A self-cleaning metal hydride heat recovery system comprising a thermally insulated housing partitioned into at least two thermally insulated chambers, each chamber enclosing a metal hydride reactor assembly containing a regenerating, high-temperature metal hydride alloy, an ambient air inlet adapted to receive an ambient air stream into the housing to be fed to at least one of the two thermally insulated chambers, a fluid recirculation circuit configured to recirculate an exhaust stream as received from an exhaust source, the fluid recirculation circuit comprises a mixer adapted to mix a portion of a recirculation stream and the exhaust stream to provide a resultant stream, fluid stream switching means coupled to the mixer and adapted to switch flow of the resultant stream and the ambient air stream in a cyclic manner, flow regulating means provided downstream of the metal hydride reactor assemblies, and an exhaust outlet.

A self-cleaning metal hydride heat recovery system comprising a thermally insulated housing partitioned into at least two thermally insulated chambers, each chamber enclosing a metal hydride reactor assembly containing a regenerating, high-temperature metal hydride alloy, an ambient air inlet adapted to receive an ambient air stream into the housing to be fed to at least one of the two thermally insulated chambers, a fluid recirculation circuit configured to recirculate an exhaust stream as received from an exhaust source, the fluid recirculation circuit comprises a mixer adapted to mix a portion of a recirculation stream and the exhaust stream to provide a resultant stream, fluid stream switching means coupled to the mixer and adapted to switch flow of the resultant stream and the ambient air stream in a cyclic manner, flow regulating means provided downstream of the metal hydride reactor assemblies, and an exhaust outlet.

Methods and systems are provided for improving the operating range of an electric vehicle having an engine wherein waste heat generated during motor operation is transferred to pre-heat the engine. Engine starting is predicted based on the electrical torque demand of the vehicle relative to the actual and predicted electrical energy consumption of the electric vehicle. Prior to starting the engine to charge a battery of the motor, various engine components are pre-heated in an order that improves vehicle range while also optimizing fuel economy.

Methods and systems are provided for improving the operating range of an electric vehicle having an engine wherein waste heat generated during motor operation is transferred to pre-heat the engine. Engine starting is predicted based on the electrical torque demand of the vehicle relative to the actual and predicted electrical energy consumption of the electric vehicle. Prior to starting the engine to charge a battery of the motor, various engine components are pre-heated in an order that improves vehicle range while also optimizing fuel economy.

The oven for the transport of food, installable in particular on motorcycles or the like, comprises a container securable to a motorcycle and having an inner chamber for the housing of food, an heating heat exchanger associated with the container and adapted to heat the air in the inner chamber, in which the heating heat exchanger has an inlet duct connectable to a scavenging system of the exhaust gases of the motorcycle and an outlet duct of the exhaust gases, and a dehumidifying heat exchanger associated with the container and adapted to dehumidify the air in the inner chamber, in which the dehumidifying heat exchanger comprises a cooling portion adapted to be hit by an air flow external to the container during the transit of the motorcycle, and a dehumidification portion positioned internally to the container and adapted to condense the water vapor present in the inner chamber.

A heat exchanger assembly includes a main heat exchanger that receives a main hot air; a secondary heat exchanger operatively adjacent to the main heat exchanger; wherein the secondary heat exchanger receives a secondary hot air; wherein the main hot air and the secondary hot air are from two different, direct air sources; wherein a hot air channel of only one of the main and the secondary heat exchangers includes a catalytic coating; and a temperature control that controls the temperature of only one of the main hot air and the secondary hot air into the hot air channel.

A heat exchanger assembly includes a main heat exchanger that receives a main hot air; a secondary heat exchanger operatively adjacent to the main heat exchanger; wherein the secondary heat exchanger receives a secondary hot air; wherein the main hot air and the secondary hot air are from two different, direct air sources; wherein a hot air channel of only one of the main and the secondary heat exchangers includes a catalytic coating; and a temperature control that controls the temperature of only one of the main hot air and the secondary hot air into the hot air channel.

A vehicle climate control system includes a heat exchanger to heat ambient air using engine waste heat, and a plurality of positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heating elements to heat air passed through the heat exchanger. The vehicle also includes a controller programmed to, while the vehicle is driven without engine propulsion, issue a command to sequentially de-energize the PTC heating elements before an upcoming engine activation. The sequential de-energization of the PTC heating elements is performed according to a schedule that is based upon a power surge dissipation time.

A vehicle climate control system includes a heat exchanger to heat ambient air using engine waste heat, and a plurality of positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heating elements to heat air passed through the heat exchanger. The vehicle also includes a controller programmed to, while the vehicle is driven without engine propulsion, issue a command to sequentially de-energize the PTC heating elements before an upcoming engine activation. The sequential de-energization of the PTC heating elements is performed according to a schedule that is based upon a power surge dissipation time.

A waste-heat collection system for a vehicle is provided. The vehicle includes an internal combustion engine and an exhaust manifold via which exhaust manifold hot exhaust gas coming from the internal combustion engine is introduced into an engine-side segment of an exhaust system. The exhaust manifold and/or the engine-side segment of the exhaust system, an exhaust gas turbocharger and/or a catalytic converter are at least partially surrounded by a waste-heat collecting housing. Air contained in the waste-heat collecting housing is heated by waste heat of these components and the heated air is used to charge a latent heat accumulator.