Vehicle, method and system for drying evaporator of vehicle air conditioner, and storage medium

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12325287-B2
Application number	US-202318183718-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 14, 2023
Priority date	Mar 17, 2022
Publication date	Jun 10, 2025
Grant date	Jun 10, 2025

Abstract

A method for drying an evaporator of a vehicle air conditioner comprises closing an air duct after cooling of the vehicle air conditioner is stopped, operating the heating core and the fan, so as to generate, by means of the heating core and the fan, hot air which can circulate in the air duct. During circulation, the hot air carries away condensed water precipitated on a surface of the evaporator core for conversion into hot and humid air. The method includes directly venting the hot and humid air from the air duct to exterior environment, so that the evaporator core is dried. The method can implement the drying of the evaporator with high-efficiency and low energy consumption.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for drying an evaporator of a vehicle air conditioner, wherein the vehicle air conditioner comprises an air conditioner box, the evaporator comprises an evaporator core, and an air duct for circulating air is constructed in the air conditioner box, and a fan, the evaporator core and a heating core are arranged in the air duct, the method comprising:
closing the air duct after cooling of the vehicle air conditioner is stopped;
operating the heating core and the fan such that:
hot air capable of circulating is generated in the air duct by means of the heating core and the fan, and during circulation, the hot air carries away condensed water precipitated on a surface of the evaporator core for conversion into hot and humid air; and

directly venting the hot and humid air from the air duct to an exterior environment, so that the evaporator core is dried,
wherein the air duct is provided with a ventilation section that comprises a first ventilation section and a second ventilation section, wherein the first ventilation section is capable of being in communication with an interior environment, wherein the second ventilation section is capable of being in communication with the exterior environment, and wherein closing the air duct after cooling of the vehicle air conditioner is stopped comprises:
closing the first ventilation section and the second ventilation section after the cooling of the vehicle air conditioner is stopped,

wherein the first ventilation section comprises a return air inlet and an air outlet.

2. The method for drying the evaporator of the vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein the second ventilation section comprises a fresh air inlet and a condensed water outlet.

3. The method for drying the evaporator of the vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 , wherein directly venting the hot and humid air from the air duct to the exterior environment comprises:
directly venting the hot and humid air from the air duct to the exterior environment by opening the second ventilation section.

4. The method for drying the evaporator of the vehicle air conditioner according to claim 3 , wherein the method further comprises:
stopping the operation of the heating core and the fan before the second ventilation section is opened.

5. The method for drying the evaporator of the vehicle air conditioner according to claim 4 , wherein the heating core stops operating before the fan.

6. The method for drying the evaporator of the vehicle air conditioner according to claim 5 , wherein the heating core is a PTC heating core or a warm air core.

7. A vehicle comprising a memory and a processor, wherein the memory is suitable for storing a plurality of program codes which, when being loaded and executed by the processor, cause the method for drying the evaporator of the vehicle air conditioner according to claim 1 to be carried out.

8. A system for drying an evaporator of a vehicle air conditioner, wherein the vehicle air conditioner comprises an air conditioner box, the evaporator comprises an evaporator core, an air duct for circulating air is constructed in the air conditioner box, and a fan, the evaporator core and a heating core are arranged in the air duct, the system comprising:
a processor; and
memory including computer program code, that when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:
close the air duct after cooling of the vehicle air conditioner is stopped;
operate the heating core and the fan such that hot air capable of circulating is generated in the air duct by means of the heating core and the fan, and during circulation, the hot air carries away condensed water precipitated on a surface of the evaporator core for conversion into hot and humid air; and
directly vent the hot and humid air from the air duct to an exterior environment, so that the evaporator core is dried,

wherein the air duct is provided with a ventilation section that comprises a first ventilation section and a second ventilation section, wherein the first ventilation section is capable of being in communication with an interior environment, wherein the second ventilation section is capable of being in communication with the exterior environment, and wherein the memory includes computer program code that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:
close the first ventilation section and the second ventilation section after the cooling of the vehicle air conditioner is stopped,

wherein the first ventilation section comprises a return air inlet and an air outlet.

9. The system for drying the evaporator of the vehicle air conditioner according to claim 8 , wherein the second ventilation section comprises a fresh air inlet and a condensed water outlet.

10. The system for drying the evaporator of the vehicle air conditioner according to claim 8 , wherein the memory includes computer program code that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to directly vent the hot and humid air from the air duct to the exterior environment by opening the second ventilation section.

11. A system for drying an evaporator of a vehicle air conditioner, wherein the vehicle air conditioner comprises an air conditioner box, the evaporator comprises an evaporator core, an air duct for circulating air is constructed in the air conditioner box, and a fan, the evaporator core and a heating core are arranged in the air duct, the system comprising:
a processor; and
memory including computer program code, that when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:
close the air duct after cooling of the vehicle air conditioner is stopped;
operate the heating core and the fan such that hot air capable of circulating is generated in the air duct by means of the heating core and the fan, and during circulation, the hot air carries away condensed water precipitated on a surface of the evaporator core for conversion into hot and humid air; and
a directly vent the hot and humid air from the air duct to exterior environment, so that the evaporator core is dried,

wherein the air duct is provided with a ventilation section that comprises a first ventilation section and a second ventilation section, wherein the first ventilation section is capable of being in communication with an interior environment, wherein the second ventilation section is capable of being in communication with the exterior environment, and wherein the memory includes computer program code that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to:
close the first ventilation section and the second ventilation section after the cooling of the vehicle air conditioner is stopped;
directly vent the hot and humid air from the air duct to the exterior environment by opening the second ventilation section; and
stop the operation of the heating core and the fan before the second ventilation section is opened.

12. The system for drying the evaporator of the vehicle air conditioner according to claim 11 , wherein the memory includes computer program code that, when executed by the processor, causes the processor to cause the heating core to stop operating before the fan.

13. The system for drying the evaporator of the vehicle air conditioner according to claim 12 , wherein the heating core is a PTC heating core or a warm air core.

Assignees

• Nio Technology Anhui Co Ltd

Inventors

• Li Chunhai
• Zhao Ruipo
• Han Fang
• Zhang Jiachen
• Gao Jie

Classifications

• F26B21/33

  Humidity · CPC title

• B60H2001/3288

  Additional heat source · CPC title

• B60H2001/3282

  to control the air flow · CPC title

• B60H1/3233 Primary

  characterised by condensed liquid drainage means · CPC title

• B60H1/00849

  for selectively commanding the induction of outside or inside air (B60H1/00842 takes precedence) · CPC title