CyberCab Climate Control
Climate control is vital to ensure a comfortable journey in the PRT system. The climate control concept of the CyberCab vehicle is flexible and will be determined based on the application environment and the (customer) requirements. The maximum and minimum temperatures that should be supported will determine what type of HVAC (heating, ventilation, air conditioning) system is required.
Several possible HVAC system configurations exist:
• Forced ventilation only
• Forced ventilation / Heating
• Forced ventilation / Air conditioning
• Forced ventilation / Air conditioning / Heating
The ‘forced ventilation only’ concept is probably only applicable for indoor applications. The surrounding climate is all ready controlled, relieving the system of the necessity to heat or cool the interior of the vehicle. In combination with heating the system can operate outdoors in countries with a moderate climate. Likely the interior climate would benefit from air conditioning, but this could be considered a luxury which is not required in light of the short time passengers spend in the PRT vehicle.
Air conditioning is (almost) a prerequisite for outdoor operations in warm climates. 2getthere can apply a variety of air conditioning systems with different cooling capacities. The energy requirements of the air conditioning systems should be considered carefully with respect to the on-board energy source of the vehicles. Within the design of the application ‘keeping out the heat’ should be ensured by stations located within a controlled (air conditioned) environment and prevention of idle vehicles (unless parked in designated locations).
For applications within a continental climate (hot summers, cold winters), both air conditioning and heating will have to be offered to ensure a pleasant journey. In that sense it has to be taken into account that passengers will be dressed appropriately for the weather conditions – it is thus not required to heat or cool the vehicle extremely in comparison to the outside temperature.
For all applications an integrated approach to the selection of the HVAC system and energy management system is required. The power required by the climate control concept should be facilitated by the energy management system.