Presented are joint active thermal management (JATM) systems with heat exchanger storage of surplus refrigerant, methods for making/operating such systems, and vehicles equipped with such systems. A JATM system includes a coolant loop that fluidly connects to a vehicle battery system for pumping thereto coolant, an oil loop thermally coupled to the coolant loop and fluidly connected to a vehicle powertrain system for pumping thereto oil, and a refrigerant loop thermally coupled to the coolant loop and operable to circulate refrigerant for heating/cooling a passenger compartment. An electronic controller determines if a current amount of refrigerant in the refrigerant loop exceeds a calibrated threshold for the current operating mode of the JATM system. If so, the controller determines if one of the refrigerant loop's heat exchangers is available to store excess refrigerant. If the heat exchanger is available, the refrigerant loop stores excess refrigerant in the available refrigerant heat exchanger.

An embodiment of the present invention provides a vehicle heat pump system including a compressor configured to compress and circulate a refrigerant, a condenser configured to condense the compressed refrigerant, a first expansion valve configured to expand the condensed refrigerant, an evaporator configured to evaporate the refrigerant expanded by the first expansion valve by allowing the refrigerant to exchange heat with a coolant, a cabin cooler configured to cool a vehicle interior by allowing the coolant having passed through the evaporator to exchange heat with air, and a radiator configured to allow the coolant for cooling an electrical component to exchange heat with outside air, in which the coolant having passed through the radiator flows into the evaporator in a heating mode.

An evaporator apparatus for a refrigeration cycle of an HVAC system or a refrigeration system is disclosed that includes: a primary evaporator pathway for a working fluid of the refrigeration cycle extending through a primary expansion device and a primary evaporator; a secondary evaporator pathway for the working fluid in parallel with the primary evaporator pathway and extending through a secondary expansion device and a secondary evaporator; a coolant circuit for cooling a device, the secondary evaporator configured for heat exchange between the working fluid and process fluid of the coolant circuit; and a controller configured to control: the primary expansion device to maintain a target superheat of working fluid at a primary control location downstream of the primary evaporator; and the secondary expansion device based on monitoring a temperature of process fluid to maintain a target temperature of process fluid at a coolant control location in the coolant circuit.

A thermal management system includes a high-temperature side heating medium circuit, a low-temperature side heating medium circuit, a device heating medium circuit, a circuit connection portion and a circuit switch unit. The circuit switch unit switches between an operation mode in which a heating medium that passed through the low-temperature side heating medium circuit is circulated through any one of the high-temperature side heating medium circuit and the device heating medium circuit via the circuit connection portion and an operation mode in which the high-temperature side heating medium circuit, the low-temperature side heating medium circuit, and the device heating medium circuit are connected via the circuit connection portion, and the heating medium is circulated through a heat generation device, a device heat exchange unit, a heating unit, and a heater core.

An integrated thermal management circuit for vehicles, includes a refrigerant line configured so that a refrigerant subsequently flows into a compressor and a refrigerant heater, the refrigerant discharged from the refrigerant heater passes through an internal condenser or an integrated chiller and then flows into an external condenser, and the refrigerant discharged from the external condenser passes through the integrated chiller or an evaporator and then flows into the compressor, a battery cooling line configured so that a coolant circulates between a battery and an integrated radiator or the integrated chiller, an electronic part cooling line configured so that the coolant circulates between an electronic driving unit and the integrated radiator or the integrated chiller, and a heat radiation control valve provided between the refrigerant heater and the internal condenser on the refrigerant line and configured to control an amount of heat radiated by the internal condenser.

A thermal management system control method for a vehicle, may include: (A) a process in which a controller determines whether a pre-cooling mode is selected according to data detected from a data detector before track driving of the vehicle, and operates an air conditioner; (B) a process in which the controller, when the process (A) is completed, operates a battery chiller expansion valve to cool a battery module according to the data detected from the data detector; and (C) a process in which the controller, when the process (B) is completed, determines whether the evaporator is frozen and then thaws the evaporator or controls an evaporator expansion valve, and terminates the control.

A thermal management system includes a refrigerant loop, a battery coolant loop, and a motor coolant loop. The refrigerant loop includes a compressor selectively communicating with at least two of a condenser, an evaporator, and a heat exchanger. The battery coolant loop includes a first bypass path connected to the heat exchanger. The motor coolant loop includes a second bypass path connected to the radiator. A valve package includes ten outer ports and eight inner channels. Three outer ports connect to the heat exchanger, one of which being connected to the first bypass path. Two outer ports connect to the power supply system. Two outer ports connect to the powertrain system. Three outer ports connect to the radiator, one of which being connected to the second bypass path. Eight of the ten outer ports selectively communicate with four of the eight inner channels.

Disclosed are a thermal management system and a new energy vehicle. The new energy vehicle includes an electric motor and a thermal management system. The thermal management system includes a refrigeration cycle system, a flow path pump, a first thermal management object, a second thermal management object, and a plurality of three-way valves. The refrigeration cycle system and the flow path pump are separately connected to the plurality of three-way valves. The refrigeration cycle system and the flow path pump are connected to the first thermal management object and the second thermal management object through the plurality of three-way valves respectively. The plurality of three-way valves are separately controlled, to form a first coolant circulation loop and a second coolant circulation loop that are independent of each other, and separately control temperatures of the first thermal management object and the second thermal management object.

A heating system of a vehicle includes: a cooling line in which a radiator mounted with a cooling fan is provided; a heating line including a cooling water heater heating cooling water and an internal heater provided therein, and fluidly connected to the cooling line; a first branch line fluidly connecting a first portion of the cooling line and a first portion of the heating line, and including a first electrically powered water pump and an electric part; a second branch line fluidly connecting a second portion of the cooling line and a second portion of the heating line, and including a second electrically powered water pump; a first valve provided in the cooling line, the heating line, and a branch point of the first branch line; and a second valve provided in the cooling line, the heating line, and the branch point of the second branch line.

An adaptive air conditioning system, a method for the system, and a carrier equipped with the system are disclosed. The carrier includes at least one adaptive air conditioning system. The carrier has a body, which includes at least one cabin defining a compartment for accommodating transported objects, such as passengers or cargos. The adaptive air conditioning system includes data collecting apparatus, temperature control apparatus, and a microcontroller. The temperature control apparatus includes a liquid circulation unit, an air circulation unit, and a control switch. With the adaptive air conditioning system, the air and internal installation in the compartment can be controlled at a predetermined temperature more promptly, efficiently, uniformly, and flexibly, thus increasing comfort level for the passengers or meeting the temperature requirements for the cargos.