Method for managing a hybrid compressor of an air-conditioning circuit

Abstract

The invention relates to a method for managing a hybrid compressor ( 10 ) for an air-conditioning circuit of a motor vehicle having a heat engine, said hybrid compressor being suitable for being driven, on the one hand, by said heat engine and, on the other hand, by an electric motor ( 20 ) during phases in which the drive of the compressor ( 10 ) by means of the heat engine is interrupted. According to the invention, during a phase in which the drive is interrupted, said method comprises starting said electric motor ( 20 ) before said drive interruption begins. The invention can be used for air-conditioning motor vehicles having a heat engine and provided with an automatic stopping and restarting system.

1 . A method for managing a hybrid compressor for an air-conditioning circuit of an engine motor vehicle, the hybrid compressor being able to be driven by said engine and by an electric motor during phases of interruption of driving of the compressor by the engine, the method comprising:
 during a driving interruption phase, starting said electric motor before commencement of said driving interruption.   
     
     
         2 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the hybrid compressor comprises:
 a first refrigerant fluid compression chamber comprising a first compression rod able to be driven by said engine, and   a second refrigerant fluid compression chamber comprising a second compression rod able to be driven by said electric motor,   wherein the method further comprises:
 detecting by anticipation a phase of interruption of driving of the first compression rod by the engine, 
 switching the refrigerant fluid from the first to the second compression chamber, and 
 starting the electric motor before commencement of the interruption of driving of the first compression rod by the engine. 
   
     
     
         3 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the hybrid compressor comprises:
 a variable-capacity refrigerant fluid compression chamber comprising a single compression rod able to be driven by the engine in a higher interval of capacities and by the electric motor in a lower interval of capacities, wherein the method further comprises:
 detecting by anticipation a phase of interruption of driving of the compression rod by the engine, 
 switching the capacity of the compressing chamber from the higher interval to the lower interval of capacities, and 
 starting the electric motor before commencement of the interruption of driving of the compression rod by the engine. 
   
     
     
         4 . The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said driving interruption is a stopping of the engine. 
     
     
         5 . The method as claimed in  claim 4 , wherein said stopping of the engine is an automatic stopping determined by a function for automatic stopping and restarting of the engine of the vehicle (“Stop and Start”). 
     
     
         6 . The method as claimed in  claim 2 , wherein said driving interruption is a decoupling of the engine from a compression rod of the hybrid compressor. 
     
     
         7 . The method as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the decoupling of the engine is determined by a function for automatic stopping and restarting of the engine of the vehicle (“Stop and Start”). 
     
     
         8 . The method as claimed in  claim 6 , wherein the decoupling of the engine is determined by a vehicle acceleration request. 
     
     
         9 . The method as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the starting of the electric motor before the commencement of the interruption of driving of the hybrid compressor by the engine is carried out by means for detecting stopping of the engine of a function for automatic stopping and restarting of the engine of the vehicle (“Stop and Start”). 
     
     
         10 . The method as claimed in  claim 8 , wherein the starting of the electric motor before the commencement of the interruption of driving of the hybrid compressor by the engine is carried out by means for detecting a vehicle acceleration request.