Taking some refrigerant gas (in liquid form) from the condenser outlet, bypassing the evaporator and injecting it to strategic points inside the compressor. This liquid evaporates (flash evaporation) at the conditions inside the compressor and thus cooling down the mass of vapors there, this cooling action allows for the system to produce effective heating at ambient temps lower than regular (non gas injected) heat pumps. With the prime - down to 14F. With bigger housing systems the same effect (and better) can be achieved with 2 stage compressor with intercooling heat exchanger in between, but this is not practical with car systems. Sorry for the length...
The prime isn't the first car to have a heat pump, it is the first one to have one of these gas injected heat pumps. The technology was in use for other applications before the Prime
When you're in hybrid mode and the heater is on, does it keep burning power with the heat pump, or switch entirely over to engine heat?
It will depend on engine heat if the coolant have reached parameter....otherwise it will use heat pump......in EV mode that is another story....there is so many things that are different from what we are learned from other .....this is new way of efficiency.... Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
Does that mean that if you activate remote climate with front defrost the ice will start? I'll have to experiment with that. (first I have to get remote climate working reliably) I have managed to turn the remote climate on a couple of times (out of many times trying) and the front windows really fog up. This is probably because there is no A/C taking moisture from the air. After it's been running for it's allotted 10 minutes, it is quite steamy in the car. I haven't tried running the remote defroster. I'll make a point of it next time and let everyone know if the ice does start.
No, in fact turning on remote climate and remote front and rear defrost will not cause ICE to kick in, as I have tried this several times Posted via the PriusChat mobile app.
well, it's like this bisco.........ICE will kick in if you're in EV mode and vehicle is in Ready mode. and you turn on front defroster.
I could be mistaken, but I don't think the Prius Non-Prime uses a heat pump. I gather that the heat pump is pretty quick at starting to warm (from car off), which would make sense. However, it's worth pointing out that, unlike my current Gen-2, the Prime, and probably other Prii since my Gen-2, pipe the engine coolant past the catalytic converter, which means that it heats up vastly quicker than on my Gen-2.
The Prime has a ecoheat position and along with low fan position will provide defrost to the front window without Activating the main defroster, Engine will not come on. True for this geographical area, cannot vouch for others.
should work well within austin city limits. as for ten 3 heating up faster than gen 2, it would take a machine to measure the difference. it's probably about as much as mpg's improved.