Electric Bus Air Conditioning Using External Power

Resolve Bottlenecks,
Find Innovative Solutions
Generate Solutions

Solution Overview

Problem

Electric buses face challenges in maintaining passenger compartment air treatment while stationary, increasing pollution and fuel consumption due to reliance on combustion boilers, which are not always feasible and inefficient.

Innovation Solution

A method and system that utilize an external electrical source for initial air treatment when the vehicle is connected, switching to a fossil source for air treatment when on board, allowing treatment without depleting battery energy and reducing pollution and fuel consumption.

Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles

VSEngineering Contradiction Analysis

1Use of energy by moving object

If a combustion boiler is used to heat the passenger compartment, then the energy for heating is not drawn from the batteries, but the pollution generated by the electric vehicle increases and fuel consumption increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery energy consumptionVSAvoidpollution
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSObject-generated harmful factors

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary air treatment (cooling, dehumidification, deodorization) while the vehicle is stationary and connected to an external electrical source. This pre-treatment prepares the air in the passenger compartment before the vehicle starts moving, so that when the vehicle is in motion, the air treatment can be maintained with minimal energy consumption from the batteries or fossil fuel source.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

2Use of energy by moving object

If a combustion boiler is used to heat the passenger compartment, then the energy for heating is not drawn from the batteries, but the fuel consumption of the electric vehicle increases

Engineering Contradiction:
Improvebattery energy consumptionVSAvoidfuel consumption
Core Design Contradiction:
Use of energy by moving objectVSLoss of energy

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary air treatment while the vehicle is stationary and connected to an external electrical source. This pre-treatment prepares the air in the passenger compartment before the vehicle starts moving, so that when the vehicle is in motion, the air treatment can be maintained with minimal energy consumption from the batteries or fossil fuel source.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

3Ease of operation

If the air treatment device is powered by the vehicle's batteries when stationary, then the air treatment can be provided, but the batteries are depleted and cannot provide energy for vehicle operation

Engineering Contradiction:
Improveair treatment availabilityVSAvoidbattery energy
Core Design Contradiction:
Ease of operationVSUse of energy by moving object

Solution Approach 1:

The system performs preliminary air treatment while the vehicle is stationary and connected to an external electrical source. This pre-treatment prepares the air in the passenger compartment before the vehicle starts moving, so that when the vehicle is in motion, the air treatment can be maintained with minimal energy consumption from the batteries or fossil fuel source.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #10Preliminary action

Solution Approach 2:

The system introduces a fossil fuel-based electrical source as an intermediary power supply for air treatment devices when the vehicle is in motion. This intermediary source handles the energy-intensive air treatment functions, allowing the batteries to be reserved for vehicle propulsion and other critical electrical systems.

Inventive Principle:
Principle #24Intermediary (Mediator)

Data Source

PatentEP3625069B1Method and system for conditioning the air in a passenger compartment of an electric vehicle, and electric vehicle implementing such a method or system
Publication Date: 2022.08.24 BLUEBUS
  • EP3625069B1 patent drawingFigure 1~2
  • EP3625069B1 patent drawingFigure 3~4

AI summary

The invention relates to a method (200) for conditioning the air of the passenger compartment of an electric vehicle, characterized in that it comprises: - a preliminary step (204) of conditioning the air in at least one portion of said passenger compartment by means of an air-conditioning device (304, 308) supplied with power by a power source external to said vehicle, when said vehicle is linked to said external power source; and - a main step (212) of conditioning the air in said at least one portion of said passenger compartment, by means of an air-conditioning device (304, 308) supplied with power by a fossil power source on board said vehicle, when using said vehicle; the preliminary step (204) conditioning the air only, or first, or giving priority to the conditioning of the air, in a driver area of said vehicle (100). It also relates to a system implementing such a method and an electric vehicle, in particular an electric bus, implementing such a method or system.