A heat pump system for air conditioning a vehicle, in particular an electric or hybrid vehicle, includes an air conditioning unit which has an air conditioning evaporator and a heating heat exchanger, for air conditioning a passenger compartment of the vehicle. A condenser transmits heat from a refrigeration circuit into a coolant circuit, and a chiller transmits heat from the coolant circuit into the refrigeration circuit. The coolant circuit has two branches which are parallel to one another downstream of a low temperature cooler, namely a heating branch which can be shut off and in which the condenser and the heating heat exchanger are arranged, and a cooling branch, in which the chiller and a low temperature heat exchanger for cooling a vehicle component are arranged. The low temperature cooler, the condenser and the heating heat exchanger are connected in series with respect to one another. The heat pump system has a plurality of operating modes.

A method of heating the interior of a vehicle is provided. The vehicle has a central heating system and several decentralized heating surfaces constructed as infrared radiators. The temperature of the vehicle interior is controllable by the central heating system and/or the decentralized heating surfaces corresponding to a heating demand of at least one vehicle occupant. For controlling the temperature of the vehicle interior corresponding to a heating demand, a power distribution takes place between the central heating system and the decentralized heating surfaces as a function of specified distribution demands.

A vehicle cabin heating system of a vehicle, and methods of operation of such a heating system are provided. The vehicle cabin heating system scavenges waste heat from drivetrain components. A heat pump provides further heat scavenging for delivery to the vehicle cabin. A supplemental heater may be selectively activated to provide supplemental heating when operation of the heat pump and/or vehicle cabin heating system are inadequate to provide prompt heating response. The supplemental heater may, for example, be a positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heater positioned downstream of a heat pump heater and/or a heater core, and/or may include a positive high voltage coolant heater positioned within a coolant fluid circuit useable to heat coolant for delivery to the heater core and/or heat pump.

A heating device for a vehicle and a method for operating the heating device includes a flow path for a heat transport medium and an electrical heating arrangement for heating the heat transport medium on a heating section of the flow path. The heating section has at least two channels running in a serpentine pattern, through which the heat transport medium can flow in parallel.

A method for heating a vehicle is disclosed. The method comprises heating coolant with an electric heater and selectively heating the coolant with an engine. The method further comprises selectively supplying the coolant to each of a plurality of heating zones, and calculating a heat load of heat exchangers corresponding to the heating zones. The heating of the coolant is based the heat load in the heating zones.

Systems and methods of controlling temperature in a cabin of an electric vehicle that has an HVAC system powered by a battery system and an auxiliary heating system. Upon determining, by a system controller, that a setpoint temperature is less than or equal to a sensed cabin temperature while operating in an HVAC electric heat state, an auxiliary heat state, or a maximum heat state, automatically transitioning to an off state from the HVAC electric heat state, the auxiliary heat state, or the maximum heat state.

Methods and system for operating a thermal storage device of a vehicle system are provided. In one example, a method comprises estimating a temperature of a thermal battery after the battery and coolant included therein have reached thermal equilibrium, and determining a state of charge of the battery based on the estimated temperature and one or more chemical properties of two phase change materials included within the battery. Specifically, the thermal battery may include two phase change materials with different melting points for providing thermal energy to warm coolant in a vehicle coolant system.

Systems and methods of controlling temperature in a cabin of an electric vehicle that has an HVAC system powered by a battery system and an auxiliary heating system. Upon determining, by a system controller, that a setpoint temperature is less than or equal to a sensed cabin temperature while operating in an HVAC electric heat state, an auxiliary heat state, or a maximum heat state, automatically transitioning to an off state from the HVAC electric heat state, the auxiliary heat state, or the maximum heat state.

There is provided a control system (200), a vehicle (1), a method (500), and computer software, for controlling thermal energy capture of vehicle kinetic energy of a vehicle. The control system (200) is configured to determine whether to enter a first regenerative braking energy conversion mode or a second regenerative braking energy conversion mode. The control system is configured to output a control signal (508, 510) to cause an electric machine (402, 404) of the vehicle to enter the first regenerative braking energy conversion mode or the second regenerative braking energy conversion mode in dependence on the determination. The first regenerative braking energy conversion mode is configured to provide a first proportion of total energy generated via the electric machine as thermal energy added to a cooling system (400) of the vehicle. The second regenerative braking energy conversion mode is configured to provide a second, greater, proportion of total energy generated via the electric machine as thermal energy added to the cooling system.