TEMPERATURE CONTROL SYSTEMS WITH THERMOELECTRIC DEVICES
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Accused Products
Abstract
Temperature control systems and methods can be designed for controlling the interior climate of a vehicle or other the climate of another desired region. The temperature control system for a vehicle can have a thermoelectric system providing heating and/or cooling, including supplemental heating and/or cooling. The thermoelectric system can transfer thermal energy between a working fluid, such as liquid coolant, and comfort air upon application of electric current of a selected polarity. The thermoelectric system can supplement or replace the heat provided from an internal combustion engine or other primary heat source. The thermoelectric system can also supplement or replace cold energy provided from a compressor-based refrigeration system or other primary cold energy source.
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Citations
125 Claims
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1-90. -90. (canceled)
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91. A temperature control system for heating, cooling, and/or demisting an occupant compartment of a vehicle during startup of an internal combustion engine of the vehicle, the system comprising:
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an engine coolant circuit comprising an engine block coolant conduit configured to convey coolant therein, wherein the engine block conduit is in thermal communication with the internal combustion engine of the vehicle; a heater core disposed in a comfort air channel of the vehicle and in fluid communication with the engine block coolant conduit; a thermoelectric device having a waste surface and a main surface, wherein the waste surface is in thermal communication with a heat source or a heat sink; a supplemental heat exchanger disposed in the comfort air channel and in thermal communication with the main surface of the thermoelectric device, wherein the supplemental heat exchanger is downstream from the heater core with respect to a direction of a comfort airflow in the comfort air channel when the temperature control system is in operation; and a controller configured to operate the temperature control system in a plurality of modes of operation, and wherein the plurality of modes of operation comprises; a startup heating mode wherein the thermoelectric device is configured to heat the comfort airflow by transferring thermal energy from the waste surface to the main surface while receiving electric current supplied in a first polarity and while the internal combustion engine is running; and a heating mode wherein the internal combustion engine is configured to heat the comfort airflow while electric current is not supplied to the thermoelectric device and while the internal combustion engine is running; and wherein, in the startup heating mode, the thermoelectric device provides heat to the comfort airflow while the internal combustion engine is not able to heat the comfort airflow to a specified comfortable temperature without the heat provided by the thermoelectric device; and wherein a coefficient of performance of the thermoelectric device increases during the startup heating mode as a temperature of the coolant increases. - View Dependent Claims (92, 93, 94, 95, 96, 97, 98, 99, 100, 101, 102, 103, 104, 105, 106, 107)
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108. A method for controlling temperature of an occupant compartment of a vehicle during startup of an internal combustion engine of the vehicle, the method comprising:
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directing an airflow through a comfort air channel; directing a coolant through an engine coolant circuit, the engine coolant circuit including an engine block coolant conduit in thermal communication with the internal combustion engine of the vehicle; directing the airflow through a heater core disposed in the comfort air channel and in thermal communication with the engine block coolant conduit; directing the airflow through a supplemental heat exchanger in thermal communication with a thermoelectric device, wherein the supplemental heat exchanger is downstream from the heater core with respect to a direction of the airflow in the comfort air channel while the airflow is flowing, and wherein the thermoelectric device has a waste surface and a main surface, the waste surface in thermal communication with the engine block coolant conduit or a heat sink, the main surface in thermal communication with the supplemental heat exchanger; and supplying, in a startup heating mode, electric current in a first polarity to the thermoelectric device for the thermoelectric device to heat the airflow by transferring thermal energy from the waste surface to the main surface; wherein, in the startup heating mode, the thermoelectric device provides heat to the airflow while the internal combustion engine is not able to heat the airflow to a specified comfortable temperature without the heat provided by the thermoelectric device. - View Dependent Claims (109, 110, 111, 112, 113, 114)
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115. A temperature control system for heating, cooling, and/or demisting a passenger compartment of a vehicle during startup of an internal combustion engine of the vehicle, the system comprising:
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a coolant circuit configured to convey a coolant therein, wherein the coolant circuit is in thermal communication with a heat source or a heat sink, and wherein the coolant is a liquid phase working fluid; a heat exchanger disposed in a passenger air channel of the vehicle and in thermal communication with the coolant circuit; a thermoelectric device in thermal communication with the coolant circuit and the heat exchanger, the thermoelectric device configured to pump thermal energy between the coolant circuit and the heat exchanger; and a controller configured to operate the temperature control system in a plurality of modes of operation, and wherein the plurality of modes of operation comprises; a startup heating mode wherein the thermoelectric device is configured to heat a passenger airflow in the passenger air channel by transferring thermal energy from the coolant circuit to the heat exchanger while receiving electric current supplied in a first polarity and while the internal combustion engine is warming up; and a heating mode wherein the internal combustion engine is configured to heat the passenger airflow while electric current is not supplied to the thermoelectric device after the internal combustion engine is started; and wherein, in the startup heating mode, the thermoelectric device provides heat to the passenger airflow while the internal combustion engine is not able to heat the passenger airflow to a specified comfortable temperature without the heat provided by the thermoelectric device. - View Dependent Claims (116, 117, 118, 119, 120, 121, 122, 123, 124, 125)
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Specification