A vehicle air conditioning system is configured to cool a passenger compartment having a first zone and a second zone. An air handler has a recirculation door movable from a first position in which only fresh air from outside the vehicle enters the air handler and a second position in which only recirculation air from the first zone enters the air handler. A controller is connected to the first sensor, the recirculation door and a control panel. The controller is configured such that in response to the control panel being set to: provide cooling only to the second zone; the recirculation door being set to provide fresh air; and a first sensor's conditions being meet, the controller changes the setting of the recirculation door from fresh air to recirculated air to the air handler over-riding a manual setting of the position of the recirculation door.

A heat pump system for a vehicle is provided. The system includes an engine cooling device having a first radiator and a first water pump connected via a first coolant line. An electrical equipment cooling device includes a second radiator and a second water pump connected via a second coolant line. A battery module is disposed in a battery coolant line selectively connected with the second coolant line. An air conditioner is connected with the battery coolant line and includes a third water pump and a cooler disposed in the first connection line. A heating device is connected with the first coolant line via a third valve and includes a fourth water pump and a heater disposed in the second connection line. A centralized energy (CE) module supplies a coolant to the air conditioner, is connected with the coolant lines to supply a high-temperature coolant to the heating device.

An HVAC system of a vehicle includes: a battery line configured to thermally interconnect a first radiator and a high-voltage battery core and provided with a first pump; a refrigerant line having a compressor, a condenser, and an evaporator; an indoor cooling line interconnecting an indoor HVAC cooling core and the evaporator and having a second pump; an indoor heating line thermally interconnecting an indoor HVAC heating core and a condenser and having a third pump; battery cooling lines branching from opposite side points of the high-voltage battery core in the battery line, respectively, and connected to the indoor cooling line; battery heating lines branching from the opposite side points of the high-voltage battery core in the battery line, respectively, and connected to the indoor heating line; and a first valve disposed at one of the opposite branching points in the battery line.

A vehicle has a climate control system using a heat pump having a condenser heat exchanger that exchanges heat between refrigerant and working fluid within a hot fluid chamber, and an evaporator heat exchanger that exchanges heat between refrigerant and working fluid within a cold fluid chamber. A super-heated fluid pressure vessel may be in fluid communication with the cold fluid chamber by way of a heat exchanger and an electrically controlled variable delivery valve, and has an electric heater that may be powered by a drivetrain battery or by a shore power source. The hot fluid chamber provides heat to at least one cabin heat exchanger and to at least one ambient air heat exchanger. The cold fluid chamber is connected to at least one vehicle interior cooling module, to a waste heat source, and to a cold fluid chamber to outside heat exchanger.

An electric or hybrid electric vehicle has a climate control system using a heat pump having a condenser heat exchanger that exchanges heat between refrigerant and working fluid within a hot fluid chamber, and an evaporator heat exchanger that exchanges heat between refrigerant and working fluid within a cold fluid chamber. An insulated fluid reservoir may selectively be placed in fluid communication with the cold fluid chamber, and has a Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) heater that may be powered by a drivetrain battery unit or by a shore power source. The hot fluid chamber provides heat to at least one cabin heat exchanger and to at least one ambient air heat exchanger. The cold fluid chamber is connected to at least one vehicle interior cooling module and to a liquid cooled heat sink that may cool an electric motor and power electronics of the vehicle.

An electric or hybrid electric vehicle has a climate control system using a heat pump having a condenser heat exchanger that exchanges heat between refrigerant and working fluid within a hot fluid chamber, and an evaporator heat exchanger that exchanges heat between refrigerant and working fluid within a cold fluid chamber. An insulated fluid reservoir may be in fluid communication with the cold fluid chamber, and has a Positive Temperature Coefficient (PTC) heater that may be powered by a drivetrain battery or by a shore power source. The hot fluid chamber provides heat to at least one cabin heat exchanger and to at least one ambient air heat exchanger. The cold fluid chamber is connected to at least one vehicle interior cooling module, to a liquid cooled heat sink that cools the electric motor and power electronics of the vehicle, and to a cold fluid chamber to outside heat exchanger.

The present invention relates to an air conditioning system for a vehicle and a method for controlling the same and, more specifically, to an air conditioning system for a vehicle and a method for controlling the same in which an opening/closing valve and an expansion valve are installed on a branch line connecting a first air conditioning unit and a second air conditioning unit, the opening/closing valve is always open so as to always supply a refrigerant to the second air conditioning unit during a cooling mode, and the opening/closing valve is always closed so as to always block the refrigerant supply to the second air conditioning unit during a heating mode, such that the refrigerant flows into the branch line of the second air conditioning unit even during a single cooling mode, thereby solving the problem wherein the pressure of a compressor increases, oil is forcibly circulated through a notch of the expansion valve, thereby solving the problem wherein the oil circulation rate decreases, and the refrigerant supply to the second air conditioning unit is blocked during a dual heating mode, thereby solving the problem wherein the heating performance of an electric heating type heater decreases when the second air conditioning unit is operated.

A heat pump includes a refrigerant loop. The refrigerant loop includes an accumulator having an inlet and an outlet, a compressor, a first heat exchanger, and a first coupling point. The compressor includes a low-pressure inlet and an outlet. The low-pressure inlet is downstream of the outlet of the accumulator. The first heat exchanger includes an inlet and an outlet. The first coupling point is positioned immediately downstream of the outlet of the accumulator and immediately upstream of the low-pressure inlet of the compressor. The first coupling point is immediately downstream of the outlet of the first heat exchanger such that a first heat exchange fluid circulating through the refrigerant loop is directed to the low-pressure inlet of the compressor upon exiting the outlet of the first heat exchanger.

A climate control system includes a front-end or first heat exchanger configured to thermally condition airflow from an environment external to a cabin, a rear-end or second heat exchanger configured to thermally condition airflow from the cabin, a recirculation path configured to return airflow from the second heat exchanger to the cabin, and an extraction path configured to vent airflow from the second heat exchanger to the environment external to the cabin. Various operational modes of the climate control system direct airflow to either the recirculation path or the extraction path.

A method for controlling a thermal comfort control system for ride share vehicles includes providing a plurality of occupant seats in a vehicle cabin and controlling a cabin set temperature using a cabin comfort control system configured to adjust a plurality of HVAC functions. At least one thermal comfort parameter is adjusted at a number of the plurality of occupant seats using at least one seat comfort control system. Adjusting the at least one thermal comfort parameter causes the cabin control module to adjust the set temperature of the vehicle cabin.