Method for operating an electric air compressor assembly

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12345269-B2
Application number	US-202017760067-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Feb 5, 2020
Priority date	Feb 5, 2020
Publication date	Jul 1, 2025
Grant date	Jul 1, 2025

Abstract

A method for operating an electric air compressor assembly. The assembly includes an electric motor and a compressor which is mechanically coupled to the electric motor and which is capable of providing compressed air to a tank The method comprises monitoring the temperature of at least one component of the electric air compressor assembly and controlling the motor speed as a function of said temperature running the motor at a first speed S1, which results in the temperature increasing; when the temperature reaches a temperature threshold, which is lower than a maximum admissible temperature, running the motor at a second speed S2>S1 until a predetermined desired pressure in the tank is reached.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method for operating an electric air compressor assembly, said assembly including an electric motor and a compressor which is mechanically coupled to the electric motor and which is configured to provide compressed air to a tank, the method comprising:
monitoring the temperature of at least one component of the electric air compressor assembly and controlling the motor speed as a function of said temperature;
running the motor at a first speed S1, which results in the temperature increasing;
when the temperature reaches a temperature threshold T1, which is lower than a maximum admissible temperature Tmax, running the motor at a second speed S2>S1 until a predetermined desired pressure in the tank is reached.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
0.5 Tmax<T1<0.7 Tmax.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein:
1.1 S1<S2<1.3 S1.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein S1 is comprised between 2300 and 2700 rpm, and/or S2 is comprised between 2700 and 3300 rpm.

5. The method according to claim 1 , further comprising monitoring the temperature of the electric motor or the temperature of the compressor.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the motor is run at the second speed S2 during a period which is comprised between 5 s and 35 s.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, in case the method is implemented during an inflating phase, the motor is run at the second speed S2 during a period which is comprised between 5 and 20% of the total inflating phase duration.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein, in case the method is implemented during a cycling phase, said cycling phase including a succession of pressure increasing stages and pressure consumption stages, the motor is run at the second speed S2 during at least one pressure increasing stage, during a period which is comprised between 5 and 20% of the duration of said pressure increasing stage.

9. An arrangement comprising:
a tank;
an electric air compressor assembly including an electric motor and a compressor which is mechanically coupled to the electric motor and which is configured to provide compressed air to the tank;
a temperature sensor for sensing the temperature of at least one component of the electric air compressor assembly;
a pressure sensor for sensing the pressure in the tank;
a controller configured to control the motor speed as a function of said temperature by:
monitoring the temperature of the at least one component of the electric air compressor assembly and controlling the motor speed as a function of the temperature;
running the motor at a first speed S1, which results in the temperature increasing;
when the temperature reaches a temperature threshold T1, which is lower than a maximum admissible temperature Tmax, running the motor at a second speed S2>S1 until a predetermined desired pressure in the tank is reached.

10. A vehicle comprising the arrangement according to claim 9 , at least one air actuated component, and a pneumatic circuit for carrying air from the tank to the component(s).

11. The vehicle according to claim 10 , further comprising a vehicle ECU (electrical control unit), and in that the controller is configured to control the motor speed as a function of said temperature is said vehicle ECU.

Assignees

• Volvo Truck Corp

Inventors

• Prod'Homme Nathan
• Bebon Hugo

Classifications

• B60T13/268

  using accumulators or reservoirs · CPC title

• F04B2205/05

  Pressure after the pump outlet · CPC title

• F04B2203/0209

  Rotational speed · CPC title

• F04B2201/0403

  Carter housing temperature · CPC title

• F04B2201/0801

  Temperature · CPC title