A PTC heater includes PTC heater parts in which heater rods and radiation fins are alternately arranged. A frame is formed along a circumference to support the PTC heater parts. IGBT elements are installed on the frame and selectively apply a battery current to each of the heater rods to adjust the heat generation amount of the heater rods. A control module is installed on the frame and controls the IGBT elements to adjust the heat generation amount of the heater rods according to a target temperature value. A heat sink is installed on the frame, is connected with the IGBT elements for heat-exchange, is formed to pass the PTC heater parts in the horizontal direction and radiate heat of the IGBT elements through the flowing air inside the air conditioning case.

A vehicle air-conditioner safety device includes a controller which, in a case in which an abnormality has occurred in a heating device that heats coolant with a heater, determines whether or not the abnormality is a restorable abnormality or a non-restorable abnormality. When the abnormality is determined to be the restorable abnormality, it is determined whether or not the restorable abnormality has been removed. Heating by the heater is prohibited when the restorable abnormality or the non-restorable abnormality has occurred. Heating by the heater is restored when the restorable abnormality has been removed after heating by the heater is prohibited due to occurrence of the restorable abnormality.

A method for digitally controlling a heating arrangement may include receiving a temperature value with a control device, the temperature value reflecting a current outside temperature. The method may also include determining via the control device, based on the received temperature value, a limit output of the heating arrangement that is smaller than a maximum output of the heating arrangement. The method may further include dividing the determined limit output into a plurality of output stages via the control device, a number of the plurality of output stages corresponding to a digital resolution of the control device. The method may additionally include controlling the heating arrangement between a minimum output and the limit output to one of the plurality of output stages.

A method for operating a fuel-operated vehicle heater, wherein after receipt of a switch-off signal by a control unit of the fuel-operated vehicle heater, a shutdown phase is initiated, during which remaining fuel present in the fuel-operated vehicle heater is combusted, and wherein a restart phase is initiated by the control unit after receipt of a switch-on signal during the shutdown phase, without the shutdown phase being terminated after complete combustion of the remaining fuel.

There is disclosed a vehicle air conditioner which is capable of achieving protection of an air flow passage without hindrance, even when a temperature sensor which detects a temperature of an electric heater fails. When a detected value of an electric heater temperature sensor detecting the highest temperature among a plurality of electric heater temperature sensors 61 to 64 is in excess of a predetermined threshold value, a controller executes a protecting operation of limiting energization to the electric heater or stopping the energization. The controller calculates an estimated value Thtrest of the temperature which is calculated back from a consumed power of the electric heater, and when one of the electric heater temperature sensors fails, the controller executes the protecting operation on the basis of the highest value among the detected values of the temperature sensors other than the electric heater temperature sensor and the estimated value.

A method for operating a vehicle temperature control system includes, after activation of a vehicle heating unit (16) outputs an activation actuating command to a fan control unit (32), in response thereto the fan control unit (32) outputs a vehicle data bus disconnect command to a vehicle data bus disconnect unit (38), the vehicle data bus disconnect unit (38) disconnects a vehicle data bus (28) for providing a partial vehicle data bus (40) in response to receiving the vehicle data bus disconnect command from the fan control unit (32) and after providing the partial vehicle data bus (40), the fan control unit (32) outputs an activation actuating command to an air conditioning unit (34). The air conditioning unit (34) puts at least one vehicle fan (18) and/or at least one air flow influencing unit (36) into a specified operating condition in response to receiving the activation actuating command.

A control system for a radiant heater device includes a radiant heater device, a heater ECU that controls an energization and a deenergization of a heat generation unit, and an integrated ECU that transmits an operation prohibition command for prohibiting the energization of the heat generation unit and an operation permission command for permitting the energization of the heat generation unit to the heater ECU. The integrated ECU transmits the operation prohibition command when receiving a collision signal indicative of a vehicle collision or a prediction of the vehicle collision, and transmits the operation permission command when not receiving the collision signal. The heater ECU performs the deenergization control when a non-reception state in which the operation permission command is not received from the integrated ECU is continued for a predetermined time or more. As a result, the energization can be interrupted before an occupant is adversely affected.

A vehicle heating system includes a fuel-operated heater (16) with a burner area (18), with a combustion air blower (20) for feeding combustion air to the burner area (18). A fuel pump (26) feeds fuel to the burner area (18). An actuating device (40) actuates the combustion air blower (20) and the fuel pump (26). The actuating device (40) is configured to actuate the combustion air blower (20) and the fuel pump (26) to carry out a fording operation upon receipt of a fording state information.

A method is provided for operating a radiation heating device for a heating system of a motor vehicle. The radiation heating device has an electrically operable heating element for providing a heating temperature at a heating surface. The method operates the heating element for the purposes of providing heating power in normal operation, checks whether there is contact between the heating surface and a body part, and reduces the heating power of the heating element if contact with the body part is identified.

The on-state malfunction detection device detects an on-state malfunction, for instance, in an IGBT that is provided to correspond to a PTC element whose electrical resistance value varies according to temperature and that controls the electrification of the PTC element. In a state in which a turn-off instruction has been outputted from a control device to the IGBT, the on-state malfunction detection device determines through calculation an electric potential difference following voltage division of the voltage between the both ends of the PTC element, and detects an on-state malfunction of the IGBT when this electric potential difference is equal to or greater than a predetermined threshold value. This allows for the detection of an on-state malfunction in a switching element that performs an electrical conduction control for an element whose electrical resistance value varies according to temperature.