Method for regenerating a compressed air supply device, control unit and compressed air supply device

1. A method for regenerating a compressed air supply device of a commercial vehicle, wherein the compressed air supply device has an air dryer and is capable of supplying a first compressed air circuit and a second compressed air circuit with compressed air, wherein the first compressed air circuit is assigned a predetermined maximum pressure value, the method comprising the acts of:

supplying the first compressed air circuit with compressed air until the pressure in the first compressed air circuit has reached a predetermined target pressure value;

subsequently supplying the second compressed air circuit with compressed air;

wherein between the supplying of the first compressed air circuit and the subsequent supplying of the second compressed air circuit, the method further comprises the acts of:

(a) regenerating the air dryer with compressed air from the first compressed air circuit, when the pressure in the first compressed air circuit has reached the target pressure value, and when a moisture value of the air dryer exceeds a predetermined target moisture value;

(b) terminating the regeneration, when the pressure in the first compressed air circuit has dropped to a predetermined limit pressure value, or the moisture value of the air dryer has reached or dropped below the target moisture value;

(c) supplying the first compressed air circuit with compressed air until the first compressed air circuit has reached the predetermined target pressure value;

repeating steps (a)-(c) when the moisture value of the air dryer is greater than the target moisture value.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the target pressure value is the maximum pressure value.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the limit pressure value is greater than a predetermined minimum set pressure value of the first compressed air circuit.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the target moisture value corresponds to a dry air dryer.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein at least one of a modified target pressure value, a modified target moisture value, and a modified limit pressure value is used during an iterative process.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is carried out while the commercial vehicle is running.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the method is carried out while filling the compressed air circuit on startup of the commercial vehicle.

8. An electronic control unit for controlling a compressed air supply device of a commercial vehicle, wherein the electronic control unit comprises a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein program segments that:

supply the first compressed air circuit with compressed air until the pressure in the first compressed air circuit has reached a predetermined target pressure value;

subsequently supply the second compressed air circuit with compressed air;

wherein between the supplying of the first compressed air circuit and the supplying of the second compressed air circuit, the program code segments:

(a) regenerate the air dryer with compressed air from the first compressed air circuit, when the pressure in the first compressed air circuit has reached the target pressure value, and when a moisture value of the air dryer exceeds a predetermined target moisture value;

(b) terminate the regeneration, when the pressure in the first compressed air circuit has dropped to a predetermined limit pressure value, or the moisture value of the air dryer has reached or dropped below the target moisture value;

(c) supply the first compressed air circuit with compressed air until the first compressed air circuit has reached the predetermined target pressure value;

(d) repeat code segments (a)-(c) when the moisture value of the air dryer is greater than the target moisture value.

9. A compressed air supply device of a commercial vehicle, comprising a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein program segments that:

supply the first compressed air circuit with compressed air until the pressure in the first compressed air circuit has reached a predetermined target pressure value;

subsequently supply the second compressed air circuit with compressed air;

wherein between the supplying of the first compressed air circuit and the supplying of the second compressed air circuit, the program code segments:

(a) regenerate the air dryer with compressed air from the first compressed air circuit, when the pressure in the first compressed air circuit has reached the target pressure value, and when a moisture value of the air dryer exceeds a predetermined target moisture value;

(b) terminate the regeneration, when the pressure in the first compressed air circuit has dropped to a predetermined limit pressure value, or the moisture value of the air dryer has reached or dropped below the target moisture value;

(c) supply the first compressed air circuit with compressed air until the first compressed air circuit has reached the predetermined target pressure value;

(d) repeat code segments (a)-(c) when the moisture value of the air dryer is greater than the target moisture value.

10. A method for regenerating a compressed air supply device of a commercial vehicle, wherein the compressed air supply device has an air dryer, the method comprising the acts of:

(1) supplying a first compressed air circuit with compressed air, wherein the first compressed air circuit is assigned a predetermined maximum pressure value;

(2) regenerating the air dryer with compressed air from the first compressed air circuit, when the pressure in the first compressed air circuit corresponds to at least a predetermined first pressure value, and the moisture level of the air dryer corresponds to at least a predetermined first moisture value;

(3) terminating the regeneration, when the pressure in the first compressed air circuit has dropped to a predetermined second pressure value that is less than the first pressure value, or when the moisture level of the air dryer has dropped to a predetermined second moisture value that is less than the first moisture value;

(4) repeating steps (1) to (3), when the pressure in the first compressed air circuit is less than a target pressure value;

wherein the first pressure value is less than the target pressure value.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the method is carried out while filling the compressed air circuit on startup of the commercial vehicle.

12. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the second pressure value exceeds a minimum set pressure value of the first compressed air circuit.

13. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the first and the second moisture values are below a saturated moisture value of the air dryer.

14. The method according to claim 10 , wherein at least one of a modified first pressure value and a modified second pressure value is used during an iterative process.

15. The method according to claim 10 , wherein at least one of a modified first moisture value and a modified second moisture value is used during an iterative process.

16. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the method is carried out while the commercial vehicle is running.

17. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the compressed air supply device is capable of supplying a second compressed air circuit with compressed air, and wherein prior to a step for supplying the second compressed air circuit with compressed air, the method further comprises the acts of:

(5) regenerating the air dryer with compressed air from the first compressed air circuit, when the pressure in the first compressed air circuit has reached the target pressure value, and a moisture value of the air dryer exceeds a predetermined target moisture value;

(6) terminating the regeneration, when the pressure in the first compressed air circuit has dropped to a predetermined limit pressure value or when the moisture value of the air dryer has reached or dropped below the target moisture value;

(7) supplying the first compressed air circuit with compressed air until the first compressed air circuit has reached the predetermined target pressure value;

(8) repeating the (5) to (7), when the moisture value of the air dryer is greater than the target moisture value.

18. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the target pressure value is the maximum pressure value.

19. The method according to claim 17 , wherein the limit pressure value is greater than a minimum set pressure value of the first compressed air circuit.

20. An electronic control unit for controlling a compressed air supply device of a commercial vehicle, wherein the electronic control unit comprises a non-transitory computer readable medium having stored therein program code segments that:

(1) supply a first compressed air circuit with compressed air, wherein the first compressed air circuit is assigned a predetermined maximum pressure value;

(2) regenerate the air dryer with compressed air from the first compressed air circuit, when the pressure in the first compressed air circuit corresponds to at least a predetermined first pressure value, and the moisture level of the air dryer corresponds to at least a predetermined first moisture value;

(3) terminate the regeneration, when the pressure in the first compressed air circuit has dropped to a predetermined second pressure value that is less than the first pressure value, or when the moisture level of the air dryer has dropped to a predetermined second moisture value that is less than the first moisture value;

(4) repeat segments (1) to (3), when the pressure in the first compressed air circuit is less than a target pressure value;

wherein the first pressure value is less than the target pressure value.