A heat accumulating unit includes an upstream heat accumulator and a downstream heat accumulator each accommodating a supercooling heat accumulating material. Each of the upstream heat accumulator and the downstream heat accumulator has a channel in which fluid flows. In heat accumulation of the supercooling heat accumulating material, the channel of the upstream heat accumulator and the channel of the downstream heat accumulator are set in a serial connection state by a serial connection pipe. In a temperature rise mode, fluid that has passed through the channel of the upstream heat accumulator flows in a bypass pipe.

A heating system and method for heating the interior of a vehicle, such as a motor vehicle, which has an air-air heat exchanger having a heat storage medium, and which is configured to transfer heat between exhaust air, drawn out of the interior, and intake air, supplied to the interior from the vehicle environment, between the exhaust air and the heat storage medium, and between the intake air and the heat storage medium.

Methods and system for operating a thermal storage device of a vehicle system are provided. In one example, a method comprises estimating a temperature of a thermal battery after the battery and coolant included therein have reached thermal equilibrium, and determining a state of charge of the battery based on the estimated temperature and one or more chemical properties of two phase change materials included within the battery. Specifically, the thermal battery may include two phase change materials with different melting points for providing thermal energy to warm coolant in a vehicle coolant system.

A heat pump system for a vehicle, capable of heating up or cooling a battery module by use of a single chiller in which a refrigerant and a coolant exchange heat, simplifying the system, includes: first and second cooling apparatuses; and a battery module, wherein a main heat exchanger provided in an air conditioning apparatus is connected to each of the first and second coolant lines to enable the coolants circulating in the first and second cooling apparatuses to pass therethrough, and a refrigerant passing through the main heat exchanger is selectively condensed or evaporated depending on a vehicle mode through mutual heat exchange with the coolant supplied from one of the first coolant line and the second coolant line, or the coolants supplied through the first and second coolant lines, respectively.

Secondary loop air conditioning and heat pump systems include a reservoir with a capsule holding a phase change material.

A refrigerant management system in a heat flux management system for an electric vehicle and a method of refrigerant management is provided. The system includes a vehicle air conditioning circuit including a heat pump circuit and a refrigeration cycle refrigerant circuit, the air conditioning circuit including a heat pump condenser in thermal communication with a heat source, a refrigerant evaporator in thermal communication with the heat source, an evaporator associated with an expansion valve, and a refrigerant compressor where the components are fluidly connected to one another by a refrigerant line. An accumulator is fluidly coupled in the refrigerant line downstream of the heat pump condenser, the refrigerant evaporator and evaporator and upstream of the refrigerant compressor, and the air conditioning circuit is switchable between a heating mode and a cooling mode in which the refrigerant circuit is in fluid communication with the compressor by actuation of at least one valve.

A heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system for a vehicle having a rechargeable energy storage system includes a refrigerant circuit having a flow of refrigerant circulated therethrough. The refrigerant circuit includes a compressor, an internal condenser, and a chiller heat exchanger. A coolant circuit is fluidly connected to the refrigerant circuit and has a flow of coolant circulated therethrough. The coolant circuit includes the chiller heat exchanger, the internal condenser, a heater core, a rechargeable energy storage system (RESS), and a three-way coolant valve to selectably direct the flow of coolant through the RESS and/or along a bypass passage to bypass the RESS.

A method and a device for operating a heat accumulator in a motor vehicle are provided. When the driver switches off the ignition, it is determined on the basis of the current coolant temperature whether there is a need for heat accumulation at this time and whether the benefit thereof depends on when the internal combustion engine is activated again. If the response to both of these is positive the driver is requested to state whether heat accumulation is to be carried out now. Heat accumulation is carried out or is not carried out depending on the driver's response.

Apparatuses and methods for temperature regulation of a charging system. An indication is received that the battery system will need to be heated or cooled at a future point in time. A fluid that has been heated or cooled during operation of the vehicle is stored in a storage tank to enable the heating or cooling, respectively the battery system. The flow of the fluid from the storage tank to the battery system is controlled at the future point in time to heat or cool the battery system.

A heat pump cooling and heating system for an electric vehicle includes a range extending PCM heat exchanger (24), with a single acting phase change material with a melt temperature between the two comfort temperatures associated with cooling and heating, respectively. In a charging mode, as the vehicle batteries are charged, the same exterior current source runs the compressor (10), charging the PCM exchanger (24) with heat or “cold.” During an initial range extending mode, the PCM exchanger/reservoir (24) serves as the heat source or heat sink. The PCM material does not directly heat or cool the air, as is conventional, allowing a single reservoir material to be used in both heating and cooling modes.