Vehicle Cabin Dehumidification Control for Window Fogging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Vehicle air conditioning systems face issues with sudden increases in humidity leading to window fogging, particularly in battery electric vehicles, which reduce energy efficiency and cruising range.
Innovation Solution
A vehicle air conditioning system with a humidity controlling device that adjusts airflow to maintain the window glass temperature above the dew point temperature by controlling a ventilation fan's flow rate, using a humidity controlling device with a honeycomb structure and adsorbent layer to adsorb and desorb moisture.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Object-affected harmful factors
If ventilation is used to remove harmful volatile components and control humidity in the vehicle interior, then the vehicle interior environment is improved, but heater energy is lost significantly in winter, reducing energy efficiency
Solution Approach 1:
The system changes the operational parameters of the humidity controlling device by switching between adsorption mode (for humidity removal) and desorption mode (for moisture release to air conditioning duct). This allows the system to remove harmful volatiles and control humidity while managing energy consumption by releasing accumulated moisture to the air conditioning system rather than continuously venting to the exterior.
Solution Approach 2:
The humidity controlling device operates in periodic cycles of adsorption and desorption. During adsorption mode, it removes moisture and harmful volatiles from the air conditioning duct. During desorption mode, it releases the accumulated moisture back into the air conditioning duct. This periodic operation allows continuous humidity control while minimizing energy loss compared to continuous ventilation.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Effectively suppresses window fogging by maintaining the window glass temperature above the dew point, even with sudden humidity increases, thereby enhancing energy efficiency and reducing fogging incidents.
Implementation Method 1
a functional material-containing layer provided on a surface of each partition wall
Implementation Method 2
at least the partition wall being made of a material having a PTC property
Data Source
AI summary
A vehicle air conditioning system includes: at least one humidity controlling device configured to adsorb and desorb moisture; an air conditioning duct having the humidity controlling device provided therein and allowing air from a vehicle interior or a vehicle exterior to flow therethrough, the air conditioning duct having a first flow path for allowing the air to flow into the vehicle interior on a downstream side of the humidity controlling device and a second flow path for discharging the air to the vehicle exterior; a valve configured to switch the flow of the air between the first flow path and the second flow path; a ventilation fan configured to adjust a flow rate of the air flowing through the air conditioning duct; and a control unit configured to control the humidity controlling device, the valve and the ventilation fan.