Auxiliary heating systems

The high efficiency of modern direct-injection diesel and gasoline engines (DI engines) means that, during cold weather, the heat rejected by the engine is often not sufficient to achieve rapid heating of the vehicle interior or comfortable temperatures during city driving or in stop-and-go traffic conditions. Safety can also be affected, because of the windows fogging up. To eliminate the resulting heating deficit, Behr is developing three types of auxiliary heaters: electric PTC heaters and CO2 heat pumps for spontaneous heating of the supply air, and exhaust gas heat exchangers for faster heating of the coolant, allowing the conventional heating system to respond earlier. This is a short version of the article.