A thermostat device (8) for a cooling system in a vehicle. The device (8) includes a thermostat housing (15) enclosing a movably arranged valve body (16, 20, 34, 44). The valve body is configured to distribute coolant from a thermostat chamber (15a) to a radiator bypass line (9) and/or a radiator (11) in dependence on the position of the valve body. The device (8) has a first thermal expansion element (31) providing a first stroke of a valve body (16, 20, 34, 44) in response to the temperature of the coolant in a the pilot chamber (14a), and a second thermal expansion element (32) providing a second stroke of the valve body (16, 20, 34, 44) in response to the temperature of the coolant in the thermostat chamber (15a) such that the valve body (16, 20, 34, 44) is moved to a position defined by the strokes from the thermal expansion elements (31, 32). The pilot chamber (14a) has an outlet passage (14b) for directing coolant from the pilot chamber (14a) to the thermostat chamber (15a).

A heating system includes at least one electric heater disposed within a fluid flow system and a control device that is configured to determine a temperature of the at least one electric heater based on a model, at least one fluid flow system input, and at least one heater input. The at least one heater input includes at least one physical characteristic of the heating system, the at least one physical characteristic includes at least one of a resistance wire diameter, a heater insulation thickness, a heater sheath thickness, a conductivity, a specific heat and density of the material of the heater, an emissivity of the heater and the fluid flow pathway, and combinations thereof. The control device is configured to provide power to the at least one electric heater based on the temperature of the at least one electric heater.

A heating system includes at least one electric heater disposed within a fluid flow system and a control device that is configured to determine a temperature of the at least one electric heater based on a model, at least one fluid flow system input, and at least one heater input. The at least one heater input includes at least one physical characteristic of the heating system, the at least one physical characteristic includes at least one of a resistance wire diameter, a heater insulation thickness, a heater sheath thickness, a conductivity, a specific heat and density of the material of the heater, an emissivity of the heater and the fluid flow pathway, and combinations thereof. The control device is configured to provide power to the at least one electric heater based on the temperature of the at least one electric heater.

Thermal control systems that include variable conductivity metamaterial units are provided. The metamaterial unit a plurality of thermally conductive plates, a plurality of first bonds, each of which connects two adjoining thermally conductive plates, and a plurality of second bonds, each of which connects two adjoining thermally conductive plates. Also included is a load inducer constructed to cause the plurality of thermally conductive plates to move between a non-contact state, in which opposing surfaces of the plurality of thermally conductive plates are not in direct contact, to a contact state, in which the opposing surfaces of the plurality of thermally conductive are in at least partial direct contact, so as to change a thermal conductivity of the metamaterial unit from a first value to a second value. Through the ability to design the effective thermal conductivity as a function of temperature a passive thermal control capability is achieved by the introduction of thermal stability regions that will passively ensure thermal stability.

A regulating method for a heating and/or cooling system uses at least one load circuit (6), through which a fluid as a heat transfer medium flows and switches the at least one load circuit (6) on and off in dependence on a room temperature in a room to be thermally regulated by the at least one load circuit (6). A feed temperature (T.sub.mix) of the fluid fed to the at least one load circuit (6) is set in dependence on the relative switch-on duration (D) of the at least one load circuit (6). A manifold device is also provided for a heating and/or cooling system with a control device for carrying out such a regulating method.

A temperature control apparatus is provided, which is capable of, even when it is necessary to perform control by means of valves in a plurality of channels, promptly controlling a temperature of an area to be temperature-controlled promptly to a desired temperature, while avoiding complication and enlargement of the apparatus as a whole. Passage and blockage of a heating medium passing through a first supply channel to a mixing channel, a temperature of the heating medium being controlled by a first temperature regulating unit at a predetermined temperature, and passage and blockage of a heating medium passing through a second supply channel to the mixing channel, a temperature of the heating medium being controlled by a second temperature regulating unit, are controlled by a valve unit. The valve unit includes a first spool valve and a second spool valve, which are coupled through a heat insulating layer.

A plumbing fitting includes a housing and a missing valve. The housing includes a first aperture, a second aperture, a third aperture, and a mixing chamber in fluid communication with the first aperture, the second aperture, and the third aperture. The mixing valve is disposed within the housing. The mixing valve includes a first flow control valve that is configured to control a first flow of fluid from the first aperture to the mixing chamber.

A thermal bypass valve includes a housing defining a bore along a longitudinal axis and having two inlet ports and two outlet ports; a cap disposed within the bore; a shuttle disposed within the bore and reversibly translatable towards and away from the cap along the longitudinal axis between a first fill position, a cooling position, and a bypass position; and an actuator configured for translating the shuttle along the longitudinal axis between the cooling position and the bypass position. The actuator is formed from a shape memory alloy and is transitionable between a first state and a second state in response to a temperature of the fluid.

A heating system includes at least one electric heater disposed within the fluid flow system. A control device includes a microprocessor and is configured to determine a temperature of the at least one electric heater based on a model and at least one input from the fluid flow system. The control device is configured to provide power to the at least one electric heater based on the temperature of the at least one electric heater.

A heating system includes at least one electric heater disposed within the fluid flow system. A control device includes a microprocessor and is configured to determine a temperature of the at least one electric heater based on a model and at least one input from the fluid flow system. The control device is configured to provide power to the at least one electric heater based on the temperature of the at least one electric heater.