Comparative Manufacturing and Ownership Cost Estimates for Secondary Loop Mobile Air Conditioning Systems (SL-MACs)

This paper quantifies and compares the cooling performance and refrigerant and fuel cost savings to automobile manufacturers and owners of secondary-loop mobile air conditioners (SL-MACs) using refrigerants hydrofluorocarbon (HFC)-134a and the available alternatives HFC-152a and HFO-1234yf. HFC-152a and HFO-1234yf are approved for use by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and satisfy the requirements of the European Union (EU) F-Gas Regulations. HFC-152a is inherently more energy efficient than HFC-134a and HFO-1234yf and in SL-MAC systems can generate cooling during deceleration, prolong comfort during idle stop (stop/start), and allow powered cooling at times when the engine can supply additional power with the lowest incremental fuel use. SL-MAC systems can also reduce the refrigerant charge, emissions, and service costs of HFO-1234yf. The paper is informed by previous studies of secondary loop systems and an ongoing demonstration of SL-MACs designed for India where there are long hot and humid cooling seasons, relatively expensive fuel, and highly congested driving as well as uncrowded open-road driving. That demonstration determines a baseline for the cooling performance and energy efficiency of HFC-134a and tests the same parameters for HFO-1234yf and HFC-152a. The paper includes a detailed analysis of the life cycle environmental impacts of secondary loop versus direct expansion systems and a comparison of the eligible refrigerants, as well as a description of some of the most important international regulations affecting mobile air conditioning refrigerant choices.

• Record URL:
  https://doi.org/10.4271/2017-01-0173
• Availability:
  • Find a library where document is available. Order URL: http://worldcat.org/issn/01487191
• Supplemental Notes:
  • Abstract reprinted with permission of SAE International.
• Authors:
  • Andersen, Stephen
  • Chowdhury, Sourav
  • Craig, Timothy
  • Kapoor, Sangeet
  • Meena, Jagvendra
  • Nagarhalli, Prasanna
  • Soffer, Melinda
  • Leitzel, Lindsey
  • Baker, James
• Conference:
  • WCX™ 17: SAE World Congress Experience
  • Location: Detroit Michigan, United States
  • Date: 2017-4-4 to 2017-4-6
• Publication Date: 2017-3-28

Language

• English

Media Info

• Media Type: Web
• Features: Figures; References;
• Serial:
  • SAE Technical Paper
  • Publisher: Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE)
  • ISSN: 0148-7191
  • EISSN: 2688-3627
  • Serial URL: http://papers.sae.org/

Subject/Index Terms

• TRT Terms: Air conditioning systems; Cost estimating; Environmental impacts; Hydrocarbons; Loops (Control systems); Pollutants; Refrigerants
• Identifier Terms: European Union
• Geographic Terms: United States
• Subject Areas: Environment; Highways; Vehicles and Equipment;

Filing Info

• Accession Number: 01642934
• Record Type: Publication
• Source Agency: SAE International
• Report/Paper Numbers: 2017-01-0173
• Files: TRIS, SAE
• Created Date: Aug 1 2017 10:08AM