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GM Files Patent For Cabin Radiant Heating System

GM has filed a patent application for a so-called “Radiant Heating System” that is designed to warm an occupant of an enclosed space. The new system appears to be a more energy-efficient method to keep vehicle occupants comfortable, and should prove useful in electric vehicles, serving as an alternative to traditional HVAC systems that use more energy.

The GM patent filing has been assigned application number US 2022/0111703 A1 with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) and was published April 14th, 2022. The patent is titled “Class A Surface Radiant Heating System,” and was originally filed October 14th, 2020. The patent lists several Michigan-based engineers as the inventors, including Oumta G Youkhana, Michael S. Demianenko, Kuo-huey Chen, and Rami Z. Sayed.

The patent describes a radiant heating system and includes a graphic with numerous surfaces located around a vehicle occupant. The surfaces are visible to the occupant and are designed with an aesthetic quality. Exposed across the surfaces are conductive strands, while a power supply heats the strands to keep the occupant comfortable. The system also incorporates a controller to regulate the energy supplied to the conductive strands.

Looking over the graphic within the patent application, we see heated surfaces around the foot well, door panel, windshield, roof panel, and side window.

A system like this is designed to provide adequate comfort inside the cabin while staying as energy-efficient as possible. Additionally, the system would more quickly alleviate the sense of being cold by directly heating adjacent surfaces, something which traditional HVAC systems typically lag in providing vehicle occupants.

As General Motors moves towards offering a fully electric lineup, systems like this will be necessary in order to ensure maximum range-per-charge without sacrificing passenger comfort.

To note, some German car manufacturers already offer heated surfaces with their more upscale products. For example, the Mercedes-Benz S-Class offers heated armrests and neck cushions.

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Jonathan is an automotive journalist based out of Southern California. He loves anything and everything on four wheels.

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Comments

  1. It’s obvious Cadillac will get the heating system first before being filtered down to lower brands. But there will be many firsts debuting in the future and some of the firsts that’s already available on few competitors will finally debut on GM vehicles.

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  2. More useless tech to further inflate the cost of future vehicles!!!

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  3. Leave it to wokeness to over-complicate a heater core.

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    1. It’s not complicated, it’s just heater wires

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    2. A heater core is a very inefficient way to heat an electric car.

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    3. Sleepy Joe,
      How else would you expect an EV to heat the cabin or how do you think they would produce the hot water for the Heater Core? This system is intended for use in an “EV” It’s not for use in an ICE vehicle. Although, there is a method of using the cooling fluid from the battery pack to provide a hot fluid through a “Heater Core” but gm has decided not to use this system as it produces only a very small heat factor.

      Reply
  4. These are normally radiant surfaces like a heated seat. Nothing to do with the heater core.

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    1. A heated seat is not a radiant heater. It’s an as warmer. Did you read the article? Or did we just scroll to the comment section to SJW?

      Electric heat is the most inefficient form of heat generation.

      Gonna have to get the popcorn out while they sell freezing your as off to save the planet.

      Reply
      1. “Electric heat is the most inefficient form of heat generation”

        Watt?

        At the risk of being called a “SJW” for dropping facts, electric resistive heat is 100% efficient, and a heat pump is 300% (or more) efficient. The best natural gas furnaces are 96% efficient.

        Reply
  5. It would also be nice if they could warm the cab for you in the winter time being while being charged and also have the cars temperature cool for the summer inside the cab.
    Climate control for Ev’s while being charged .

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    1. This is already a feature….

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  6. Gee. Those poor suckered that paid over a 100k for their 10,000 pound hummers are gonna be bummed.

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  7. There’s no fan to force the air through the cabin, what about the defogger need a fan I would think.

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  8. My God, most of you are clueless. There will still be a fan as there’s still a need for air conditioning/defogger/ defrost. It’ll just make heating the passengers up in the winter less energy wasteful as heating the whole cab to 70 degrees for a 10 minute trip to work is pointless. Better to preheat the surfaces around you for a few hundred watts, then you can warm the car up slowly for longer trips.

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  9. Great concept. Wonder why it was not offered years ago. Would be great for construction, farming and mining equipment operator cabs. Hello Caterpillar and John Deere.

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    1. Great concept. Wonder why it was not offered years ago. Would be great for construction, farming and mining equipment operator cabs. Hello Caterpillar and John Deere.

      Reply
  10. When it’s —minus 40 outside and you don’t have a garage to park a EV in, how long is it going to take to warm up this EV and better yet, after it warms up, how far will you be able to drive? I live in Canada.

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    1. Mac Dougalls:

      At the conditions you mention I would suggest keeping the EV plugged in 24 X 7.

      Or better yet if internal combustion engines are still available and not insanely outlawed, I would stick with a gasoline IC in 40 below conditions, parked outside, with block heater. And for God’s sake don’t use starting fluid.

      Reply
  11. Wow a lot of trumptards in the comments section

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    1. Talking about yourself right? I mean the one person with trump in their username has to be a “trumptard” right?

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  12. I wonder if the anti immigration idiots notice the names of the inventors :

    “Oumta G Youkhana, Michael S. Demianenko, Kuo-huey Chen, and Rami Z. Sayed.”

    ‘Nuff said !

    Reply
    1. You omitted illegal after anti in your statement.

      ‘Nuff said!

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    2. I doubt any of them crossed the Texas border in the dark

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  13. Will it be safe to park inside my garage? Would not my house to burn down.

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  14. If it can double as an electrocution device or incinerator of the occupants, GM will have done it again…

    Killer Ignitions had a good 10 year run, time to get creative and do what GM does best; Kill.

    Reply
  15. Can we have heated tie rod ends next? This is getting ridiculous.

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  16. Sleepy Joe.

    Electric Heat is not the least efficient. That would be combustion heat which to this day returns less heat than energy consumed.

    Electric gives you heat on a 1-1 energy ratio. Heat pumps do better in nearly all conditions.

    It looks like you just want to start an Anti-SJW crusade rather than being smart.

    Try picking your fights somewhere the technically educated won’t see it.

    Reply
    1. Technically educated but can’t spell picking correctly lmao. What a tool.

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    2. Electric heat is a straight resistive load. Heat from combustion is just a byproduct of the combustion. Better start championing for someone to pay your student loan off. Oh. Heat pumps are useless in many environments as well.

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      1. Which environments would that be? Alaska? Norway?

        Heat pumps are used there.

        But getting back to electric: it’s a 1-1 ratio on energy. ICE does create heat as a byproduct, but have you ever sat in a car on a cold winter’s day waiting for that “byproduct” to actually get you warm enough? I have, usually involves lots of engine revving.

        Electric would be instant sizzle.

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  17. Assuming that this system would not include a heater core (like my Chevy Bolt EV), or a heat pump (or both), is like assuming any car with heated seats or heated steering wheel (also like on my Bolt EV) doesn’t also have a standard HVAC system… or like assuming a house with radiant heat in the floor doesn’t also have a furnace. This system is to supplement the regular heating system. The electric seat heaters in my EV use about 50 watts. The heater core element uses up to 7,000 watts. If your seat and your hands are nice and warm, you will naturally set the cabin temp a little cooler and still be comfortable. You will still be using the regular heat, but less of it. Therefore, you will go further on the battery.

    Reply
  18. Still just looking for a fight, I see.

    Reply

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