A vehicle HVAC system includes a component within a refrigerant system in a vehicle HVAC system, a vibration sensor that generates a vibration signal indicating a vibration of the component, and a controller in communication with the vibration sensor to receive the vibration signal and the refrigerant system. The controller is configured to determine whether the vibration signal corresponds to a predetermined vibration value and for adjusting the operation of the refrigerant system to minimize the system noise if the vibration signal corresponds to the predetermined vibration value.

A climate control system for a vehicle includes an infrared sensor disposed within a passenger compartment of the vehicle. The infrared sensor is configured to receive infrared radiation from a skin surface of a vehicle occupant. The climate control system further includes a controller configured to receive a signal indicative of a detected temperature detected at the skin surface. In response to the detected temperature deviating from a baseline temperature, the controller is configured to automatically control an HVAC system to add conditioned air into the passenger compartment and to control a thermoelectric device configured to adjust a seat surface temperature.

A refrigeration system for a vehicle is provided and includes inside and outside condenser circuits. The inside condenser circuit includes a first valve receiving a first portion of refrigerant out of a compressor, and a cabin condenser receiving and condensing the first portion from the first valve while heating an interior of a cabin. The outside condenser circuit includes: a second valve receiving a second portion of the refrigerant out of the compressor; an outside condenser receiving and compressing the second portion from the second valve; a reservoir downstream from the cabin condenser and the outside condenser receiving the first and second portions; a heat exchanger downstream from the reservoir; and a bypass valve connected in parallel with the heat exchanger. The heat exchanger and the bypass valve receive portions of the refrigerant from the reservoir. A control module controls positions of the first, second and bypass valves.

A heat exchanger includes a temperature sensor for a vehicle heating device, a heat input surface, an electrical heating element arranged on the heat input surface, and a heat output surface. The temperature sensor is arranged in a depression on the heat output surface.

A heater device includes: a distance specifying portion that specifies a distance between a sensing subject, i.e., an occupant and a heater main body as a sensed distance; and a moving mechanism that moves the heater main body. The heater device further includes a heater position control portion that controls the moving mechanism such that the distance between the sensing subject, i.e., the occupant and the heater main body is adjusted to a target distance based on the sensed distance, which is specified by the distance specifying portion.

An air-conditioning device includes: a heating cycle configured to circulate the heating medium through a heater core, the heater core being configured to heat blown air; an auxiliary heating device configured to heat the heating medium by an electric heater; a refrigeration cycle configured to circulate cooling medium discharged from a compressor through a condenser, the condenser being configured to heat the heating medium; refrigeration cycle control means configured to operate the refrigeration cycle such that temperature of the heating medium reaches target heating-medium temperature; auxiliary heating device control means configured to operate the auxiliary heating device such that the temperature of the heating medium reaches the target heating-medium temperature; and switching means configured to stop the operation of the refrigeration cycle in the state in which the temperature of the heating medium is equal to or higher than the threshold value.

Methods and systems are provided for on-board diagnostics of components of an exhaust gas heat recovery (EGHR) system including engine coolant temperature sensors coupled to the system. Degradation of one or more of a first coolant temperature sensor coupled upstream of a heat exchanger of the EGHR system and a second coolant temperature sensor coupled downstream of the heat exchanger may be indicated based on a difference between a modeled coolant temperature and a measured coolant temperature, the modeled coolant temperature based on one or more of heat transfer between a heater core and vehicle cabin, and heat transfer between exhaust flowing via the heat exchanger and coolant flowing through the heat exchanger.

A rotary actuator including a rotatable shaft, at least one processor, and memory storing instructions executable by the processor(s). The instructions, when executed by the processor(s), cause the processor(s) to determine a temperature difference and rotate the rotatable shaft based at least in part on the temperature difference. The temperature difference is between a desired temperature setpoint value and a measured temperature value. The rotation of the rotatable shaft increases or decreases heat contributed by a heat-supplying device when the rotatable shaft is connected to the heat-supplying device.

A vehicular air conditioner includes an air conditioning, a heater core, a heat pump cycle unit, a temperature detector, and a controller. The heat pump cycle unit includes a first inside heat exchanger disposed downstream of the heater core in a flow direction of a conditioning air, a second inside heat exchanger disposed upstream of the heater core in the flow direction of the conditioning air, and an outside heat exchanger. The temperature detector is configured to detect a passage air temperature, the passage air temperature being a temperature of the conditioning air that has passed through the heater core. The controller is configured to selectively switch a circuit layout of the heat pump cycle unit between a cooling circuit, a heating circuit, and a dehumidifying-heating circuit based on the passage air temperature.

A method of controlling a temperature altering element within a seating assembly of a vehicle comprising: presenting a vehicle including a seating assembly including a temperature altering element, a controller in communication with the temperature altering element, the controller including a Pre-established Predictive Activation Model setting forth rules governing the activation of the temperature altering element as a function of data relating to Certain Identifiable Conditions, and a user interface configured to allow the temperature altering element to be manually activated or deactivated; occupying the seating assembly with a first occupant; collecting data relating to the Certain Identifiable Conditions while the first occupant is occupying the seating assembly; determining, by comparing the collected data to the rules of the Pre-established Predictive Activation Model, whether the collected data satisfies the rules of the Pre-established Predictive Activation Model so as to activate the temperature altering element; and activating the temperature altering element.