Disclosed is a vehicle air conditioning device including a heat pump cycle configured to compress and expand a refrigerant; a heater core; a high pressure side pressure sensor configured to detect a pressure on the high pressure side of the heat pump cycle; and a heater core inlet water temperature sensor configured to detect a temperature of cooling water at an inlet of the heater core as a heater core inlet water temperature. The heat pump cycle includes a compressor; a condenser; a water refrigerant heat exchanger and an evaporator; and a heating expansion valve and a cooling expansion valve. An estimated outside air temperature is calculated based on the high pressure side pressure detected by the high pressure side pressure sensor and the heater core inlet water temperature detected by the heater core inlet water temperature sensor.

There is disclosed a vehicle air conditioning device of a heat pump system which delays proceeding of frosting onto an outdoor heat exchanger, thereby eliminating or inhibiting deterioration of a heating capability due to the frosting. The vehicle air conditioning device executes a heating mode in which a controller lets a refrigerant discharged from a compressor 2 radiate heat in a radiator 4, decompresses the refrigerant by which heat has been radiated, and then lets the refrigerant absorb heat in an outdoor heat exchanger 7, and on the basis of a difference TXO=(TXObaseTXO) between a refrigerant evaporation temperature TXObase of the outdoor heat exchanger 7 in non-frosting and a refrigerant evaporation temperature TXO of the outdoor heat exchanger 7, the controller corrects a target subcool degree TGSC that is a target value of a subcool degree of the refrigerant in the radiator 4 in an increasing direction in accordance with increase of the difference TXO.

A method and apparatus for thermally preconditioning a vehicle may include tracking a position of a user and determining a trajectory of the user based upon the user's position, classifying the user's trajectory as a vehicle approach, validating the vehicle approach, and thermally preconditioning the vehicle when the vehicle approach is validated.

Methods, systems, and apparatus for managing climate control. The control system includes one or more sensors that are configured to measure sunload energy. The control system includes a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) unit that is configured to output air with an airflow rate into the cabin of the vehicle. The electronic control unit is configured to obtain the amount of sunload energy and obtain a blower map based on the amount of sunload energy. The electronic control unit is configured to determine the airflow rate based on the obtained blower map and an expected temperature. The electronic control unit is configured to control the airflow rate to adjust an air temperature within the cabin of the vehicle to reach the expected temperature therefore increasing the fuel efficiency.

A thermal system for use in autonomous motor vehicles includes an intelligent controller that receives inputs from various sources, interprets the inputs using an algorithm that learns during the process of interpreting the inputs, and generates outputs to control system features. The intelligent controller receives key input data that includes internet data and vehicle data. This data, together with other key inputs, are provided to the input layer which determines an energy balance that identifies the desired power level and the actual power level. Once the desired and actual power levels are identified, the controller generates outputs that regulate conditions within the vehicle's interior. The intelligent controller includes algorithms that enable the thermal system to make power management predictions for maximum system efficiency. The intelligent controller is capable of learning and can make decisions as to optimum interior conditions without the need for additional or repetitive operator or occupant inputs.

A storage evaporator for an air conditioning system in a vehicle includes a single, unified coolant component unit which includes the coolant condenser, the compressor, and the chiller. Four coolant connections and two electrical connections are provided between the unified coolant component unit and the rest of the air conditioning system. Two of the four coolant connections are made with the coolant condenser, with one connection being provided to have coolant flow into the condenser and the other being provided to have coolant flow out of the condenser. Two of the four coolant connections are made with the chiller, with one connection being provided to have coolant flow into the chiller and the other being provided to have coolant flow out of the chiller. The two electrical connections are associated with the compressor which is an electric compressor. The electrical connections are high voltage and control lines.

Methods and systems are provided for estimating a temperature of a cabin of a vehicle and using the estimated cabin temperature. The methods and systems obtain, via at least one temperature sensor, a surface temperature of at least a first internal surface of the cabin of the vehicle. The methods and systems estimate, via a processor and using at least the obtained surface temperature, the heat transfer from the at least one surface to cabin air within the cabin. The methods and systems estimate, via a processor and using at least the estimated heat transfer, the cabin temperature of the vehicle. The methods and systems use the estimated cabin temperature of the vehicle to control at least one feature of an air conditioning module of the vehicle.

There is disclosed a vehicle air conditioning device of a heat pump system which delays proceeding of frosting onto an outdoor heat exchanger, thereby eliminating or inhibiting deterioration of a heating capability due to the frosting. The vehicle air conditioning device executes a heating mode in which a controller lets a refrigerant discharged from a compressor 2 radiate heat in a radiator 4, decompresses the refrigerant by which heat has been radiated, and then lets the refrigerant absorb heat in an outdoor heat exchanger 7, and on the basis of a difference TXO=(TXObaseTXO) between a refrigerant evaporation temperature TXObase of the outdoor heat exchanger 7 in non-frosting and a refrigerant evaporation temperature TXO of the outdoor heat exchanger 7, the controller corrects a target subcool degree TGSC that is a target value of a subcool degree of the refrigerant in the radiator 4 in an increasing direction in accordance with increase of the difference TXO.

A working machine comprising a hydraulic fluid circuit an operator structure and a thermal management system. The thermal management system connects an operator structure heater and a heat exchanger arranged to selectively remove heat energy from the hydraulic fluid circuit, so as to be capable transferring heat from the hydraulic fluid to the operator structure.

A heat control method for a heat control device, particularly for a vehicle interior, is disclosed. The method involves detecting, delimiting and positioning various parts of the body of an occupant (U), measuring thermal or physiological parameters regarding various parts of the body of the occupant (U) and/or the vehicle interior around the occupant (U), establishing a plurality of thermal comfort indices (I.sub.n), each thermal comfort index (I.sub.n) corresponding to one of the parts of the body of the occupant (U) taking into account a feeling of warmth or of cold in the associated body part, and of which the absolute value is at a minimum in a comfortable situation, and regulating the operation of a heat control device (3) to minimize a sum of the absolute values of the comfort indices (?|I.sub.n|) in order to create a regulated thermal environment around the occupant (U).