duct or in said diffusion duct, first and second sensors capable of measuring the concentration of at least one type of polluting particles and arranged respectively in said intake duct upstream of said filter and in said diffusion duct downstream of said filter, as well as a said flap arranged at the interface between the outlet of said intake duct, that of said recirculation duct and the inlet of said diffusion duct,said shutter being movable between an open position in which said intake and diffusion ducts are fluidically connected and a closed position in which said recirculation and diffusion ducts are fluidically connected; characterized in that said method, initiated upon the issuance of a command to open or close said shutter, comprises a step of determining, at the end of a predetermined period following the issuance of said command and for at least one type of polluting particles, the ratio between the concentrations measured respectively by said second sensor and said first sensor, said method also comprising an alert generation step implemented: - when the launch of this method follows the issue of a command to close said shutter and said report or at least one of said reports concerning a type of polluting particles is greater than or equal to a predefined threshold associated with this type of polluting particles, or - when the launch of this process follows the issue of a command to open said shutter and said report or at least one of said reports concerning a type of polluting particles is less than or equal to a said predefined threshold associated with this type of polluting particles.

[0013] The method according to the invention thus makes it possible to use the measurements carried out by two such sensors arranged respectively in said intake duct upstream of said air filter and in said diffusion duct downstream of this same filter to check the correct operation of the orientation flap of the air treatment system of a vehicle and possibly detect a fault.

[0014] These sensors are generally installed in series in certain vehicles to detect in particular the level of fouling of the air filter, the implementation of such a method thus has the main advantage of not entailing any particular additional cost.

[0015] According to preferred characteristics of said detection method according to the invention: - said step of determining at least one said concentration ratio is implemented only if all the openings and windows of said vehicle are closed; - said predetermined delay is between 5 and 10 seconds; - the or one of the said determined concentration ratios concerns ozone; - the said threshold associated with ozone is between 0.05 and 0.15; - the or one of the said determined concentration ratios relates to sulphur dioxide; - the said threshold associated with sulfur dioxide is between 0.15 and 0.25; - said alert generation step comprises the declaration of an operating anomaly concerning said orientation flap in the fault log of said vehicle; and / or - said alert generation step comprises sending an appropriate visual warning to the driver of said vehicle.

[0016] The invention also relates, in a second aspect, to a motor vehicle comprising an air treatment system comprising an outside air intake duct, a passenger compartment air recirculation duct, a diffusion duct opening into the passenger compartment and in which a motor-fan unit is arranged, an air filter mounted in said intake duct or in said diffusion duct, a first and a second sensor arranged respectively in said intake duct upstream of said filter and in said diffusion duct downstream of said filter, as well as an air flow orientation flap arranged at the interface between the outlet of said intake duct, that of said recirculation duct and the inlet of said diffusion duct,said shutter being movable between an open position in which said intake and diffusion ducts are fluidically connected and a closed position in which said recirculation and diffusion ducts are fluidically connected; characterized in that it comprises a supervision module capable of implementing said detection method. Brief description of the drawings

[0017] The description of the invention will now be continued by the detailed description of several exemplary embodiments, given below for illustrative but non-limiting purposes, with reference to the appended drawings, in which: - [Fig.l] represents a schematic view of an HVAC air treatment system of a motor vehicle; and - [Fig.2] is a flowchart of the method according to the invention for monitoring the orientation flap implemented by the HVAC air treatment system of [Fig.l]. Description of the embodiments

[0018] Intended to be installed in the engine compartment of a motor vehicle, the HVAC air treatment system 1 illustrated schematically in [Fig.l] comprises: - an external air intake duct 2 whose inlet is fluidically connected to the exterior E of the vehicle; - a passenger compartment air recirculation duct 3 whose inlet is fluidically connected to the interior of the passenger compartment H of the vehicle; and - a diffusion duct 4 whose outlet is fluidically connected to the interior of the passenger compartment H of the vehicle.

[0019] The HVAC air treatment system 1 also comprises a motor-fan unit 5 arranged in the diffusion duct 4, as well as at least one first air filter 6 mounted in the intake duct 2 or in the diffusion duct 4. A second optional air filter 7 can also be mounted in the recirculation duct 3.

[0020] Commonly referred to as "cabin air filter" and responsible for retaining certain polluting particles suspended in the outside air or in the recirculated air (for example due to the opening of a window), these air filters 6, 7 make it possible to filter at least certain polluting particles present in the air supplying the motor-fan unit 5 so that the air entering the passenger compartment H is healthy for the passengers of the vehicle.

[0021] Here, the term "polluting particles" means fine particles such as those with an average diameter of 2.5 pm (PM 2.5) or an average diameter of 10 pm (PM 10), an odorless gas such as, for example, nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3) or carbon monoxide (CO), an odorous gas such as, for example, sulfur dioxide (SO2), a carbon gas of the CxHy type, carbon dioxide (CO2), volatile organic compounds (VOCs), or an external allergen produced by plants.

[0022] Each air filter 6, 7 can be a simple pollen filter, an activated carbon filter for filtering the finest particles and neutralizing odors, or a polyphenol filter ensuring more effective filtering of allergens. Each of these filters 6, 7 can also be made up of a plurality of layers, each layer performing the function of one of the filters defined previously.

[0023] The HVAC air treatment system 1 further comprises an air flow orientation flap 8 arranged at the interface between the outlet of the intake duct 2, the outlet of the recirculation duct 3 and the inlet of the diffusion duct 4.

[0024] This orientation flap 8 is movable via an actuator not shown between: - an open position in which the intake ducts 2 and diffusion ducts 4 are fluidically connected so that the pulsed air entering the passenger compartment H comes only from the exterior E of the vehicle, and - a closed position in which the recirculation ducts 3 and diffusion ducts 4 are fluidically connected so that the pulsed air entering the passenger compartment H is only recycled air.

[0025] As illustrated by [Fig.l], the HVAC air treatment system 1 also comprises a first sensor 9 arranged in the intake duct 2 upstream of the first air filter 6, as well as a second sensor 10 arranged in the diffusion duct 4 downstream of this first air filter 6 (and upstream or downstream of the motor-fan unit 5).

[0026] Each of these sensors 9, 10 is capable of measuring the concentration of at least one type of polluting particles contained in the air, advantageously chosen from fine particles with an average diameter of 2.5 pm (or PM 2.5), those with an average diameter of 10 pm (or PM 10), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ozone (O3), carbon monoxide (CO), and sulfur dioxide (SO2).

[0027] The HVAC air treatment system 1 also comprises a supervision module (not shown) capable of managing, autonomously or according to control orders transmitted by the passengers of the vehicle, the operation of the motor-fan unit 5 in order to adapt the flow of pulsed air leaving the latter as well as the operation of the air flow orientation flap 8.

[0028] Preferably consisting of the vehicle's BSI (for "Intelligent Service Box") also called VSM (for "Vehicle Supervisor Module" in English) in common terminology, this supervision module comprises a computer equipped with one or more interconnected microprocessors, as well as a memory module comprising non-volatile and non-volatile memory.

[0029] According to the invention, the non-volatile memory of this supervision module stores a process according to the invention for monitoring the orientation shutter 8.

[0030] We will now describe in detail and with the support of the flowchart of [Fig.2], the different stages of this process which is initiated when this supervision module issues a command to open or close the orientation shutter 8 (event el).

[0031] The supervision module will first of all check during a first step 100 that all the openings and windows of the vehicle are closed.

[0032] If this is not the case (one of the windows being for example at least partially open), the process will stop (step 500).

[0033] Otherwise, the supervision module will determine, at the end of a predetermined period (event e2) following the emission of said command and for at least one type i of polluting particles (PP), the ratio Ri between the concentrations measured respectively by the second sensor 10 and the first sensor 9 (step 200).

[0034] In order to prevent the concentrations measured by the second sensor 10 arranged in the diffusion duct 4 from being impacted in the event that one of the passengers of the vehicle smokes, the type(s) i of polluting particles for which such a ratio Ri will be determined will advantageously be chosen from among types of particles not present in the generated fumaroles such as ozone (O3) and sulfur dioxide (SO2).

[0035] The process will then compare each previously calculated ratio Ri to a corresponding predetermined threshold Si (step 300).

[0036] The threshold Si for each type i of polluting particles will be chosen as a value significantly lower than the minimum ratio Ri that can be obtained with the orientation flap 8 open in the case of optimal filtration by the first air filter 6, typically of the order of 0.2 for ozone (O3) and 0.4 for sulfur dioxide (SO2)•

[0037] This threshold Si for each type i of polluting particles will also be chosen as a value significantly higher than the maximum ratio Ri that can be obtained with the orientation flap 8 closed in the most unfavorable case corresponding to the absence of a second air filter 7 in the recirculation duct 3, typically of the order of 0.02 for ozone (O3) and 0.04 for sulfur dioxide (SO2).

[0038] Thus, for ozone (O3) the chosen SO3 threshold will advantageously be between 0.05 and 0.15, for example being equal to 0.1.

[0039] For sulfur dioxide (SO2), the SSo2 threshold will advantageously be between 0.15 and 0.25, for example being equal to 0.2.

[0040] If the launch of the process follows the issue of a command to close the orientation shutter 8 and the ratio(s) Ri previously determined are each less than a corresponding threshold value Si (event e3), the supervision module will consider that these ratios Ri are consistent with the effective closing of this orientation shutter 8 and the process stops (step 500).

[0041] Indeed, once this orientation flap 8 is closed, the air entering the passenger compartment comes only from the recirculation duct 3 so that the concentration of this or these types i of polluting particles measured by the second sensor 10 arranged in the diffusion duct 4 must gradually decrease due to the phenomenon of natural dilution of the latter in the passenger compartment H and also possibly thanks to the filtration carried out by the second optional air filter 7 arranged in the recirculation duct 3.

[0042] If the launch of the process always follows the issue of a command to close the orientation shutter 8 but at least one of the ratio(s) Ri previously determined is greater than or equal to a corresponding threshold value Si (event e4), the supervision module will consider that this or these ratios are inconsistent with the effective closing of this orientation shutter 8 and will generate an alert (step 400).

[0043] If the launch of the process follows the issue of a command to open the orientation shutter 8 and the ratio(s) Ri previously determined are each greater than a corresponding threshold value Si (event e5), the supervision module will consider that these ratios Ri are consistent with the effective opening of this orientation shutter 8 and the process stops (step 500).

[0044] Indeed, once this orientation flap 8 is open, the air entering the passenger compartment comes only from the exterior air intake duct 2 so that the concentration of this or these types i of polluting particles measured by the second sensor 10 arranged in the diffusion duct 4 must increase progressively due to the greater concentration of the latter outside the vehicle.

[0045] If the launch of the process always follows the issue of a command to open the orientation shutter 8 but at least one of the ratio(s) Ri previously determined is less than or equal to a corresponding threshold value Si (event e6), the supervision module will consider that this or these ratios are inconsistent with the effective opening of this orientation shutter 8 and will generate an alert (step 400).

[0046] Step 400 of generating an alert may consist simply of declaring an operating anomaly concerning the orientation flap 8 in the vehicle fault log, so that this anomaly is identified by one of the manufacturer's dealers during the next vehicle service and that a replacement of this orientation flap 8 is possibly carried out after checking its behavior.

[0047] Alternatively, provision could be made, in addition to or instead of such a declaration in the vehicle fault log, for the driver of the vehicle to be sent an appropriate visual warning (appearance of a warning light and / or a text message on one of the screens of this vehicle) encouraging this driver to go to a dealership of the manufacturer for a check to be carried out.

[0048] Numerous variant embodiments are of course conceivable and it is recalled in this respect that the present invention is not limited to the embodiments described and shown, but also encompasses all variant embodiments within the reach of those skilled in the art.

Claims

Claims

1. Method for monitoring the air flow orientation flap (8) of the air treatment system (1) of a motor vehicle of the type comprising an outside air intake duct (2), a passenger compartment air recirculation duct (3), a diffusion duct (4) opening into the passenger compartment (H) and in which is arranged a motor-fan unit (5), an air filter (6) mounted in said intake duct (2) or in said diffusion duct (4), a first and a second sensor (9, 10) capable of measuring the concentration of at least one type (i) of polluting particles (PP) and arranged respectively in said intake duct (2) upstream of said filter (6) and in said diffusion duct (4) downstream of said filter (6), as well as a said flap (8) arranged at the interface between the outlet of said intake duct (2), that of said recirculation duct (3) and the inlet of said diffusion duct (4),said flap (8) being movable between an open position in which said intake (2) and diffusion (4) ducts are fluidly connected and a closed position in which said recirculation (3) and diffusion (4) ducts are fluidly connected; characterized in that said method, initiated upon the issue of a command to open or close said flap (8) (el), comprises a step of determining (200), at the end of a predetermined time following the issue of said command (e2) and for at least one type (i) of polluting particles (PP), the ratio (Ri) between the concentrations measured respectively by said second sensor (10) and said first sensor (9), said method also comprising an alert generation step (400) implemented:, - when the launch of this process follows the issue of a command to close said shutter (8) and said report or at least one of said reports (Ri) concerning a type (i) of polluting particles (PP) is greater than or equal to a predefined threshold (Si) associated with this type of polluting particles (e4), or - when the launch of this process follows the issue of a command to open said shutter (8) and said ratio or at least one of said ratios (Ri) concerning a type (i) of polluting particles (PP) is less than or equal to a said predefined threshold (Si) associated with this type of polluting particles (e6).

2. Detection method according to claim 1, characterized in that said step of determining (200) at least one said concentration ratio (Ri) is implemented only if all the openings and windows of said vehicle are closed.

3. Detection method according to one of claims 1 or 2, characterized in that said predetermined delay is between 5 and 10 seconds.

4. Detection method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the or one of said determined concentration ratios (Ri) relates to ozone.

5. Detection method according to claim 4, characterized in that said threshold (Si) associated with ozone is between 0.05 and 0.

15.

6. Detection method according to one of claims 1 to 3, characterized in that the or one of said determined concentration ratios (Ri) relates to sulfur dioxide.

7. Detection method according to claim 6, characterized in that said threshold (Si) associated with sulfur dioxide is between 0.15 and 0.

25.

8. Detection method according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that said alert generation step (400) comprises the declaration of an operating anomaly concerning said orientation flap in the fault log of said vehicle.

9. Detection method according to one of claims 1 to 8, characterized in that said alert generation step (400) comprises sending an appropriate visual warning to the driver of said vehicle.

10. Motor vehicle comprising an air treatment system (1) comprising an outside air intake duct (2), a passenger compartment air recirculation duct (3), a diffusion duct (4) opening into the passenger compartment (H) and in which is arranged a motor-fan unit (5), an air filter (6) mounted in said intake duct (2) or in said diffusion duct (4), a first and a second sensor (9, 10) arranged respectively in said intake duct (2) upstream of said filter (6) and in said diffusion duct (4) downstream of said filter (6), as well as an air flow orientation flap (8) arranged at the interface between the outlet of said intake duct (2), that of said recirculation duct (3) and the inlet of said diffusion duct (4),said shutter (8) being movable between an open position in which said intake (2) and diffusion (4) ducts are fluidically connected and a closed position in which said ducts, recirculation (3) and diffusion (4) are fluidically connected; characterized in that it comprises a supervision module capable of implementing a method according to one of claims 1 to 9.

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