Air conditioner for hybrid vehicle

• Main Author: IRITANI KUNIO
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 15.04.2004
• Edition: 7
• Subjects: ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PLURAL DIVERSE PRIME-MOVERS INVEHICLES; ARRANGEMENT OR MOUNTING OF PROPULSION UNITS OR OFTRANSMISSIONS IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS IN CONNECTION WITH COOLING, AIR INTAKE, GASEXHAUST OR FUEL SUPPLY OF PROPULSION UNITS, IN VEHICLES; ARRANGEMENTS OR ADAPTATIONS OF HEATING, COOLING, VENTILATING,OR OTHER AIR-TREATING DEVICES SPECIALLY FOR PASSENGER OR GOODSSPACES OF VEHICLES; AUXILIARY DRIVES FOR VEHICLES; CONJOINT CONTROL OF VEHICLE SUB-UNITS OF DIFFERENT TYPE ORDIFFERENT FUNCTION; CONTROL SYSTEMS SPECIALLY ADAPTED FOR HYBRID VEHICLES; ELECTRIC EQUIPMENT OR PROPULSION OF ELECTRICALLY-PROPELLEDVEHICLES; ELECTRODYNAMIC BRAKE SYSTEMS FOR VEHICLES, IN GENERAL; INSTRUMENTATION OR DASHBOARDS FOR VEHICLES; MAGNETIC SUSPENSION OR LEVITATION FOR VEHICLES; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; ROAD VEHICLE DRIVE CONTROL SYSTEMS FOR PURPOSES NOT RELATED TOTHE CONTROL OF A PARTICULAR SUB-UNIT; TRANSPORTING; VEHICLES IN GENERAL

In an air conditioner for a hybrid vehicle, an air conditioning unit performs air-conditioning operation by electrical power supplied from a battery. When a residual charging degree of the battery becomes equal to or lower than a target degree, an electrical motor generator is driven by a vehicle engine so that the battery is charged through the electrical motor generator. Further, when a rotation speed of the engine is lower than a predetermined speed or when a power generation efficiency due to the engine is lower than a predetermined efficiency, air-conditioning capacity of the air conditioning unit is set lower, so that a consumption power of the air conditioner is restricted. Accordingly, the frequency for starting the engine only for charging the battery can be reduced.