A heat pump system for a vehicle includes a water cooled condenser that uses a coolant as a heat exchange media and uses waste heat generated from a motor and an electronic device to improve heating performance, efficiency, and dehumidifying performance. A control method is also described.

Heat pump system for vehicle

A controller of a thermal management system for a vehicle controls a first switching valve and a second switching valve to set a battery warming-up state in which a heat medium circulates between a battery-temperature adjustment heat exchanger and a heat-medium heating heat exchanger, and the heat medium does not circulate between a coolant-coolant heat exchanger and a heat-medium heating heat exchanger when both a battery and an engine need to be warmed up. In contrast, the controller controls the first switching valve and the second switching valve to set an engine warming-up state in which the heat medium circulates through between the coolant-coolant heat exchanger and the heat-medium heating heat exchanger while the heat medium does not circulate between a battery-temperature adjustment heat exchanger and the heat-medium heating heat exchanger when a temperature of the battery exceeds a target battery warming-up temperature in the battery warming-up state.

Thermal management system for vehicle

A dual mode, thermal management system for use in a vehicle is provided. At a minimum, the system includes a first coolant loop in thermal communication with a battery system, a second coolant loop in thermal communication with at least one drive train component (e.g., electric motor, power electronics, inverter), and a dual mode valve system that provides means for selecting between a first mode where the two coolant loops operate in parallel, and a second mode where the two coolant loops operate in series.

Thermal management system with dual mode coolant loops

Some embodiments of the invention provide a novel prediction engine that (1) can formulate predictions about current or future destinations and/or routes to such destinations for a user, and (2) can relay information to the user about these predictions. In some embodiments, this engine includes a machine-learning engine that facilitates the formulation of predicted future destinations and/or future routes to destinations based on stored, user-specific data. The user-specific data is different in different embodiments. In some embodiments, the stored, user-specific data includes data about any combination of the following: (1) previous destinations traveled to by the user, (2) previous routes taken by the user, (3) locations of calendared events in the user's calendar, (4) locations of events for which the user has electronic tickets, and (5) addresses parsed from recent e-mails and/or messages sent to the user. In some embodiments, the prediction engine only relies on user-specific data stored on the device on which this engine executes. Alternatively, in other embodiments, it relies only on user-specific data stored outside of the device by external devices/servers. In still other embodiments, the prediction engine relies on user-specific data stored both by the device and by other devices/servers.

Warning for frequently traveled trips based on traffic

Systems and methods are described for interactively and graphically interfacing with a user on an HVAC system controlled by a thermostat. The user interface is implemented on a touch screen display on a remote wirelessly connected device such as smartphone or a tablet PC. The interface displays a screen that mimics the display on the thermostat including allowing one or more input methods that are analogous to input methods used on the thermostat. Touch screen gestures such as touch and drag, touch and hold and tapping are used in an intuitive way. The user experience is enhanced by allowing large-scale changes while reducing the risk of sudden unintended changes. The control signals are judiciously tailored to protect the HVAC equipment from unwarranted over-controlling, reduce unnecessary network traffic, and prevent the waste of energy.

Touchscreen device user interface for remote control of a thermostat

A multi-mode vehicle thermal management system is provided that allows efficient thermal communication between a refrigerant-based thermal control loop and three non-refrigerant-based thermal control loops, where one of the non-refrigerant-based loops provides temperature control over the vehicle's passenger cabin, a second of the non-refrigerant-based control loops is thermally coupled to the vehicle's battery system and the third of the non-refrigerant-based control circuits is thermally coupled to the vehicle's drive train. The refrigerant-based control loop may be operated either in a heating mode or a cooling mode and is coupled to the vehicle's HVAC system using a refrigerant-air heat exchanger, and to one or more of the non-refrigerant-based control loops using refrigerant-fluid heat exchangers. A valve assembly is used to couple and/or decouple the battery and drive train thermal control loops, thereby allowing these two thermal control loops to operate either in parallel or in series.

Ev multi-mode thermal management system

An integrated drive system assembly is provided that combines an electric motor, a power inverter assembly and a gearbox into a single, multi-piece enclosure. Combining these components into a single enclosure reduces weight, reduces drive system complexity, reduces system volume, simplifies assembly integration into an electric vehicle, reduces manufacturing cost, allows the flexible and lengthy electrical cables between the power inverter and the electric motor to be replaced with short, low loss, rigid bus bars, and simplifies component cooling by allowing the use of a common thermal management system, i.e., a mutual thermal management system. The common thermal management system includes a liquid coolant loop that is thermally coupled to the electric motor, the power inverter assembly and the gearbox.

Thermal management system for use with an integrated motor assembly

A method for operating a vehicle user interface is provided, the user interface utilizing a touch-screen display mounted within the vehicle. In one aspect, the visual or visual/interactive properties of the interface change after the user initiates interface interaction. In another aspect, the interface allows a user to utilize any of a variety of different control interaction techniques, all to achieve the same function.

Morphing vehicle user interface

A method of regulating thermal dissipation from a vehicle battery pack is provided in which a by-pass valve is used to control the amount of battery pack coolant either passing through, or by-passing, a heat exchanger, where the coolant passing through the heat exchanger is cooled by a refrigeration system. The vehicle's HVAC system is controlled to insure that HVAC operation does not compromise maintaining the battery pack within an acceptable range of temperatures.

Vincent George Johnston

Papers

Thermal management system with dual mode coolant loops

Ev multi-mode thermal management system

Thermal management system for use with an integrated motor assembly

Morphing vehicle user interface

Battery Centric Thermal Management System Utilizing a Heat Exchanger Blending Valve