Method of Cleaning a Vehicle Heat Exchanger

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016377359-A1
Application number	US-201615263672-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Sep 13, 2016
Priority date	Aug 18, 2014
Publication date	Dec 29, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

A method for automatically cleaning a vehicle's heat exchanger or air filter is provided. In use, once the system determines that the heat exchanger/air filter should be cleaned, for example based on total operational time or the number of use cycles or air flow, the system temporarily reverses the direction of the corresponding fan assembly, thereby reversing the flow of air through the heat exchanger/air filter and forcing out dust, dirt and other debris.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of cleaning a heat exchanger, the method comprising the steps of:
monitoring fan usage of a fan positioned to force air through said heat exchanger in a first direction when said fan rotates in a first rotational direction, wherein said step of monitoring fan usage is performed by a fan controller; and periodically and temporarily reversing rotation of said fan from said first rotational direction to a second rotational direction, wherein said step of periodically and temporarily reversing rotation of said fan is performed automatically by said fan controller in response to said fan usage, wherein said fan forces air through said heat exchanger in a second direction when said fan rotates in said second rotational direction, and wherein said second direction is opposite to said first direction.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said fan usage is based on an operational time of said fan.

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said fan usage is based on a number of use cycles of said fan.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said fan usage is based on a current air flow through said heat exchanger.

5 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said heat exchanger is integrated into a vehicle, and wherein said method further comprises the step of determining if said vehicle is in motion, wherein said step of periodically and temporarily reversing rotation of said fan is delayed until said vehicle is not in motion.

6 . The method of claim 1 , wherein said heat exchanger is integrated into a vehicle, and wherein said method further comprises the step of determining if said vehicle is in park, wherein said step of periodically and temporarily reversing rotation of said fan is delayed until said vehicle is in park.

Assignees

• Atieva Inc

Inventors

• Gauthier Jean-Philippe

Classifications

• F01P11/06

  Cleaning (in general B08B); Combating corrosion (in general C23F) · CPC title

• F01P7/048

  using electrical drives · CPC title

• F28G15/003

  Control arrangements · CPC title

• B60H3/0092

  in the interior of the HVAC unit, e.g. by spraying substances inside the unit · CPC title

• F28G13/00 Primary

  Appliances or processes not covered by groups F28G1/00 - F28G11/00; Combinations of appliances or processes covered by groups F28G1/00 - F28G11/00 · CPC title