Vehicle

Abstract

To reduce air resistance, and also to suppress adhesion of ice to a vehicle body.SOLUTION: A vehicle comprises: a front window; a hood; a first plasma actuator disposed on an upper surface of the hood; a roof; a second plasma actuator disposed closer to a rear end of an upper surface of the roof; and a voltage control part which controls AC voltages to be applied to the first and second plasma actuators. The first and second plasma actuators each have: a dielectric; a first electrode provided on a vehicle front face side of the dielectric; and a second electrode provided on a rear face side of the dielectric. The first electrode is disposed further on a vehicle rear side than the second electrode. When it is determined that the vehicle is traveling in rain or snow, the voltage control part controls the AC voltage applied to the first plasma actuator to be a first voltage, and it controls the AC voltage applied to the second plasma actuator to be a second voltage lower than the first voltage.SELECTED DRAWING: Figure 7

Description

[Technical field]

[0001] The present invention relates to the technical field of vehicles fitted with vortex generators. [Background technology]

[0002] 2. Description of the Related Art Vehicles are sometimes equipped with components that reduce air resistance and improve fuel efficiency by controlling air flow.

[0003] For example, Patent Document 1 listed below describes an invention in which a vortex generator that influences the flow of air flowing under the vehicle floor is provided below the vehicle floor, on the inner side of the inner side of the tire, and rearward of the front end or flap of the tire. [Prior art documents] [Patent documents]

[0004] [Patent Document 1] JP 2016-185788 A Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0005] Furthermore, the vortex generators may be disposed near the rear end of a roof provided at the upper portion of the vehicle compartment.

[0006] Such vortex generators can prevent the formation of dead water areas behind the vehicle by shifting the position where laminar separation occurs toward the rear of the vehicle, thereby reducing air resistance.

[0007] However, when it snows, the location where laminar separation occurs shifts toward the rear of the vehicle, making it easier for ice and snow to adhere to the rear window, which could impair rear visibility.

[0008] The present invention has been made in consideration of the above circumstances, and has an object to reduce air resistance and suppress adhesion of ice and snow to a vehicle body. [Means for solving the problem]

[0009] A vehicle according to one embodiment of the present invention comprises a windshield that closes an opening provided at the front of the vehicle compartment, a hood that is positioned forward of the windshield, a first plasma actuator arranged on an upper surface of the hood, a roof that is positioned at the upper part of the vehicle compartment, a second plasma actuator arranged near the rear end of the upper surface of the roof, and a voltage control unit that controls the voltage applied to the first plasma actuator and the second plasma actuator, wherein the first plasma actuator and the second plasma actuator have a dielectric, a first electrode that is provided on the vehicle surface side of the dielectric, and a second electrode that is provided on the back side of the dielectric, the first electrode being located rearward of the vehicle than the second electrode, and when it is determined that the vehicle is traveling in rain or snow, the voltage control unit controls the voltage applied to the first plasma actuator to a first voltage and controls the voltage applied to the second plasma actuator to a second voltage lower than the first voltage. The plasma actuator functions as a vortex generator that has no moving parts. When it snows, for example, a first voltage is applied to the first plasma actuator installed on the upper part of the hood to generate a vortex. Effect of the Invention

[0010] According to the present invention, it is possible to achieve both a reduction in air resistance and a suppression of adhesion of ice and snow to the vehicle body. [Brief description of the drawings]

[0011] [Figure 1] FIG. [Diagram 2] FIG. [Diagram 3] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a plasma actuator. [Figure 4] FIG. 2 is a diagram illustrating an example of the configuration of a sensing unit. [Diagram 5] 4 is a block diagram showing a functional configuration of a control unit; FIG. [Figure 6] FIG. 1 is a diagram for explaining the jumping phenomenon of ice and snow. [Figure 7] 10 is a flowchart illustrating an example of a process executed by a control unit. [Figure 8] 10 is a flowchart showing a modified example of the process executed by the control unit. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

[0012] <1. Vehicle configuration> In the following description, the forward direction is defined as the direction in which the vehicle 1 moves forward, and the front-rear direction is described. As shown in Figures 1 and 2, a vehicle 1 in one embodiment of the present invention is equipped with a vehicle body 2, plasma actuators 3 attached to various parts of the vehicle body 2, and a control unit 4 that controls the voltage applied to the plasma actuator 3, etc.

[0013] The vehicle body 2 includes various parts to form a vehicle interior 5 and a front compartment 6, also called an engine room or the like.

[0014] Specifically, the vehicle body 2 is composed of a hood 7 that closes the upper part of the front compartment 6, a roof 8 that is arranged to cover the upper part of the passenger compartment 5, a pair of front fenders 9 that are arranged above the front tires and formed as the sides of the front compartment 6, a pair of front doors 10 and rear doors 11 that are formed as the sides of the passenger compartment 5, a pair of rear fenders 12 that are arranged rear of the rear doors 11 and above the rear tires and form part of the sides of the passenger compartment 5, a front window 13 that is arranged to close the front opening of the passenger compartment 5, and a tailgate 14 that is arranged at the rear of the passenger compartment 5.

[0015] A pair of headlamp units 15 are disposed at the front of the vehicle body 2, spaced apart from each other on the left and right.

[0016] A door mirror 16 protruding laterally is provided at a portion near the front of the front door 10 of the vehicle body 2.

[0017] A sensing unit 17 that senses the area in front of the vehicle is disposed in an upper portion near the front of the vehicle interior 5. The sensing unit 17 is a device that performs sensing for, for example, Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS).

[0018] The plasma actuators 3 are attached to various parts of the vehicle body 2, and for ease of explanation, different reference numerals are used for each attachment location.

[0019] A first plasma actuator 31 is provided on the upper surface 7a of the hood 7 near the connection portion with the front window 13. As shown in Fig. 2, a plurality of first plasma actuators 31 are arranged spaced apart in the vehicle width direction.

[0020] The multiple first plasma actuators 31 are attached in a radial pattern so as to spread out from the front to the rear. The first plasma actuators 31 are arranged along the flow lines of air that flows over the top of the hood 7 while the vehicle is moving.

[0021] A second plasma actuator 32 is provided near the rear end of the upper surface 8a of the roof 8. As shown in Fig. 2, a plurality of second plasma actuators 32 are arranged spaced apart in the vehicle width direction.

[0022] The second plasma actuators 32 are attached in parallel along the front-to-rear direction, or radially so as to spread out slightly from the front to the rear. The second plasma actuators 32 are arranged along the flow line of air flowing over the roof 8 while the vehicle is traveling.

[0023] A third plasma actuator 33 is provided on the front fender 9 near the connection portion with the front door 10. In Fig. 1 and Fig. 2, one third plasma actuator 33 is provided on the front fender 9, but two or more may be provided spaced apart from each other vertically.

[0024] In addition, the third plasma actuator 33 may be provided on the upper surface of the door mirror 16 near the rear end portion.

[0025] Furthermore, the plasma actuator 3 arranged on the upper surface 7a of the hood 7 is defined as the first plasma actuator 31, but of the plasma actuators 3 arranged on the upper surface 7a of the hood 7, the plasma actuators 3 arranged near both ends in the vehicle width direction may be treated as the third plasma actuator 33.

[0026] A fourth plasma actuator 34 is provided on the rear fender 12 or the pillar located behind the side window near the connection with the back door 14. As shown in FIG 1, multiple fourth plasma actuators 34 are arranged spaced apart in the vertical direction.

[0027] The fourth plasma actuator 34 is disposed along the flow line of air flowing over the surface of the rear fender 12 while the vehicle is moving.

[0028] The fourth plasma actuator 34 may be provided near the rear spoiler or the rear bumper.

[0029] A fifth plasma actuator 35 is provided at the lower end of the headlamp unit 15 or below the headlamp unit 15.

[0030] As shown in FIG. 3, the plasma actuator 3 comprises a dielectric 18 formed, for example, in the shape of a thin film or plate, a first electrode 19 provided on one surface of the dielectric 18 in the thickness direction, and a second electrode 20 provided on the other surface of the dielectric 18 in the thickness direction.

[0031] The first electrode 19 and the second electrode 20 are disposed so that their positions are at least partially offset when viewed in the thickness direction. An AC voltage source 21 for applying an AC voltage is inserted between the first electrode 19 and the second electrode 20 .

[0032] When a predetermined voltage V is applied to the first electrode 19 and the second electrode 20 by the AC voltage source 21, an ion wind Wi is generated on the side of the dielectric 18 where the first electrode 19 is provided, as shown in Fig. 3. The ion wind Wi flows from the first electrode 19 toward the second electrode 20.

[0033] The air in the vicinity of the plasma actuator 3 changes from a laminar flow to a flow including a vortex flow due to the generation of the ion wind Wi.

[0034] The plasma actuator 3 exerts a function according to the location where it is installed by making the applied AC voltage V variable.

[0035] AC voltage source 21 outputs a variable AC voltage V by a voltage control section F3, which will be described later.

[0036] In each plasma actuator 3 shown in Figures 1 and 2, a first electrode 19 is disposed on the windward side along the nearby air flow when the vehicle 1 is moving forward, and a second electrode 20 is disposed on the leeward side.

[0037] For example, the first plasma actuator 31, the second plasma actuator 32, the third plasma actuator 33, and the fourth plasma actuator 34 are arranged such that the first electrode 19 is located on the front end side of the vehicle 1.

[0038] Moreover, the fifth plasma actuator 35 is disposed so that the first electrode 19 is located on the lower side of the vehicle 1.

[0039] In addition, the first plasma actuator 31, the second plasma actuator 32, the third plasma actuator 33, and the fourth plasma actuator 34 shown in each figure are arranged with their long sides aligned along the air flow, but the long and short sides may be arranged in an interchangeable manner. In this case, the first electrode 19 is disposed on the front side of the vehicle 1 in the short side direction, and the second electrode 20 is disposed on the rear side.

[0040] Similarly, the fifth plasma actuator 35 may also be arranged with its long side and short side interchanged.

[0041] The sensing unit 17 is, for example, a camera unit that captures an image of a subject in front of the vehicle 1, and as shown in FIG. 4, includes a lens group 22, an image sensor 23 arranged behind the lens group 22, a camera control unit 24, and a memory unit 25.

[0042] The image sensor 23 has a configuration for obtaining a captured image of a subject within the angle of view.

[0043] The camera control unit 24 performs signal processing for obtaining a desired image or processing result for the captured image output from the image sensor 23, and controls the entire sensing unit 17 as a camera unit.

[0044] The storage unit 25 stores the captured image output from the image sensor 23 and the image after signal processing has been performed in the camera control unit 24 .

[0045] In the example of Figure 4, one set of lens group 22 and image sensor 23 is provided, but multiple sets may be provided, such as a so-called stereo camera, making it possible to obtain (calculate) the distance between vehicle 1 and the subject.

[0046] <2. Functional configuration> Functions realized by the control unit 4 executing programs and the like will be described with reference to FIG.

[0047] The control unit 4 is provided as a part of a calculation device together with a memory etc. The calculation device is, for example, various ECUs (Electronic Control Units) provided in various parts of the vehicle 1. The various ECUs may include, for example, a battery control ECU that controls the charging of the vehicle battery, a display control ECU that controls the display of display devices (including meters, etc.) equipped in the vehicle 1, an airbag control ECU, an air conditioning control ECU, and so on.

[0048] The control unit 4 functions as a rain / snow determination unit F1, a sensing abnormality determination unit F2, and a voltage control unit F3.

[0049] The rain / snow determination unit F1 determines whether or not rain or snow (including hail or sleet) is falling around the vehicle 1.

[0050] The rain / snow determination unit F1 may use the output of a rain sensor or the like (not shown) equipped in the vehicle 1 to determine whether it is snowing or raining, or may use weather information for the current location obtained via a communication unit (not shown), or may use the results of image analysis of the captured image obtained by the image sensor 23.

[0051] The sensing abnormality determination unit F2 is, for example, a sensing device for ADAS, and in this example, determines whether or not an abnormality is observed in the sensing result of the sensing unit 17 having a camera function.

[0052] For example, it is determined whether the subject within the angle of view of the image sensor 23 is being captured normally, that is, whether snow adhering to the windshield 13 or the like has prevented the subject from being detected.

[0053] In this example, a sensing abnormality is determined by detecting a subject by performing image processing on the captured image output from the image sensor 23, or by detecting ice and snow adhering to the windshield 13 by image processing.

[0054] The voltage control unit F3 controls the AC voltage V applied to each plasma actuator 3. For example, when it is raining or snowing, the voltage control unit F3 applies an AC voltage of the first voltage V1 to the first plasma actuator 31 located in front of the windshield 13 and the fifth plasma actuator 35 located near the lower end of the headlamp unit 15. As a result, the air flow above the hood 7 and the air flow on the surface of the headlamp unit 15 change from laminar flow to vortex flow, causing a jumping phenomenon in the ice and snow colliding from approximately the direction of travel, preventing the adhesion of ice and snow to the windshield 13 and headlamp unit 15.

[0055] 6, when the newly colliding ice / snow Si2 overcomes the ice / snow Si1 adhering to the upper surface 7a of the hood 7 or the surface of the front window 13, it jumps and gains wind energy in the air, accelerating its speed as it collides with the next ice / snow Si1. This causes the collided ice / snow Si1 adhering to the surface of the vehicle body 2 to be bounced off, preventing the adhesion of ice / snow Si2 and eliminating the adhesion of ice / snow Si1.

[0056] It should be noted that, when LEDs (Light Emitting Diodes) are used in the headlamp units 15, it is difficult to melt ice and snow using the heat generated by the light source. Even in such a case, the adhesion of ice and snow can be effectively prevented and eliminated by causing the ice and snow jumping phenomenon.

[0057] Furthermore, when it is raining or snowing, the voltage control unit F3 applies an AC voltage of a second voltage V2 lower than the first voltage V1 to the second plasma actuator 32 disposed near the rear end portion of the roof 8. This prevents the location where laminar separation occurs at the rear end of the roof 8 from being shifted excessively rearward, thereby preventing ice and snow from adhering to the back door 14.

[0058] Furthermore, when it is raining or snowing, voltage control unit F3 applies a higher AC voltage such as first voltage V1 to third plasma actuator 33 and fourth plasma actuator 34, thereby achieving the effect of reducing air resistance.

[0059] On the other hand, when there is no rain or snow, the voltage control unit F3 applies an AC voltage of the second voltage V2 lower than the first voltage V1 to the first plasma actuator 31 and the fifth plasma actuator 35, or stops applying voltage. As a result, the air flow above the hood 7 and the air flow on the surface of the headlamp unit 15 become laminar flows.

[0060] Furthermore, the voltage control unit F3 applies to the second plasma actuator 32 an AC voltage of a third voltage V3 that is higher than the second voltage V2. This allows the location where laminar separation occurs at the rear end of the roof 8 to be shifted as far rearward as possible, preventing the formation of a dead water area behind the vehicle 1 and achieving the effect of reducing air resistance.

[0061] Furthermore, voltage control unit F3 applies a higher AC voltage, such as first voltage V1, to third plasma actuator 33 and fourth plasma actuator 34, thereby achieving the effect of reducing air resistance.

[0062] <3. Processing flow> An example of the flow of processing executed by the control unit 4 of the vehicle 1 is shown in Fig. 7. In the figure, the plasma actuator is written as "PA".

[0063] The control unit 4 determines whether or not the host vehicle is moving in step S101 of Fig. 7. If it is determined that the host vehicle is not moving, the control unit 4 proceeds to step S102 and performs a process of stopping the application of voltage to all of the plasma actuators 3. This contributes to reducing power consumption.

[0064] On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle is moving, the control unit 4 proceeds to step S103, and reduces the air resistance while the vehicle is moving by applying an AC voltage of the first voltage V1 to the third plasma actuator 33 and the fourth plasma actuator 34.

[0065] In step S104, the control unit 4 determines whether it is snowing or raining.

[0066] If it is determined that it is snowing or raining, control unit 4 applies an AC voltage of first voltage V1 to first plasma actuator 31 and fifth plasma actuator 35 in step S105. Furthermore, in step S106, the control unit 4 causes the second plasma actuator 32 to apply the second voltage V2, which is an AC voltage.

[0067] Next, the control unit 4 determines whether or not a sensing abnormality has been detected in step S107. If a sensing abnormality has not been detected, the control unit 4 returns to the process of step S101.

[0068] On the other hand, if it is determined that a sensing abnormality has been detected, the control unit 4 increases the first voltage V1 applied to at least the first plasma actuator 31 by a predetermined amount in step S108, and then returns to the determination process of step S107.

[0069] That is, the control unit 4 increases the first voltage V1 applied to the first plasma actuator 31 until no sensing abnormality is detected, specifically, in this example, until ice and snow are no longer detected in the image captured by the image sensor 23.

[0070] The processing of step S108 may be repeated until no ice or snow is detected within the angle of view of the image sensor 23. However, the judgment process of step S107 may be No when ice or snow is no longer detected to the extent that the ADAS function can be fully utilized. For example, in a state where ice and snow are detected only at the ends of the angle of view of the image sensor 23, the control unit 4 may determine that a sensing abnormality has not been detected.

[0071] If the first voltage V1 is increased to reach the upper limit voltage value, the control unit 4 does not execute the process of step S108 any more and returns to step S101.

[0072] If it is determined in step S104 that it is neither snowing nor raining, the control unit 4 proceeds to step S109 and stops the application of voltage to the first plasma actuator 31 and the fifth plasma actuator 35. Note that in the process of step S109, instead of stopping the voltage application, an AC voltage lower than the first voltage V1 may be applied.

[0073] In step S110, the control unit 4 applies an AC voltage of the third voltage V3 to the second plasma actuator 32. This allows the location where laminar separation occurs to be shifted to the rear of the vehicle 1, thereby narrowing the dead water area and reducing air resistance. After executing step S110, the control unit 4 returns to step S101.

[0074] Here, a modified example of the flow of processing executed by the control unit 4 of the vehicle 1 is shown in Fig. 8. Processing similar to that in Fig. 7 is given the same step numbers and description thereof will be omitted where appropriate. When it is determined in step S101 that the host vehicle is traveling, the control unit 4 performs a branching process in step S121 by comparing the vehicle speed of the host vehicle with a threshold value.

[0075] When it is determined that the vehicle speed is equal to or greater than the threshold, i.e., when it is determined that the host vehicle is traveling at a certain speed, the control unit 4 applies the first voltage V1 AC voltage to the third plasma actuator 33 and the fourth plasma actuator 34 in step S103.

[0076] On the other hand, if it is determined that the vehicle speed is less than the threshold value, i.e., if the vehicle is traveling at a low speed, the control unit 4 does not apply AC voltage to the third plasma actuator 33 and the fourth plasma actuator 34. That is, when the vehicle speed is low, the control unit 4 determines that the effect of reducing power consumption by stopping the voltage application is greater than the effect of reducing air resistance.

[0077] <4. Modifications> In the examples shown in FIGS. 7 and 8 described above, if it is determined in step S101 that the vehicle is not traveling, the control unit 4 stops the application of voltage to all of the plasma actuators 3 in step S102. Without being limited to this, the control unit 4 may prevent the accumulation of ice and snow on the vehicle body 2 by applying a predetermined AC voltage to the first plasma actuator 31 and the second plasma actuator 32 even when the vehicle 1 is stopped.

[0078] 7 and 8, when a sensing abnormality is detected, the control unit 4 performs a process of increasing the first voltage V1 applied in step S108. In addition, when a sensing abnormality is detected, the control unit 4 may perform a process of notifying the driver that the ADAS function may not be fully performed. This can alert the driver and contribute to improving safety.

[0079] In the above-described example, the control unit 4 controls the voltage applied to each plasma actuator 3 by executing a predetermined program. However, the control of the voltage applied to each plasma actuator 3 may be realized by hardware using a logic circuit or the like. The voltage applied to each plasma actuator 3 may be controlled using both hardware and software.

[0080] <5. Summary> As described above, the vehicle 1 of the present invention is equipped with a front window 13 that closes an opening provided at the front of the passenger compartment 5, a hood 7 arranged forward of the vehicle than the front window 13, a first plasma actuator 31 arranged on the upper surface 7a of the hood 7, a roof 8 arranged on the upper part of the passenger compartment 5, a second plasma actuator 32 arranged near the rear end of the upper surface 8a of the roof 8, and a voltage control unit F3 that controls the AC voltage applied to the first plasma actuator 31 and the second plasma actuator 32. In addition, the first plasma actuator 31 and the second plasma actuator 32 have a dielectric 18, a first electrode 19 provided on the vehicle surface side of the dielectric 18, and a second electrode 20 provided on the back side of the dielectric 18, and the first electrode 19 is positioned further rearward than the second electrode 20. Then, when it is determined that the host vehicle (vehicle 1) is traveling in rain or snow (step S104: Yes), the voltage control unit F3 controls the AC voltage applied to the first plasma actuator 31 to a first voltage V1 (step S105), and controls the AC voltage applied to the second plasma actuator 32 to a second voltage V2 lower than the first voltage V1 (step S106). The plasma actuator 3 functions as a vortex generator that does not have any moving parts. When it is snowing, for example, a vortex current is generated by applying a first voltage V1 to the first plasma actuator 31 provided on the upper surface 7a of the hood 7. The generation of a vortex causes a jumping phenomenon in the snow that hits the hood 7, and the snow particles (snowflakes) roll while jumping on the front window 13. This prevents snow particles from adhering to the windshield 13, allowing the driver's visibility to be kept good, thereby contributing to improved safety. Furthermore, by setting the AC voltage applied to the second plasma actuator 32 to a second voltage V2 that is weaker than the first voltage V1 during snowfall, etc., the effect of preventing laminar separation is reduced, causing the laminar flow to separate from the vehicle body earlier, thereby preventing ice and snow from adhering to the rear window. Therefore, rear visibility through the rear window can be ensured, which contributes to improved safety.

[0081] Furthermore, as described above, when it is determined that the host vehicle (vehicle 1) is not traveling in rain or snow (step S104: No), the voltage control unit F3 in vehicle 1 controls the AC voltage applied to the first plasma actuator 31 to the second voltage V2 or so that no voltage is applied (step S109), and controls the AC voltage applied to the second plasma actuator 32 to the third voltage V3 which is higher than the second voltage V2 (step S110). When it is not snowing, by not applying voltage to first plasma actuator 31, the generation of vortex flow is stopped and turned into laminar flow, thereby reducing air resistance and improving the fuel efficiency of vehicle 1. By applying a third voltage V3 higher than the second voltage V2 to the second plasma actuator 32, turbulent reattachment can be caused, and the location where laminar separation occurs can be shifted rearward. This reduces the negative pressure generated behind the vehicle 1, reducing air resistance and improving fuel efficiency. In this way, by using the first plasma actuator 31 and the second plasma actuator 32 both to prevent ice and snow from adhering when it is snowing and to reduce air resistance when it is not snowing, it is possible to prevent an increase in the number of parts attached to the vehicle 1 and thus prevent an increase in costs.

[0082] Furthermore, as described above, the vehicle 1 may be equipped with a sensor (e.g., image sensor 23) that acquires a predetermined sensing result, and the voltage control unit F3 may apply, as the first voltage V1 to the first plasma actuator 31 when the sensing result is determined to be abnormal, a higher AC voltage than when the sensing result is determined to be normal. For example, a sensor installed near the windshield 13 may not be able to obtain appropriate sensing results due to the adhesion of ice and snow. According to this configuration, when the sensing result is determined to be abnormal, the applied AC voltage is increased. Therefore, more vortexes can be generated, and the effect of preventing adhesion of ice and snow can be improved. Also, by generating more jumping, ice and snow rolling down due to the jumping phenomenon bounces off other ice and snow adhering to the front window 13, making it possible to eliminate adhesion of ice and snow. This makes it possible to change the state so that appropriate sensing results can be obtained, thereby contributing to improved safety. In vehicle 1, the sensor is an image sensor 23 that captures an image in front of the vehicle body, and the captured image as a sensing result may be determined to be abnormal if at least a portion of a subject located within the angle of view of the image sensor 23 in front of the vehicle body 2 is not captured due to ice and snow adhering to the front window 13. In the image sensor 23 that captures images, the deterioration of visibility due to the accumulation of ice and snow on the windshield 13 causes the image sensor 23 to be unable to exhibit a desired performance. By performing image processing on the captured image obtained from the image sensor 23, it is possible to determine whether or not ice or snow has adhered to an area of ​​the windshield 13 within the angle of view of the image sensor 23. Therefore, it is possible to increase the first voltage V1 applied to the first plasma actuator 31 to an appropriate voltage. Moreover, the increase in the first voltage V1 can be stopped when it is confirmed that the adhesion of ice and snow has been eliminated in the captured image acquired by the image sensor 23. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the first voltage V1 from increasing excessively, and to suppress an increase in power consumption.

[0083] As described above, the arrangement direction of the first electrode 19 and the second electrode 20 in the first plasma actuator 31 of the vehicle 1 may be set to be a direction along the air flow line on the upper surface 7a of the hood 7 while the vehicle is moving. This makes it possible to efficiently bounce off ice and snow colliding with the vehicle body 2, and makes it possible to keep power consumption in the first plasma actuator 31 to a minimum.

[0084] Furthermore, the arrangement direction of the first electrode 19 and the second electrode 20 in the second plasma actuator 32 of the vehicle 1 may be set to be a direction along the air flow line on the upper surface 8a of the roof 8 while the vehicle 1 is traveling. This makes it possible to efficiently separate ice and snow rolling on the surface of the roof 8 from the roof 8, and makes it possible to keep the power consumption of the second plasma actuator 32 to a minimum.

[0085] The present invention can be understood as follows. A front window 13 that closes an opening provided at the front of the vehicle compartment 5; A hood 7 disposed on the vehicle front side relative to the front window 13; A first plasma actuator 31 disposed on the upper surface 7a of the hood 7; A roof 8 disposed on the upper part of the passenger compartment 5; A second plasma actuator 32 disposed near the rear end of the upper surface 8a of the roof 8; one or more processors; A storage medium storing a program executed by the one or more processors, The first plasma actuator 31 and the second plasma actuator 32 are a dielectric 18, a first electrode 19 provided on the vehicle front side of the dielectric 18, and a second electrode 20 provided on the back side of the dielectric 18; The first electrode 19 is disposed rearward of the second electrode 20, The program includes one or more instructions, The one or more instructions may be for the one or more processors to: A process of determining whether the vehicle is traveling in rain or snow; a process of applying an AC voltage of a first voltage V1 to the first plasma actuator 31 when it is determined that the vehicle is traveling in rain or snow, and a process of applying an AC voltage of a second voltage V2 lower than the first voltage V1 to the second plasma actuator 32; When it is determined that neither rain nor snow is occurring, the control unit 10 executes a process of applying an AC voltage lower than the second voltage V2 to the first plasma actuator 31 or a process of stopping the application of voltage to the first plasma actuator 31, and a process of applying an AC voltage of a third voltage V3 higher than the second voltage V2 to the second plasma actuator 32. vehicle.

[0086] The above-described embodiments and modifications can be combined as appropriate. [Explanation of symbols]

[0087] 1 vehicle 2. Body 5 Cabin 7. Food 7a Top side 8 Roof 8a Top 13 Front Window 18 Dielectrics 19 1st electrode 20 2nd electrode 23 Image sensor (sensor) 31 First Plasma Actuator 32 Second Plasma Actuator F3 Voltage control section V1 First voltage V2 Second voltage V3 Third voltage

Claims

1. A front window that closes an opening provided at the front of the vehicle compartment; A hood disposed forward of the front windshield; a first plasma actuator disposed on an upper surface of the hood; The roof located at the top of the passenger compartment, a second plasma actuator disposed on the upper surface of the roof toward the rear end; a voltage control unit that controls an AC voltage applied to the first plasma actuator and the second plasma actuator, The first plasma actuator and the second plasma actuator include a dielectric body; a first electrode provided on a vehicle front surface side of the dielectric body; and a second electrode provided on a rear surface side of the dielectric body, The first electrode is disposed rearward of the second electrode, The voltage control unit is When it is determined that the vehicle is traveling in rain or snow, the AC voltage applied to the first plasma actuator is controlled to a first voltage, and the AC voltage applied to the second plasma actuator is controlled to a second voltage lower than the first voltage. vehicle.

2. When it is determined that the host vehicle is not traveling in rain or snow, the voltage control unit controls the AC voltage applied to the first plasma actuator to the second voltage or to no voltage, and controls the AC voltage applied to the second plasma actuator to a third voltage higher than the second voltage.

2. The vehicle of claim 1.

3. A sensor for acquiring a predetermined sensing result is provided, When the sensing result is determined to be abnormal, the voltage control unit applies, as the first voltage, to the first plasma actuator an AC voltage that is higher than an AC voltage applied when the sensing result is determined to be normal.

2. The vehicle of claim 1.

4. The first electrode and the second electrode in the first plasma actuator are aligned along the flow line of air on the upper surface of the hood during driving.

2. The vehicle of claim 1.

5. The direction in which the first electrode and the second electrode of the second plasma actuator are arranged is set to be along the flow line of air on the upper surface of the roof during driving. A vehicle according to any one of claims 1 to 4.

Images