Disclosed are climate systems for vehicles and methods for controlling the climate systems. In some implementations, a climate system includes: (1) a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature within the compartment of the vehicle; (2) a first compressor powered by an engine of the vehicle to compress a refrigerant; (3) a second compressor driven by an electric motor to compress the refrigerant; and (4) a controller electrically coupled to the first compressor and the second compressor. The controller configured to: (1) calculate a thermal load of the compartment based on a difference between a desired temperature and a measured temperature; and, (2) based on the calculated load, selectively activate: (i) the engine, (ii) the first compressor, and/or (iii) the second compressor.

Methods and systems for controlling a transport refrigeration system are provided. In one instance, the method includes identifying an operational mode change request for a heat exchanger unit of the transport refrigeration system. The method also includes preparing the transport refrigeration system for the operational mode change of the heat exchanger unit, wherein preparing the transport refrigeration system for the operational mode change of the heat exchanger unit includes performing a load control action, the load control action preventing a power source of the transport refrigeration system from at least one of operating outside of a predefined revolutions per minute (RPM) bandwidth and exceeding a predefined power limit of the power source. Also, the method includes changing the operational mode of the heat exchanger unit; and removing the load control action.

Methods, systems, and apparatus for managing climate control. The control system includes one or more sensors that are configured to measure sunload energy. The control system includes a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) unit that is configured to output air with an airflow rate into the cabin of the vehicle. The electronic control unit is configured to obtain the amount of sunload energy and obtain a blower map based on the amount of sunload energy. The electronic control unit is configured to determine the airflow rate based on the obtained blower map and an expected temperature. The electronic control unit is configured to control the airflow rate to adjust an air temperature within the cabin of the vehicle to reach the expected temperature therefore increasing the fuel efficiency.

A vehicle air conditioner has a compressor, a radiator, a pressure reducer, a cooling heat exchanger, a temperature detector, and a prohibition request output part. The compressor draws and discharges a refrigerant. The radiator dissipates heat of the refrigerant. The pressure reducer decompresses and expands the refrigerant. The cooling heat exchanger cools an air blown into a vehicle compartment. The temperature detector detects a temperature of the cooling heat exchanger. The prohibition request output part outputs a request, which prohibits the idle stop control, to an idle stop controller when the engine is operated. The request prohibits the idle stop control until the temperature of the cooling heat exchanger falls to a temperature being enough cool to cool the air and a required cooling time elapses. The required cooling time is estimated to be required to make a passenger feel cool by the air.

Disclosed are climate systems for vehicles and methods for controlling the climate systems. In some implementations, a climate system includes: (1) a temperature sensor configured to measure a temperature within the compartment of the vehicle; (2) a user interface configured to receive a desired temperature from a user; (3) a first compressor powered by an engine of the vehicle to compress a refrigerant; (4) a second compressor driven by an electric motor to compress the refrigerant; and (5) a controller electrically coupled to the first compressor and the second compressor. The controller configured to: (1) calculate a thermal load of the compartment based on a difference between a desired temperature and a measured temperature; and, (2) based on the calculated load, selectively activate: (i) the engine, (ii) the first compressor, and/or (iii) the second compressor.

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.

A method for controlling the temperature in a vehicle cabin, while the vehicle engine is turned off, includes the following steps: importing a State-of Charge information of a vehicle traction battery, an outside temperature, and inside temperature of the cabin into an electronic controller; calculating a normal electric power required for operating an HVAC system in a Normal mode; calculating a maximum operation time of the HVAC system in the Normal mode based on the State-of-Charge information; displaying the maximum operation time on a display; reading an operator input selecting one mode of at least the Normal mode and a first Eco mode of the HVAC system, wherein in the first Eco mode the HVAC system operates at a reduced electric power compared to the Normal mode; and operating the HVAC system in accordance with the operator input. A suitable HVAC system includes an appropriate user interface.

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.

An air conditioning system for motor vehicles includes a compressor, a condenser, a plurality of air conditioning units connected in parallel with each other with respect to the compressor and the condenser, and a flow rate control unit configured to, when a specific one of the air conditioning units is additionally turned on or is turned off, prevent occurrence of a sudden change in refrigerant amount in the remaining air conditioning units.

There is disclosed a vehicle air conditioner which is capable of enlarging an effective range of a dehumidifying and heating mode to environmental conditions and smoothly dehumidifying and heating a vehicle interior. A vehicle air conditioner 1 executes a dehumidifying and heating mode in which a controller lets a refrigerant discharged from a compressor 2 radiate heat in a radiator 4, and decompresses the refrigerant by which heat has been radiated and then lets the refrigerant absorb heat in a heat absorber 9 and an outdoor heat exchanger 7, the controller decreases an outdoor blower voltage FANVout of an outdoor blower 15 and decreases an air volume into the outdoor blower 15 in a case where a temperature Te of the heat absorber 9 is high even when the controller adjusts a valve position of an outdoor expansion valve 6 into a lower limit of controlling in a situation in which a temperature TCI of the radiator 4 is satisfactory.