Automobile industry is shifting its focus from conventional fuel vehicles to NexGen vehicles. The NexGen vehicles have electrical components to propel the vehicle apart from mechanical system. These vehicles have a goal of achieving better fuel efficiency along with reduced emissions making it customer as well as environment friendly.
Idle start-stop is a key feature of NexGen vehicles, where, the Engine ECU switches to engine stop mode while idling to cut the fuel consumption and increase fuel efficiency. Engine restarts when there is an input from driver to run the vehicle.
There is always a clash between the Engine ECU and automatic climate control unit (Auto-AC) either to enter idle stop mode for better fuel efficiency or inhibit idle stop mode to keep the compressor running for driver comfort. This clash can be resolved in two ways:
- 1
Hardware change and,
- 2
Software change
Hardware change leads to increase in cost, validation effort and time. Software change is comparatively easy for implementation and validation based on all possible use cases.
The best way out is to design an efficient algorithm for existing system i.e. climate controller to take care of comfort as well as fuel efficiency.
This paper talks about this new methodology and its analysis for the better design of climate controller, thereby, achieving the enhanced vehicle performance along with offering complete comfort to driver.