The various implementations described herein include methods, devices, and systems for cooling a vehicular electronics system. In one aspect, a vehicular refrigerant system includes: (1) a refrigerant loop having a compressor configured to compress a refrigerant, a condenser configured to condense the compressed refrigerant, an expansion device configured to enable expansion of the condensed refrigerant, and a heat exchanger configured to transfer heat from a liquid coolant to the expanded refrigerant; (2) a liquid coolant loop configured to transfer heat from an electronics system via the liquid coolant; and (3) a controller configured to: (a) obtain operating data regarding the refrigerant, the liquid coolant, and/or the electronics system; and (b) adjust operation of the refrigerant loop and/or the liquid coolant loop based on the obtained operating data.

A method for operating a coolant circuit of a vehicle cooling system in an AC mode and in a heating mode, implemented by a heat pump function, having an evaporator branch including an evaporator and a first expansion element, a coolant compressor, an AC and heat pump branch, having an outer condenser or gas cooler, as a heat pump evaporator having a second expansion element. The AC and heat pump branch is connected to the coolant compressor via a first blocking element and to the evaporator branch via the second expansion element, a heating branch having an inner heating condenser or heating gas cooler and a second blocking element, connected downstream thereto.

A control method for an integrated thermal management system of a vehicle includes: comparing an engine coolant temperature with a predetermined first set temperature after vehicle start; when the engine coolant temperature is greater than the first set temperature, comparing an ambient temperature with a set ambient temperature and comparing an air conditioner refrigerant pressure with a set pressure; and when the ambient temperature is greater than the set ambient temperature and the air conditioner refrigerant pressure is greater than the set pressure, controlling opening and closing operations of an integrated flow control valve based on the air conditioner refrigerant pressure so as to increase a flow rate of coolant that is supplied to a radiator through the integrated flow control valve.

A vehicle-mounted cooling system includes an air-conditioning refrigerant circuit including a refrigerant passage, a compressor, a heat source-side heat exchanger and a use-side heat exchanger, a battery, and a battery cooling unit cooling the battery using the refrigerant. A control device controls a drive state of the compressor in response to an air-conditioning request and a battery cooling request. The control device includes an abnormality determination unit configured to determine whether an abnormality has occurred in the air-conditioning refrigerant circuit, and a control mode change unit configured to perform, under a situation where the battery cooling request has occurred and it is determined that an abnormality has occurred in the air-conditioning refrigerant circuit, a change of a refrigerant-circulation control mode while permitting the battery cooling unit to continuously cool the battery based on the refrigerant, the refrigerant-circulation control mode representing how the refrigerant is circulated in the air-conditioning refrigerant circuit.

A vehicle air conditioning system includes an in-vehicle air conditioner that includes a refrigerant circulation circuit including a compressor and an evaporator; a weather information acquiring section configured to acquire weather information at a current location of a vehicle; an evaporator drying determining section configured to estimate a water retention amount of the evaporator based on the weather information acquired by the weather information acquiring section and an operation state of the in-vehicle air conditioner, and to determine whether the evaporator is in a dry state; and a compressor stop permitting section configured to output a permission signal for permitting stop of the compressor on a condition that the evaporator drying determining section determines that the evaporator is in the dry state.

A vehicle air-conditioning device may achieve comfortable heating of a vehicle interior by starting a compressor, an indoor blower and heat generating means at appropriate timing. The vehicle air-conditioning device includes a compressor which compresses a refrigerant, a radiator disposed in an air flow passage to let the refrigerant radiate heat, a heat absorber which lets the refrigerant absorb heat, and an indoor blower which blows the air through the air flow passage. The vehicle interior is heated by heat radiated from the radiator. The vehicle air-conditioning device includes a heating medium-air heat exchanger of a heating medium circulating circuit disposed in the air flow passage to heat air supplied to the vehicle interior. On a basis of an outdoor air temperature, the timing to start the compressor, the indoor blower and the heating medium circulating circuit is controlled.

Embodiments of the present invention provide a heat recovery system for an electric vehicle (1), comprising first and second switchable heat sources (65, 19) and a control means (20) operable to selectively switch one of the heat sources into thermal communication with a compressor (11) in a thermodynamic cycling system (12), the thermodynamic cycling system being in thermal communication with a heat sink (59, 159); and a detection means (39, 71, T3) operable to detect a temperature differential between each of the switchable heat sources and a fluid entering the compressor; wherein the control means is operable (adapted, arranged) to switch one of the first and second switchable heat sources into thermal communication with the thermodynamic cycling system when a temperature differential is detected between the fluid entering the compressor in the thermodynamic cycling system and the heat available from the switchable heat source, the temperature differential being such that the compressor (11) is operable to upgrade low grade heat from the switchable heat source (65, 19) to a higher grade heat upon operation of the compressor (11).

A vehicle air conditioner has a bypass pipe which passes a radiator, an outdoor expansion valve, and opening/closing valves. A controller is configured to execute a heating mode to open a first solenoid valve and close a second solenoid valve, and a dehumidifying and heating mode to close the first solenoid valve, open the second solenoid valve, let a refrigerant radiate heat in an outdoor heat exchanger, let the refrigerant absorb heat in a heat absorber, and generate heat in an auxiliary heater. When changing from the heating mode to the dehumidifying and heating mode, the controller sends the refrigerant to a receiver drier, controls a compressor to reduce a difference between pressures before and after the second solenoid valve, opens the second solenoid valve, closes the first solenoid valve, shuts off the outdoor expansion valve, and shifts the compressor to control in the dehumidifying and heating mode.

A control method for an integrated thermal management system of a vehicle includes: comparing an engine coolant temperature with a predetermined first set temperature after vehicle start; when the engine coolant temperature is greater than the first set temperature, comparing an ambient temperature with a set ambient temperature and comparing an air conditioner refrigerant pressure with a set pressure; and when the ambient temperature is greater than the set ambient temperature and the air conditioner refrigerant pressure is greater than the set pressure, controlling opening and closing operations of an integrated flow control valve based on the air conditioner refrigerant pressure so as to increase a flow rate of coolant that is supplied to a radiator through the integrated flow control valve.

A method for operating a coolant circuit of a vehicle cooling system in an AC mode and in a heating mode, implemented by a heat pump function, having an evaporator branch including an evaporator and a first expansion element, a coolant compressor, an AC and heat pump branch, having an outer condenser or gas cooler, as a heat pump evaporator having a second expansion element. The AC and heat pump branch is connected to the coolant compressor via a first blocking element and to the evaporator branch via the second expansion element, a heating branch having an inner heating condenser or heating gas cooler and a second blocking element, connected downstream thereto.