An air-conditioning control apparatus includes a determiner and a controller. The determiner is configured to determine whether a subject vehicle is in a slipstream of a preceding vehicle when the subject vehicle is in autonomous control and following the preceding vehicle. The controller is configured to increase a flow rate of air flowing through a condenser for an air-conditioning of the subject vehicle when the determiner determines that the subject vehicle is in the slipstream of the preceding vehicle. According to this, even when the subject vehicle is in the slipstream and following the preceding vehicle during the autonomous control, the flow rate of the air flowing through the condenser can be increased by the controller. Accordingly, the flow rate of the air flowing through the condenser of the subject vehicle can be secured in the condition where the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle is small during vehicle platooning.

A transport refrigeration system including a method for fault tolerant power management. The system includes a first sensor identified as required for operation of the transport refrigeration system and a second sensor operable as a backup for the first sensor. The system also includes a first power supply operably connected to the first sensor and configured to operate the first sensor and a second power supply operably connected to the second sensor and configured to operate the second sensor. The system further includes a controller operably connected to at least the first power supply as well as the first sensor and the second power supply as well as the second sensor, the controller configured to monitor at least the first power supply and the second power supply, if a fault is detected in the first power supply, operate the transport refrigeration system from the second sensor.

Methods and systems are provided for controlling coolant flow through parallel branches of a coolant circuit including an AC condenser and a charge air cooler. Flow is apportioned through each of an air-conditioning condenser, a charge air cooler (CAC), and a transmission oil cooler (TOC) of the coolant circuit to maintain an estimated transmission oil temperature (TOT) below a threshold. The TOT is estimated from a torque converter slip ratio.

A vehicle air conditioner is provided which is capable of detecting a refrigerant lack accompanying a refrigerant leakage and the like over time at the earliest possible stage and protecting a compressor. The vehicle air conditioner is provided with a compressor 2, a radiator 4, an outdoor expansion valve 6, and a heat absorber 9. The vehicle air conditioner holds normal time data indicating a relation between the number of revolutions NC of the compressor and a discharge refrigerant temperature Td thereof when a sufficient amount of refrigerant is filled in a refrigerant circuit R. The present invention calculates a discharge refrigerant temperature estimated value Tdst in normal time from the normal time data on the basis of a current number of revolutions NC and compares the discharge refrigerant temperature estimated value Tdst with a current discharge refrigerant temperature Td to determine a refrigerant lack of the refrigerant circuit.

The present disclosure relates to a method of controlling a compressor, and may include: pilot driving which drives a compressor of an air conditioner by receiving a start signal; determining whether oil is short which compares the oil amount of the compressor, driven in the pilot driving, with a predetermined reference oil amount; normal driving which maintains the driving of the compressor when it is determined that the oil amount is the reference oil amount or more; and stopping which stops the driving of the compressor when it is determined that the oil amount is smaller than the reference oil amount. Accordingly, by stopping the compressor when the oil is short, it is possible to prevent damage to the compressor.

A method for operating a refrigeration system for a vehicle with a refrigerant circuit comprising a heat exchanger, wherein the heat exchanger is flowed through by a controllable environmental air flow (L) and can be operated as refrigerant condenser or gas cooler for a refrigeration system operation.

Methods and systems are provided for controlling coolant flow through parallel branches of a coolant circuit including an AC condenser and a charge air cooler. Flow is apportioned responsive to an AC head pressure and a CAC temperature to reduce parasitic losses and improve fuel economy. The flow is apportioned via adjustments to a coolant pump output and a proportioning valve.

There is disclosed a vehicle air conditioning device of a heat pump system which delays proceeding of frosting onto an outdoor heat exchanger, thereby eliminating or inhibiting deterioration of a heating capability due to the frosting. The vehicle air conditioning device executes a heating mode in which a controller lets a refrigerant discharged from a compressor 2 radiate heat in a radiator 4, decompresses the refrigerant by which heat has been radiated, and then lets the refrigerant absorb heat in an outdoor heat exchanger 7, and on the basis of a difference TXO=(TXObaseTXO) between a refrigerant evaporation temperature TXObase of the outdoor heat exchanger 7 in non-frosting and a refrigerant evaporation temperature TXO of the outdoor heat exchanger 7, the controller corrects a target subcool degree TGSC that is a target value of a subcool degree of the refrigerant in the radiator 4 in an increasing direction in accordance with increase of the difference TXO.

An apparatus for a vehicle includes a cooling fan installed in an engine compartment of the vehicle. A fan motor is connected with the cooling fan to drive the cooling fan. A state detector is configured to detect state data, and a controller is configured to control the cooling fan based on the state data when an intake temperature is within a predetermined range, to determine whether the state data satisfies a decision reference condition, and to lock the fan motor according to a change rate of air conditioner refrigerant pressure during a measurement time when the state data satisfies the decision reference condition.

An air-conditioning control apparatus includes a determiner and a controller. The determiner is configured to determine whether a subject vehicle is in a slipstream of a preceding vehicle when the subject vehicle is in autonomous control and following the preceding vehicle. The controller is configured to increase a flow rate of air flowing through a condenser for an air-conditioning of the subject vehicle when the determiner determines that the subject vehicle is in the slipstream of the preceding vehicle. According to this, even when the subject vehicle is in the slipstream and following the preceding vehicle during the autonomous control, the flow rate of the air flowing through the condenser can be increased by the controller. Accordingly, the flow rate of the air flowing through the condenser of the subject vehicle can be secured in the condition where the inter-vehicle distance from the preceding vehicle is small during vehicle platooning.