A heater element for heating a vehicle interior includes a pillar shaped honeycomb structure portion having: an outer peripheral wall; and partition walls arranged on an inner side of the outer peripheral wall, the partition walls defining a plurality of cells, each of the cells forming a flow path from a first end face to a second end face. The outer peripheral wall and the partition walls are made of a material having PTC characteristics. The heater element further includes a dense insulating film that covers at least a part of the pillar shaped honeycomb structure portion.

An electric heating apparatus includes a PTC heating device comprising at least one PTC element and electric conductor tracks which are connected to the PTC element in an electrically conductive manner, and a housing which receives the PTC heating device and on which inlet and outlet openings for a fluid to be heated are exposed. A helically-shaped tube is provided in the housing and connects the inlet opening to the outlet opening and is coupled to the PTC heating device in a thermally conductive manner.

A vehicle air-conditioning apparatus is provided which is capable of expanding an effective range of a dehumidifying and heating mode to achieve comfortable vehicle interior air conditioning. A control device (controller) executes a dehumidifying and heating mode to let a refrigerant discharged from a compressor 2 radiate heat in a radiator 4, let a part of the refrigerant flow from a bypass circuit (refrigerant pipe 13F) to an indoor expansion valve 8, and let the residual refrigerant flow through an outdoor expansion valve 6. In the dehumidifying and heating mode, the control device has a state of controlling the operation of the compressor 2, based on a heat absorber temperature Te and executes a radiator temperature priority mode which enlarges a capability of the compressor when heat radiation in the radiator is insufficient.

A refrigeration cycle device includes a heating unit, an air-heating expansion valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, an air-cooling expansion valve, an indoor evaporator, and a cooler-unit expansion valve, a cooler unit, and a refrigerant circuit switching unit. In a heating series cooler-unit mode, refrigerant is circulated in order of the heating unit, the air-heating expansion valve, the outdoor heat exchanger, the cooler-unit expansion valve, and the cooler unit. In a heating parallel cooler-unit mode, refrigerant is circulated in order of the heating unit, the air-heating expansion valve, and the outdoor heat exchanger, and refrigerant is circulated in order of the heating unit, the cooler-unit expansion valve, and the cooler unit.

A refrigeration cycle device includes a heating unit, an air-heating expansion valve, an outdoor heat exchanger, an air-cooling expansion valve, an indoor evaporator, and a cooler-unit expansion valve, a cooler unit, and a refrigerant circuit switching unit. In a heating series cooler-unit mode, refrigerant is circulated in order of the heating unit, the air-heating expansion valve, the outdoor heat exchanger, the cooler-unit expansion valve, and the cooler unit. In a heating parallel cooler-unit mode, refrigerant is circulated in order of the heating unit, the air-heating expansion valve, and the outdoor heat exchanger, and refrigerant is circulated in order of the heating unit, the cooler-unit expansion valve, and the cooler unit.

A thermal system of a vehicle, including: a heat exchanger; a accumulator and a compressor; a cabin evaporator; a cabin condenser; and a battery; wherein the heat exchanger, accumulator, compressor, cabin evaporator, cabin condenser, and battery are connected to allow refrigerant heat and cool a passenger cabin and the battery in a single closed and connected circuit directly without any dedicated heat exchanger; and wherein the heating and cooling of the cabin and the battery are controlled by settings of a plurality of valves.

A thermal system of a vehicle, including: a heat exchanger; a accumulator and a compressor; a cabin evaporator; a cabin condenser; and a battery; wherein the heat exchanger, accumulator, compressor, cabin evaporator, cabin condenser, and battery are connected to allow refrigerant heat and cool a passenger cabin and the battery in a single closed and connected circuit directly without any dedicated heat exchanger; and wherein the heating and cooling of the cabin and the battery are controlled by settings of a plurality of valves.

The invention relates to a refrigerant circuit (1), in particular for use in a vehicle, preferably a motor vehicle, comprising: an air conditioning compressor (2), a main condenser (4), at least one connectable condenser (5), and a switching means (3) which is designed to connect one or more of the switchable condensers (5) to the refrigerant circuit (1), wherein a pressure equalising means (6) is configured to equalise an internal pressure of the at least one connectable condenser (5) with an internal pressure of the main condenser (4).

A cooling and battery cooling mode is performed to release the heat from the refrigerant in a heat releasing unit and an outdoor heat exchanger and to absorb the heat into the refrigerant in a heat absorbing unit and a refrigerant-heat medium heat exchanger, and a heating and battery cooling mode is performed to release the heat from the refrigerant in the heat releasing unit and to absorb the heat into the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger and the in-vehicle device heat exchanger. In a case where the cooling and battery cooling mode is performed, when a temperature of the heat absorbing unit is lower than a target value of the temperature of the heat absorbing unit even though the flowing of the refrigerant into the heat absorbing unit is blocked, the operation mode is moved to the heating and battery cooling mode.

A cooling and battery cooling mode is performed to release the heat from the refrigerant in a heat releasing unit and an outdoor heat exchanger and to absorb the heat into the refrigerant in a heat absorbing unit and a refrigerant-heat medium heat exchanger, and a heating and battery cooling mode is performed to release the heat from the refrigerant in the heat releasing unit and to absorb the heat into the refrigerant in the outdoor heat exchanger and the in-vehicle device heat exchanger. In a case where the cooling and battery cooling mode is performed, when a temperature of the heat absorbing unit is lower than a target value of the temperature of the heat absorbing unit even though the flowing of the refrigerant into the heat absorbing unit is blocked, the operation mode is moved to the heating and battery cooling mode.