An air conditioner for a vehicle includes an air conditioning case having a first air passageway and a second air passageway partitioned by a separator therein; a PTC heater disposed in each of the first air passageway and the second air passageway to generate heat by electric energy; and a control unit for controlling operation of the PTC heater. The control unit individually controls discharge temperature of the first air passageway and discharge temperature of the second air passageway of the PTC heater, and if target discharge temperature of the first air passageway and target discharge temperature of the second air passageway are different from each other, the control unit calculates and outputs a compensation value for the PTC heater output of at least one of the first air passageway and the second air passageway. The PTC heater therefore has a reduced output when controlling for dual temperatures.

A method of controlling the refrigerant pressure in an ambient heat exchanger of a refrigerant circuit, particularly a heat pump circuit, for vehicles, in which the current temperature and the current humidity of the ambient air is measured, the current dew point temperature of the ambient air is determined from the measured temperature and humidity, and if the ambient air temperature is below 0° C. the refrigerant pressure in the refrigerant circuit is controlled by adjusting the rotational speed of a refrigerant compressor of the refrigerant circuit, the flow cross-section of a controllable expansion element of the refrigerant circuit and/or the ambient air volume flow flowing around or through the ambient heat exchanger, such that the temperature of the ambient heat exchanger is greater than the dew point temperature.

A thermal management system for a vehicle includes a heating refrigerant circulation circuit, a heat pump cycle and a heat-discharge refrigerant circulation circuit A heating circulation section of the heating refrigerant circulation circuit, a recovery circulation section of the heat pump cycle, and a heat-discharge circulation section of the heat-discharge refrigerant circulation circuit are integrally configured as a combined heat exchanger that is capable of performing heat transfers at least between the cycle refrigerant and the heating refrigerant and between the heat-discharge refrigerant and the heating refrigerant. Furthermore, the heating refrigerant, the cycle refrigerant and the heat-discharge refrigerant are heat mediums each of which has a phase change during the heat transfer.

An arrangement for de-icing a heat exchanger includes an air guiding housing and at least one fan. The air guiding housing is configured to take in an air from an outside of a motor vehicle through an inlet opening and to discharge the air from an outlet opening. The fan is positioned between the inlet opening and the outlet opening inside the air guiding housing and is configured to circulate the air in the air guiding housing. The heat exchanger is positioned between the inlet opening and the outlet opening inside the air guiding housing and allows the air to pass therethrough, thereby being configured to cool the air. The inlet opening and the outlet opening each are configured to be closed. The air guiding housing is configured to cause a circulation flow therein when the fan is operated while the inlet opening and the outlet opening are closed.

An air conditioning system of a motor vehicle with a refrigeration circuit and with a coolant circuit. The refrigeration circuit includes a compressor, a refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger operable as a condenser/gas cooler for the heat exchange between the refrigerant and the coolant of the coolant circuit, a first expansion device, and a first refrigerant-air heat exchanger for conditioning the intake air for the passenger compartment. The coolant circuit includes a conveying device, a first coolant-air heat exchanger for heating the intake air for the passenger compartment and the refrigerant-coolant heat exchanger. The refrigeration circuit further includes a second refrigerant-air heat exchanger for conditioning the intake air for the passenger compartment with a second expansion device located upstream in flow direction of the refrigerant. The coolant circuit is formed with a second coolant-air heat exchanger for heating the intake air for the passenger compartment.

A thermal management system for a vehicle includes a heating refrigerant circulation circuit, a heat pump cycle and a heat-discharge refrigerant circulation circuit A heating circulation section of the heating refrigerant circulation circuit, a recovery circulation section of the heat pump cycle, and a heat-discharge circulation section of the heat-discharge refrigerant circulation circuit are integrally configured as a combined heat exchanger that is capable of performing heat transfers at least between the cycle refrigerant and the heating refrigerant and between the heat-discharge refrigerant and the heating refrigerant. Furthermore, the heating refrigerant, the cycle refrigerant and the heat-discharge refrigerant are heat mediums each of which has a phase change during the heat transfer.

A waste heat utilization system for an electric vehicle having an electric motor and a battery may include a first cooling circuit in which a first coolant circulates and having arranged therein the electric motor, a first direct heat exchanger for discharging heat from the first coolant into surroundings of the system, and a first delivery device for driving the first coolant. The system may also include a second cooling circuit in which a second coolant circulates and having arranged therein the battery and a second delivery device for driving the second coolant. The system may also include an air conditioning circuit in which a working medium circulates, and having arranged therein a compressor, condenser, and evaporator. The system may further include first and second chillers by which heat may be transferrable from the first and second cooling circuits into the air conditioning circuit, and first and second heat exchangers incorporated in one of the first and second cooling circuits for discharging heat into the surroundings.

An air-conditioning device includes: a heating cycle configured to circulate the heating medium through a heater core, the heater core being configured to heat blown air; an auxiliary heating device configured to heat the heating medium by an electric heater; a refrigeration cycle configured to circulate cooling medium discharged from a compressor through a condenser, the condenser being configured to heat the heating medium; refrigeration cycle control means configured to operate the refrigeration cycle such that temperature of the heating medium reaches target heating-medium temperature; auxiliary heating device control means configured to operate the auxiliary heating device such that the temperature of the heating medium reaches the target heating-medium temperature; and switching means configured to stop the operation of the refrigeration cycle in the state in which the temperature of the heating medium is equal to or higher than the threshold value.

An air conditioning system has a heat pump, a first-liquid-medium circuit in which a first liquid medium circulates, a second-liquid-medium circuit in which a second liquid medium circulates, a heat source, a connection switching device, and a controller. The connection switching device switches between a connection state in which the heat source is connected to the second-liquid-medium circuit and a disconnection state in which the heat source is disconnected from the second-liquid-medium circuit. The controller controls the connection switching device to switch between the connection state and the disconnection state based on a heat-related physical quantity relating to a heat of the first-liquid-medium circuit, a heat-related physical quantity a heat of the second-liquid-medium circuit, a heat-related physical quantity the heat generated by the heat source, or a heat-related physical quantity a heat of the heat pump.

An air-conditioning device includes: a heating cycle configured to circulate the heating medium through a heater core, the heater core being configured to heat blown air; an auxiliary heating device configured to heat the heating medium by an electric heater; a refrigeration cycle configured to circulate cooling medium discharged from a compressor through a condenser, the condenser being configured to heat the heating medium; refrigeration cycle control means configured to operate the refrigeration cycle such that temperature of the heating medium reaches target heating-medium temperature; auxiliary heating device control means configured to operate the auxiliary heating device such that the temperature of the heating medium reaches the target heating-medium temperature; and switching means configured to stop the operation of the refrigeration cycle in the state in which the temperature of the heating medium is equal to or higher than the threshold value.