A method for directing thermal energy to an evaporator of a transport climate control circuit of a transport climate control system is provided. The method includes a controller determining whether the climate control circuit is operating in a start-stop cooling mode. Also, the method includes the controller determining a thermal energy charge of the thermal storage reservoir when the climate control circuit is operating in the start-stop cooling mode. The method also includes determining whether the thermal energy charge is greater than a charge threshold. Further, the method includes determining whether the climate control circuit is operating in a stop portion of the start-stop cooling mode when the thermal energy charge is greater than the charge threshold. The method further includes transferring thermal energy from the thermal storage reservoir to an evaporator when the climate control circuit is operating in the stop portion of the start-stop cooling mode.

A vehicle air-conditioning device is provided which is capable of eliminating inconvenience due to a reduction in heating capability when changing from heat absorption from outdoor air to heat absorption from a heat medium. A heat-generating equipment temperature adjusting device 61 has a heat medium heating heater 66 and a refrigerant-heat medium heat exchanger 64. The vehicle air-conditioning device has first and second heat medium heat absorption/heating modes to let a refrigerant discharged from a compressor 2 radiate heat in a radiator 4, decompress the refrigerant from which the heat has been radiated, and then let the refrigerant absorb heat in the refrigerant-heat medium heat exchanger. When the temperature of the heat medium is a predetermined threshold T1 or less upon changing from a heating operation to the first and second heat medium heat absorption/heating modes, the heat medium is heated by the heat medium heating heater before the changing.

A method (300) of de-icing a return air intake of a transport refrigeration system is provided. The method comprises using a controller for controlling the refrigeration system; determining (306) when de-icing mode is required; deactivating (308) an evaporator and an evaporator fan of the refrigeration system when de-icing mode is required; activating (310) a heater when de-icing mode is required; adjusting (312) the temperature of the heater to a selected temperature; deactivating (314) the heater when the heater has reached the selected temperature; and permitting (316) the refrigeration system to remain deactivated for a selected time period.

An air conditioning system of a vehicle having an internal combustion engine includes a condenser configured to receive refrigerant output by an electric compressor and transfer heat from the refrigerant within the condenser to air passing the condenser. A first evaporator is configured to receive refrigerant from the condenser when a first control valve is open and transfer heat from air passing the first evaporator to the refrigerant within the first evaporator. A first blower is configured to blow air across the first evaporator to a first section of a cabin of the vehicle. A second evaporator is configured to receive refrigerant from the condenser when a second control valve is open and transfer heat from air passing the second evaporator to the refrigerant within the second evaporator. A second blower is configured to blow air across the second evaporator to a second section of the cabin of the vehicle.

An air-conditioning device includes: a frost formation determination unit configured to determine a frost risk state of an outdoor hot exchanger based on an accumulated time wherein a difference between a temperature detected by an outdoor air temperature detector and a temperature detected by a coolant temperature detector is the same or greater than a frost temperature difference; and an operation control unit configured to control a compressor and a blower so that air led into the cabin reaches a target blowout temperature set based on a required heating performance, and to execute a regular heating operation. In the event of the frost formation determination unit determining the frost risk state, the operation control unit is configured to execute a frost suppression operation wherein the air flow amount by the blower is increased while the target blowout temperature is decreased in comparison with the regular heating operation.

A control method for a heat pump system, or for a motor vehicle, which includes a compressor, an internal heat exchanger forming a condenser in a heating mode, an expansion valve, an outer heat exchanger forming an evaporator in the heating mode, and an accumulator. The defrosting of the outer exchanger is detected, the defrosting of the accumulator is detected, and depending on the case, defrosting the outer exchanger and/or defrosting the accumulator is started.

A three fluid phase change material (PCM) heat exchanger for a vehicle comprises (i) an intake air channel having a first set of fins disposed therein and configured to receive and output intake air prior to combustion by an engine of the vehicle, (ii) a PCM layer surrounding the intake air channel and configured to cool the intake air, the PCM layer comprising a second set of fins, a PCM fluid that expands when freezing, and a set of elastomeric devices are configured to compress to compensate for the PCM fluid expansion during freezing, and (iii) a refrigerant channel surrounding the PCM layer and configured to circulate a refrigerant to cool the PCM layer to a solid, frozen state.

A vehicular heat management system includes a compressor arranged on a heat pump type refrigerant circulation line, a high-pressure side heat exchanger arranged on the heat pump type refrigerant circulation line, an outdoor heat exchanger arranged on the heat pump type refrigerant circulation line, a plurality of expansion valves arranged on the heat pump type refrigerant circulation line, a low-pressure side heat exchanger arranged on the heat pump type refrigerant circulation line, a first expansion valve arranged on the upstream side of the outdoor heat exchanger, a second expansion valve arranged on the downstream side of the outdoor heat exchanger, and a control part configured to control opening degrees of the first expansion valve and the second expansion valve depending on whether icing occurs in the outdoor heat exchanger under a heat pump mode condition.

The invention relates to a method for operating a climate-control system (12) for a vehicle (10). According to the invention, total energy efficiencies are determined for a group of operating strategies for the air-conditioning system (12) and an operating strategy with the greatest total efficiency that fulfills the heating output requirement (44) that has been determined, is selected.

A vehicle air-conditioning apparatus includes: an indoor heat exchanger that evaporates a refrigerant; a cooperative device group that forms, with the indoor heat exchanger, a refrigeration cycle; a waste heat recovery part that recovers waste heat from a waste heat source and a heat-release part that releases, to an indoor heat exchanger, heat transmitted to the heat-release part, and that is switchable between (a) a heat-releasing state in which the waste heat recovered by the waste heat recovery part is transmitted to the heat-release part, and (b) a heat-release-stopped state in which the heat recovered by the waste heat recovery part is less transmittable than when in the heat-releasing state; and a controller to switch between (i) a heat-release-stopped state when the refrigerant is being exchanged between the indoor heat exchanger and the cooperative device group, and (ii) a heat-releasing state when the exchange of the refrigerant is stopped.