A exhaust-gas heat management system includes a catalytic converter in the exhaust-gas train of an internal-combustion engine, a cover enclosing the catalytic converter, and thereby realizing a cavity for holding a latent-heat storage PCM, at least two fluid connections between the cavity and the collecting vessel, and a pump device for activating and deactivating a PCM circuit between the cavity and the collecting vessel by means of the fluid connections. A method comprises determining an operating state of the internal combustion engine, determining the catalytic converter temperature, determining the PCM temperature, activating the PCM circuit if the PCM temperature is above a phase transition temperature of the PCM, and the internal combustion engine is in a switched-on operating state or the internal combustion engine is in a switched-off operating state and the catalytic converter temperature is below a light-off temperature of the catalytic converter.

An internal combustion engine, wherein a chemical thermal storage device is provided with a first heater including a first element generating heat when chemically adsorbing a reaction medium supplied from a storage part through a first connection pipe and desorbing the reaction medium if heated by the heat of exhaust in a state chemically adsorbing the reaction medium and a second heater including a second element generating heat when chemically adsorbing a reaction medium supplied from a storage part through a second connection pipe and desorbing the reaction medium if heated by the heat of exhaust in a state chemically adsorbing the reaction medium and wherein the control device controls the opening degrees of the first valve and the second valve so that the reaction medium supplied to the second heater is preferentially recovered at the storage part.

Switchable radiative energy harvesting systems and methods of harvesting radiation are disclosed. A system includes an optical filter that includes at least one of an active material and a passive material. The optical filter is switchable between a shield mode and a harvesting mode such that the at least one of the active material and the passive material is in a reflecting state during the shield mode such that the optical filter blocks passage of radiation from a thermal emitter to a thermophotovoltaic cell and a transmitting state during the harvesting mode such that that the optical filter allows the radiation to pass from the thermal emitter to the thermophotovoltaic cell.

Methods and systems for predicting at least one temperature along a fluid flow path of a fluid flow system having a heater disposed in the fluid flow path are provided. In one example, a method includes: obtaining at least one input, wherein the at least one input includes a setpoint, a mass flow rate, an inlet temperature, or a combination thereof; calculating a temperature associated with the heater based on a predefined model and the at least one input; and setting a value of the at least one temperature along the fluid flow path to the temperature of the heater.

Methods and systems are provided for a single heat exchanger coupled to a main exhaust passage upstream of one or more exhaust catalysts or in between two exhaust catalysts for exhaust heat recovery and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooling. In one example, in the pre-catalyst configuration of the heat exchanger, during exhaust heat recovery, a portion of exhaust may be routed via the heat exchanger while the remaining portion of exhaust may be routed directly to the exhaust catalysts, and fueling may be adjusted on a per-cylinder basis to maintain a target exhaust air-fuel-ratio at the exhaust catalysts.

An exhaust system for a motor vehicle, with an exhaust pipe for discharging exhaust of a device that produces an exhaust. A heat accumulator, which surrounds the exhaust pipe in the peripheral direction with respect to a longitudinal central axis of the exhaust pipe, is present, at least in regions thereof, and, in the radial direction between the exhaust pipe and the heat accumulator over at least a portion of the longitudinal extension the heat accumulator, a cross-section adjusting element for adjusting a passage cross section is arranged between the exhaust pipe and the heat accumulator. The cross-section adjusting element has a first holed pipe, which surrounds the exhaust pipe, and a second holed pipe, which surrounds the first holed pipe. The first holed pipe and the second holed pipe can be shifted in position relative to each other for adjusting the passage cross section.

Methods and systems are provided for a single heat exchanger coupled to a main exhaust passage upstream of one or more exhaust catalysts or in between two exhaust catalysts for exhaust heat recovery and exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) cooling. In one example, in the pre-catalyst configuration of the heat exchanger, during exhaust heat recovery, a portion of exhaust may be routed via the heat exchanger while the remaining portion of exhaust may be routed directly to the exhaust catalysts, and fueling may be adjusted on a per-cylinder basis to maintain a target exhaust air-fuel-ratio at the exhaust catalysts.

A control system for use in a fluid flow application includes a heater and a control device. The heater includes at least one resistive heating element having a relationship between resistance and temperature defining a non-monotonic curve. The heater is to heat fluid flow. The control device is to determine a flow characteristic of the fluid flow and a temperature of the at least one resistive heating element along the non-monotonic curve between resistance and temperature based on a change in resistance of the at least one resistive heating element.

A temperature control system includes a heater core utilizing heat of a heat medium; an engine heat exchanger utilizing exhaust heat of an engine to heat the heat medium; a condenser utilizing heat other than the exhaust heat to heat the heat medium; a heat circuit having the heater core and condenser; a communication flow path making the engine heat exchanger communicate with the heat circuit; and a connection state switching mechanism switching a flow state of the heat medium, between a first state and a second state. In the first state, the heat medium flows through the heat circuit, while flowing through the heater core, and in the second state, the heat medium flows through the heat circuit without flowing through the heater core. The heat circuit is arranged at a front of a passenger compartment, and the engine heat exchanger is arranged at a rear of the compartment.

An exhaust gas temperature control apparatus adjusts the temperature of exhaust gas in a stage before an exhaust gas purification unit disposed in an exhaust pipe passage of an internal combustion engine. The exhaust gas temperature control apparatus includes a heat reservoir which can store and radiate heat, a heating member which causes the heat reservoir to store heat, and a temperature control section which controls the temperature of the exhaust gas discharged from the exhaust gas temperature control apparatus by causing the heat reservoir to store heat or radiate heat in accordance with operation state of a vehicle on which the internal combustion engine is mounted.