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.

A vehicle air conditioner includes an air-heating switching portion that switches between a first air-heating mode of heating ventilation air by a heating heat exchanger and a second air-heating mode of heating the ventilation air by a condenser. The vehicle air conditioner includes a heat-exchange adjustment portion that adjusts an amount of heat exchange between the high-pressure refrigerant and the ventilation air in the condenser, and a heat-exchange control unit that controls the heat-exchange adjustment portion. The heat-exchange control unit controls the heat-exchange adjustment portion to decrease the amount of heat exchange between the high-pressure refrigerant and the ventilation air in the condenser if a condition satisfies in which temperature of the refrigerant in the condenser is equal to or lower than temperature of the ventilation air heated by a heating heat exchanger before passing through the condenser, when the air-heating switching portion switches from the first air-heating mode to the second air-heating mode.

A vehicle air conditioner includes an air-heating switching portion that switches between a first air-heating mode of heating ventilation air by a heating heat exchanger and a second air-heating mode of heating the ventilation air by a condenser. The vehicle air conditioner includes a heat-exchange adjustment portion that adjusts an amount of heat exchange between the high-pressure refrigerant and the ventilation air in the condenser, and a heat-exchange control unit that controls the heat-exchange adjustment portion. The heat-exchange control unit controls the heat-exchange adjustment portion to decrease the amount of heat exchange between the high-pressure refrigerant and the ventilation air in the condenser if a condition satisfies in which temperature of the refrigerant in the condenser is equal to or lower than temperature of the ventilation air heated by a heating heat exchanger before passing through the condenser, when the air-heating switching portion switches from the first air-heating mode to the second air-heating mode.

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.

The body comprises body walls at least partially forming a body cavity for receiving a payload and a flow arrangement for directing heated gas to heat the body cavity and mounted to at least one of the body walls. An inlet chamber wall at least partially forms an inlet chamber having opposing chamber sides. An inlet aperture is located between the chamber sides. Chamber outlet apertures are located at or adjacent to the chamber sides. A baffle is located in the inlet chamber and is configured to direct heated gas entering the inlet chamber from the inlet aperture towards the chamber outlet apertures for exiting the inlet chamber.

A vehicle oxygen generating system includes a heat source, a power source, a vehicle air handling assembly of a vehicle air conditioning system, an H.sub.2O source and an electrochemical oxygen producing device. The oxygen producing device is connected to the H.sub.2O source receiving H.sub.2O therefrom. The oxygen producing device uses heat from the heat source and electricity from the power source to produce H.sub.2 and O.sub.2 from H.sub.2O. The O.sub.2 produced by the oxygen producing device is directed to the vehicle air handling assembly and moved into a passenger compartment of a vehicle.

A system for cooling a vehicle compartment using a twin cell thermal battery and waste heat. Cool air from the evaporators of a twin cell thermal battery system is used to chill a compartment, such as an icebox in a trunk or a cabin of a vehicle. The energy needed to create the cooling effect for the cool compartment comes directly from the waste heat of vehicle exhaust gas. The system provides for the air conditioning and charging mode to work simultaneously because of a twin cell battery configuration. A thermoelectric generator (TEG) is also provided in addition to the twin cell battery thereby making the system self-powered. The system uses energy that would otherwise be lost to the environment to provide a cooling source within the vehicle.

A system for cooling a vehicle compartment using a twin cell thermal battery and waste heat. Cool air from the evaporators of a twin cell thermal battery system is used to chill a compartment, such as an icebox in a trunk or a cabin of a vehicle. The energy needed to create the cooling effect for the cool compartment comes directly from the waste heat of vehicle exhaust gas. The system provides for the air conditioning and charging mode to work simultaneously because of a twin cell battery configuration. A thermoelectric generator (TEG) is also provided in addition to the twin cell battery thereby making the system self-powered. The system uses energy that would otherwise be lost to the environment to provide a cooling source within the vehicle.

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.