HVAC Temperature Door with Segmented Cells for NVH Reduction
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Solution Overview
Problem
HVAC systems for vehicles face challenges in optimizing temperature linearity, flow efficiency, noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH), while also minimizing cost and weight, due to the use of features like baffles and temperature doors that can reduce airflow and increase noise and vibration.
Innovation Solution
A temperature door with a first and second sealing surface and a third surface extending between them, featuring a plurality of cells that form a contoured surface, allowing for variable positioning to control airflow between different paths and minimize NVH, thereby optimizing temperature linearity and flow efficiency while reducing system weight and cost.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Temperature
If baffles, conduits, mixing plates, and/or doors are added to facilitate mixing of hot and cold air streams, then temperature linearity is improved, but airflow is reduced and flow efficiency is degraded
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature door is segmented into multiple cells (e.g., first cell, second cell, third cell) that can be independently controlled. Each cell can be positioned to different degrees of opening, allowing precise control over the mixing of hot and cold air streams while maintaining overall airflow efficiency. This segmentation enables localized temperature control without requiring a fully open or closed door position.
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature door employs dynamic positioning capability where the door and its cells can be adjusted to various positions between fully open and fully closed states. This dynamic adjustment allows the system to optimize both temperature linearity and airflow volume based on real-time conditions, rather than being fixed in a single position.
2Temperature
If temperature doors are used to control airflow and facilitate blending, then temperature control is improved, but noise, vibration, and harshness (NVH) increase
Solution Approach 1:
Different cells of the temperature door can be positioned with different degrees of opening based on local temperature control requirements. This allows the system to minimize the opening of cells in regions where temperature blending is less critical, thereby reducing airflow turbulence and associated noise and vibration in those areas while maintaining precise temperature control where needed.
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature door system dynamically adjusts the position of individual cells based on real-time temperature and airflow conditions. By continuously optimizing cell positions, the system can minimize turbulent flow and associated NVH while maintaining effective temperature control, rather than operating with a fixed door position that may cause excessive noise and vibration.
3Temperature
If multiple components are added to the HVAC system to achieve desired linearity targets, then temperature control performance is improved, but cost and weight increase
Solution Approach 1:
The temperature door structure serves multiple functions simultaneously: it acts as an airflow control mechanism, a temperature mixing device, and a flow distribution regulator. By integrating these functions into a single multi-cell door assembly rather than using separate components for each function, the system achieves desired temperature linearity while minimizing additional weight.
Solution Approach 2:
The temperature door is divided into multiple cells that can be independently controlled, providing fine-grained temperature management capability. This segmentation allows the system to achieve precise temperature linearity control without requiring multiple separate temperature control devices, thereby reducing overall system weight and complexity.
Data Source
AI summary
A temperature door for an air handling system of a heating, ventilating, and air conditioning system for a vehicle includes a first sealing surface and a second sealing surface spaced apart from the first sealing surface. A third surface extends between the first sealing surface and the second sealing surface. A plurality of cells is formed on the third surface.