Motor vehicle with liquid-cooled alternator to supplement heating

摘要

The motor vehicle has the alternator as part of the coolant circuit that includes the engine and the cabin heater of the vehicle. While the coolant is below its normal operating temperature the alternator is used to deliver supplementary energy to raise the coolant temperature more quickly. The alternator (28) delivers a high current to a heating resistance (30,32) which is fitted into a branch of the coolant circuit, ahead of the cabin heater (22). The alternator is also cooled by coolant in a branch of the coolant circuit while it is delivering the high current.