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.

An adsorption based system is provided for the selective cooling and heating of a vehicle compartment using by-product water collected from a power generating unit of a vehicle. The system may include a fuel cell stack and an exhaust conduit configured to transfer an exhaust stream from the fuel cell stack. A water reservoir stores by-product water collected from the exhaust stream. The system may include a coolant loop configured to circulate a coolant fluid. A detachable adsorption subsystem is in thermal communication with the coolant loop and the exhaust conduit, and may include an evaporator and an adsorbent bed. The adsorption subsystem is configured to: vaporize water from the water reservoir using the evaporator; adsorb the vaporized water, thereby cooling a portion of the coolant fluid; regenerate the adsorbent bed using heat from the exhaust stream to release water vapor; and direct the water vapor into the exhaust conduit.

A heating and cooling system for a vehicle having an internal combustion engine is provided. The system comprises at least one exhaust pipe conveying exhaust gases away from the engine, and a reactor vessel located in the exhaust pipe and containing an absorbent salt and a refrigerant fluid. A condenser is in fluid communication with the reactor vessel, and receives refrigerant vapour from the reactor when exhaust gases heat the reactor vessel in the exhaust pipe. An evaporator is locatable in a cab of the vehicle and is in fluid communication with the condenser and the reactor vessel. The evaporator receives condensed refrigerant from the condenser so as to cool the air surrounding the evaporator, and returning refrigerant vapour to the reactor vessel. A method of cooling a driver environment of a vehicle having an internal combustion engine is also provided, as is a vehicle incorporating the heating and cooling system.

A vehicle cooling system includes: an adsorption refrigerating machine having an adsorber that includes an evaporation-condensation section housing a first refrigerant, the adsorption refrigerating machine being configured to cool a third refrigerant that circulates between the evaporation-condensation section and a cooler core with evaporative latent heat of the first refrigerant; a second refrigerant flow passage through which flows a second refrigerant that circulates between the adsorption section and a radiator; a bypass flow passage that bypasses the radiator; a valve that is provided at a junction of the second refrigerant flow passage with the bypass flow passage on a downstream side of the radiator; and a valve controller configured to control the opening and closing of the valve based on the temperature of the second refrigerant.

A vehicle climate control system includes a thermal-adsorption heat pump driven by engine exhaust heat, the heat pump including two adsorbers asynchronously switching between adsorbing and desorbing modes, each adsorber coupled with a corresponding antifreeze tank via a plurality of refrigerant-containing wick chambers. Cold heat transfer fluid (HTF) flows through the adsorber during the adsorbing mode which causes evaporation of refrigerant from the wick chambers, thereby cooling antifreeze, whereas hot HTF flows through the adsorber during the desorbing mode which causes condensation of refrigerant at the wick chambers, thereby heating antifreeze. In this way, the thermal-adsorption heat pump may condition cabin air independent of engine coolant and without exerting a load on the engine.

A method of operating a cooling system that has at least one evaporator containing a refrigerant and at least one adsorbent chamber containing adsorbent configured to provide adsorption of vaporized refrigerant from the at least one evaporator in a cooling mode and provide desorption of the refrigerant to the at least one evaporator in a recharging mode, the method including; controlling the adsorption and desorption of the refrigerant of the at least one adsorbent chamber between the cooling modes and recharging modes during a cooling cycle; ceasing desorption of the refrigerant from the at least one adsorbent chamber; allowing adsorption of the vaporized refrigerant from the at least one evaporator; and maintaining the at least one adsorbent chamber in an adsorbed state at the end of the cooling cycle in a storage mode.

A heating and drying device for use in a motor vehicle; a method for using a heating and drying device of this type for increasing the temperature of an operating fluid of the motor vehicle, and/or for drying the air of a motor vehicle cabin of the motor vehicle; and a heating and drying system having a heating and drying device of this type for use in a motor vehicle.

Device for conditioning air in an enclosed space, including first and second sorption units, each for being transferred from a sorption mode into a desorption mode and vice-versa; and to, in the sorption mode, sorb the one or more air constituents from air of the enclosed space; and to, in the desorption mode, desorb the one or more air constituents, and including an air distribution device to, in a first operating state, switch to a second operating state in which exchange of the air of the enclosed space with exterior air may be provided, if it is determined that a concentration of at least one air constituent of the one or more air constituents is above a limit, and, in the second operating state, switch to the first operating state, if it is determined that concentrations of all air constituents of the one or more air constituents are within their corresponding limit.