Performance of In-Vehicle Testing of Mobile Air Conditioning System Retrofitted with HFC-134a

Three years ago, Sanden and ICI began a program of retrofit with in-vehicle testing of mobile air conditioning systems using HFC-134a and ester based lubricants. The program involved retrofit fleets in Australia, Europe, United States, and Singapore. The intent of this program was to help the MAC industry further its understanding of the use of HFC-134a and ester based lubricants in MAC retrofit applications.

Now, three years later, the fleet has been decommissioned and examined for durability, performance, and system chemistries. This paper will describe the conditions of new and previously used compressors, the viability of retrofit methods (residual mineral oil) the quality of refrigerant, lubricant, desiccant type (re-used XH-5 or new XH-7) and qualitatively measured cooling performance as they impact on total vehicle performance.