Christopher H Craft

US Patent:

20030173412, Sep 18, 2003

Filed:

Mar 14, 2002

Appl. No.:

10/097289

Inventors:

Ronald Roberts - Orchard Lake MI, US
Christopher Craft - Shelby Township MI, US
Vinod Nanda - Rochester Hills MI, US
Jeffrey Buschur - Lake Orion MI, US
Richard Leemhuis - Rochester Hills MI, US

Assignee:

Valeo Electrical Systems, Inc.

International Classification:

B60H001/02

US Classification:

237/012600

Abstract:

Apparatus and Method for accelerating the warm-up of a heater/defroster in a passenger compartment of an automotive vehicle. A working fluid, such as power steering oil is rapidly heated by pumping it through a small orifice. An oil-to-coolant heat exchanger transfers heat from the working fluid to a liquid coolant. A blower generates an air stream and directs it across heat exchange surfaces of a coolant-to-air heat exchanger. Meanwhile the heated coolant is circulating through the interior of the coolant-to-air heat exchanger. This transfers heat from the liquid coolant and warms the air stream.