System and method of controlling heater of environmentally-friendly vehicle

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2015158366-A1
Application number	US-201414333055-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 16, 2014
Priority date	Dec 10, 2013
Publication date	Jun 11, 2015
Grant date	—

Abstract

A system for controlling a heater of an environmentally-friendly vehicle includes a signal input configured to input a heating demand. A positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater is a heat source for heating. A controller is configured to determine a target temperature according to the heating demand, determine the quantity of power supplied to the PTC heater, and determine a duty cycle of a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal. A switch is controlled according to a PWM signal of the controller to operate the PTC heater. A charger is charged/discharged when the switch is turned on/off according to the PWM signal of the controller to protect the PTC heater.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for controlling a heater of an environmentally-friendly vehicle, the system comprising:
a signal input configured to input a heating demand and a temperature setting signal of a driver; a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater which is a heat source for heating; a controller configured to determine a target temperature according to the heating demand, determine a quantity of power supplied to the PTC heater, and determine a duty cycle of a pulse width modulation (PWM) signal; a switch controlled according to a PWM signal of the controller to operate the PTC heater; and a charger which is charged/discharged when the switch is turned on/off according to the PWM signal of the controller to protect the PTC heater.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein
the PTC heater and the charger are connected to a high-voltage power line in parallel.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein
the controller determines a quantity of charge of the charger according to the quantity of power supplied to the PTC heater and controls the charge of the charger.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein
the controller variably sets a quantity of charge of the charger according to the target temperature and the quantity of heat of the PTC heater, and the quantity of power supplied to the PTC heater.

5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein
the charger is charged with a high-voltage power source of a battery supplied to the PTC heater when the switch is turned on according to a control signal of the controller, and supplies the charged voltage to the PTC heater when the switch is turned off, and the high-voltage power source of the battery supplied to the PTC heater is blocked.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein
when the switch is turned on, the charger blocks supply of an overvoltage to the PTC heater to prevent heat from being lost.

7 . A method of controlling a heater of an environmentally-friendly vehicle, the method comprising steps of:
determining a target temperature of a PTC heater when a heating demand of a driver is detected, and calculating a quantity of power supplied to the FTC heater according to the target temperature; determining a duty cycle of a PWM signal according to the quantity of power supplied to the PTC heater; determining the quantity of charge charged in a charger, which is connected to the PTC heater in parallel, according to the quantity of power supplied to the PTC heater; and operating the PTC heater by controlling turning on/off a switch in response to an output of the PWM signal, and controlling charge/discharge of the charger, which is connected to the PTC heater in parallel.

8 . The method of claim 7 , wherein:
when the switch is turned on with the output of the PWM signal, the charger is charged with a power source supplied to the PTC heater to prevent an overvoltage from being supplied to the PTC heater.

9 . The method of claim 7 , wherein:
when the switch is turned off with the output of the PWM signal, a voltage charged in the charger is supplied to the PTC heater to maintain an operation of the PTC heater even in a state where a high-voltage power source is blocked.

10 . A system for controlling a heater of an environmentally-friendly vehicle, the system comprising:
a signal input configured to detect a heating demand of a driver; a controller configured to determine a target temperature according to the heating demand, and determine a quantity of power of a heating body; a switch configured to control a power source supplied to the heating body according to a PWM signal of the controller; and a charger connected to the heating body in parallel to execute charging/discharging according to an on/off operation of the switch.

Assignees

• Hyundai Motor Co Ltd

Inventors

• Lee Jaehyuk

Classifications

• B60H1/00642 Primary

  Control systems or circuits; Control members or indication devices for heating, cooling or ventilating devices (B60H1/3201 - B60H1/3208, B60H1/3225 take precedence) · CPC title

• H05B2203/02

  Heaters using heating elements having a positive temperature coefficient · CPC title

• B60H2001/2237

  supplementary heating, e.g. during stop and go of a vehicle · CPC title

• B60H2001/2265

  related to the quantity of heat produced by the heater · CPC title

• B60H2001/225

  related to an operational state of another HVAC device · CPC title