A refrigeration circuit for a vehicle system includes a compressor, an evaporator, an accumulator, an inlet tube, an outlet tube, and a bypass valve. The inlet tube is configured to deliver refrigerant from the evaporator to the accumulator. The outlet tube is configured to deliver refrigerant from the accumulator to the compressor. The bypass valve is in fluid communication with the inlet and outlet tubes. The bypass valve has an open position and a closed position. The bypass valve is configured to direct refrigerant flow from the inlet tube to the outlet tube to bypass the accumulator when in the open position. The bypass valve is configured to restrict refrigerant from flowing from the inlet tube to the outlet tube when in the closed position.

A ventilation device may include a housing, a fluid channel system, a heat exchanger, and a slider arrangement. The slider arrangement may include at least one first slider and at least one second slider arranged within the fluid channel system upstream of the heat exchanger and downstream of the heat exchanger respectively. The first and second slider may be guidable transversely with respect to at least one fluid flow. The first and second slider may each be actuatable. At least one of a volume flow and a mass flow of at least one fluid flow may be at least one of controllable and regulatable via actuation of the first slider. At least one of a predetermined fluid temperature and a predeterminable fluid temperature of a mixed fluid may be settable and at least two fluids may be mixable via actuation of the second slider.

A heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) assembly for supplying different mixed air flows simultaneously is disclosed. The assembly includes first blend kinematics configured for allowing passage of a first air flow, second blend kinematics configured for allowing passage of a second air flow, obtaining means configured to obtain a temperature command indicating a target temperature for two different locations outside the HVAC assembly, identifying means configured to identify a pattern for the first blend kinematics and the second blend kinematics for modifying the first air flow and the second air flow based on the temperature command, and coordinating means configured to coordinate each of the first blend kinematics and the second blend kinematics simultaneously.

A thermal management system comprises a coolant system and a separate refrigerant system that are both selectively interconnectable to a chiller. The coolant system includes a radiator and a plurality of fluid lines forming a selectable interconnectable array of coolant loops. This array includes an energy storage system coolant loop and an electrical drive system coolant loop that are separately interconnectable with the radiator and that control the temperature of the energy storage system and the electrical drive system of an electric vehicle. The refrigerant system includes a condenser, an internal heat exchanger, and an array of refrigerant loops that control the temperature of a cabin of the electric vehicle. Together, the coolant system and the refrigerant system provide multiple thermal control modes for components of an electric vehicle.

A temperature control method, including periodically sensing an air temperature of a space, and periodically sensing a surface temperature of each of a plurality of interior surfaces; in response to the air temperature and the surface temperatures being less than a target temperature, calculating an air heating duration of an air conditioner and a surface heating duration of each of a plurality of heater devices arranged in an array according to the target temperature, the air temperature and the surface temperatures; performing an air heating operation according to the air heating duration and performing surface heating operations according to the surface heating durations; and in response to the air temperature currently sensed and the surface temperatures currently sensed reaching the target temperature, instructing the air conditioner to stop performing the air heating operation.

A vehicle climate control system includes a heat exchanger to heat ambient air using engine waste heat, and a plurality of positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heating elements to heat air passed through the heat exchanger. The vehicle also includes a controller programmed to, while the vehicle is driven without engine propulsion, issue a command to sequentially de-energize the PTC heating elements before an upcoming engine activation. The sequential de-energization of the PTC heating elements is performed according to a schedule that is based upon a power surge dissipation time.

A vehicle air-conditioning device is a heat pump type vehicle air-conditioning device including an external heat exchanger that performs heat exchange between refrigerant flowing the inside thereof and outside air. With the vehicle air-conditioning device, a controller functions as a temperature-difference calculation unit that calculates the temperature difference ΔT between the refrigerant in a refrigerant flow path on the exit side of the external heat exchanger and the outside air, and in addition, the controller functions as a frost formation determination unit that determines that frost formation is caused on the external heat exchanger on the basis of the elapsed time to of a state in which the temperature difference ΔT is equal to or larger than a frost-formation temperature difference at which the frost formation may be caused on the external heat exchanger.

A thermal management unit for providing cooling or heating to regions of a vehicle. The thermal management unit comprises a housing (11) containing a compressor (13) and a first evaporator (12) of a refrigerant system; a pump (36), a heater (39) as first radiator of a heating system; and a blower (17). The blower is configured to force air over the first evaporator and first radiator to cool or heat the air. The housing comprises an airflow outlet (46) through which the cooled or heated air can exit the housing, and an airflow inlet (47) though which air can enter the housing to be recirculated by the blower. The housing comprises a first refrigerant outlet port (16) through which refrigerant compressed by the compressor can pass out of the housing, and a second refrigerant inlet port (31) through which refrigerant can return into the housing for the supply to the first evaporator (12).

Thermal management in a vehicle involves a compressor to output a refrigerant in vapor form for circulation in a refrigerant loop. A thermal management system includes a heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system in the refrigerant loop including an evaporator and an HVAC condenser, and an exterior condenser in the refrigerant loop configured to vent heat to an exterior of the vehicle. A first variable refrigerant flow valve controls a flow rate of the refrigerant output by the compressor into the HVAC condenser, and a second refrigerant flow valve controls a flow rate of the refrigerant output by the compressor into the exterior condenser. A controller controls the first refrigerant flow valve and the second refrigerant flow valve based on a target output temperature for the HVAC condenser.

Methods and systems are provided for operating a climate control system. In one example, a method for operating a vehicle climate control system includes modeling a temperature in a cabin heating circuit coupled to a heat pump. The method also includes operating the heat pump to deliver thermal energy to a cabin heat exchanger based on the modeled temperature.