Engineered to Keep Cool - Climate Controls by Continental

REGENSBURG/KARBEN – September 11, 2008: At first glance, car drivers' demands on their air conditioning systems would appear to be very simple: The air conditioning system should do no more and no less than maintain the set temperature, thereby making its contribution to ride comfort and road safety. After all, if drivers are to keep a cool head in difficult driving situations, they should not get overheated because it is too hot in the car. However, what sounds like straightforward technology actually requires an intelligent control system. Such a system can be found in the climate control units from Continental. These units provide the "brains" for the entire heating and cooling system and calculate the ideal feel-good factor several times a second.

Air conditioning systems have long been standard components in a car. In North America and Asia, scarcely anyone is interested in buying a new car without air conditioning, while in Europe these built-in heating and cooling stations have long since expanded beyond the upper category and into standard models. In the meantime, they are now installed in more than 80 percent of all new cars, and the trend is on the rise.

The heart of an air conditioning system is, like in a classic refrigerator, the refrigerant circuit, which cools and dries the air before it is mixed with heat from the engine in order to establish the desired temperature. The air is then distributed systematically in the interior by blowers through ducts and flaps. However, the "brains" of the system is the climate control unit in the center console which conceals the central control unit of the whole system behind its switches, dials and displays. In one out of nine new cars, this "brain" is made by Continental. After all, with an annual production of five million systems, the corporation is one of the biggest producers in the world ensuring ideal climate in our cars.

The work of the climate controls can be compared with that of the conductor of an orchestra. They determine the right ratio for mixing hot and cold air. They control the electric auxiliary heaters and monitor the air quality. They regulate up to 20 control motors that, like organists, open and close the stops leading to the many air outlets in the footwell, in the dashboard, on the side pillars or along the window surfaces, therefore guiding the air flow. The controls work with a lot of variables: For one thing, they take account of the information from about a dozen sensors while, for another, they ensure that each passenger in an upper category car, for example, has his or her personal climate zone. As a result, they need to conduct a canon for as many as four voices. In doing so, however, they do have plenty of freedom: Between 1,000 and 7,000 liters of air flow through the vents of a powerful air conditioning system every minute, and under extreme conditions this air can be as cold as 5 degrees Celsius and as hot as 85 degrees.

To ensure that the passengers really do feel comfortable, Continental's climate control unit monitors more than just the temperature of the air flowing out. The optimum feel-good factor is recalculated up to ten times a second on the basis of sensor data, whereby the electronic control unit takes account of the outside temperature and the position of the sun as well as the air quality and the current speed, which determines the dynamic pressure in the duct system. The Continental controls can even take account of tiny details at the request of the car maker: In a traffic jam, the exhaust gases from the car in front can lead to changes in the outside temperature and this factor can be included in the calculations. Abrupt braking actually causes the cold air to be shunted from the rear to the front, requiring readjustment. When a window or the sliding roof is open, the system instantaneously recalculates the air volumes. And as soon as the driver shifts into reverse or the navigation system indicates that the car is driving through a tunnel, the system automatically switches to the recirculation mode. Furthermore, the climate control unit is also responsible for communication with the engine electronics. This ensures that the maximum possible power is available for the powertrain at all times as required.

When it comes to regulating hot and cold air, however, the systems do not just take account of the perceived temperature in the direct vicinity of the passengers. Systematic guidance of hot air streams makes it possible to reliably prevent fogged up windows. In winter, the controls deliberately concentrate the hot air in the footwell since people usually start to get cold there first. When cooling, on the other hand, air is directed primarily towards the torso and head, where the "cooling balm" is particularly effective. If the passengers decide to abandon the automatic mode and their manual settings provoke possible risky outcomes, then the central unit working in the background makes sure that the windows do not fog up, even if the recirculation air button is pressed or if the air in the interior becomes too rarefied.

At the same time, Continental's developers also keep an eye on the energy or fuel consumption. The significance and impact of the control center in the console are growing, particularly in light of new statutory test cycles which concentrate to a greater extent on the air conditioning system. By correctly mixing hot and cold air, making maximum use of recirculated air and efficiently regulating auxiliary heaters, it can reduce the energy consumed by an automatic air conditioning system leading to an enhanced fuel economy.

Although the demands made on the climate controls are similar in all vehicles, the conditions do differ from model to model. With that in mind, Continental develops an individual climate concept for each vehicle and all body variants. However, one concept alone is not usually enough. Americans, Europeans and Asians all place different expectations on their air conditioning system, which explains why different control programs are developed for globally marketed vehicles, and are stored in the hardware. The basic principles of this are worked out in computer simulations, but the finishing touches are put on the systems at Continental in climate-controlled wind tunnels and in calibration drives conducted with the vehicle manufacturer. Continental's engineers undertake these tests in all climate zones and in countries all over the world.

Continental does even more than provide the intelligent control system for automotive air conditioning systems. For instance, about 7,000 control operating systems roll off the production line every day in the plant in Karben, near Frankfurt am Main. With their ergonomic design and high-quality finish, they blend seamlessly into the car's cockpit. Of course, the user interface and the menu navigation have to match the other devices in the center console. This is why Continental is ever more often taking over system responsibility for the entire front console, thus doing the work of other suppliers at the same time. The company has developed a highly respected level of expertise in this field, and this also makes the use of new materials possible. Dials made of solid metal are by no means rare, while experiments into the use of ceramics are already underway in Karben.

Continental's intelligent and high-performance climate control units have become established above all in comfort-oriented premium vehicles, which explains why the company is also a supplier to all upper mid-category autos from Germany's car makers. Meanwhile, the engineers and developers in Karben are also putting their expertise to good use in the democratization of technology and are breaking down the high-end systems into cost-effective units for large volumes in smaller vehicles.

With targeted annual sales of more than €26.4 billion in 2008, the Continental Corporation is one of the top automotive suppliers worldwide. As a supplier of brake systems, powertrain and chassis systems and components, instrumentation, infotainment solutions, vehicle electronics, tires and engineering elastomers, the company contributes to enhanced driving safety and global climate protection. Continental is also a competent partner in networked automobile communication. The company currently employs approximately 150,000 staff at almost 200 locations in 36 countries.

Supplying both, OEMs and the Aftermarket worldwide, the Interior Division of Continental AG develops and produces electronic systems which allow the information in a vehicle to be controlled and communicated according to the requirements of the driver and the driving situation. The Division achieves annual sales of more then € 6 billion (based on 2006 figures) with a workforce of more than 33,000 employees currently. The range of products includes instruments clusters and multifunctional displays, control units, electronic car entry systems, tire information systems, climate control systems, radios, multimedia and navigation systems, telematic solutions as well as cockpit modules and systems. The Interior Division develops vehicle electronics enabling car-to-car and car-to-infrastructure communication, Internet access and the seamless integration of mobile devices (car-to-device). The focus on systems integration offers customers less complexity and ensures efficient and cost-effective solutions for the management of information in passenger cars as well as commercial and special vehicles.