Ford Global Technolgoies, LLC

James C Rollinson

Kirk Pebley

David Karl Bidner

Hafiz Shafeek Khafagy

Eric Michael Rademacher

Hugh Hamilton

Manfred Koberstein

Eric Gerd Schaefer

Michael Irby

Jeffrey Paul Brown

Rachael Shey

Ranganathan Madhavan

Leyuan Yu

Hussam Makkiya

Ravi Gopal

Alan Gutowski

Siraj Siddiqui

Curtis Mark Jones

Phillip Bonkoski

Sitaram Rejeti

Wayne Frank Buescher

Farouq Mozip

Zhengyu Liu

Jonathan Wentworth

Thomas A White

Mark C Evans

Suhas Venkatappa

Alan Richardson

A heat pump includes a refrigerant loop. The refrigerant loop includes a compressor, a first region of a first heat exchanger, a second heat exchanger, and a bypass branch. The compressor includes a low-pressure inlet, a mid-pressure inlet, and an outlet. The first heat exchanger is positioned downstream of the outlet of the compressor. The second heat exchanger is positioned downstream of the first heat exchanger. The bypass branch includes an entrance and an exit. The entrance to the bypass branch is positioned downstream of the outlet of the compressor and upstream of the first region of the first heat exchanger. The exit of the bypass branch is positioned upstream of the second heat exchanger.

Vapor injection heat pump

A heat pump includes a refrigerant loop. The refrigerant loop includes a compressor, a first region of a first heat exchanger, a first branching point, a first shutoff valve, a second shutoff valve, and a second heat exchanger. The compressor includes a low-pressure inlet, a mid-pressure inlet, and an outlet. The first heat exchanger is positioned immediately downstream of the outlet of the compressor. The first branching point is positioned immediately downstream of the first region of the first heat exchanger. The refrigerant loop splits into a first path and a second path at the first branching point. The first shutoff valve is positioned along the first path and immediately downstream of the first branching point. The second shutoff valve is positioned along the second path and immediately downstream of the first branching point. The second heat exchanger is downstream of the first heat exchanger.

A vehicle climate control system includes a heat exchanger to heat ambient air using engine waste heat, and a plurality of positive temperature coefficient (PTC) heating elements to heat air passed through the heat exchanger. The vehicle also includes a controller programmed to, while the vehicle is driven without engine propulsion, issue a command to sequentially de-energize the PTC heating elements before an upcoming engine activation. The sequential de-energization of the PTC heating elements is performed according to a schedule that is based upon a power surge dissipation time.

Vehicle thermal management systems and methods

A vehicle includes an engine cooling system. The engine cooling system includes an engine. A radiator is fluidly coupled to the engine. A sensor is configured to provide a temperature reading of a coolant at the engine. The vehicle further includes a heat pump system. The heat pump system includes a condenser disposed proximate the radiator and fluidly coupled to the compressor. An evaporator is fluidly coupled to the condenser. A climate fan is fluidly coupled to an exterior surface of the evaporator. A climate control module is configured to control a speed of the climate fan. The climate control module establishes a maximum speed of the climate fan in response to a temperature reading from the sensor.

Method to reduce engine coolant temperature based on climate fan speed

Methods and systems are provided for controlling coolant flow through parallel branches of a coolant circuit including an AC condenser and a charge air cooler. Flow is apportioned responsive to an AC head pressure and a CAC temperature to reduce parasitic losses and improve fuel economy. The flow is apportioned via adjustments to a coolant pump output and a proportioning valve.

Methods and systems for coolant system

A vehicle cooling system may include a variable displacement compressor, and a controller configured to, in response to a determination that the compressor is operating within a gurgling zone that is defined by a predefined range of compressor speeds and currents, generate a current signal defining a displacement for the compressor based on a speed of the compressor and an ambient temperature to control the displacement to reduce refrigerant flow noise.

Variable displacement vehicle compressor with noise prevention control

A hybrid electric vehicle (HEV) that includes an internal combustion engine and a climate control system (CCS) coupled to controllers configured to auto start-stop the engine when the HEV decelerates to an engine-stop threshold speed. The controllers are also configured to adjust a climate-fan-speed by a predetermined initial-factor, and at subsequent timed-intervals with a speed-factor that is adjusted from the initial-factor at each timed-interval, such that engine restart is inhibited by perceptually small speed adjustments and perceptually slow timed-interval cabin cooling adjustments. Such gradual adjustments are tuned to increase passenger perceptions of continuing cabin comfort, which reduce the likelihood that a passenger may adjust the CCS to require engine restart, and to increase auto stop-start fuel economy.

Climate control for hybrid electric vehicle with engine stop-start

A method of controlling power to a vehicle accessory gradually shuts down power to the vehicle accessory and gradually restores power to the vehicle accessory. After a request for an auto-shutdown of an internal combustion engine of a vehicle is detected, power to the vehicle accessory is reduced on a predetermined schedule responsive to such detection. The occurrence of a restart of the internal combustion engine of a vehicle is determined, and power supplied to the vehicle accessory is increased on a predetermined schedule responsive to the restart.

System and method for modulating power to vehicle accessories during auto-start and auto-stop

A method and apparatus for controlling blower speed of an air conditioning system in a vehicle having a start/stop engine. When an auto stop event of the start/stop engine is entered, an ambient temperature and a second temperature (e.g., evaporator) of the air conditioning system are measured by sensors. A first cutback limit is determined in response to the ambient temperature. The blower speed is ramped to the first cutback limit by a controller. The engine is restarted and the blower speed is restored in response to the second temperature reaching a restart threshold.

Blower control for vehicle with start-stop engine

A method and apparatus controls a recirculation position of a return vent in an HVAC system for a vehicle with a compressor driven by a start/stop engine. A partial recirculation position is set according to a basic recirculation strategy while the engine is operating. An auto stop event is entered at a time with the compressor operating. A full recirculation position is set during the stop event by an HVAC controller if a plurality of low fogging probability indicators are true. The low fogging probability indicators include a sensed ambient temperature being above a predetermined temperature, a sensed state of a windshield wiper being an off state, and a sensed sunload being above a predetermined sunload. The return vent is set at other than the full recirculation position by the HVAC controller according to the basic recirculation strategy if the low fogging probability indicators are not true.

Vehicular HVAC system with modified air recirculation for start-stop engine

A method for controlling a stop/start vehicle includes commanding an engine auto start in response to a calibratable time interval elapsing after receiving an electric defroster activation request when the engine is auto stopped. The method may further include activating a defroster after the engine has been auto started. The method may additionally include activating a defroster indicator when the electric defroster activation is received. The method may further include inhibiting an engine auto stop in response to an electric defroster activation request when the engine is running and further in response to a battery charge being insufficient to support a predicted current draw, and signaling an alert to a vehicle driver.

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Superior Township, MI, United States of America

James C Rollinson