A control method of a heat pump system for a vehicle includes a first cooling apparatus having a first radiator, a first water pump, an electrical component, a valve, and a branch line, which are connected by a first coolant line and circulate a first coolant by the first water pump to the electrical component; a second cooling apparatus including a second radiator and a second water pump connected by a second coolant line; and an air conditioning apparatus including a compressor, a heater, an expansion valve, and a heat exchanger which are connected by a refrigerant line circulated with a refrigerant.

A through the road (TTR) hybridization strategy is proposed to facilitate introduction of hybrid electric vehicle technology in a significant portion of current and expected trucking fleets. In some cases, the technologies can be retrofitted onto an existing vehicle (e.g., a truck, a tractor unit, a trailer, a tractor-trailer configuration, at a tandem, etc.). In some cases, the technologies can be built into new vehicles. In some cases, one vehicle may be built or retrofitted to operate in tandem with another and provide the hybridization benefits contemplated herein. By supplementing motive forces delivered through a primary drivetrain and fuel-fed engine with supplemental torque delivered at one or more electrically-powered drive axles, improvements in overall fuel efficiency and performance may be delivered, typically without significant redesign of existing components and systems that have been proven in the trucking industry.

A control method of a heat pump system for a vehicle may include a first cooling apparatus having a first radiator, a first water pump, an electrical component, a valve, and a branch line, which are connected by a first coolant line and circulate a first coolant by the first water pump to the electrical component; a second cooling apparatus including a second radiator and a second water pump connected by a second coolant line; and an air conditioning apparatus including a compressor, a heater, an expansion valve, and a heat exchanger which are connected by a refrigerant line circulated with a refrigerant.

A thermal architecture of an electric vehicle includes a drivetrain system having a drivetrain, a cabin air system for providing conditioned air to an occupant compartment, a battery system having cooling components, and a refrigeration system for providing cooling to the cabin air system and the battery system. Control circuitry is configured to manage cooling or heating of components of the thermal architecture. For example, the control circuitry selects from among a mode for cooling a battery system and another mode for heating the battery system. In the heating mode, the control circuitry causes heat to be generated by the drive system, which may include one or more electric motors, and transferred to the battery system. The control circuitry receives a plurality of sensor signals from a sensor interface, generates one or more control signals, and cause valves and other components to achieve one or more cooling modes.

A system for transferring waste heat from a range extender module of an electric vehicle to a cabin module includes a cooling circuit in the range extender module and a heating circuit of the cabin module. The cooling circuit is thermally coupled to the heating circuit. The cooling circuit includes a thermal coupler and the heating circuit includes a corresponding thermal coupler. The thermal coupler of the cabin module heating circuit may be disposed at the rear of the cabin module, and the thermal coupler for the cooling circuit of the range extender module may be disposed at the front of the range extender module. The thermal coupler of the range extender module may be longitudinally adjustable.

An electric vehicle including the Rankine cycle in which a circulation system of working fluid is formed is proposed. The Rankine cycle includes a pump configured to circulate the working fluid along the circulation system, a heat source comprising a battery unit, a motor unit, and a solar panel unit to transmit thermal energy to the working fluid circulated by the pump, a power generating unit provided on a path of the circulation system to generate electric energy through the thermal energy of the working fluid passing through the heat source, and a radiator configured to perform a heat exchange process between the working fluid passing through the power generating unit and outside air. The Rankine cycle further includes a flow distributor to distribute the working fluid circulated by the pump to at least any one of the battery unit, the motor unit, and the solar panel unit.

A charging station for an electric or hybrid vehicle includes at least one battery bank, a charging/discharging electronics system, at least one connection to a vehicle charging port, and an air conditioning device for heating and cooling at least one battery bank. The air conditioning device includes a refrigerant circuit for conducting a refrigerant and a coolant circuit for conducting a coolant. A control unit of the air conditioning device is configured for establishing a thermal short circuit of the coolant circuit between a heat reservoir and a cold reservoir and operating a motor of a compressor of the refrigerant circuit for as long as it takes for the waste heat of the motor fluidically connected to a space surrounding the battery bank to effectuate a temperature increase in the space to or above a predefined value.

A network of collection, charging and distribution machines collect, charge and distribute portable electrical energy storage devices (e.g., batteries, supercapacitors or ultracapacitors). Locations of collection, charging and distribution machines having available charged portable electrical energy storage devices are communicated to or acquired by a mobile device of a user, or displayed on a collection, charging and distribution machine. The locations are indicated on a graphical user interface on a map on a user's mobile device relative to the user's current location. The user may use their mobile device select particular locations on the map to reserve an available portable electrical energy storage device. The system nay also warn the user that the user is near an edge of the pre-determined area having portable electrical energy storage device collection, charging and distribution machines. Reservations may also be made automatically based on information regarding a potential route of a user.

A vehicle temperature control apparatus for controlling temperature of a temperature control object, which is at least one of inside air of a vehicle compartment and a vehicle component, includes a heat capacitive element capable of storing heat, a refrigeration cycle in which heat is absorbed from a low temperature side and is dissipated to a high temperature side, a heat exchanger that causes the heat capacitive element to exchange heat with refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle, and a heat dissipation portion which dissipates heat in the refrigerant of the refrigeration cycle to the temperature control object. Thus, a temperature control by using the heat capacitive element can be effectively performed.

There is provided an air-conditioning apparatus including an auxiliary power supply that, when a voltage from an overhead line extending over sections powered by different power sources is stepped down with a transformer, converts the voltage into a low-voltage DC voltage and that, when a voltage from the overhead line is a DC voltage, is directly fed with the voltage and converts it into the low-voltage DC voltage that is the same as the converted DC voltage, and further including an inverter device that converts the DC voltage from the auxiliary power supply into an AC voltage and that supplies the AC voltage to a drive unit of a refrigeration cycle apparatus.