Abstract: A thermoelectric transducer includes a thermoelectric element module in which a plurality of pairs of P-type and N-type thermoelectric elements are arranged to be electrically connected in series. The thermoelectric element module includes a first terminal connected to an electric power input side of the thermoelectric elements, a second terminal connected to an electric power output side of the thermoelectric elements, and a third terminal arranged at one position or plural positions between the first terminal and the second terminal and used for detecting electric potential at the one position or plural positions. A control device controls the thermoelectric element module on the basis of voltage between the respective terminals determined by electric potentials from the respective terminals when electric power is applied between the first terminal and the second terminal.

Abstract: A thermoelectric converter is disclosed which includes a body and an extension member. The body includes a plurality of dissimilar thermoelectric elements in an array. The body also includes a first substrate with a first electrically conductive pattern portion that is electrically connected to the plurality of dissimilar thermoelectric elements. Also, the body includes a second substrate with a second electrically conductive pattern portion that is electrically connected to the plurality of dissimilar thermoelectric elements. The extension member includes an extension pattern portion that is electrically connected to at least one of the first and second electrically conductive pattern portions. The extension member extends away from the body.

Abstract: In a thermoelectric transducer, a plurality of P-type thermoelectric devices and N-type thermoelectric devices are alternately arranged on an insulating board, and each of a plurality of electrode members is connected to two end portions of adjacent N-type and P-type thermoelectric devices for electrically connecting the adjacent N-type and P-type thermoelectric devices. Furthermore, a plurality of heat exchanging members each of which includes an electrode portion connectable to the electrode member and a heat exchanging portion for exchanging heat transmitted from the electrode portion are located at two sides of a thermoelectric device substrate to form a heat absorbing part and a heat radiating part partitioned from each other. The electrode portions and the heat exchanging portions have, respectively, the same shapes, and the electrode portions and the heat exchanging portions are arranged in the same direction in all the heat exchanging members of each heat absorbing or radiating part.

Abstract: A thermoelectric transducer includes a group of thermoelectric devices having a plurality of P-type thermoelectric devices and a plurality of N-type thermoelectric devices alternately arranged on a thermoelectric device substrate, electrode members for electrically connecting the adjacent P-type and N-type thermoelectric devices in series, and heat exchanging members including electrode portions connected to the electrode members. In the thermoelectric transducer, at least a plurality of electrode portions and a plurality of heat exchanging portions are formed continuously in a corrugated shape to couple the plurality of electrode members to each other along at least the group of thermoelectric devices, and the adjacent heat exchanging members are provided to be electrically insulated from each other. Accordingly, the thermoelectric transducer can be easily formed.

Abstract: An air conditioner for a vehicle is provided with an air conditioning unit for blowing conditioned air to a passenger compartment of the vehicle, multiple seat air conditioning units for respectively controlling temperatures of seats of the vehicle, and a control unit for controlling the air conditioning unit and the seat air conditioning units. The larger the difference between a target blowing-out temperature of the air conditioning unit and a compartment setting temperature of the passenger compartment, the larger the degree of influence of the target blowing-out temperature on a seat target blowing-out temperature in the calculation of the seat target blowing-out temperature, based on which the seat air conditioning unit is controlled.

Abstract: A selectively driven compressor for stopping the power generating operation of a motor when an internal combustion engine is operating to make it unnecessary to provide the motor that can withstand high voltage. The system reduces the load on the internal combustion engine. The system includes a pulley driven by a main drive source, an electric motor, which includes an armature and a field system, driven by a power source. The compressor is driven selectively by the pulley or the electric motor. The armature and the field system of the electric motor are independently supported. The pulley is mechanically connected to either of the armature and the field system, and the compressor is mechanically connected to the other.

Abstract: A vehicle air conditioning system mountable on a vehicle has the control function of stopping a vehicle engine automatically when the vehicle stops (eco-run vehicle). The system includes a variable displacement compressor driven by the vehicle engine, and a stop time of the vehicle engine is ensured when the vehicle stops. When the engine is running, the displacement of the variable displacement compressor is adjusted to control the temperature of an evaporator. When the vehicle engine stop request is issued when the vehicle is stopped, the compressor is kept at its maximum displacement and the vehicle engine is either stopped or activated depending on the temperature of the evaporator to control the on and off modes of the compressor.

Abstract: A vehicle air conditioning system mountable on a vehicle has the control function of stopping a vehicle engine automatically when the vehicle stops (eco-run vehicle). The system includes a variable displacement compressor driven by the vehicle engine, and a stop time of the vehicle engine is ensured when the vehicle stops. When the engine is running, the displacement of the variable displacement compressor is adjusted to control the temperature of an evaporator. When the vehicle engine stop request is issued when the vehicle is stopped, the compressor is kept at its maximum displacement and the vehicle engine is either stopped or activated depending on the temperature of the evaporator to control the on and off modes of the compressor.

Abstract: A motor drive-control device drive-controls a plurality of auxiliary devices with a single motor while securing a necessary capacity of the auxiliary devices side in correspondence with usage conditions. As such, in an air-conditioning system, necessary speeds of auxiliary devices such as a compressor and a warm water pump are calculated based on a necessary cooling capacity and a necessary heating capacity. The higher of these two necessary speeds is set as the motor speed for driving the auxiliary devices. The motor is thus controlled to this speed. Therefore, even if the air-conditioning heat load varies greatly due to changes in the usage environment, cooling and heating capacities necessary for air-conditioning temperature control can be obtained at all times.

Abstract: An output limitation warning lamp is turned on when a possible output Qf of the fuel cell is less than a predetermined value L2. The output limitation warning lamp is provided at a combination meter in an instrument panel. The output limitation warning lamp is also turned on when a possible output Qb of the secondary battery is less than a predetermined value L3. Furthermore, the output limitation warning lamp is also turned on when an allowable drive output Qh, which is the sum of the possible output Qf of the fuel cell and the possible output Qb of the secondary battery, has been less than a required output Ed* calculated at a step before carrying out output limitation to more than a certain extent for longer than a predetermined length of time.

Abstract: In the transmission and air conditioning control system having an air conditioner provided with a compressor driven by an engine and an evaporator for cooling a passenger room, and a transmission connected between the engine and a wheel, an electronically control device controls the transmission ratio to a reference value to be decided by the operating condition of the vehicle and also to a final value, which is higher than the reference value, when a degree of cooling demand is greater than a predetermined value. As a result, the revolution of the engine is more increased so that the revolution of compressor may be more increased to improve the cool down performance.

Abstract: A device for controlling an engine for a vehicle and an air-conditioning device for a vehicle capable of suitably controlling the blow-out rate of an air-conditioning compressor at the time when the fuel supply has been cut by estimating a load torque of the air-conditioning compressor under a condition of resuming the fuel supply. The air-conditioning device for vehicles according to an embodiment of the invention comprises blow-out rate varying means for varying the blow-out rate of the compressor driven by a vehicle engine, and load torque estimating means for estimating a physical quantity related to the load torque of the compressor under a condition of resuming the fuel supply after the fuel supply has been cut. The blow-out rate of the compressor is changed by controlling the blow-out rate varying means depending upon the estimated value of physical quantity.

Abstract: A device for controlling an engine for a vehicle and an air-conditioning device for a vehicle capable of suitably controlling the blow-out rate of an air-conditioning compressor at the time when the fuel supply has been cut by estimating a load torque of the air-conditioning compressor under a condition of resuming the fuel supply. The air-conditioning device for vehicles according to an embodiment of the invention comprises blow-out rate varying means for varying the blow-out rate of the compressor driven by a vehicle engine, and load torque estimating means for estimating a physical quantity related to the load torque of the compressor under a condition of resuming the fuel supply after the fuel supply has been cut. The blow-out rate of the compressor is changed by controlling the blow-out rate varying means depending upon the estimated value of physical quantity.

Abstract: The present invention balances power consumption reduction and a cooling in a vehicle air-conditioning system having a compressor selectively driven by a vehicle engine or a motor while the compressor is driven by the motor. At least one of a capacity of a blower and a capacity of a compressor arranged in a refrigeration cycle R while the compressor being driven by a motor is reduced in comparison to the capacity of the blower and the capacity of the compressor while the compressor being driven by a vehicle engine. Furthermore, while a cooling heat load of an evaporator is greater than a predetermined value, the capacity of the compressor is first reduced prior to reducing the capacity of the blower.

Abstract: In a vehicle air-conditioning system, an evaporator is disposed in an air-conditioning case to form a bypass passage through which air bypasses the evaporator, and an opening degree of the bypass passage is adjusted by a bypass door. When a vehicle engine operates, the system performs a cold-storing mode where cold quantity stored in condensed water on the evaporator is increased. On the other hand, when operation of the vehicle engine is stopped, the system performs a cold-releasing mode where air passing through the evaporator is cooled by cold released from frozen condensed water. During the cold-storing mode and the cold-releasing mode, temperature of air blown into a passenger compartment can be adjusted by adjusting the opening degree of the bypass passage. Thus, in the vehicle air-conditioning system, cold-storing quantity in the evaporator can be improved while power-saving effect of the vehicle engine is improved.

Abstract: The present invention balances power consumption reduction and a cooling in a vehicle air-conditioning system having a compressor selectively driven by a vehicle engine or a motor while the compressor is driven by the motor. At least one of a capacity of a blower and a capacity of a compressor arranged in a refrigeration cycle R while the compressor being driven by a motor is reduced in comparison to the capacity of the blower and the capacity of the compressor while the compressor being driven by a vehicle engine. Furthermore, while a cooling heat load of an evaporator is greater than a predetermined value, the capacity of the compressor is first reduced prior to reducing the capacity of the blower.

Abstract: In an electric vehicle air conditioner, unpleasant compressor noise is reduced after issuance of an instruction to stop the operation of the air conditioner. An air conditioner controller calculates a delay time T1 from a map stored in a microcomputer in advance when an air conditioning switch or a blower switch is turned off and initializes a built-in timer to start counting. Thereafter, the speed of rotation of the coolant compressor (the speed of rotation of an electric motor) is decreased at the maximum rate of change of the speed of rotation through an inverter until the calculated delay time T1 passes. After the delay time T1 passes (after the counting by the timer terminates), the coolant compressor is stopped. The delay time T1 recorded in the map is set such that it becomes shorter with a decrease in the blower level.

Abstract: A compressor control device is presented to control driving power of a compressor of a vehicle air conditioner. The control device is composed of a first means which detects ambient temperature conditions of the vehicle, a second means which decides a necessary air-conditioning capacity according to the ambient temperature conditions and a third means which transmits driving power to the compressor from the engine when the necessary cooling capacity is larger than a reference capacity and from the electric motor when said necessary cooling capacity is not larger than said reference capacity.

Abstract: An exhaust gas detoxifying system includes a catalytic converter in the exhaust system of an engine to detoxify exhaust gas. An air conditioner includes a compressor which is driven by the engine, and it performs air conditioning of the vehicle interior based on a refrigeration cycle. The operation of the air conditioner compressor is restricted depending on the degree of necessity of air conditioning, which is calculated from the difference between a vehicle interior temperature and a target temperature, if the catalytic converter exhaust gas detoxification performance is expected to deteriorate during accelerating or heavy-load operations of the engine.