A vehicle utilizes an internal combustion powertrain to propel front wheels and an Electric Rear Axle Drive (ERAD) to propel rear wheels. In some circumstances, a controller may need to limit motor torque in the ERAD to avoid overheating the motor, which reduces fuel efficiency. To reduce the likelihood of needing to limit motor torque, refrigerant from the vehicle air conditioning system is circulated through the motor housing. In response to commands from a controller, a valve routes the refrigerant either through the air conditioning system evaporator or through the motor housing.

A vehicle utilizes an internal combustion powertrain to propel front wheels and an Electric Rear Axle Drive (ERAD) to propel rear wheels. In some circumstances, a controller may need to limit motor torque in the ERAD to avoid overheating the motor, which reduces fuel efficiency. To reduce the likelihood of needing to limit motor torque, refrigerant from the vehicle air conditioning system is circulated through the motor housing. In response to commands from a controller, a valve routes the refrigerant either through the air conditioning system evaporator or through the motor housing.

A method for controlling a superheat degree of a vehicle air-conditioning system, and a vehicle air-conditioning system are provided. The method comprises: acquiring an actual superheat degree in real time, a preset superheat degree and a feed-forward information which influences a change of the actual superheat degree; and adjusting an opening degree of an electronic expansion valve in real time according to the actual superheat degree, the preset superheat degree and the feed-forward information that are acquired, so as to control the superheat degree of the vehicle air-conditioning system.

Provided is a control method on electronic expansion valve in air conditioner, which comprises: obtaining a real-time running frequency of compressor, a real-time exhaust temperature and a real-time outdoor environment temperature as the compressor running; if the air conditioner working in cooling mode, using a first set rule or a second set rule to obtain an integral coefficient in which the selection is based on the comparison of the real-time outdoor environment temperature and a first set outdoor environment temperature; if the air conditioner working in heating mode, using a first set rule or a third set rule to obtain an integral coefficient in which the selection is based on the comparison of the real-time outdoor environment temperature and a second set outdoor environment temperature; performing a PID control on the electronic expansion valve by using an error of the difference between real-time exhaust temperature and a set target exhaust temperature. The method realizes an accurate and stable control on opening amount of electronic expansion valve in air conditioner.

A vehicle air conditioning apparatus includes: a refrigerant circuit including: a compressor; an outdoor heat exchanger; a heat releasing device; a first electronic expansion valve; a refrigerant-heat medium heat exchanger; and a second electronic expansion valve; a heat medium circuit; and a controller. The controller has heating modes including: an outdoor air heat absorption heating mode to absorb heat from the outdoor heat exchanger; and a waste heat recovery heating mode to absorb heat from the refrigerant-heat medium heat exchanger. When the outdoor air heat absorption heating mode is switched to the waste heat recovery heating mode, the controller controls the first electronic expansion valve to be closed, and controls a degree of superheat of the refrigerant to be increased on a downstream side of the refrigerant-heat medium heat exchanger.

A thermal system for an electrified vehicle including a thermal loop and a controller is provided. The thermal loop may include a rear evaporator and a compressor fluidly connected thereto, a conduit to distribute oil throughout the thermal loop, and an evaporator valve. The controller may be programmed to, responsive to receipt of a signal indicating evaporator valve shut-off and detection of a vehicle plug-in event, cycle the compressor to promote oil movement through the compressor. The controller may be further programmed to, responsive to receipt of the signal, open the evaporator valve to force oil back to the compressor. The thermal loop may further include a first expansion valve up stream of a chiller fluidly connected to the compressor, a second expansion valve between the evaporator valve and the rear evaporator, and a third expansion valve up stream of a front evaporator fluidly connected to the compressor.

A vehicle heating and cooling system includes a compressor(s) for compressing a fluid in a cycle including at least two compressions, and a control module for controlling the compressor dependent upon an ambient condition. The module controls a power of the compressor by adjusting a motor speed driving the compressor and/or a pressure drop of the fluid moving through expansion devices. The pressure drop is controlled by changing a size of an opening in the expansion devices. A related method includes compressing a fluid in a first and a second compression cycle, determining an ambient temperature, sensing a temperature of the fluid outlet from a first heat exchanger, sensing a temperature and a pressure of the fluid outlet from a second heat exchanger, calculating a desired power of the compressor based thereon, and adjusting a parameter of the compressor dependent upon the calculated desired power of the compressor.

There is disclosed a refrigeration device which is capable of inexpensively improving durability of an electronic expansion valve (an outdoor expansion valve) for use in a refrigerant circuit. A vehicle air conditioner 1 has a refrigerant circuit R including an outdoor expansion valve 6. The vehicle air conditioner includes a controller which controls energization to a coil of the outdoor expansion valve 6, and this controller executes operation limit control to limit an operation of the outdoor expansion valve 6 so that a temperature of the coil of the outdoor expansion valve 6 is not in excess of a predetermined value. The controller lengthens a control period of the outdoor expansion valve 6 and suppresses an operation amount of the outdoor expansion valve 6 within a predetermined limit value to limit a duty factor, in the operation limit control.

Method for calibrating an electronic expansion valve within a thermal management device of a motor vehicle, the opening of the expansion valve being drivable by an electric stepper motor, the expansion valve including a first stop referred to as lower in the direction of maximum closure of the expansion valve and a second stop referred to as upper in the direction of maximum opening of the expansion valve, each stop being a reference position for calibrating the expansion valve, the method having: determining a projected open position of the expansion valve, determining the number of steps between the projected open position of the expansion valve and the first and second stops, selecting, as reference position, the stop having the smallest number of steps in relation to the projected open position, calibrating the expansion valve by opening or closing the expansion valve to its selected reference position.

A transport refrigeration unit controllably cools a container, and includes a compressor (58) constructed and arranged compress a refrigerant and a compressor motor (60) configured to drive the compressor (58). A battery (52) of the unit is configured to at least in-part provide electric power to the compressor motor (60). A power management system of the unit includes a computer-based controller configured to generate diagnostic data from data signals received from a battery temperature sensor (122), a battery current sensor (124), and a compressor motor current sensor (126).