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Air conditioning and global warming

  • Magazine Feature Article
  • AUTODEC06_04
Published December 01, 2006 by SAE International in United States
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  • English

Europe's legislated phaseout of R-134a, remaining issues with CO2 systems, and new proposals for R-134a replacements give engineers many challenges, hard choices to make, and not much time.

The European Commission (EC) deadline for the regulated phaseout of R-134a is just over four years away, starting with new platform vehicles in 2011 and expanding to include all vehicles by 2017. If a high-pressure carbon dioxide (CO2) system is to be the EC replacement, commitments to component suppliers must be made by mid-2007. Despite the looming deadlines, it was apparent at the recent SAE Alternate Refrigerants Symposium in Phoenix that the world's car makers still have no firm plans.

Two new fluid possibilities from Honeywell and DuPont were proposed at the symposium. The new alternative fluids require risk assessment and a consensus decision on pros and cons, but there are only proposals for refrigerant evaluation groups-one in the U.S. with ties to SAE, with others in Germany and Japan. It is uncertain whether a unified approach wall emerge, with participation by the possible refrigerant suppliers.