Vehicle ambient air purification arrangement and method, and a vehicle and vehicle fleet comprising such arrangement

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10682895-B2
Application number	US-201514666974-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 24, 2015
Priority date	Apr 2, 2014
Publication date	Jun 16, 2020
Grant date	Jun 16, 2020

Abstract

A vehicle ambient air purification arrangement, a vehicle, a vehicle fleet and a method for purifying air ambient to a vehicle are provided. The arrangement comprises an air conveying apparatus and a controller. The controller is arranged to control the air conveying apparatus to convey ambient air through ducts and filters of a ventilation system in response to a determination that an engine is inoperative and that a voltage supplied to the arrangement from an electricity supply source exceeds a threshold voltage.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A vehicle ambient air purification arrangement for use in a host vehicle including an engine and a ventilation system having ducts and one or more filters therein for purification of ambient air that flows to a passenger compartment of the host vehicle, as well as ambient air that flows to the host vehicle without entering the passenger compartment, wherein the ventilation system further includes an air outlet for allowing air to pass from the vehicle, the vehicle ambient air purification arrangement comprising:
an air conveying apparatus;
a particulate detector configured to detect amount of particulates in ambient air; and
a controller to activate the air conveying apparatus to convey ambient air through the ducts and the one or more filters of the ventilation system in response to a determination that 1) the engine is inoperative, 2) a voltage supplied to the arrangement from an electricity supply source exceeds a threshold voltage, and 3) the detected amount of particulates in the ambient air exceeds a threshold amount of particulates, so that the one or more filters may purify the ambient air by removing particulates from the ambient air and so that the ambient air may be lead out of the vehicle through the air outlet without first passing through the passenger compartment.

2. The vehicle ambient air purification arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the controller further is configured to determine if the electricity supply source is a power grid, and to activate the air conveying apparatus if it is determined that the arrangement is connected to the power grid.

3. The vehicle ambient air purification arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the controller is connectable to an electric hybrid system comprising at least one battery that is chargeable via a power grid, wherein the electricity supply source comprises the power grid, and wherein the controller is configured to activate the air conveying apparatus if it is determined that the at least one battery is being charged.

4. The vehicle ambient air purification arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the controller is connectable to an electric hybrid system comprising:
at least one of a solar power generator arranged to convert solar energy into electrical energy or a wind power generator arranged to convert wind energy into electrical energy; and
at least one battery that is chargeable via the at least one of the solar power generator or the wind power generator;
wherein the controller is configured to activate the air conveying apparatus if it is determined that the at least one battery is being charged, and wherein the electricity supply source comprises the at least one of the solar power generator or the wind power generator.

5. The vehicle ambient air arrangement according to claim 1 wherein the ventilation system further comprises at least one air intake, and the one or more filters include a particulate filter arranged between the at least one air intake and the air outlet, wherein the air conveying apparatus is arrangeable between the at least one air intake and the air outlet, and the controller is configured to control the air conveying apparatus to convey the ambient air through the ventilation system, from the at least one air intake to the air outlet, through the particulate filter, and wherein the particulate filter is configured to collect at least a part of the particles in the ambient air when the ambient air is conveyed through the particulate filter.

6. The vehicle ambient air arrangement according to claim 5 wherein the ambient air purification arrangement further comprises regeneration means configured to regenerate the particulate filter, to reduce particulates in the particulate filter, by at least one of:
heat regeneration,
electrical regeneration,
UV-light regeneration.

7. The vehicle ambient air arrangement according to claim 5 further comprising a dedicated particle separator arrangeable between the at least one air intake and the one or more filters and configured to separate particles from the ambient air before the ambient air reaches the one or more filters.

8. The vehicle ambient air purification arrangement according to claim 1 further comprising a valve arrangeable after the one or more filters, wherein the controller is further configured to selectively control the valve to let the ambient air flow from the one or more filters to:
the host vehicle passenger compartment, or
to a duct which is arranged to bypass the host vehicle passenger compartment.

9. A vehicle comprising:
an engine;
a passenger compartment;
a ventilation system having one or more ducts and one or more filters therein for purification of ambient air that flows to the passenger compartment, as well as ambient air that flows to the host vehicle without entering the passenger compartment, the ventilation system further including an air outlet for allowing air to pass from the vehicle; and
an ambient air purification arrangement including an air conveying apparatus, a particulate detector configured to detect amount of particulates in ambient air, and a controller to activate the air conveying apparatus to convey ambient air through the one or more ducts and the one or more filters of the ventilation system in response to a determination that 1) the engine is inoperative, 2) a voltage supplied to the arrangement from an electricity supply source exceeds a threshold voltage, and 3) the detected amount of particulates in the ambient air exceeds a threshold amount of particulates, so that the one or more filters may remove particulates from the ambient air and so that the ambient air may be lead out of the vehicle through the air outlet without first passing through the passenger compartment.

10. The vehicle according to claim 9 wherein the controller further is configured to determine if the electricity supply source is a power grid, and to activate the air conveying apparatus if it is determined that the arrangement is connected to the power grid.

11. The vehicle according to claim 9 wherein the controller is connected to an electric hybrid system comprising at least one battery that is chargeable via a power grid, wherein the electricity supply source comprises the power grid, and wherein the controller is configured to activate the air conveying apparatus if it is determined that the at least one battery is being charged.

12. The vehicle according to claim 9 wherein the controller is connectable to an electric hybrid system comprising:
at least one of a solar power generator arranged to convert solar energy into electrical energy or a wind power generator arranged to convert wind energy into electrical energy; and
at least one battery that is chargeable via the at least one of the solar power generator or the wind power generator;
wherein the controller is configured to activate the air conveying apparatus if it is determined that the at least one battery is being charged, and wherein the electricity supply source comprises the at least one of the solar power generator or the wind power generator.

13. The vehicle according to claim 9 wherein the ventilation system further comprises at least one air intake, and the one or more filters include a particulate filter arranged between the at least one air intake and the air outlet, wherein the air conveying apparatus is also arranged between the at least one air intake and the air outlet, and the controller is arranged to control the air conveying apparatus to convey the ambient air through the ventilation system, from the at least one air intake to the air outlet, through the particulate filter, and wher

Assignees

• Volvo Car Corp

Inventors

• Mathiasson Hans
• Lonnqvist Lena

Classifications

• B60H1/24

  Ventilating devices where the heating or cooling is irrelevant (nozzles or air-diffusers B60H1/34) · CPC title

• B60H1/00828

  Ventilators, e.g. speed control (B60H1/00864 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B60H1/00778 Primary

  the input being a stationary vehicle position, e.g. parking or stopping · CPC title

• B60H3/0633

  with provisions for regenerating or cleaning the filter element · CPC title

• Y10S903/904

  Component specially adapted for hev · CPC title