The heat storage apparatus of the present disclosure includes a casing, a heat storage material that is located in the casing, a stirrer that is located in the casing, that is in contact with the heat storage material, and that rotates to stir the heat storage material, and a projection that is in contact with the heat storage material, that projects from the stirrer, and that rotates with rotation of the stirrer. The projection is continuously in contact with an inner face of the casing while the stirrer rotates.

The heat storage apparatus of the present disclosure includes a casing, a heat storage material that is located in the casing, a stirrer that is located in the casing, that is in contact with the heat storage material, and that rotates to stir the heat storage material, and a projection that is in contact with the heat storage material, that projects from the stirrer, and that rotates with rotation of the stirrer. The projection is continuously in contact with an inner face of the casing while the stirrer rotates.

A grille shutter control device is employed for a grille shutter that includes a frame, which is provided in a front grille of a vehicle and has an outside air inlet, and an opening-closing unit for opening and closing the outside air inlet. The grille shutter control device controls an opening-closing operation of the opening-closing unit such that the outside air inlet is opened or closed in accordance with a condition of the vehicle. The grille shutter controller includes an actuator and a controlling section. The actuator performs an anti-sticking operation for preventing the opening-closing unit from being stuck. The controlling section controls the actuator such that the anti-sticking operation is periodically performed by the actuator.

A valve that has an inlet and an outlet in fluid connection in a first position. When the valve is in a second position fluid enters the first inlet and exits the second outlet and enters in a second inlet and out the first outlet. The valve can be used for example to add a fluid circuit to a preexisting circuit.

A valve that has an inlet and an outlet in fluid connection in a first position. When the valve is in a second position fluid enters the first inlet and exits the second outlet and enters in a second inlet and out the first outlet. The valve can be used for example to add a fluid circuit to a preexisting circuit.

A thermal management system of a vehicle includes: a cooling circuit in which cooling water circulates; a heat accumulator storing the cooling water; a flow control valve adjusting a flow rate of the cooling water flowing to the heat accumulator; a radiator; a thermostatic valve adjusting the flow rate of the cooling water flowing to the radiator; a grille shutter adjusting amount of outside air introduced from a front grille into an engine room; a cooling water temperature sensor; a heat radiation control unit supplying the cooling water to the cooling circuit to warm up an engine when the engine is cold; and a heat storage control unit, by controlling opening degrees of the flow control valve and the grille shutter according to a cooling water temperature, supplying from the cooling circuit to the heat accumulator the cooling water whose temperature is raised by heat of the engine.

A thermal management system of a vehicle includes: a cooling circuit in which cooling water circulates; a heat accumulator storing the cooling water; a flow control valve adjusting a flow rate of the cooling water flowing to the heat accumulator; a radiator; a thermostatic valve adjusting the flow rate of the cooling water flowing to the radiator; a grille shutter adjusting amount of outside air introduced from a front grille into an engine room; a cooling water temperature sensor; a heat radiation control unit supplying the cooling water to the cooling circuit to warm up an engine when the engine is cold; and a heat storage control unit, by controlling opening degrees of the flow control valve and the grille shutter according to a cooling water temperature, supplying from the cooling circuit to the heat accumulator the cooling water whose temperature is raised by heat of the engine.

A warm-up device is provided in a cooling-water circuit, through which cooling water is circulated so as to pass through an engine. The warm-up device has a heat accumulating passage, in which a heat accumulating device is provided, and an accumulating-device bypassing passage bypassing the heat accumulating device. A waste-heat collecting device is provided in the cooling-water circuit so that heat is collected from exhaust gas from the engine and such collected heat is accumulated in the heat accumulating device. The cooling water is circulated through the heat accumulating device during a start-up operation of the engine in order to heat the cooling water flowing into the engine so as to quickly warm up the engine.

A warm-up device is provided in a cooling-water circuit, through which cooling water is circulated so as to pass through an engine. The warm-up device has a heat accumulating passage, in which a heat accumulating device is provided, and an accumulating-device bypassing passage bypassing the heat accumulating device. A waste-heat collecting device is provided in the cooling-water circuit so that heat is collected from exhaust gas from the engine and such collected heat is accumulated in the heat accumulating device. The cooling water is circulated through the heat accumulating device during a start-up operation of the engine in order to heat the cooling water flowing into the engine so as to quickly warm up the engine.

In some embodiments, a vehicle includes a temperature monitoring controller. The temperature monitoring controller is a processor, control module, or other suitable hardware that is configured to receive temperature sensor values from an engine control module (ECM) when an ignition bus is in a powered on state, and to decide when the engine should be automatically started in order to maintain a temperature above a low temperature threshold. The temperature monitoring controller periodically causes an ignition bus of the vehicle to be placed in the powered on state when the engine is shut down in order to collect temperature sensor values. The temperature monitoring controller determines whether to automatically start the engine, and if not, determines how long to wait before collecting temperature sensor values again based on a rate of change of the temperature sensor values.