An example cooling system for an electric includes an electric motor having a supply opening for receiving coolant and a discharge opening for expelling coolant. The discharge opening is connected to the supply opening via a coolant circuit including a first return line in which a heat exchanger is arranged, a bypass line, and a second return line. The discharge opening is connected to the supply opening by both the first return line and the bypass line, and the bypass line bypasses the heat exchanger arranged in the first return line. A battery is arranged in the second return line, and the second return line is selectively connected to a short-circuit line which causes coolant to flow from a point downstream of the battery and return to the second return line upstream of the battery. Further, a heat accumulator is arranged in the short-circuit line.

A method for managing thermal energy of a vehicle having a battery and an electric propulsion system is provided. The system monitors a current battery temperature, after the vehicle is connected to an outside power source at a plug time, and determines an outside air temperature. The system predicts a cabin heating temperature for a subsequent drive cycle. The subsequent drive cycle occurs when the vehicle is no longer connected to the outside power source. If the predicted cabin heating temperature is greater than the outside air temperature, the system heats the battery to a thermal storage temperature that is greater than a target operating temperature of the battery. Therefore, thermal energy is stored within the battery, and may be transferred to heat the cabin.

Provided is a layout structure of refrigerant piping near a heat accumulator in a vehicle, which is connected to the heat accumulator and can reduce cooling of the refrigerant piping near the heat accumulator due to blowing of wind that comes with running of the vehicle, thereby suppressing heat dissipation of the refrigerant flowing into and out of the heat accumulator. The heat accumulator mounted in a front portion of the vehicle is arranged to extend in a direction substantially orthogonal to a front-rear direction of the vehicle, and has refrigerant inflow part and outflow part at an end. The refrigerant piping includes inflow piping connected to the inflow part and outflow piping connected to the outflow part. The inflow piping and outflow piping are arranged to extend along a length direction of the heat accumulator in a state of being close to a back surface of the heat accumulator.

An electrified vehicle and method for heating a passenger cabin of an electrified vehicle that may include an internal combustion engine in addition to an electric machine and a traction battery for supplying the electric machine control an electric heating element to store thermal energy while the vehicle is connected to an external power source that is also used to charge the traction battery, and to extract stored thermal energy during operation of the vehicle with the electric heating element turned off to extend the electric driving range of the vehicle while also providing heat to the passenger cabin. The electric heating element may positioned and controlled to heat one or more elements directly by mechanical contact, or indirectly by heating a circulating liquid coolant to a temperature above a current or anticipated external ambient temperature.

A method for managing thermal energy of a vehicle having a battery and an electric propulsion system is provided. The system monitors a current battery temperature, after the vehicle is connected to an outside power source at a plug time, and determines an outside air temperature. The system predicts a cabin heating temperature for a subsequent drive cycle. The subsequent drive cycle occurs when the vehicle is no longer connected to the outside power source. If the predicted cabin heating temperature is greater than the outside air temperature, the system heats the battery to a thermal storage temperature that is greater than a target operating temperature of the battery. Therefore, thermal energy is stored within the battery, and may be transferred to heat the cabin.

A motor vehicle heating system includes an internal combustion engine, an exhaust system, a coolant circuit, and a heat storage system that is connected to the exhaust system via at least one heat storage device. The heat storage system is adapted to be coupled to the coolant circuit such that heat can be transferred between the heat storage system and the coolant circuit. The heat storage system includes a thermochemical storage material. Furthermore, a motor vehicle having such a heating system is provided.

An air conditioner energy-saving inflatable device is adapted to be disposed in a vehicle body. The air conditioner energy-saving inflatable device includes an air pump, an air bag, a circuit board and a sensor. The air bag is connected to the air pump and adapted to be disposed beside an area in the vehicle body. The circuit board is electrically connected to the air pump and includes a controller. When an air-conditioning system of the vehicle body is activated, the sensor is adapted to sense whether the area is vacant. When the sensor senses that the area is vacant, the controller instructs the air pump to inflate the air bag, so that the air bag fills at least a portion of the area. When the air-conditioning system of the vehicle body stops running, the air bag is deflated. A vehicle is also provided.

The invention concerns an installation for the thermal conditioning of a passenger compartment and/or at least one component of a motor vehicle, comprising a first circuit (1) for circulating a heat transfer fluid, a second circuit (2) for circulating a refrigerant fluid, capable of forming a heat pump type circuit, the heat transfer fluid circuit comprising heating and/or cooling means (M1, M2, M3) for at least one component of a motor vehicle, means (S1, S2) for storing calories and/or frigories, a first exchanger (E1) forming an evaporator and capable of exchanging heat with the refrigerant circuit, and means for circulating the heat transfer fluid capable of drawing the frigories and/or calories from the storage means (S1, S2) or the first exchanger (E1), so as to transfer them to the heating and/or cooling means (M1, M2, M3).

A thermal management system for an electric vehicle including an energy storage system and a vehicle component that requires cooling. A method for thermal management of an electric vehicle, and an electric vehicle including the thermal management system. The system including a heater arranged to heat the energy storage system, wherein the heater is arranged to be powered by either the energy storage system or an external power source, a control unit for controlling the heater and configured to identify when the heater is powered by the external power source, and to, when the heater is powered by the external power source receive data associated with the ambient temperature, determine whether the ambient temperature is below or above a minimum temperature, control the heater to heat the energy storage system when the ambient temperature is below the minimum temperature. The control unit is arranged to control the heater to heat the vehicle component when the heater is powered by the external power source and the ambient temperature is below the minimum temperature, and to direct excess heat from the vehicle component to the energy storage system when the heater is powered by the energy storage system.

Systems and methods are described herein for controlling heat flow between systems of an electric automotive vehicle. An automotive electric vehicle system includes a high voltage battery system including an enclosure, an electric powertrain system, a radiator, coolant lines that permit coolant flow between the high voltage battery system, the power train system and the radiator, one or more valves for routing coolant along the coolant lines, and a controller. The controller is configured to control the one or more valves to control the flow of coolant among a plurality of different, selectable coolant flow states involving the high voltage battery system, the powertrain system and the radiator.