SAE conference exploring hottest innovations in air conditioning refrigerant systems

Air conditioning is a hot topic this week among engineers attending the ninth annual SAE Automotive Alternate Refrigerant Systems Symposium in Scottsdale, Ariz.

Because emissions from man-made greenhouse gasses (GHG) and their impact on the environment are a continued concern, the mobile air conditioning industry is investigating methods to reduce GHG and comply with global pollution regulations while still keeping motorists comfortably cool in their cars.

A number of experts are scheduled to give presentations describing the latest advances in the field.

At the 2006 conference, for example, Visteon Corp. representatives demonstrated two drivable vehicles – one using an R744-based air conditioning system and the other using Fluid H technology. The company’s most recent generation R744 system consumes less incremental fuel for A/C operation compared to conventional state-of-the-art R-134a systems, according to Joy Greenway, Visteon’s vice president of climate controls.

“It’s a privilege to share our expertise at industry forums as important as this,” Greenway says.

As part of Visteon’s continuing alternative refrigerant development, climate control expert Dr. John Meyer will be presenting a discussion on system enhancements for the use of HFO-R1234yf.

Meyer will describe the refrigerant properties of R1234yf and various other technologies and strategies to optimize A/C system performance. R1234yf is being put forward as a possible near drop-in replacement for R-134a, the predominate refrigerant used in today’s auto air conditioning systems.

He is to present enhancement options that allow the performance of R1234yf to match that of R134a. R1234yf has a global warming potential (GWP) rating of four, compared to a GWP of 1300 for R-134a, allowing it to meet European legislation with a GWP limit of 150 affecting new vehicle types brought into the market as of 2011, Greenway explains.

For more information, visit www.visteon.com.